This coming Saturday, Dec. 21, marks the darkest day of 2024 (at least for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere). This time of year always feels sacred to me, the yin to the rest of the year’s yang (and especially the yin to the big “go-go-juice” that tends to mark the beginning of the new year, with … Read More
You’re the most important part of your story
Today I dug back into my work-in-progress after a week or so off and read it from the beginning (I’m at around 50 pages now). And wow, I’m not going to lie. I was not all that impressed by what I found there. Will readers care about these characters? Is the plot unfolding in a way that will hold the … Read More
This is Your Brain on Books
We all know that reading helps us gain skills and knowledge, and maybe even become better people (though of course, you can’t believe everything you read in the self-help aisle). Which is to say, reading helps us grow new synapses, and become brainier. So maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at the degree to which writing has taught me about the … Read More
I wish I’d done this a LOT sooner…
In my latest post for Jane Friedman, I wrote about the writerly quality of grit, and three ways that it’s critical to getting over the finish line with publishing—which is something I’ve experienced myself recently, in a deeply personal way. Last week, I sent my novel-in-progress off to my fellow book coach and Julie Artz for a manuscript evaluation. And friends, though it … Read More
