Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! In the spirit of gratitude, that my second querying journey is finally over after 3+ years, I thought I’d share my journey, my stats, and my number one tip to find a literary agent in the current publishing landscape. Because querying can be so demoralizing. But it doesn’t have to be!… Continue reading My Querying Journey to Representation 2.0
Tag: Writing motivation
Unleash Your Inner Student: Kickstart Your Writing Goals This September
Hey writing friends! Please tell me you’ve stocked up on pencils, notebooks, and folders. Assure me that you’re ready to take on September with fresh stacks of index cards and post-its. Nothing says, I’m ready to get back into a writing routine, like old school back-to-school supplies. Even if you write in Scrivener. Even if you write… Continue reading Unleash Your Inner Student: Kickstart Your Writing Goals This September
The Story Effect at the Olympics
There’s nothing like cheering for a team. Just ask any global citizen who loves watching the Olympic Games! The worldwide event brings out the ultimate fan in all of us. Whether we’re watching an obscure sport or a marquis event, we hold our breath through every race, dive, jump, twist, and flip. We gasp at… Continue reading The Story Effect at the Olympics
Downloads for Goal-Focused Kids
One of the things I love about writing is that it’s a form of self-expression. When we write, we can’t help but reveal parts of ourselves to our readers. Maybe it’s not an overt reveal. In the case of fiction, it’s usually a more subtle reveal. But still, it’s there. Authors include hidden messages in… Continue reading Downloads for Goal-Focused Kids
Interview: Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators
The last time I checked in with you, I promised a few bookish updates and more creative team-building tasks. The last couple of weeks have been more of a whirlwind than I expected though so those posts aren't ready yet. In the meantime, I thought I'd share an interview I recently did for the Rochester… Continue reading Interview: Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators
5 Years for Flip the Silver Switch!
The years since my second book was published are flying by faster that the Crimson Five’s aero bus… the one that transports them to the Piedmont Challenge Global Championships in Quebec! To celebrate, last night I started re-reading it. It’s kind of strange how the details and memories of writing this book came crashing back! … Continue reading 5 Years for Flip the Silver Switch!
4 Ways (and Walls) to Combat Writer’s Block
Writer’s block is a real thing. It doesn’t happen to me often, but when it does it’s usually because I’m sitting at my computer, trying too hard. Here’s what I do to combat that: Have a plan. When I have a general idea of what I’m writing about before I sit down at my computer,… Continue reading 4 Ways (and Walls) to Combat Writer’s Block
Celebrate the Middle
If you’re a big dreamer like I am, sometimes it’s hard to see small wins or milestones for what they are: a big deal. We sometimes get so hyper-focused on the end game—our ultimate, long-term goals, that we forget to see the in-between, smaller achievements as a huge deal too. I used to be like… Continue reading Celebrate the Middle
Seeking Magical Inspiration
Hello from sunny Florida! I you’re having a great week. I’m spending mine on a mini vacation with my daughter. After a fantastic long weekend in South Florida with my sister-in-law and her kids, yesterday we took the train up to Orlando… Disney to be specific. But we’re not doing the traditional Disney thing. We’re… Continue reading Seeking Magical Inspiration
Spring Cleaning your Manuscript
Since we’re well into Spring, I think we better talk about spring cleaning our manuscripts. Do you have Spring Fever too? 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… Continue reading Spring Cleaning your Manuscript