Wherever you are in your path to publication, at some point, you’ll wonder if creating an author website is a necessity.
TL;DR Sure, why not? :) Let’s talk about what to include on a writing website.
Read moreFormat your manuscript submission the right way
When a literary agent requests your full or partial manuscript, how you format your book manuscript matters. Formatting a novel for submission — title page, spacing, alignment — shows you take the process seriously and are considerate of the reading agent’s time.
Read moreNeed help landing a literary agent?
How do I find a literary agent? It’s the question all writers ask themselves, no matter how craft-oriented they are. I can help you write your agent query letter and book synopsis so you can land that agent and book contract. Oprah’s Book Club, here you come.
Read moreThe unfiltered truth about hustling
The struggle of working off one’s ass (as well as not ending in a preposition) with the sole purpose of more, more, more is, frankly, ugly to me. It didn’t used to be, but now, I’m not impressed by my past self. She seems easily influenced by what she thinks she should be doing instead of what she wants to be doing.
Read moreHow to write a novel
A fellow writer doing the hard work of slogging away to fill in the blank page emailed me a question that gave me pause: how in the world does one write an entire book?
This one had me scratching my head: How do we fill a novel? How do we sustain a story across hundreds of pages and thousands of words? My goodness, it looks like Mount Everest. But I have some ideas to share.
Read moreWhen you accidentally become your character
Popping in after nine months away to make two confessions about my writing life.
And P.S., can you still call it a writing life if you haven’t done much writing? Asking for a friend.
Read moreThe anti-ick guide to building your brand as a writer
What I really, really want this year is admittedly huge and will have the longest-lasting impact on my writing life: I want to define my writing brand and orient my work toward that end.
Before you ick out over the word "brand" when it's applied to a creative craft, let me share how I'm defining this: I want to figure out who I am as a writer, what my voice sounds like, the type of stories I want to tell, the messages I want to impart. Phew, that's a big one. But I think it's time.
Read moreNo more stalling: Plan your next quarter's projects this week
The end of a year is full of actions you're meant to take, from setting earnest health goals to making amends with friends. December is a grand rush to tie up loose ends and skate into the new year fresh and apple-cheeked.
What we have in common, my friends, is that we want to write well, and we want to do it year-round, not just in January. So let's talk about the self-care work you'll want to do before you even start writing that outline.
Read moreHow to get back into writing after having a baby
You might have a new role as a parent, yet that doesn't mean you've lost the desire to create.
For Pete's sake, how can you make it work? Let's talk about how to get back into the creative writing routine while maintaining some grace (and sanity).
Read moreA beginner’s guide to writing story outlines
Crafting an outline for your writing project is one tool you can use to reach that ever-exciting The End. But there are no grade-school flashbacks here and certainly no wooden ruler crackdowns. Here's one way you might go about creating your book's outline and several reasons why you should.
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