I am currently between projects. This is an uncomfortable place for me. I tend to juggle multiple works in progress simultaneously–drafting a shiny new idea, revising another, and querying or polishing another. It’s how I began my writing “career” (as of yet unpaid, but I refuse to call it a hobby) and it’s the only…
Category: Writing
The Agent Showcase: Advice from a PitchWars Flop
First, DISCLAIMERS: I don’t actually consider myself, or anyone, a “PitchWars flop,” but, “Advice from a PitchWars-mentee-who-didn’t-achieve-her-showcase-goal-but-learned-and-made-friends-and-is-still-querying-and-hasn’t-given-up’” isn’t QUITE as pithy. (Plus, I’ll know who actually reads and who doesn’t from the “hey, don’t call yourself that!” responses. *devil horns*) Also, Pitchwars had a major evolution this past year (2018), with much thought and care…
Queries? Must we?
Hey, let’s talk about queries. Evil little suckers, aren’t they? I loathe queries. When they’re mine, at least. Months of carefully crafting a story, with all its layers and themes and emotional motivations, and then we’re expected to condense it down to 250 words? Ugh, misery. I think we should all just write each other’s…
Line Edits: Tightening up that Prose
My mother is an editor and a former English teacher. Now, granted, she edits medical manuscripts rather than young adult novels, but it’s fair to say my elementary school essays got more intense critique than most. I also live in a town with a wonderful writing non-profit where I take classes and participate in writing…
Back in the Saddle
Hello friends! I’ve been busy with a million things that aren’t writing, including installing shoe molding, sewing (hot glueing?) DIY mosquito curtains for our patio, and trying to survive the hectic last month of school for my kids. I also gave my PitchWars book the brutal revision it probably needed months ago, chopping roughly 6000…
Edit Letters
We’re talking feedback today. Those daunting, extensive edit letters that usually start with praise, then dive into everything that isn’t working in your story. In the past I’ve said good feeback usually stings– the knee-jerk pain is your brain fighting the realization that the criticism is valid (ouch.) And for me, it generally comes with…
Author Mentor Match, Round 4
I couldn’t be happier to share that I’ve been chosen as a Round 4 Mentee for the wonderful Author Mentor Match program! My mentor’s name is Jamie Krakover and she’s a real live rocket scientist! Jamie is represented by the lovely Kira Watson at the Emma Sweeney agency and you can check out Jamie’s website…
#AMMConnect
Hi, I’m Emily, and I’m a glutton for writing mentorship programs. I can’t help it. I love writing, I love talking about writing, I love brainstorming with other people, I love developing my craft, I love writing friends and I looooooove revising. MY WIP Working Title: PARCHED Genre: YA Science Fiction Length: 75k (ish. I…
Stage 2
Sorry I’ve been MIA, friends. I’m determined to have a completed first draft of my newest book by the end of the month, and I just decided to switch from one main character to two, so now I not only have to finish writing the plot, but I have to go back to revise the…
Motivation
Okay, let’s talk about staying motivated while working on creative endeavors. It’s…. a challenge, isn’t it? As a psychology student and then a teacher, I learned a lot about motivation. The types of motivation, how to motivate students, what decreases motivation, etc. I’m also a mom, and I spend way too many hours a day…