the site of middle grade author Jackie Yeager
A gorgeous office, a cute coffee shop, a fancy computer program, a literary agent… or permission from anyone. I wrote my first two unpublished books with a pencil on notebooks like these, and then retyped the chapters onto a Word doc on my ancient desktop computer. I wrote all three of my published (or soon-to-be… Continue reading Things You Do Not Need to Write a Book
So you’ve written a book (hooray!) and even managed to sign with a literary agent (so cool!). You’ve read the revision notes and revised your manuscript to a shine…even made it sparkle. Then suddenly, one day, your fantabulous agent notifies you that the first batch of submissions have been sent out. Your book baby has… Continue reading Things You Imagine while out on Sub
My word for 2022: CELEBRATE! 🎉 Life goes by too fast not to celebrate the small moments as much as the big ones. So that’s what I’m planning to do more of this year. Celebrate coffee dates and phone calls, game nights and a clean house, a good book and a great Netflix show, meeting… Continue reading Are You Celebrating the Right Things?
Since we’re well into Spring, I think we better talk about spring cleaning our manuscripts. Cleaning our manuscripts? Yes! It’s time to get rid of all those dirty words. You know the ones. Filler words. Words like: that, just, really, and very. They weaken your writing and bog down your story. Not sure what I… Continue reading Spring Cleaning your Manuscript
There’s nothing like getting your character names right. But assigning the right names can be tricky. When done well, they’ll fit each character like a cashmere sweater or a favorite pair of jeans. When done not so well, they’ll feel forced or like an afterthought—and no one wants their brainchild to feel like an afterthought.… Continue reading Name Your Characters with Intention
Books are never one size fits all. Even the most globally popular books don’t appeal to every reader. We like what we like, and just because everyone else is obsessed with a story, doesn’t mean we will be also. Likewise, just because we can’t stop raving about a book to every person who will listen,… Continue reading Creating a Bookshelf that’s YOU
Hey guys! We’re nearing the end of the month and I thought it would be good to check in with those you who are drafting a new manuscript or determined to finish a draft you’ve already started. Because I know what January can be like. For the first few weeks of the month, you’re filled… Continue reading Foolproof Way to Get your Draft Done
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how important it is to fill your cup. You know the kind I mean…the proverbial cup we pour from in order to create stories. Where is your mind at lately? Are you worn-out and depleted? Are you stressed or do you have that I’m-so-busy-all-the-time feeling? If you are,… Continue reading Three Ways to Refill your Writer’s Cup
To be completely transparent, this post was 100 percent inspired by Jenna Kutcher and the Goal Digger Podcast. I discovered Jenna on Instagram, and think her posts and podcasts are incredibly inspiring in a chase your dreams sort of way. And you know I’m all about that! In one recent podcast episode (I Have No Idea What’s… Continue reading Finding Clarity When You Don’t Know What’s Next
What Makes Your Story YOU? All books have themes. Things the author subtly (or not so subtly!) imparts into their stories. Like perseverance or teamwork or whatever. My books have them too and I could probably write a post just about those. But that’s not what I’m thinking about today. I’ve noticed a different kind… Continue reading What’s Your Magic Writer’s Mark?
swirl and spark 