Mom Writes

Twitter pitching. I always said I’d never do it. And then my friend Lidija Hilje, the Pitching Queen, talked me into it. Lidija also helped me put the final polish on my query letter, so since she also said she would help me polish my Twitter pitch, I agreed. Of course she talked me into it two days before PitMad!So after many iterations of my pitch (lots and lots of back and forth on a Google Doc!), we decided to do an impromptu Mom Writes episode about Twitter pitching contests. Well, specifically PitMad, which happens once a quarter. I’m still honing my pitch for tomorrow (December 3, 2020) or else I’d share it here. But if you want to listen to Lidija give us all the dirt on PitMad and hear her red pen my pitch, then this is the episode for you. Since we did it the day before PitMad, I wanted to get this episode up ASAP. So it is unedited. There is no intro. No music. No nothing. Just me and Lidija and a live studio audience! Yes, we recorded this along with a handful of listeners (which was super fun)!So join us today for some tips and tricks and logistics behind the Twitter pitch.

We had a really great question come in from my friend and fellow writer, Mindy. She wanted to know about “the nudge.” She wanted to know when it was okay to nudge an agent who has your manuscript.(Side note, Mindy has been working her butt off querying agents while writing her second book. She’s had quite a bit of action on her query, which is super exciting! She’s killing it, and I’m super proud of her!)I was glad Mindy asked this question, because I wanted to know when it was okay to nudge an agent who has your query. One of the agents I queried gave permission to nudge after 4 weeks on her website. But I wanted to know the etiquette. What do you say, and when do you say it? Jennie has three words for writers looking to nudge an agent: just be professional.“Always keep in the back of your mind two things. It's a super small industry, and you never know who knows who and who's going to talk to who about what you did. And also, these may be people that you are going to be doing business with for very, very long time.” -JennieIn today’s episode Jennie talks about the different types of nudges, what you should say, and when it’s appropriate to send it. (Spoiler alert, in most cases the answer is you don’t.) When do you nudge an agent who has your query?When do you nudge an agent who has your full manuscript?What happens when you get an agent phone call? An offer of representation? What do you tell the other agents who have your manuscript? What if you get multiple offers? So much to juggle!Jennie’s got some great advice and a few client stories all about The Nudge.

This is not a full episode. This is an invitation. I’ve decided (very spontaneously, mind you) to do something a wee bit different this week. As some of you may know, PitMad is on Thursday. PitMad is a Twitter pitching contest. Now, as some of you may also know, I’ve sworn I will never participate in a Twitter pitching contest. Mostly because I’m not that good at The Twitter. But also because, it’s a crazy, frenetic energy that I really don’t dig. However, I also said I would never teach high school, but then taught it for ten years AND LOVED IT.So, I’m going to give it a shot.Here’s where the invitation comes in. I’m inviting you to a live recording of the Mom Writes podcast on Wednesday, December 2. On it, my friend and book coach Lidija Hilje, is going to look at the first draft of my three Twitter pitches and utterly massacre them. I mean, we will tear them down and build them back up again to (hopefully) make them spectacular (crossing fingers). We’re doing this live on Zoom at 11:30 am Eastern time. If you would like to come and listen in, email me at momwrites@authoraccelerator.com and I will send you the Zoom link.Also know that I would appreciate your support in retweeting my pitches on Thursday! My handle is @abbysmathews. If you are pitching and would like me to retweet your pitches, too, email me your Twitter handle and I will retweet you! (See email above!) Hope to see you guys Wednesday on Zoom, and also on Thursday on The Twitter.

My first rejection is in the bag! Actually, my first two. Jennie made me promise to screen record opening my first response from an agent. So this episode starts with me (actually) opening and reading my first rejection and Jennie’s response to it. The theme of today’s episode is don’t take it personally. It’s easy (very easy, because we are storytellers at heart!) to make up all sorts of stories about what is (and isn’t) happening to your email queries that are out in the world. I was convinced—totally and utterly convinced—that my query was being passed around one of the agencies. Why did I think this? Because I could see from the read receipts that it had been opened a grand total of 17 times in a two-week period. I saw the open number climb and thought, great! There’s some action on my query! But Jennie likes to inject some reality into my fantasy. And here’s the truth: we don’t know. We don’t know who is opening the emails or why. It could be a slush pile reader. It could be the agent. The agent could be passing it around. OR it could be an automation! Send it and forget it is a difficult strategy. After all, I am hopeful! I am optimistic! Plus, it’s kinda fun checking email. It’s certainly replaced checking social media, which is a nice change of pace. What does Jennie suggest doing while you wait on your query responses? Keep writing, of course!

Today Jennie and I talk about the toxic “Pick Me!” attitude that many writers have towards querying. We look at the different types of energy we as writers bring to the pitching process, and how feelings of desperation hurt more than help.As I look to continue to query, I know I need to personalize each one for the agent it’s being sent to. Seems easy, right? You just take out Dear Mrs. X and replace it with Dear Mr. Y. Then you erase the sentence about why you chose X and replace it with one about how much you like Y.Not. So. Fast.Jennie and I take a look at my base query and we talk about how you tweak a personalization in order to speak to each agent directly.

This episode actually made me feel a zillion times better about querying, and it gave me some patience with the process. It’s really no surprise that after only a single week (we’re talking not even seven full days) I’ve heard nothing from the one (ONE!) agent that I exclusively queried. It’s very easy to take this personally. But should you? I mean, you sent her (or him!) this thing— your thing!—that took you years of blood, sweat, and tears to write. Is it just sitting in their inbox? Did they see it and hate it? What is happening?Today Jennie puts us in an agent’s shoes. What is an agent’s job, and how much of it involves reading queries?And based on this information, should I adjust my strategy of pitching a series of exclusives to my top agents? Should I instead batch pitch a small group of them?So if you are querying and need some patience with the process, listen to Jennie’s words of wisdom and take a deep breath. If you’ve done your homework on the agents, followed all the rules, and you have a solid query, you’re on the right path.

