In the Final Hours
I had written twenty, maybe thirty, pages of my first draft when I had the idea of setting the climax at a theme party. I thought it would be fun to put my characters into costumes and get them in…
Category: GrubStreet
Friday Feast: Steps in Traditional Publishing, Writing Programs That Fit the Form, Book Recommendations Based on Your Favorite Stranger Things Character, Why There Are So Many Books with Girl in the Title, and How to Make Every Word Count
Five years ago, I wrote a Tumblr post about how sometimes I hate my Work in Progress. Today, I turn in final edits to my editor for that same Work in Progress. After x amount of years (I’ve lost count)…
So, Tell Me About This Novel You’re Writing!
I’m at a dinner party. My partner gestures to me and says to the man we’re making small talk with: “Rose is a writer. In fact, she’s writing a novel!” “Well, isn’t that something!” he begins. I take a sip…
On Rewriting
Here’s a tip for all aspiring authors: if you can survive rewriting your work, again and again, without collapse, without quitting, you will see your work published. Rewriting is often what separates the unpublished from the published. I attended The…
Three Things I’m Glad I Did Before My Debut Sold
If you decide to go with traditional publishing, there’s very little you can control once you hit Submit on your query. You’ll feel jittery. Hooray. That’s normal. You’ll feel self-absorbed and needy and desperate. Super. Also normal. But I’m here…
Writing While Poor: Chasing the Dream You Know You Can’t Have
When author circles inevitably talk about what it is they need to write—two hours of Pilates, a stiff glass of Johnnie Walker Blue, a nap—I go quiet in a squirmy kind of way. When I’m told I should really travel…