Hello again! We're coming in just under the wire here, getting this August newsletter out in time (although for at least one of you it's already September). Keep reading for this quarter's writerly update and a fun cozy fantasy recommendation!

Writing Update

Have you seen the Little Women movie adaptation that came out in 2019? I saw it in theaters, so my memory is a little fuzzy, but I recall a scene where Jo has all the pages of her manuscript laid out around her on the floor and she starts rearranging them. I thought to myself, That's not how writing a novel works! It won't make sense if you just move things around like that!

Turns out that's exactly how writing a novel works. 😆

Really, though, it's been interesting working through this second draft, realizing some scenes work better later in the novel, some work better in a different setting, some work better if I swap one character out for another. There was a rather large leap made to reach a particular conclusion early on in draft one (which I can't share because it's a spoiler), and now in draft two it comes up much more naturally--and much later in the story. Fortunately I don't have all the handwritten pages strewn about me, moving them here and there and back again. I have Scrivener, and with that it's as easy as clicking a file and dragging it to a new location, or opening it side-by-side with a blank document so I can rewrite the scene to fit its new context while still referencing the old version. Ah, the wonders of technology.

So, I'm still plugging away at draft two, which is on track to be about 20,000 words shorter than draft one. This is great news because it puts the word count closer to 100,000, which (in theory) increases the chances of getting traditionally published as a debut author.

On that subject, I've spent some time this past quarter diving into the world of literary agents. Fortunately I have access to a library system with some great resources, and those resources have helped me find a list of agents and agencies to look into and potentially query. For those of you who may not know, a literary agent is like a middleman who can help get your manuscript in front of acquisitions editors at publishing houses who don't generally accept manuscripts from people they haven't met. Right now, this is something that's on the back burner, though, as I focus on completing this draft.

Book Recommendation

Assassin in the Alehouse by Z.S. Diamanti

This is the third book in Zach's Fables of Finlestia series. Each one is a standalone focusing on different characters, though if you read all of his books (including the epic fantasy) I've heard there may be some familiar faces between them.

Why I recommend it:

• Cozy fantasy, perfect for people who want the magical feel of worlds beyond our own without the epic stakes of saving the world
• Reformed(?) assassin
• Second chances and new beginnings

I recently found myself in a discussion with a fellow author about what makes a good back cover blurb. This particular book stood out to me because there's a line about it being "a quaint quest to find the place that feels like home and the ones who make it so," and that storyline resonated with me. I bought the book and ended up really enjoying it (though I don't think I've ever read a book where characters "chuckled" as much as they do in this one).

So, I'm curious: What do you look for in a blurb, or what makes you decide to pick up a book and give it a chance? A particular storyline? The cover? A recommendation from a friend? Respond to this email and let me know!

Devotional Thought

The short version? I don't have one this month.

The long version?

I had a few ideas. Started writing them. Every time, something wasn't quite right--not in the message itself, but in my attempt to deliver it. Finally, after praying about it numerous times, I landed on this: It's not the right season for it. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven...." For me, it's a season of focusing on my own pruning and growth rather than spurring others on through teaching and encouragement. And, much as I'd love to find a way to turn that into a message for all of you, prayer and repeated efforts to do so have shown me that's not going to happen. Scripture is so full of encouragement and I can't wait to share more of it with you, but for this month, this little corner of my newsletter is on hiatus.

Well, that's it for this edition. Like I said up above, I'd love to hear what you all look for in books, or also if there are any specific genres you'd like recommendations for. Just reply to this email and let me know. See you in November!