💎 So Good You Can't Put It Down

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A few months ago, I wrote about character and how to make yours appear enticingly on the page. I suggested looking at a novel together and examining how that author crafted their main character. Is there a better recent example of a character brought to life than Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead?

Read on to see how Kingsolver uses desire, obstacles to desire, voice, and more to lift Demon Copperhead vividly from the page and into our imaginations—and for ideas on how you can do the same in your own work.

Too Good to Put Down

Note: I consider how Kingsolver builds character within the first chapter of the book, so if you haven’t yet it yet, nothing will be ruined for you.

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Read.

10 Novels Agents Have Seen a Billion Times, and How to Make Yours Stand Out Tip: Think about what your reader wants rather than focusing just on what you want to say.
Great advice on how to find your audience Key consideration: "If I am spending so much time on the craft, if I feel this story might really matter to someone, isn’t it worth my time to make every effort possible to try to connect it to readers?"
Literary agent Erin Niumata on the future of women's fiction "The evolution of women’s stories, both fiction and nonfiction, have changed dramatically. The focus has moved away from just ‘gender’ and expectation but real portrayals of women, their journeys, struggles, dreams and goals."
An editor's advice on querying agents "Writers, understandably, are excited by the prospect of publishing... But jumping into the querying process too early can be a big mistake." This piece outlines how to be sure you're ready.
"You need to read. Way more than you're currently reading." "When agents read your submission materials, we can tell which writers read a lot and which do not."

How has your writing progressed in the last month?

If you need accountability for your writing project (there is magic in deadlines!) or if you want to talk through your unique challenges, whether that's taming an unruly plot or starting to query agents, I'd be happy to support you. Just reply to this email and we'll take it from there ✨

I'll be back in your inbox on August 3. Until then, keep writing.