Some NaNoWriMo Tips From Someone Who Has Never Done NaNoWriMo
To all those about to embark on the adventure known as National Novel Writing Month (Fun fact: For some reason my wife can’t stand the phrase NaNoWriMo, so I always have to refer to it by its full...
View ArticleFive Tips For Fairy Tale Retellings
What is it about fairy tales? Why do we find these stories so intriguing and how do they keep emerging in different variations and art mediums? As a writer, fairy tales are my bread-and-butter. I cut...
View ArticleMethod Writing: Getting Into Your Characters’ Heads!
Acting and writing are a lot more similar than you’d think. After all, both professions require you to get into your character’s head in order to present them in a realistic way. Hollywood stars are...
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The Importance (And Subjectiveness) of Comparative Titles in Querying
Get it? We’re comparing things. Comps. Apples to oranges… okay whatever, let’s do this. Every now and again I open up my DMs on the ol’ Twitter for questions, or I let folks pick my brain in various...
View ArticleFor the writers writing sequels
There’s something about sequels. Sequels are difficult for most almost every author I know. For those early in their careers, it’s often their first time writing an entire novel under contract, and...
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Guest Post: Finding the Middle Grade Voice
Hey there, friends! Julie here. I’m happy to welcome back to PubCrawl author Kat Zhang, whose new book, THE MEMORY OF FORGOTTEN THINGS, hit shelves yesterday from Aladdin! I had the chance to read an...
View ArticleThe Query Conundrum
Good morning, Pubcrawlers! As many of you likely know, as an agent, I get a lot of submissions. Even when I find myself in one of those rare moments where I’m mostly caught up on queries, it doesn’t...
View ArticleTo Be (Continued) or Not to Be…
The first full-length manuscript I sent around to agents I described as a “standalone novel with series potential.” The story was a self-contained arc, but I’d fallen in love with the characters, and I...
View ArticleCrafting a Strong Beginning
Hey there PubCrawlers! Today I’m sharing a craft post about writing a strong beginning. As with any and all craft-oriented posts shared here by me or any of the other PubCrawl writers, keep in mind...
View ArticleFinding those wrong turns
One of the most common questions authors get is how to deal with writer’s block, and one of the most common answers we give is “go back and see if you made a wrong turn somewhere.” Which is absolutely...
View ArticleKill Your Darlings
I finished my very first full-length manuscript in college, and it took me years to complete, writing five hundred words at a stretch in between classes, coursework, and hanging out with friends. It...
View ArticleWhat Is Good Pacing, and Why Does It Matter?
Good Afternoon, Pubcrawlers! If you’ve ever queried a manuscript or sold a book, then I think it’s safe to assume you’ve likely heard the word “pacing” in feedback for your project. Whether the pacing...
View ArticleThe Secret To Writing Emotionally Engaging Stories
Maybe you’ve heard people talk about how important it is that readers get emotionally invested in your book. I certainly talk about this all the time. But what does emotional investment mean? And while...
View ArticleWorking on multiple projects
One of the more difficult adjustments for newly published authors to make — and for established authors, too! — is the need to work on multiple projects at once. There’s the book you’re promoting, the...
View ArticleHow To Fight Blocked Creativity
A few months ago, I really struggled to find motivation for my current work-in-progress, the third book in my contract with Penguin. I was traveling to promote my first book, thinking of ways to market...
View ArticleLearning to Forgive Yourself
Hi, Readers! I was recently at the anniversary party for 88 Cups of Tea, and I met a writer who told me how much my posts here mean to her. She noticed I hadn’t posted in a month, haha called out, and...
View ArticlePreparing for public speaking
When I was a debut author, I was scared of a lot of things. (Okay, I’m still scared of a lot of things.) But one thought that really rattled me was public speaking, which, for a lot of us, is part of...
View ArticleMy Cut Material File and How it Frees Me
Sometimes when an actor is being interviewed, they will say they were in a particular film, “but my scene was left on the cutting room floor,” meaning they were cut out of the movie. This used to...
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Plot, PoV and Agenda. Or: Is This Your Story to Tell?
I think this week was the tipping point. At least for me. Last week, fellow PubCrawl contributor Patrice Caldwell and I were at the amazing Highlights Foundation, teaching (with agent Linda Camacho...
View ArticleFilling the Blank Page
And then what? It’s a question I seem to be asking myself almost constantly, under my breath, in the strangest of situations—chopping vegetables, brushing my teeth, washing the dishes—and then what? In...
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