Hi Reader! Welcome to everyone who just joined this newsletter from Develop Your Premise! I had so much fun chatting worldbuilding & story logic with Daniel and I loved seeing all the ideas that our discussion sparked. It was a lovely reminder that people are what makes fiction special. Every writer in that session could take the same exact premise and come away with a completely different novel. We would focus on different aspects of the world; our main characters would have different traits...
2 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Next week, I’m heading up to New Hampshire to tour wedding venues (just FYI, a new podcast episode is queued up, but I will be taking a break from this newsletter while on vacation). In addition to my fiancé, both my parents and his will be joining this venue quest. No, this story isn’t setting up another email about conflict; our parents get along remarkably well, and my future mother-in-law has defied the monster-in-law stereotype in every way. Instead, I want to talk about the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Before I started dating my now fiancé, I couldn’t have cared less about soccer. I may have understood the basics of the game and even played soccer for a year as a first grader (it did not go well...), but I never sought it out. Until the 2022 World Cup final, that is. Four years ago, I found myself glued to the TV as Argentina played France. And when I say glued, I mean I was perched on the edge of the couch, stomach in knots, watching the last minutes tick down. Highly unusual...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Last Tuesday, I spontaneously decided to attend my 10-year college reunion, which started on Thursday. I didn’t actually go until Friday evening, but it was still a wildly fast turnaround, especially for someone who likes to plan every single detail of a trip before setting foot outside the front door. The reason for this sudden decision isn’t important. What happened when I got there is. I took a break from chores and work (including the podcast, but I’ll be back next week) and...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, About a week ago, I finally tackled a task I’ve been avoiding: repairing the walking pad underneath my desk. The repair itself wasn’t difficult once I diagnosed the issue, but in the process I managed to rip up the skin on one of my fingers. The thing is, I didn’t notice it as it was happening. Even though I was near bleeding and had a blister on my palm, I didn’t notice the damage or feel the pain until after I stopped working. Writing your first draft is the same way. You’re...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I usually start these emails with a story, but today I want to get straight to the point so you don’t miss the free class I’m running next week. I’m running a free class next week called Finally Finish Your Book: Stop Making the 5 Revision Mistakes Keeping Your Story Stuck. I’m running four sessions on four different days (including Saturday) so you can pick the one that works for you. If none of the times work, that’s okay. I’ll share a replay as soon as the class is over! The...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I was sitting on the couch with my fiancé last night, marveling at how cute our puppy is and how lucky we are to have her. And we are genuinely lucky. We put a deposit down with the breeder before her eyes were even open (before you come at us for not going to a shelter; we tried and couldn’t even get past the application because we aren’t homeowners, don’t have a yard, and as aspiring first-time pet owners didn’t have two separate veterinarians to recommend us, and no, I’m not...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Once upon a time, I entered a writing contest. The prize? A year’s supply of pizza. I was in third grade, so there were few things I wanted more in life. I wrote an essay. Do I remember the topic? Nope. But I do remember that I won second place and got one free pizza. After hearing about my win, I was asked to read my now prize-winning essay in front of my elementary school’s parent-teacher association (PTA). In preparation, I reread my piece and realized something shocking. It was...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, A few months ago, my adorable Chihuahua puppy started leaning into the darker side of her breed’s nature. Resource guarding (a.k.a. snatching socks, bringing them to her hideout under our couch, and growling if we tried to get them back), barking at strangers, and snapping at me for seemingly no reason (I’m sure there was chihuahua logic in play us humans just aren’t smart enough to grasp), but it felt super random—and scary—for me. We were feeling pretty helpless. We didn’t know...
3 months ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader, I did something in my business last week that I’ve never done before: I closed to sample requests. Existing clients can still contact me and get on my schedule, but I’m not accepting new editing clients right now. Part of that decision was logistical. But it also represents a bigger shift in my business that I haven’t yet talked about publicly. While I still believe wholeheartedly in the power of developmental editing to completely transform a writer’s experience, I’m also...
3 months ago • 5 min read