Hip hip hooray! Today we invite you to join us as we press send on my (Abby’s) first (and exclusive) pitch. There’s not much to sum up today, except to say that Mel makes her first appearance in Season 3! She comes to give us an update on where she’s at with her book and to support me while I make the big leap. The three of us catch up and share all the feels as I read my query letter, and in the excitement I nearly commit a cardinal sin and forget to put a subject in my email!In today’s intro I also give you a behind the scenes glimpse of what happened AFTER I hit send. It was pretty epic, and just to give you guys a visual, I’ll include a gif in the show notes (on my website, which is www.abbymathews.org)!

In this episode, we review the overall pitching process.Here's a run-down if you've missed it:Get your manuscript in "good enough" shape to pitch. Remember, there's still more work to be done once you get picked up!Make sure your query is stellar. (No pressure, right?!)Write short personalizations for each agent on your short-list.Double-check each of those agent's submission requirements.Don't rush! The process of pitching takes time. You don't want to make a mistake with one tiny little detail that ends up jeopardizing your chances with a great agent because you didn't put the right subject in your email.Jennie has some useful tips that will save lots of time in the long run (even though it might take a while to set up in the beginning).We haven't talked much about beta readers and how they fit into the pitching prep process. Should you have your writer-friends beta read? Or should you have your reader-friends beta read?My last Hail Mary question for Jennie before she turns me loose on the final leg to pitching is this: comp titles! I get a wee bit nervous and start second-guessing my comp titles. Jennie heads to Amazon to help me answer my comp title questions, and we work through what works best (and what the comp title's actual purpose is in the query letter).And then...I'm off to pull everything together before I hit send on my first query on Season 3, Episode 9 of Mom Writes!

It's the Query Letter Episode!!!I have written my query letter no less than 45 times (and it feels like 45 ka-zillion times). Some passes over my query letter have involved big, sweeping changes. Others have been small tweaks, looking to do things like cut an overabundance of adjectives. But every change brought me closer and closer to what Jennie has deemed a query that is "KILLER GOOD."The first time we tackled my query was on Jennie's Creative Live class called How To Land A Literary Agent. You can find the course here. We recorded it live in Seattle a few years ago, and guess which literary agent we use as our example?If you guessed Alec Shane, you are correct.Since writing this query, my book has undergone several revisions. Therefore my query needed updating. I had a solid start, but I ended up scratching my book's blurb and starting fresh.It was so hard! Soooooo harddddddd.Why is writing a query so hard?"It's because it's a sales thing. It's not the same kind of writing at all." -Jennie Nash, on why writing a query is tough.You've got to look at the big picture for the query, not what the plot is about, but what the story is about. And you have to do it in a way that is short and sweet, so listen in while Jennie and I tear up my query--again--on this episode of Mom Writes.

When you finally choose an agent to pitch (or 20 or 30), what do you do? I'm interested in sending out a series of exclusives. It's a weird strategy, and it might not work. (As a matter of fact, I might scrap the whole thing after this first round. You never know!) But for whatever reason, this is where my gut is telling me to start.In this episode, we discuss the one cardinal rule in pitching agents: FOLLOW ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS TO A "T."If the agent says they want the subject line to say your name, title, and date of your last flu shot, then by God, you write your name, title, and date of your last flu shot! It's not time to get fancy or creative because there very well may be a filter on their inbox that weeds out any email which doesn't follow this exact format.We also discuss my first chapter and why it's essential to nail it. Frankly, I had a tiny blip early in the chapter that took Jennie out of my story."An agent is a highly tuned reading machine, right? She is gonna be scanning this super-fast, like, 'Oh, that's so cute. That's so great. That's so awesome. BLIP. Ugh. Done.'" -Jennie Nash, on agents reading your first chapterIn my first chapter, I referred to a conversation between two characters in the scene. Jennie wanted to see the conversation instead. She wanted to see the conversation because it allowed my main character to react to it.It ended up being a small tweak, but a fun one to incorporate because it gave me the chance to add in a little more "Mr. Rafferty." Sidenote, Mr. Rafferty is the character that every one of my beta readers (EVERY. ONE.) said they loved (and wanted more of!). He's a retired pirate, and he's a grumpy, snarky ol' talking rat with a great big heart.I've learned during this whole pitching-prep process that sometimes little changes make a big difference.

Today we have (surprise!) more talk about agents. What if you're pitching an agent, but you are open to eventually dipping your toes in self-publishing or hybrid publishing? Or changing genres? Or co-writing?Jennie says, "And when you get to a conversation with an agent, these are things you might want to say: I have a million ideas! I might want to do a collaboration with someone. I might want to do a picture book. I might want to do an adult thing. And I know you might not represent all those things, but what are your thoughts about them?"Basically, you want to know where a potential agent stands on any path you may want to walk.What are other things that you need to consider when comparing different agents and agencies? What kind of business relationship are you looking for?We turn to the internet and do a little digging on one agency. The Jill Grinberg Agency has a beautiful manifesto of their beliefs on their website. In it, they talk about how they approach their work with writers and how they work as a team with fluidity between departments.So what am I looking for in an agent? My answer may surprise you! (Especially because I'm not sure if she exists!)

Today Jennie breaks down agents and strategy in all kinds of different ways.First, she talks about agents and what they strategically do for your career (and what they don't). Agents aren't going to say to you, "Llamas are hot right now! Bring me a book featuring llamas!" (Llama just say, I thought this was kind of how it worked.)All agents work differently and have different personalities and styles. Some are more editorially focused. Some are great at laying out a strategic career path. As a writer pitching agents, you should have an idea of how hands-on you want them to be.Because as Jennie keeps saying, "You get to choose, too." Choosing an agent is a two-way street. Yes, they choose you, but you can say no if you talk to them and realize it's not a good fit. Or, as I said, you can turn down the agent if s/he turns out to be a Mr. Collins. (That's for all you Jane Austen fans out there.)Turning down an agent is very difficult for a new writer to do, by the way!We also talk a bit about my very off-beat pitching strategy. Jennie usually suggests pitching agents in small batches, but I've decided I want to do something... different.Because God forbid I do things like everyone else.

