So many people come to me and say something along these lines about their books: It's okay if it only sells a few copies. I'll be okay if my family and friends read it.It's not that serious. It's more a hobby. I really have a job doing [fill in the blank Mad Libs style.]I know…

We've all been there. We are stuck in our office (or wherever we decide to write), and we keep staring at the screen as if a disembodied face will appear and tell us that our writing is the fairest of them all.  I hate to tell you this, but it isn't going to happen.  If you…

If you've been working on your book for longer than two years, I'm going to be honest with you: you might have a problem. Maybe you're stuck at a certain point in the plot. Or you keep telling yourself that you will write tomorrow. Or you don't know if your story or book is worth…

When I was a little kid, my favorite part of the writing process was printing out my book and reading it. Like the kid from The Christmas Story, I would read it and think it was A plus (plus, plus, plus) work. Fast forward to now. Yesterday, I had to read over my manuscript so I…

You are not selfish for working on your book. I am really tempted to end it there because I think that would be super powerful (and also super true), but I think you probably need a bit more from me than that.  Look, I get it. I have the same thought myself sometimes. When you…

Like a good chunk of America, I have used Animal Crossing to help me get through this strange dystopian novel that we are currently living in. As I play the game, I can't help but notice one glaring issue with the game: some characters say the exact same thing as other characters.For example, if Judy…

A lot of people have been asking me the same question lately: With all that has been going on in the world right now, does my book still matter? Yes, yes it does. If anything, it matters more than ever. You know what has gotten me through this quarantine so far?  Books. I feel like…

These are challenging times. There is no denying that. Fortunately, I have managed to stay sane, and I would love to share my tips in hopes that it helps you! 1. Dancing to old-school songs I am dancing around my house. All the time. What's weird about this is it's not to music that I…

Oh, dear friend, You don't have to be stuck when it comes to your book. You really, really don't. Your book doesn't have to live with the virtual dust bunnies on your laptop. It doesn't have to be Rapunzel, hidden away under lock and key in your desk drawer. It deserves to see the light. To…

Last year, I threw my favorite kind of party: a writing party.  It was amazing! One person outlined a book in two hours (something she struggled with for over six years!). Another got tons of revisions done in her novel. People made more progress in a few months than they did for decades. Was it…