Really! I’m not! What I AM is really, really busy. I’ve completed 2 Shitty First Drafts so far this year. They’ve been cooling their heels for a month, and I’m going to start revising them on May 7th. In the meantime I’ve been working on a 3rd Shitty First Draft…I’m ALMOST done with it, but… Continue reading I’m Not Dead!
Today I would like to introduce you to my favorite writing quote in the world. I like it so much that I have it engraved on the back of my iThingy (even though my husband complained that an engraving would hurt the re-sale value…as if anyone is going to want to buy this thing from… Continue reading All That Matters Is Feeding The Lake
I had a completely different post planned for today, but due to an intense realization on Friday which led to a subsequent rethinking of my entire approach to writing, this is the post you’re getting today: I know nothing. *cue the Jon Snow jokes* Okay, see you next week! No, no. Just kidding. So, what… Continue reading I KNOW NOTHINGGGG
Hello, writers! Can you believe it’s already December? I can’t. It feels like only yesterday I was holed up in the bathroom at work crying my eyes out over David Bowie dying. I am so fucking glad this shit-show of a year is almost over. But enough of that. Today I want to talk about why… Continue reading Challenge Yourself, or, Difficulty Setting: Hard Mode
Happy Sunday (and for my fellow Americans, Happy Post-Thanksgiving Food Coma)! Forgive me if I fall asleep at the keyboard today…all of the blood in my body has rushed to my stomach in an attempt to digest the ridiculous amounts of roasted meat I consumed over the course of the 4-day weekend. *clutches chest, suffers… Continue reading Start Something New
A few things before I begin today: 1-I finished “House of Leaves” and it felt like coming out of an exquisitely-written nightmare. I emerged back into reality, blinking in the daylight, not sure how long I had been lost but very very pleased with the experience. Check it out if you like weird, experimental-style novels.… Continue reading Being Happy For Other Authors
My tattoo appointment got moved to next weekend, so here I am! In the shocking wake of this election, with hate crimes being committed against people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, women, and other marginalized groups, representation in fiction is more important than ever before (and it was already pretty goddamned important). No doubt you have heard… Continue reading Surprise Post! Why Representation Matters
Hello, writers! Happy Sunday! Before I start today’s post, I want to get a couple of things off my chest: 1-I AM READING “HOUSE OF LEAVES” AND O MY GAD THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. Have any of you read it? Can we discuss it? I’m only 115 pages into it but every page is… Continue reading Conferences & Workshops
I was going to wait to do this post. I had planned on talking about workshops and conferences this week. But I got the first rejection on my new book on Tuesday, so it seems like an appropriate time to discuss it. Rejection fucking sucks, but it’s also an unavoidable part of the creative life… Continue reading Rejection
Today we move into the business-side of writing. It’s not really something you want to worry about until you’re done with your project, since you should never, ever query an agent until you have a finished book to send them. Trust me, it’ll look mighty bad if you happen to get a request for a… Continue reading Queries and Synopses and Agents, Oh My!
Serra Swift 