I know how some of us are feeling. We've worked hard (possibly for years) on a book, and when it comes time to pitch it, there is a worldwide pandemic.So what do we do? Do we change our stories to reflect the new "normal?" Do we hold off pitching agents? Are agents still working? Are they taking writers?Do any of these things even matter?Today Jennie and I talk about how the pandemic has affected the pitching process. My question to Jennie was this: is it better to pitch more established agents who already have all the connections?Jennie goes over more pros and cons about pitching agents at big agencies vs. small ones. Seasoned agents vs. young scrappy and hungry.She also takes some time to dig deeper into one agent on my list. She dives into the internet to try and figure out what she can about him, illustrating that sometimes you have to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes when researching agents.

Today we talk about what to expect when you’re pitching agents. From what to do with your documents to how to keep track of agents, Jennie lays out all the things you need to consider when starting the pitching process.(And I have one word for you, folks: spreadsheets.)I also fret because my top, wish-listed agents represent some pretty big names. But Jennie has some good advice for me there, too.“They're not usually like, 'Well, that's it. I got one really big one! I'm done!' They're in this game for good. So, there is no aiming high. Like if you're aiming for people who represent really prominent, famous authors, they're just as likely to take your book and love your book as anyone else.” -Jennie Nash on pitching agents with famous clientsI talk a little about how I narrowed down the agents on my list that I wanted to pitch and why. Jennie explains choose agents to pitch is not so much a science as it is an art.So how do you go about choosing what agents to pick? And what makes a good agent? What if you don’t hear back from an agent? What if you hear from multiple agents at once? All these questions plus a few more on today’s pitching prep episode of Mom Writes.

Season Three of Mom Writes is all about pitching your completed manuscript to agents! Book coach Jennie Nash walks me, Abby Mathews, through the process of pitching my middle grades novel in hopes of finding an agent, and in turn, a publisher.But let’s start at the beginning. The first eight episodes are dedicated to preparing your pitch and your agent query.Today, Jennie talks about the number one thing people get wrong when they pitch their books to an agent: they RUSH.We also talk about the two things you have to get in shape to pitch: your materials and your mind. What do we as writers need to do to make sure our book is pitch-worthy? First, I asked myself, “Is this book something that realistically an agent can sell?” And the answer was no.So, I made some changes to my story that I felt would make it easier to sell my book, and we talk a little about that. I had to kill a few darlings in the process, but in the end, I think my manuscript is in better shape to sell.We also talk about the idea of your book being “good enough” to pitch. It was my friend KJ who said, “It has to be good enough to go out, but not so good I can’t change it.” Because one thing you may or may not realize is agents and editors will all have suggestions for your story. These suggestions help you craft a story they can sell. What you have to have crystal clear on the page is your big vision for this story. And you have to find an agent who can catch that vision and run with it.Here’s where we move from a purely creative realm into the realm of BUSINESS. And this is a hard thing shift!But I’m getting ahead of myself. To start, you need a query letter and a “good enough” manuscript. So welcome back to Mom Writes as we present pitching prep!Remember, you can find these show notes on my website at abbymathews.org.

Hi, everyone! We have a Mom Writes season 3 update.One important announcement I have is that Mom Writes is moving! You will no longer find our current show notes on the Author Accelerator website. Seasons 1 and 2 still live on the Author Accelerator site, so all our old show notes are there. But anything new from this point forward will be…here! On my website www.AbbyMathews.org.And you guys, I spell my last name with ONE T. Like the everyone’s least favorite subject in school, math.Just kidding.Kinda. I mean, some people love math. I just said that so you would remember my name has one T in it, like math. ;-)Season 3 is going to be structured a wee bit differently, since we are headed into uncharted territory (or at least it’s uncharted for ME). Season 3 is all about pitching, and when you query agents it gets unpredictable. So, whereas you could previously count on me to write my 20 pages every other week on Seasons 1 and 2, I don’t really know what kind of rhythm Season 3 will have.That said, we’re starting out with 8 episodes where Jennie lays out pitching prep, and we’re going to release them pretty quickly. Most likely M W F, M W F, M W and then I’m going to hit send on my first query letter as close to “live” as we can get it. (As a matter of fact, Jennie is going to be on the phone with me when I hit send, for moral support. Because she’s awesome like that!)Mel is still around, even if you don’t hear her voice at first. FEAR NOT. She is alive and well! But like Mom Writes, Mel has also made a big move across state lines. She just needs a little time to settle and adjust before jumping into the fray! So, as long as I don’t mess up the tech on my end, look for a new episode coming Monday, October 5, 2020!

Abby's spent years writing this book, and through various drafts the one thing she never wavered on was the age and grade of the readers she was writing for. But in this episode, she finally realizes and accepts that it's elementary kids, not middle school kids, that she wants to write for.Sometimes at the end of a book, you feel a whole wide range of emotions - one of those is definitely "what happens next?"After each of her submissions, Abby always knew what to do next - write the next chapter, edit the next chapter!And now?Now what?Kemlo says this is totally normal, and Abby agrees that the next step is another Manuscript Audit to figure out where the dropped threads are. She needs to pick those up, carry those through the rest of the novel, and cut some chapters because her word count is a little high."I feel like my whole first draft was figuring out what the story was - and then I went back and made it whole. Now, I have to figure out what pieces are unnecessary." - AbbyKemlo's advice for dropped threads is to recognize when you're barking up the wrong tree. If you can't make the thread work, if you really don't like it for some reason, if you really feel like you're shoving it where it doesn't fit - maybe that's a sign it doesn't belong at all. Sometimes the best solution is to remove it and see what the book looks like without it.Abby also mentioned some of the "nonverbal feedback" she got while reading her book to a group of third-graders is making her second guess the threads in her "problem child" chapter four. Kemlo asks her if it would be worthwhile to read to an older group (more towards the MG readers she was initially writing for).Here's where it gets tricky - Abby's taken the "romance" out of her book, and her character is still 13 - where, in fact, does her book fall in regards to the age of her readers? Is she changing her mind about writing for upper middle grades?Kemlo agrees that many aspects of her book, especially the humor, would play really well with the younger middle-grade readers, specifically the 4th and 5th grades. She thinks Abby could make her protagonist a little younger and have the whole thing work perfectly. This won't require a huge amount of re-writing"It's not necessarily changing so much as discovering what has been true all along, and seeing it for the first time now...which is cool." - Kemlo Aki

