Posts Tagged ‘writing advice’
Problems with Word Count Quotas
While writing my first two books, I didn’t pay too much attention to my word count until after I finished the first draft. My first draft of Song of the Forest came close to 200,000 words and my first draft of Power Surge was around 130,000. When I revised, I went through a cycle of…
Read MoreRoom for Discovery in Planned Novels
When I was taking a creative writing workshop in college, my professor (Andre Dubus III) told me he never planned novels. He encouraged us to avoid outlines, claiming they would make our writing feel forced. He said if we outlined, our characters wouldn’t feel real, and they wouldn’t come to life on the page. Shortly…
Read MoreCamp NaNoWriMo Take Two
My first time genuinely attempting National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) was a success. I finished a short YA novel with a day to spare. My critique groups read it and gave me feedback, spurring three in-depth revisions. This summer, I read it out loud to my mother on the beach, and revised some more. I…
Read MoreThe Dreaded Short Story Query
The Dreaded Short Story Query By Sara Codair Querying short stories is the most stressful part of the publication process for me. The word query has a slightly different meaning in the world of short stories than it does for novels.When you query an agent of publisher about a novel, you are essentially submitting a…
Read MoreWhen a Form Rejection is Better…
I often find myself cringing at form rejections, wishing that editors would give just a snippet of insight into why they rejected my story. Today, I found myself wishing for a form rejection. Nearly a year ago, I wrote a story titled “George and the Fatal Mistake” merging George Lucas’ sale of the Star Wars…
Read MoreStory Harvest
My summer of words may be over, but the fruits of my hard work are ripening. I may have picked my last summer squash and soy beans last month, but the peppers are finally changing color, the carrots are fat and the corn is tall. Writing isn’t that different from gardening. The first drafts are planted seeds.…
Read MoreThoughts on Cursed Child and a Lesson or Two on Character
In spite of all the hype about Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, I didn’t know what to expect when I sat down to read it. Was this going to be one of those instances where the author just couldn’t let go and ruined the series? Was the format going to give me a headache?…
Read MoreMaking Money (or not) and Writing
Making Money (or not) and Writing By Sara Codair There are hundreds of literary journals on the Internet. Many of them are carefully curated and beautifully designed. Many of them don’t pay their writers and artists. I like some of these non-paying venues, but always feel conflicted about submitting to them. I do want to…
Read MoreFeedback is a Two-Sided Coin
Every writer needs feedback, and I am not exception. I hunt for it more than my cat hunts for bugs. However, I was recently reminded that I really need to be careful with how I use and respond to it in the same way that Goose needs to realize its okay to hunt flies, but not…
Read MoreA True Cliché: It’s Darkest Before Dawn
As a writer, I often strive to avoid clichés. However, there are times when they are just necessary. The title of this blog post was one of them. I’ve gotten over 100 rejections since I started sending stories out to publishes, but last week, and the week before, the stream of rejections was more intense. It…
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