Category: Writing
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Hooks are Important
What makes you pick up a book? The main thing that makes me pick up a book is whether or not the back cover hooks me. Yes, Iāll read the endorsements, and sometimes scan the first page, but the blurb has to first intrigue me. And while a stunning cover is a plus, Iāve never…
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Thoughts about Pitching
First off, a sort of disclaimer: this year at Realm Makers was my first time pitching. I pitched my novel three times there, but I am by no means an expert. This post is just some of my thoughts and advice on pitching your manuscript from my experience. š *Do the work beforehand. Create an…
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He Has a Plan
Friend, rest in the sovereignty of God over your writing. I know that it can be so hard toāIāve wrestled with it before. But trust me, there is so much peace and freedom that comes with remembering that He is in control of everything that happens in your writing journey. He is sovereign over every…
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Realm Makers 2024
Every year, my experience at Realm Makers is different, which makes sense because I’m in a different place in my writing journey each time. Last year, the main thing I came away from Realm Makers with was encouragement to write. This year, my takeaway was a sense of community and belonging. It’s kind of funny—people sort…
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Keep Writing
Sometimes you have to write the wrong words first. Weāve all heard you canāt edit a blank page. And thatās true. So put the words on the paper. Donāt think about how the characters are flat, the action unrealistic, and the setting bland. Donāt stop because youāll probably end up cutting most of the words. …
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Writing Resource: WordCounter
It is tragically funny how many words and phrases I overuse while drafting. A substantial amount of my line editing is deleting those repeatitive weasel words. And one of my favorite tools for finding my overused words is WordCounter. WordCounter is a free program that you can paste your writing into. It then gives you…
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Your Old Writing
Itās okay to like your old writing. Itās okay to not like your old writing. Sometimes I read my old writing, and itās pure cringe. For instance, I once had a character talk aloud to themself so I could explain the worldbuiling. However, that was by my twelve-year-old self, who hadnāt studied anything about the…
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Surrender Your Dreams
Itās hard to watch someone else live your dream. Maybe itās a book contract, an agent, an opportunity, a job. It can be so hard to watch someone else get what youāve longed and strived for. I knowāIāve wrestled with those flashes of envy and the accompanying discouragement. But you are exactly where you are…
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Fight for Your Story
Sometimes the person you have to fight with hardest for your writing is yourself. If thereās one thing Iāve learned from my current WIP, itās how to fight for my writing with myself. A year ago, I was literally *this* close to shelving this project and possibly giving up on writing altogether. I was burned…
Hailey Huntington 