In this episode:This week, Mel finds her own mistakes - the fuzzy pronouns, the over-generalities, what Kemlo calls "the curse of knowledge" - giving too little information on the page because it's all in your head. It might be clear to you, but it's not clear to the reader! Experienced editors will find these things on their own, and it's a good sign when you can read through your own work and pick out common missteps in a first draft. For Mel, this tends to happen in scenes with lots of action - which she happily works hard on - but the little things get forgotten about and need to be filled in later.Mel's protagonist is having seemingly contradictory thoughts - she's made the decision to leave her brother in order to help save him and other characters in the book, but she keeps thinking of abandoning her plan and returning to her brother. How do these motivations play out, and do they make sense for the character? It can work, but Mel needs to spend more time fleshing out the decision process for her protagonist. The conflict needs to play out in her thoughts, not just her actions."You have the first and the second bit, showing her thoughts and what she's feeling, but not why it matters - once you get there, you'll be all set." - KemloCan you include bad weather to ramp up the tension, as Mel has done in her chapter? Sure, as long as it's not the only thing that's ramping up the tension, and as long as you show the characters' reaction to it. Things like weather or descriptions of surroundings can add to the atmosphere (no pun intended) - as long as it's enhancing the scene, and not the only thing your characters are dealing with (unless it's a book about a storm, or a hurricane, etc)."Message of the Week: we want to be seeing change, change, change - not just externally, but changes in her as she's affected by everything." - KemloThat's what our readers want to see - how does the story change the characters? Or not? Sometimes our characters are stubborn and refuse to change despite what we throw at them, and that's interesting too - we just need to know why it matters to them, and it will matter to us. Show us what's at stake and what the characters are wrestling with.Mel's got a character that comes back at the end when everyone had given him up for dead, and while that's fine, Kemlo suggests he take up more space in the story before his appearance. This doesn't necessarily mean he's got to appear sooner, but he's got to be on the other character's minds before he shows up. Make some references to him, show that the characters remember him, show that he mattered so that when he shows up the reader remembers who he is.

Melanie gets her turn in the time-looping barrel this week (finally!). In the first part of her chapter, she was interrupting the narrative with some unhelpful backtracking. It wasn't moving the present story forward. As Jennie Nash says, "things were happening...offstage". Mel thinks she was attempting a flashback, or trying to work some offstage information into the narrative, but it stood out like a sore thumb. On the upside, the back half of the chapter went swimmingly, and all Kemlo had to do was say "Hey, you want to fix that first half of the chapter? You know that stuff you did in the end of the chapter? DO THAT."Turns out, the time-looping half of the chapter was newer, and it was being integrated into first-draft work. Things have to unfold in sequence - you can't go back and forth, back and forth, with no consistency.Mel admits she was super stressed out about her sex scene and just wasn't focusing on the rest of the chapter! But all's well that ends well, and the chapter ended well. Kemlo was happy with how the scene went, and it makes sense for the characters and where they're at in the plot. Does it matter that it's more of a fade-to-black than explicit sex scene? No, because this isn't romance - other genres are more forgiving. There are certain expectations for sex scenes in romance novels that don't exist in the same way in other adult fiction.So, how did she do it? "I had everything I needed in the chapter except the actual sex scene - every other part of the chapter had been drafted so many times! I admit I left it until the last minute, but it worked!" Shoutout to MomWrites favorite romance writer Michelle Hazen, (@michellehazen on Twitter, michellehazen.com - UNBREAK ME and other novels at your favorite indie bookstore, online, or where ever fine books are sold) whose advice and support is always appreciated!More of Kemlo's advice centers around what the reader needs to see about what Mel's protagonist knows and expects in the rest of the chapter - things that make scenes stronger include more of the protagonist's decision-making process, as well as the side-characters and what they're up to, what their objectives are. Let them wrestle with their choices like we wrestle with ours in the real world. Remember, they're all living out their own story too, and while it's challenging to maintain these threads to the end of the book, your reader wants to know what happens to all of these people, and you want your reader to want more of this, more of them, more of your story.

In this episode: Listen to the preview to find out why...if only we'd known then that spending all your time at home and not going out wasn't actually the best thing ever. We hope everyone is safe and healthy out there.This week, we talk about wrapping up Abby's story in a nice little bow. This might be Abby's last submission for this draft, but it's not ending in the same place her first draft ended! What will need to happen to convince Abby's protagonist to come back to the real world, instead of staying in the book world forever?Kemlo advises Abby to put in some scenes to connect her protagonist more to the real world - highlight friends, family, etc - all of the reasons she might want to come back. We also need to see her protagonist mend her friendships - both with Ralph and with Logan. We need to see her learning what she's meant to learn about friendship, and how to make and keep friends, and how to treat your friends.The growth that needs to happen is multifaceted and involves the protagonist accepting herself, and the consequences of pretending to be someone you're not. The message we're looking for has to come full circle from the problems we read about at the beginning of the book.Abby and Mel have three more deadlines - can Abby wrap this up in that amount of time? In her next round of revision, Kemlo advises her to plant more seeds for change within her characters."I really thought that first draft was going to be the biggest milestone - and then I finished and realized there was SO much more work to do in revision..." - AbbyIt's true, revision is a beast!But really, isn't it supposed to be, a little bit? You're taking the blob of clay that came out of your brain that definitely resembles a story, and slowly chipping and molding and shaping it into something not only the reader will enjoy, but that you will be happy with as well."Sometimes seeing what you don't want can be as helpful as seeing what you do." - Kemlo Aki

