In life, rejection is inevitable. In publishing, it’s an absolute. Over the course of querying three novels and going out on submission three separate times, I have faced over five hundred rejections. And that’s not an exaggeration. Some were very difficult to handle, like the full requests that turned to no’s or the near offers… Read more »
For the first time ever, an editor had accepted one of my pitches. And he just so happened to work at a lit mag of my dreams. I dashed off my reply, mentally adding this triumph to my author bio, then looked at my calendar. I’d agreed to send him a 2,000-word personal essay on… Read more »
Much has been said about the importance—or rather, the need—for a writer to have a room of her own. All the better (at least, in the 21st century), if the said room comes with a door that locks from the inside and with zero Internet connection. But what if you don’t have a spare bedroom… Read more »
How many times have you attempted to shoehorn a new habit into your life? Did you start a diet that ignores the camaraderie of pizza night, begin a yoga class that meets at an inconvenient time, and set up a cleaning schedule that includes dusting the baseboards? Many new habits fail because we try to… Read more »
I’ve been watching the war on the Ukrainian people unfold with equal parts horror and amazement. This is history unfolding before our very eyes. You guys, this is David and Goliath; it’s the Spartans and the Persians. The people of Ukraine, and President Zelinskyy in particular, have inspired millions with their refusal to back down… Read more »
Do you feel like most days you are losing your marbles? If you are like me, you end the day wondering why you didn’t get as much writing done as you’d intended. There isn’t one right or wrong answer to how our daily energy should be spent. We all need to prepare food, take care… Read more »
Dedication to your writing is important, but at times it can go too far. I’ve often found myself so absorbed in my work that I ignored my own basic needs. Which, if kept up, not only jeopardizes my health and sanity but can also negatively affect my writing. To avoid burning myself out I have… Read more »
I didn’t start writing because I wanted to make a bestseller list or sell a million copies. I started writing because it was fun. It brought joy. As a child, I delighted in telling myself stories. I loved imagining secret worlds no one else could see. I got a kick out of creating plot twists… Read more »
Hello! Welcome back to the kid lit craft column. I’ve decided to do a series on all the different types of kid lit! That’s right! We are going to be covering everything from picture books to middle grade and in between! Today, we are tackling picture books! Now, I’m sure we are all familiar with… Read more »
Once you have a clear goal in mind, the next moment can be perilous. You might hear a small voice telling you to start with a small step, but often our enthusiasm overwhelms us. All of the ways that you can make your goal happen crowd into your brain like partygoers stuffed into a small… Read more »
