This is going to be a chatty, informal blog. I’ve been promising some great links to my Book Writing World members and I thought I’d post them here for everyone. Oh, and the photo is one I took with my iPhone (old version) on my morning walk to the cafe to write. Should mention that I am getting sucked into the World Cup on my morning cafe writing jaunts: is it that the tension is mounting? Or am I just getting more creative about avoiding writing?
So: I LOVED this interview with author Jennifer Egan. Her description of her writing process is fantastic–it’s as messed up as mine and she expounds my foundational theory that the only thing harder than writing the way you write is trying to change.
If you are getting ready to write a QUERY LETTER (!!!), there are tons of terrific online sources. If you want hand holding, daily encouragement or goals and deadlines that mean something, join the Book Writing World. But if you want to know what the heck a query letter is and why they move agents (or don’t), visit
Pub Rants by Agent Kristen, who tells all, shows actually query letters of clients she’s signed, and much, much more.
Agent Nathan Bransford, who runs query contests, Tweets cool stuff and is generally helpful.
And Agent Query, a tremendous resource whose “How to Write a Query” I agree with completely.
Meg Waite Clayton’s blog 1st Books which features guest bloggers writing about their experiences writing and publishing their first books (don’t you love clarity in a title?).
Meg has also just completed a series called “The All-True Story of How a Novel Gets Published” that you won’t want to miss.
And finally, the wonderful blow-by-blow blogging as Jaime Ford, then an unpublished future best-selling novelist, found an agent. (Search on “query” and read the whole story. Note the amount of rejection at every step that it took to find stellar success.)
My partner has been ordering books about and by Kafka for me, and they are arriving in brown paper packages at my doorstep in the most thrilling way and the most unexpected moments (i.e. as one kid is shedding his underwear outside while the other heads down the front steps to the driveway looking for a good time) reminding me that I am a writer and people (or at least this one person) believe in my book! Order a book for someone you love today.
Wow! Thanks, Elizabeth, for all these links, and your optimism. I will be happily gathering advice today.
There’s nothing more exciting than getting a book in the mail. Think I’m a bit addicted to it all, especially when I can order it online and not have to get dressed and head out to the bookstore or library.
Have all these books that I’m either going to have to move or try to recycle or donate to the free box down at Red Hill Books here in Bernal.
Nothing better than a good read that comes with the mailman.
excellent! thanks very much elizabeth!