Mel's chapter 17 benefits from the magic of alone time this week, and that - plus not being exhausted! - made for a well-rounded chapter with an active narrative voice. But Mel was able to fight against her old nemesis, "show where your characters are at emotionally," and we're counting that as a big win for today. Mel's been working on this book for a really long time. She says it's hard to immerse yourself when you have a lot of years-old pre-conceived notions of what your book "should" be like, and it's easy to doubt yourself along the way. It's important to remember that anything, anything at all can be changed. Your finished product might look nothing like the idea you started out with, and that's okay! It doesn't have to.Mel has a process question for Kemlo - should her characters duck at the sound of a gunshot? What's the realistic thing to do here? Kemlo's gun-loving neighbors have desensitized her a little bit, so her reaction might not be the average reader's reaction. Kemlo suggests Mel show her protagonist imagining what the threat could be, and speculation from the other characters to paint a clearer picture and give the scene more context. Remember - in a first-person story, you're seeing everything through the eyes of your protagonist.How does Mel reconcile the fact that this thread of her protagonist's new job, which was a main driving force in the beginning, has kind of... faded away? Should she cut the whole thing or try to beef it up? Kemlo advises her to review the manuscript, only taking the view of enhancing that aspect, and find the place in the story where Mel's protagonist finally comes to terms with how the whole thing is falling apart. Her profession can still be and should be, a part of who she is and how she thinks, and she has both personal and professional concerns that need space to play out. Kemlo also suggests Mel show this through her secondary characters - those secondary characters know the professional side of her and what she was hired to do. What are their expectations, and how do their opinion of her and her role change as events play forth? Mel needs to show her protagonist's role changing through the eyes of those secondary characters."The thing that made me happiest about this chapter - other than the fact that you made it so much better - is that you like it so much better." - Kemlo Aki

This week's discussion revolves around the pacing in Abby's middle-grades novel - and all about what she did right.(Plus, it's six months in the past, so enjoy this trip to October 2019, a simpler time.)How difficult is it to show the emotional layer in middle-grade lit without slowing down the pacing?VERY, as it turns out - but this week, Abby gets the gold star from Kemlo. Word choice plays a big part here. Words like "chattering" and phrases like "a normal person" convey an opinion about what the protagonist thinks about someone without coming right now and saying it. It's a way of showing backstory, a mini-flashback."It's a way of sharing the knowledge your protagonist has...because all we want is to know what she knows so that we can feel like we're inside her head." - Kemlo AkiShowing how your character relates to their world is an essential skill, one that takes time to get right. Listen to Kemlo read where Abby gets it right to hear how little details mean so much, and convey so much information in just a few lines.Be careful, however, in the overuse of this device - this time, Abby gets warned about using too many questions. Asking a specific or open-ended question can pique a reader's interest and get them wondering about what's next. But peppering them with too many questions can be overwhelming and confusing."Any good writing craft or technique is one that is used sparingly." - Kemlo AkiWatch your use of filter words, too - there's a lot you can cut without losing meaning. Words like "felt," excessive adverbs, etc., are often unnecessary and should be on the chopping block unless you really need them.The same goes for dialogue tags - there are a time and a place and appropriate use, but try to distinguish the speaker that doesn't end in "he/she/they said," either via description or action. Of course, it's not a hard and fast rule, and it's worth your time to review these in your editing process and see if you can mix it up.

Welp, it’s official, folks. It’s finally here. This is the point in the quarantine where I, Abby Mathews, has officially— yet good-natured-ly— lost her mind. (See, I’m even making up words.)I don’t even know what day it is anymore. Is it a podcast release day? Beats the heck out of me. So we’re just gonna go with today for an encore episode of Mom Writes.Why an encore episode? Because I just can’t do one. more. thing. I know you parents feel me. And I’m sending you my love.And if you are listening and you aren’t a parent, let me paint you a picture.We started this whole quarantine with beautifully bleached houses. Seriously. You could have eaten off the floors. But for the last month, no one has left the house. Or picked up after themselves. We have weird makeshift school science projects and artworks lying around the house (all made out of tras— recycled materials, excuse me). GOD FORBID WE THROW THEM AWAY. Usually I would wait for the kids to go to school, and then I would throw them away, shoving them deep into the kitchen trash and covering them with a random paper towel or something.But the children are home.And they are watching my every move.They are also consuming all. the. snacks. all. the. time. And eating lunch at their desks like tiny office workers. And my 10-year old STARTED DRINKING COFFEE. She leaves her half-consumed cups of coffee everywhere. And I’m wondering if I can program Alexa to do an hourly reminder to PICK YOUR FREAKING DISHES UP.One of my wonderful and brilliant and dearest friends FaceTimed me the other day to ask this question: what is the best way to connect two strands of paper dolls. Behind him, my 5-year old goddaughter danced with the exuberance only a 5-year old can possess. She waved several strands of paper dolls, singing in a thunderous voice about decorating the living room. I saw the look in his eyes. This call wasn’t about the pros and cons of tape vs. staples in paper doll making. He needed someone to tell him it was going to be okay.I want all of you to listen to me.It’s going to be okay.One day we will laugh about walking into our bedroom at 9 pm, and seeing our children sitting at a card table they’d turned into a slime-making station. (I know this isn’t just happening at my house.) That day is not today. But one day. I promise.We’ll laugh as long as we all stay healthy and stay home. The rest we will survive. Because that’s the point. Survival.Now I’m off to dive back into my mask-making project. I’ve made well over a hundred at this point. I’ve lost count. But what started out as my daughter’s mask-making business has turned into “mom’s project” because, as Bell said, “I made my business TOO GOOD, Mom. Everyone wants one, and it’s stressing me out. You do it.” I’ve run out of fabric, but I’ve caught up on paid orders. So now I’ve got a bunch of men’s dress shirts that the community has donated to me (because thankfully everyone is cleaning their closets!). I’m working on upcycled masks to give to those who need them. A lady in the neighborhood is looking for some to send to soldiers, so that’s today’s goal.I’ll leave you with what is still my favorite episode (and one that is still fitting)— the Mom Guilt episode. Because we all need to hear this on repeat. (Maybe I can program Alexa to play it on loop…)

