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Q. How long have you been writing?
I’ve loved stories for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid, movies and books made me feel things on a really deep level. This led me to creating my own stories from a young age. Before I could write sentences, I drew comics. I remember doodling during class in 2nd and 3rd grade (fun fact: I still love to doodle cartoons--especially of my book characters).
The first story I remember writing was in 3rd grade--which is also about the time I started really reading chapter books. All throughout my childhood, I wrote stories here and there. One of the biggest writing milestones was 9th grade. My freshman English teacher had us read Ender’s Game (still one of my all-time favorite books) and then write a short Science Fiction story. It was supposed to be 3 pages in length--mine was 30 pages. In high school, I wrote little stories for fun but never finished anything. Also, I had a brief stint as a songwriter/poet. :)
It wasn’t until just after college I tried writing a novel. My husband and I were out on a date and talking about writing. We decided then and there we were going to each write a book that year. We went over to Borders (RIP) and bought a few books on drafting… and so my journey began.
That was March 1, 2010. Two years later, my first book was completed. And I’ve been writing ever since.
The first story I remember writing was in 3rd grade--which is also about the time I started really reading chapter books. All throughout my childhood, I wrote stories here and there. One of the biggest writing milestones was 9th grade. My freshman English teacher had us read Ender’s Game (still one of my all-time favorite books) and then write a short Science Fiction story. It was supposed to be 3 pages in length--mine was 30 pages. In high school, I wrote little stories for fun but never finished anything. Also, I had a brief stint as a songwriter/poet. :)
It wasn’t until just after college I tried writing a novel. My husband and I were out on a date and talking about writing. We decided then and there we were going to each write a book that year. We went over to Borders (RIP) and bought a few books on drafting… and so my journey began.
That was March 1, 2010. Two years later, my first book was completed. And I’ve been writing ever since.
Q. Have you always known you wanted to be an author?
Actually, no. Which is kind of surprising.
Growing up, my sister and I weren’t allowed video games, so playing soccer and reading books took up most of my time. But even as much as I loved reading as a kid, I never really thought about all the authors behind the books. I’d memorized some of their names (Bruce Coville, Beverly Cleary, and Patricia C. Wrede--just to name a few) but I didn’t think much about who they were and how they wrote the stories I loved so much.
I honestly never thought about writing as a career until after college. I suppose if someone had presented it as an option back in those days, I might have considered it.
Growing up, my sister and I weren’t allowed video games, so playing soccer and reading books took up most of my time. But even as much as I loved reading as a kid, I never really thought about all the authors behind the books. I’d memorized some of their names (Bruce Coville, Beverly Cleary, and Patricia C. Wrede--just to name a few) but I didn’t think much about who they were and how they wrote the stories I loved so much.
I honestly never thought about writing as a career until after college. I suppose if someone had presented it as an option back in those days, I might have considered it.
Q. Where do you get your story ideas?
I sort of have a mental notebook that always stays at the ready. In one sense, I’m expecting story inspiration to happen around every corner. When something interesting strikes me, I make a mental note of it until I’m able to jot it down in a notebook.
As with anything, this takes practice.
Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time. I am usually inspired by other stories I read or watch. But it might also be a conversation I have with someone. Or something I witness at the grocery store. Or a dream I had. My best advice is to keep sticky notes and notebooks on hand at all times! Over time, you’ll accumulate a wealth of ideas to sift through--you never know what might lead to your next book idea.
As with anything, this takes practice.
Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time. I am usually inspired by other stories I read or watch. But it might also be a conversation I have with someone. Or something I witness at the grocery store. Or a dream I had. My best advice is to keep sticky notes and notebooks on hand at all times! Over time, you’ll accumulate a wealth of ideas to sift through--you never know what might lead to your next book idea.
Q. Do you outline your books before writing them?
Yes. A hundred times YES.
Some writers prefer not to outline, but that doesn’t work for me. Before I start writing a new book, I spend months (and months!) outlining, sketching, and dreaming up the world and its characters. By the time I sit down to write the first chapters, I have a very good idea of where the story is headed. This allows me to be a hundred times more productive because I’ve already laid a lot of the story’s foundation.
And yet even with all of this work up front, I’m still constantly surprised by my characters! This usually happens when I’m writing scenes with a lot of dialogue. The characters will say things I didn’t expect or they’ll reveal new bits of information about themselves or the story. Sometimes characters will even convince me to take the story in a different direction. They’re sneaky that way. ;)
--> As a first step to outlining, I highly recommend this book:
Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland
--> And for the second step (after outlining):
Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland
Both of these books (along with KM Weiland’s podcast) were tremendously helpful in the years I devoted to studying the craft of writing.
Some writers prefer not to outline, but that doesn’t work for me. Before I start writing a new book, I spend months (and months!) outlining, sketching, and dreaming up the world and its characters. By the time I sit down to write the first chapters, I have a very good idea of where the story is headed. This allows me to be a hundred times more productive because I’ve already laid a lot of the story’s foundation.
And yet even with all of this work up front, I’m still constantly surprised by my characters! This usually happens when I’m writing scenes with a lot of dialogue. The characters will say things I didn’t expect or they’ll reveal new bits of information about themselves or the story. Sometimes characters will even convince me to take the story in a different direction. They’re sneaky that way. ;)
--> As a first step to outlining, I highly recommend this book:
Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland
--> And for the second step (after outlining):
Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland
Both of these books (along with KM Weiland’s podcast) were tremendously helpful in the years I devoted to studying the craft of writing.
Q. How long did it take you to get a literary agent (and do you have any advice)?
Ten years. I started writing in 2010 and got my agent in 2020 with my fifth novel. It was a long journey filled with hundreds upon hundreds (and more hundreds and hundreds) of rejections.
