It still feels a little weird to say, or write, or even just to think to myself, but a couple of months ago, the miraculous happened: I got an agent! Considering the fact that I sent out my very first query when I was sixteen years old, this feels so momentous to me. And since…
I've had this idea in my head lately, as I've begun the process of zero-drafting a new project, without much in the way of plans before I started. This is a metaphor that's been marinating for a while, and as I've taken on this new project, I'm watching it prove itself to me in real…
In the world of books/writing/publishing, there's a lot of talk about the word "literary" and what it means, and as someone who considers themselves to be deeply in love with this genre of literary (even calling it a genre is a bit controversial, but we'll come back to that), it's something I think a lot…
Book covers are meant to communicate something about the stories inside the pages, and I think the covers of the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling do a good job of that -- just not necessarily in the way you would expect. They touch on the classic feel of the books, and the fun of them,…
Do you ever hold two conflicting, diametrically opposed ideas in your head at the same time? Two things that cannot possibly both be true, and yet you have somehow convinced yourself to believe both of them? I do. Probably more often than I even realize. But two that I've been coming to terms with recently…
In just a few days, I will have been in almost full lockdown for five months. It doesn't feel real when I think about it, because my life has changed so dramatically in that time, but while there was a period of adjustment, I have, for the most part, grown accustomed to this new way…
Continue reading ➞ 5 Things I’ve Learned (about myself) in Quarantine
Dear writer, Querying is pretty much universally accepted as being the Worst part of writing, and I know how hard every step of it is. It's hard sending that first query out. It's hard waiting for a response. It's hard watching the rejections roll in. And I know how difficult the cocktail of emotions surrounding…
As a young teenager, I used to get up early in the morning to finish my homework before school. In order to actually get out of bed before the sun had even thought about rising, I set my radio alarm clock on the other side of the room, so that I had to climb down…
Continue reading ➞ It’s Time for Me to Talk About My Chemical Romance
I've loved readathons for a few years now -- ever since a friend and I discovered Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon and went hard, staying awake for the full 24 hours and reading the entire time. And I guess this makes sense, because I have always loved a good event. A party, a movie marathon, anything, and…
This past weekend was Pride weekend here in Portland, Maine. In the past, I haven’t traditionally taken part in many of the Pride celebrations around town. I had never before been to the parade, and I’d only once gone to the festival, and then only for a couple hours. I’ve always known that I belong…
Chelsea D.G. Bartlett 