This week, Kemlo gives Abby some advice on a little thing that becomes a big thing... "Am I a weirdo? Because I do that little thing?" -AbbyAbby wrote a scene where Logan's parents show up for the first time, and actually modeled Logan's mother after a mom she knew in middle school. She doesn't remember the mom's husband's name because they always called him...Daddy. Team Mom Writes debates whether this is a weird thing, not a weird thing, or not even a thing at all. Abby was trying to paint this family as a sweet, loving family that her protagonist views as more normal than her own situation.Kemlo says she wants to see a change in Bernadette in this chapter, but it seems like she's giving up on her friendship with the character of Logan. Is she writing him off because she thinks he's betrayed her, or does she think it's not worth it because she's competing with Claire - regardless, how does it show up in the scene later on? Abby needs to shore up her protagonist's motivations in this scene, let the reader know exactly where she's coming from, and drive these points home to give us a sense of what she's expecting or planning to do.Abby forges on to the next chapter, feeling that the things she needs to change only involve adding a line here, a line there. She wants to get to the end of this second first draft! There are still things in there that need to be fixed, but they can be fixed on the next go-around. Kemlo says there are no big red flags concerning her, and it's fine to save these for next time. Abby wants to keep moving forward - that's her motivation.Kemlo kept asking for more, more internal thoughts for this chapter - surprising Abby, who thought there was already so much going on. But Abby's learning that if you put in too much, you can always take it out."It's going to feel like too much to you as the writer because your brain fills in the blanks...it doesn't mean you have to repeat yourself, it means you have to say something new. Expound on it, develop it in some way. We want a little bit more specific than that. That's how you get the sense of movement, of change. We want to see change at not only the plot level but internally as well." - Kemlo AkiWhen you write for kids, you have to write it "snappy" - you have to keep their attention. But it doesn't mean it needs to be quick - you need to be concise. Capture emotion and plot. Easy, right? HA. None of it's easy, but because (say it with us friends) writing is iterative, you'll likely get a few chances to get it right during the editing process.

In this episode: Abby's recently returned from the Author Accelerator Maine retreat, which was a powerhouse of writing breakthroughs. There was laughter! There were tears! There was motivation! Coaches got to work one-on-one with writers and got down to the why of each writer's novels, and how to get that down on the page.This week, Mel's convinced as her edits are moving forward, her book is actually getting worse. She'll open up the later chapters of her book and be horrified at the number of changes that need to be made - she can't stop finding things to dislike. It's not even remotely where she wants it to be, which is somewhat to be expected, but it's terrifying. Kemlo says not to worry; it doesn't mean the book is getting worse - Mel is just getting better at editing."When you first start revisions, especially if you've never done it before, you don't know what you don't know...after you've done seventeen chapters, you see layer upon layer of problems, and that can seem discouraging." - MelanieKemlo reminds us that at the end of Mel's book, she's pulling together a lot of threads that have been going this whole time - everything is going to come to a head in the next few chapters, and it's hard. It's hard for veteran writers, too. It's hard to keep all the plates spinning, and it gets exponentially more complicated the further you get along in your novel."It still boils down to one central idea: getting down what your protagonist is thinking and feeling on the page. As you keep going along, keep asking yourself why. Why? What's the nuanced, specific thought or thing that's making her feel that feeling? Let's get into her head and feel what she's experiencing in that moment." - Kemlo AkiDo writers all struggle with the same things? Does everyone have "a thing" they continually struggle with? Kemlo says: "It feels like you're going over the same thing, over and over again, but think of it as a spiral. It seems like you're going it over and over again, but you're actually in a different place. You're closer to where you want to be." You'll eventually get there, and as you progress, you might be traversing the same land, but you know the land better this time around.Mel thanks Kemlo for making specific suggestions on strengthening scenes. It's important that you know where the scene is going, but during editing, try to make it more than it already is. Whatever it means, make it mean more of it. Not only is Mel trying to show what's changed in her characters, but she also has to show what hasn't changed - what lessons her characters still have to learn, and may not learn, before the book is over. We want to see them making sense with the cards they've been dealt - or not! One way to demonstrate this is to show a character remembering something that had happened, but remembering it a different way, looking at it through whatever new perspective they've now acquired.

OK, so it didn’t happen at night. But it was curious.In this episode:This week, Abby takes her edits into overdrive. Listen to the first five-ten minutes for her process in taking Jennie's edits from the first draft and incorporating them into her revision. Mel's working on her edits from her last chapter, and Kemlo said she needs to work on tension in her scene based on what she has in her two-tier / Inside Outline. They're small fixes - there's a lot going on in the scene, but the decisions on her protagonist's shoulders do not feel hard. The reader needs to see some push and pull, instead of "upsetting things" that her characters get pulled through."There should be some sort of internal conflict, there should be a struggle - let's make it more difficult for this character to decide what to do." - Mel ParishNot only that, but Kemlo says we need to know WHY it's hard, and the prose needs to reflect the tension and plot lines need to reflect the two-tier / Inside Outline. Kemlo's recommending that she work on an outline for the chapter to tighten up the scenes. The Inside Outline is especially useful for chapters with many scenes, locations, and purposes, and Mel used it to delineate by location. In that scene, she made a point for each character and where their story is going. She says it helped highlight was missing in the scenes and clarify motivations."Show us what she's hoping for, and what she's fearing - that is what we need to move the story forward." - Kemlo AkiMel checked out a bunch of thrillers from the library for reference, and Kemlo advised her to pay particular attention to the things she wants to work on in her own novel - what the characters are thinking, feeling, anticipating, and fearing/avoiding. Sometimes it can be helpful to see how another writer balances the internal/external aspect in character and plot development - either in a finished book or a work in progress from a friend.This week's book rec: Deep Work, by Cal Newport.

