All I can think of is that scene in Sleepless in Seattle: Tom Hanks summons up all his manly courage to call a woman and ask her out on what'll be his first date in quite awhile, as the old-timey song "Back in the Saddle Again" plays jauntily in the background. Because, that's about to be me. I'm getting back in the saddle again, continuing my quest to find my perfect literary match. Yep, that's right! I'm going back for Round 2 of querying...
So, YEAH. My writer life has taken a little bit of an unexpected turn. I had originally planned to use January to write the rest of my second novel, which I started working on in the fall. I'd been making steady progress on it, but once the holiday season hit, there was just no time for writing. Since I was "taking off" from the blog in January, I figured I'd devote the month to writing the rest of my foodie fiction/rom-com story. But, that's...
After I finished writing my first novel, the advice I received most often -- along with "don't query everyone at once" -- was "Keep writing. Don't wait to get an agent or get published. If you have another novel in you, start writing it. Now." I've read various interviews with published authors conveying the same sentiment, and several authors I've corresponded with directly stressed this, as well. Whenever I receive this advice, I usually...
I was driving home from work when I saw the email ping through on my phone. I had stopped at a red light, so I hungrily grasped the phone and opened the preview screen, eager to see the reply. I only managed to glimpse a few (positive) sentences before I realized I should probably wait until I was out from behind the wheel before reading the entire message. I sighed, then closed the screen and sat back, waiting for the light to change. It was...
YOU GUYS. Right now.... as we speak... (erm, type? Read? Whatever!) ... and, quite possibly, at this very moment... A LITERARY AGENT IS READING MY MANUSCRIPT!!!!! *squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee* I can't believe I'm finally, finally writing these words. I thought this freakin' day would never come. You all remember the query quandary I was in last year. Writing my first novel turned out to be the easy part, while crafting the "perfect...
Be careful what you wish for, people. I’d been saying for awhile that I needed a break. Since starting my blog in July 2018 and rediscovering my love for writing earlier that year, my everyday life has become quite overwhelming. Although I love what blogging has brought into my life, balancing it with a “day job,” a long commute, and spending time with loved ones is a little tricky. So often, I’ve thought how nice it would be just to get...
One of the things I look forward to every month is getting a Stitch Fix delivery. Stitch Fix basically changed my entire confidence level, as well as how I shop for clothes. Maybe one of these days I’ll post about that, but, for now, I’m merely mentioning it in passing since Stitch Fix is how I acquired The Sweater. You can find out more about Stitch Fix here if you’re interested, though. My personal stylist at Stitch Fix knows I’m into...
Exactly one year ago, I decided to become a writer again. I know, I know -- one doesn’t really ever stop being a writer. It’s a feeling and talent that, once discovered, exists within you forever. However, after barely putting pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) for many years, and after repeatedly shoving my creative side down into a deep, dark corner in favor of other pursuits, I think it’s safe to say that, during those times, I...
You guys. I thought writing a novel would be one of the hardest things I’d ever do. I was totally wrong. I’ve finished three rounds of revisions on my manuscript, which means that it’s time to start querying agents. “Queries” are emails in which I beg literary agents in a professional manner to read 10-30 pages of the full novel I spent months pouring my blood, sweat, and tears into, in the hopes they will want to read the rest of the...
If it hadn’t been for Harvey Weinstein, I might never have written a novel. I know, I know. What a thing to say. But, it’s true. I’ve been writing stories since I was six years old, but I became serious about writing in middle and high school, when poems and short stories just seemed to pour out of me. I was published in my high school literary journal, won writing contests, and got As on all my creative writing assignments; it was if...
