In 1935, facing mounting pressure from Congress about the "Dust Bowl" problem, and thanks in part to Hugh Bennett's passionate plea to save the Plains, President Roosevelt created the Resettlement Administration. The main purpose of this entity was to give a buy-out, about seven hundred dollars per family, for people affected by the drought and … Continue reading “This rusty car creaking along the highway to the west…”
writing
How I (finally) Got My Agent
I never thought I'd be able to write one of these posts. Four years, three manuscripts, hundreds of rejections...and today I can finally announce to the world that I am now represented by Natalie Grazian of Martin Literary Management. The road to this moment was long and twisty and not as much fun as I … Continue reading How I (finally) Got My Agent
Home (Or A Lackthereof)
I saw a post on Twitter recently that said "Retweet with the type of character you always write." Hmmm.....type of character I always write? Interesting. Out of the three novels I've written, I believe each protagonist to be remarkably different. In fact, even the stories themselves are pretty varied: I went from a contemporary new … Continue reading Home (Or A Lackthereof)
Livin’ On A Prayer
Well, I've done it. I've officially put another manuscript baby out into the world by submitting my first batch of queries. I've talked a lot about querying on this blog, about the pitfalls, the anxiety, the pain, and trying to stay positive throughout the whole heart-shattering process. But, can I be honest with you for … Continue reading Livin’ On A Prayer
Novel Aesthetic
Sometimes it's hard for me to get back in a manuscript after taking a few weeks off. I sent my latest WIP off to a beta reader and, as I'm waiting for her critique, I can feel the "new-ness" of the piece wearing off. The excitement of having finished a draft wears off, and all … Continue reading Novel Aesthetic
Why Querying in The Worst…And The Best
I have been in the query trenches for a long time. A loooooong time. I started querying my first manuscript in 2014, my second in 2016, and will probably start querying my third here in 2018. Looking back over my manuscripts, I can see from one to the next how I've improved as a writer … Continue reading Why Querying in The Worst…And The Best
You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
Yesterday, in the span of one hour, I received a full request and a form rejection. Same query. Same sample pages. Different agents. If that's not a lesson in just how subjective this business really is, then I don't know what is. Two different agents can read the exact same thing at darn-near the exact … Continue reading You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
End of Year Musings
I started out 2017 with two major goals in mind: 1. This was the year I'd get an agent. 2. This was the year I'd get published. With only 10 days left in the year, I think it's safe to say that I have failed. I gave up querying my first manuscript pretty early in … Continue reading End of Year Musings
Burnout
November is National Novel Writing Month. It's a month encouraging others to somehow write an entire novel, 50,000 words, in thirty days. Yes, you read that right. 50,000 words in thirty days. If it sounds like the most horrifying, glorious, exhausting idea ever conceived, it's because it is. I finished the first draft of a … Continue reading Burnout
The Imposter Syndrome
There are a lot of hard things about being an unpublished writer. Querying. Rejections. Waiting. Oh, and actually writing is pretty hard too. But I'm finding more and more that one of the biggest struggles I have is the imposter syndrome. You know, that feeling that you're putting all this work into something that no … Continue reading The Imposter Syndrome
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