CONTENT WARNING: Wear your earbuds if the kiddos are around!!This week we welcome Dawn Ius to the podcast! Dawn is an Author Accelerator book coach, the author of three YA novels (Anne and Henry, Overdrive, and Lizzie -http://dawnius.com/books/), and the managing editor of the online magazine published by The International Thriller Writers organization, The Big Thrill.We ask Dawn: What are the conventions in thrillers, and specifically, around sex scenes? Does a sex scene make a lot of sense in a thriller? Ask yourself these questions if you're wondering if you should keep that sex scene in your thriller or suspense novel:Is there justification for the scene? Is it necessary? Dawn points to the work of Lee Child, who only put things in his books if they're absolutely necessary to move the plot forward, so ask yourself the following questions: Is it necessary to the scene? Does it reveal something about character, or ratchet up the tension? Is it serving the story in some way? Male/female dynamics are common and understandable in detective novels and mysteries and it's often a popular way to write a subplot in that genre."The same rules apply for sex as for violence - in 90% of the cases, less is more. It doesn't need to be gratuitous." - Dawn IusBooks to check out as good examples of romantic suspense: Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown. In a lot of these authors' books, it's more about the build-up than the act itself. In a similar way one lays out a thriller or suspense novel, these novels are laid out in the same way: a series of scenes, increasing in tension, with the pay-off scene at the end. If you ratchet up the tension, reward the readers by the end of the story. This is true for both suspense/thrillers as well as romantic suspense.In regards to the less is more concept, Dawn recommends: "If the imagination can do the work, it's almost better - most times - to let it do that."In thrillers, there's a bigger emphasis on active voice. You don't want passive sentences, and you want tense, tight, crisp dialogue. Everything you do in normal storytelling must serve the suspense portion of it. In a thriller, the question you're always coming back to is, "What does your character fear?" Open with an action scene - we need to get right into the story and find out what exactly is happening with the protagonist.We talk about Dan Brown's novels and how they reinvigorated the genre in terms of exciting readers."The other component of thrillers that people don't often think about, and this is in regards to Dan Brown's novels - a really good thriller always teaches the reader something...thriller readers are almost always excited about learning something new." - Dawn Ius

In this episodeAbby wants to know - what do you do when you're done with revising your manuscript? It's rarely in pitchable shape after your first round of revisions. Kemlo says that every revision seems to get a little faster, as we get better and better at revising. For Abby, in particular, parts of this draft feel like the first draft because there's a lot of new material. Does it now need a fresh pair of eyes?During Author Accelerator's open call, Coffee Talk, many writers have asked if they need to switch coaches after the first draft. Abby let them know that we changed to Kemlo for the revision. It helped her see the holes that Jennie and Abby couldn't see because they'd been over the first draft so many other times. Kemlo could see the holes in Abby's story because she read it for the first time, and the "curse of knowledge" rule definitely applies here. Different coaches, editors, even critique partners have different strengths, and all have something to add in reviewing your draft.Abby's got concerns about getting the awkwardness of a love interest (and also the embarrassment of preteens) down on the page. Kemlo suggests she look towards Mel's kissing scene (that Mel is actually trying to age up, and reduce awkwardness!) for some good examples.In their online book club, Abby's friend and Author Accelerator book coach Jocelyn Lindsay was watching the superhero show "The Boys" and suggested the group watch it for tips on cause and effect. Abby ended up watching the first episode with her friend Paul and her dad-- and inadvertently had to sit through a graphic sex scene between the two of them. Now THAT is awkward!Kemlo suggested Chuck Wendig's post on what makes YA, YA - He says YA isn't just for teenagers. It involves a lot of content many people wouldn't assume is for teenagers. It's a good read on genre and content in general.In regards to writing sex scenes or awkward scenes in general, take romance writer Michelle Hazen's advice: write your scene knowing no one else will read it, and throw it away. And then write it again. And again. And again. Over and over, until you become comfortable with it, and until it's something you actually enjoy reading. And as Abby told Mel about her potential sex scene: you don't have to play by the rules if you don't want to - if it fits in your story, it can work!

In this episode:This week, Mel turned in her chapter, and Kemlo had two major suggestions: work on the overall flow and do some genre work (aka "credibility issues"). The chapter was pulling her (as a reader) in many different directions.Mel needs to do some work on what happens to her character in this scene, and what it means to her moving forward. Kemlo's still pressing Mel as to why these things happen to her character - what sort of purpose does this plot point serve? Mel's protagonist needs to have her mortality shoved in her face while coming to terms with the fact that her brother doesn't have that problem anymore.Kemlo rightly points out that having her character shot by a bullet rather than injured by a glass shard points more towards the new adult genre, rather than the young adult genre Kemlo suspected this chapter had been leaning towards. Later in the chapter, the burgeoning relationship between Mel's two main characters doesn't go far enough. If she were writing YA that'd be fine, but she's not. Mel needs to figure out why those characters would consider each other based on their backstories and what it would have meant for them to have each other in their lives sooner. What's propelling Mel's protagonist forward now that her brother is seemingly out of danger?Kemlo suggested Mel redo the chapter and include inside-outlines for the three main characters in this chapter to tighten up the flow and cement their directions for this chapter and the next. Mel agrees this is a good way to move forward."Whenever you don't go far enough, it's because you're afraid of something - you're afraid of going too big, doing too much, taking it too far." - Melanie