My advice when it comes to literary agents is to do your research! Know which agents represent your genre and age category. QueryTracker (https://querytracker.net/ ) is a fantastic free resource for searching for agents by category.
You can also keep track of which agents represent your favorite authors. Start keeping a list of agents you feel might be a good fit for your work. Once you get a good list going (maybe 30-40) agents, research them individually to get a sense of what it would be like to work with them. Many agents have done blog or podcast interviews, which I found useful.
Here's another helpful blog post: How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book
My advice when it comes to literary agents is to do your research! Know which agents represent your genre and age category. QueryTracker (https://querytracker.net/ ) is a fantastic free resource for searching for agents by category.
You can also keep track of which agents represent your favorite authors. Start keeping a list of agents you feel might be a good fit for your work. Once you get a good list going (maybe 30-40) agents, research them individually to get a sense of what it would be like to work with them. Many agents have done blog or podcast interviews, which I found useful.
Here's another helpful blog post: How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book
Q. Do you have any advice for writing query letters?
Oh, the dreaded query letter.
Honestly, it takes research and practice to conquer the Query Beast. Keep an eye on twitter pitch contests like #PitMad and #SFFpit to get ideas of how to pitch books.
Also, try to get feedback on your query letter before sending it to agents. You can swap queries with other writers, but your best bet might be to work with freelance editors who specialize in query-writing. This can be invaluable--especially when you’re just starting out in the query trenches.
Here are some recommendations for freelance editors that I know and trust (note, these authors specialize in kid lit).
Naomi Hughes
Juliana Brandt
Other helpful Query Resources:
The Complete Guide to Query Letters
How to Write a Query Letter
QueryTracker - Once you start sending out queries, QueryTracker is SO helpful in keeping track of them all
Q. What is your advice for new writers?
1. Surround yourself with support.
Writing is hard and you need people in your corner to cheer you on. This support team should include a few critique partners--that is, other writer friends who can read your book and offer feedback. CP’s are invaluable and it might take some time to find ones you trust. But the effort is worth it. A good CP will help you see things in your story that you cannot see. They point out the things that aren’t working so you can make your story better.
2. Finish the first draft of the first book.
Starting your first book can be intimidating. But actually finishing that first book is even harder. A few quotes I’ve found helpful over the years:
“You fail only if you stop writing.” -Ray Bradbury
“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” - Richard Bach
“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and it’s that hard.”
- Neil Gaiman
I have these quotes printed and hanging over my desk.
Finishing your first book is a HUGE milestone. Because once you’ve proved to yourself you can do it, you can convince yourself to do it the next time. And the next. And the next.
3. Take yourself seriously.
This is for writers who want to become published someday.
The goal of any serious writer is to write good stories. In order to get better, we need to first learn what makes a good story in the first place. This means studying the craft. I’m talking character arcs and plot points. Even for those of you who don’t like to outline, you’ll find that every story demands certain expectations from the reader (like… character arcs and plot points. ;) )
Read books and blogs about writing. Listen to author and publishing podcasts. Learn the ins and outs of the publishing world. All of this knowledge will only help you take the next steps in your writing journey.
There is no shortcut here. This kind of learning takes time. Allow yourself this space. Ultimately, you will learn different writing methods well enough to then decide what works for you and what doesn’t.
By the way, you can check out a list of writer-ly resources here on my website.
4. READ
Please.
Please read.
Read books in your genre and age category so you understand what authors are doing (and also, you get a good reading of what kinds of books are selling).
Read broadly--outside of your genre. Immersing yourself in other kinds of stories will only give you more tools for your writer toolkit.
Read writerly books to help shape your craft.
Read books for fun! This includes watching movies and playing video games too. Anything that helps you appreciate Story is a worthy way to relax. :)
Q. Could you read my story/book and give feedback?
Unfortunately, no. I simply don't have the time in my day to review other people's manuscripts when I have my own books to write. I appreciate you thinking of me though. 😊
I would highly encourage you to find some critique partners and build a community of writer friends. CPs can be found online or at writing conferences/retreats (I found most of mine on Twitter). Build your online community and find other writers who write in the same age category and see if they're willing to swap manuscripts for feedback.
Also, consider attending writers conferences, workshops, retreats, etc. Here are a few recommendations (specifically for kidlit writers):
➡️ Join SCBWI (if you're a children's author). There are events and conferences that range from local to national. There are also several online webinars you can attend. It's a great community to be a prt of.
➡️ The Highlights Foundation has a wealth of resources, workshops, and retreats for children's authors and illustrators.
➡️ Andrea Brown Literary Agency holds their Big Sur Writing Workshop twice a year. I've never been able to attend, but I've always wanted to! I've heard great things about it.
➡️ Write On Con holds a conference every summer that has a TON of workshops and critique forums--this one is definitely worth your time!
I would highly encourage you to find some critique partners and build a community of writer friends. CPs can be found online or at writing conferences/retreats (I found most of mine on Twitter). Build your online community and find other writers who write in the same age category and see if they're willing to swap manuscripts for feedback.
Also, consider attending writers conferences, workshops, retreats, etc. Here are a few recommendations (specifically for kidlit writers):
➡️ Join SCBWI (if you're a children's author). There are events and conferences that range from local to national. There are also several online webinars you can attend. It's a great community to be a prt of.
➡️ The Highlights Foundation has a wealth of resources, workshops, and retreats for children's authors and illustrators.
➡️ Andrea Brown Literary Agency holds their Big Sur Writing Workshop twice a year. I've never been able to attend, but I've always wanted to! I've heard great things about it.
➡️ Write On Con holds a conference every summer that has a TON of workshops and critique forums--this one is definitely worth your time!