Abby agonized over her pages this week - she had to kill a darling! She re-wrote chapters 18 and 19, and originally had brought in the BFG as another book character to incorporate in her story. She put a lot of time and effort into it and was really happy with it. But in the course of re-writing the chapters, the plot changed, and Abby realized she didn't need the BFG anymore. For a while she tried to work him back into the story, but soon realized he didn't really serve a purpose.Ultimately, before making the decision to cut the BFG, Abby asked herself: "Why is this guy there?" She couldn't find an acceptable answer. His presence didn't necessary move the story forward, but she's keeping him in the back of her mind in case he can come back later.She replaced the BFG with something that works better - Scooby Doo and Shaggy! She even went to a local comic book store in search of Scooby Doo comics and bought a bunch of Scooby Doo cartoons (research, guys!). She was asking herself the following questions - how do these characters talk, move, react? How do they relate to each other? The point in Abby's decision to incorporate Shaggy and Scooby is that they're good friends, and it gives Abby's protagonist a visual of what she wants, what she's searching for throughout the story: a good friend.Abby's still working on getting more magic in her story, to building up the book world that her protagonist sort-of lives in. What the characters understand about their world, how they relate to their reality, etc. - this is the kind of second tier world-building that goes beyond the "rules" of the magic and draws the reader further into the work.Kemlo cites something Jennie Nash said a while ago, in that "There's an element to world-building to any work of fiction - whatever it is, you have a lot of the same considerations, especially that struggle in weaving in those features and aspects of the world without it being an infodump."We go into great detail on how Abby's incorporating comic book features into her book - these Scooby Doo characters make noise when they move around, bob their heads, etc. How do you write onomatopoeia consistently? Describe it well, once - you can make your own shorthand to reference it later, as long as it's consistent.Shoutout to listener Umar, who listens to us on one-and-a-half speed! We're impressed that you can handle the sound of our voices at that rate. ;)

This week, Mel gets excited because she doesn't have to make another pass on her chapter, but Kemlo calls her out for a lazy/info dump chapter ending. (There's a dramatic reading...don't miss it!)"You can't wrap up an exciting an action-packed chapter in...two lines." - MelanieOr maybe you can, but not like that! Reading your work out loud, or hearing others read it out loud, is really important in the revision process. Abby heard of a writer that recorded herself reading her story and then listened to it. If you can stand the sound of your own voice, go for it! It can be useful in getting the nuance of knowing that you're getting your point across, highlighting awkward phrasing, etc.Mel wants to know what Kemlo thinks about some of the inconsistencies in this chapter - one of her characters is unconscious and needs to wake up. Kemlo believes that it actually doesn't need to be resolved in this chapter, since there's so much on-the-page action, but something that can be addressed in the next chapter. The group does some brainstorming in finding ways to satisfy the question.We talk about the little ways this chapter that Mel has worked on drawing two of her characters closer, and the subtleties she's worked into the story - not pages and pages of rumination, but enough to introduce the possibility of attraction as a "thing" to bring back up later.Kemlo goes over adverbs and dialogue tags, and why we should be careful. It's easy to get into the habit of adding an adverb post dialogue tag, mix it up! Find other ways to inject emotion into your character's dialogue - either via nonverbal cues or adding other descriptions to the conversation.Abby makes reference to Nabakov's Favorite Word is Mauve, by Ben Blatt. This book goes over the habits and tendencies writers get into - whether it's too many adverbs, how men and women write their characters and other fun data points from famous novels. In regards to the current conversation, basically, if you use too many adverbs, you're struggling with being concise. The book has a lot of other interesting techniques and research on the patterns and prose of successful writing.Here is the link to the gender guesser website we discuss: http://www.hackerfactor.com/GenderGuesser.phpKeep writing, moms! And parents! And everyone else, whether you have kids or dogs or cats or a job that takes up too much time - you'll never regret the time you put into bettering yourself as a writer.

In this episode:Abby had some big questions this week, but her draft is ultimately looking good. Last week she'd planned on finishing chapter 4, but ended up writing an entirely new chapter 3 instead.She'd seen someone on a message board ask the question, "How do you keep up your routine when you're out of town?" An excellent question, because Abby's been gone for 2/3 of the month of May, and she's still seeking the answer to that question.She found that going back and working on edits for things she'd already written was an invaluable way to move forward without having the set routine with a quiet house and regular computer/keyboard. It was more manageable, and she didn't feel like she was moving backward. It helped to have a deadline, even though she didn't feel like meeting it sometimes, because it kept the fire at her feet and didn't let her forget to work."Sometimes we get ourselves really worked up and get stuck in this mindset of 'I can't do it, I can't do it'. I set a really small goal for myself--'I'm going to take three pages of Kemlo's edits, and I'm going to apply it'--and it worked. I felt like I moved forward, and I think that's key." - Abby MathewsKemlo and Abby talked about carving out space for writing during the day--especially important for parents or anyone in a time crunch or who has a lot of responsibilities. Abby's had to tell her kids that she's lucky and happy to be home with them during the summer, but that she needs time every day to write, too. A delineation of work/playtime and boundary setting is necessary sometimes to get things done!Abby had some questions surrounding how magic works in her world - two worlds, in fact. She's got her protagonist in the regular world, and then the book world of her protagonist's father, and there's a tricky space of trying to show readers the magic without stopping the story to call attention to it, and not calling attention to it in an awkward way, either. Bernadette's grown up with this magic and doesn't see it as strange, but in the course of the book, she starts to realize it's not "normal". Abby wanted to draw some attention to the magic in a sensory way in this chapter. Still, things are a little shaky on the purpose and necessity of the scene. Is it really adding to the emotional thread?"Just because she's experiencing an emotion, doesn't necessarily mean that it's meaningful. But so what? Why do we care that she's angry? What does it have to do with what's at stake in the story?" - Kemlo AkiThe key thing for a story is that it needs to be particular to show us a unique point of view. What is happening for that character? What's it like to experience what they're going through?Considering this, Abby's looking to add some magical oomph to a scene she's already written, and she and Kemlo brainstorm solutions while working consistently within the constraints of the magic. The things she changes here and decisions she makes about her world's "rules" will have an effect on the rest of her scenes, but that's not necessarily a bad thing - it just means more work, adding another layer to those scenes.

Abby's had a productive last couple of weeks, but not so much words-on-the-page.Abby organized/attended the very first Author Accelerator workshop, and then the Craft and Commerce Conference in Boise, ID - a lot of talk about email lists, cultivating email lists - very entrepreneurial in regards to what a writer would need to do post-publishing..and then she got to hang out with Mel! And Michelle Hazen! (@michellehazen on Twitter) and Monica Gokey! (@mondusko on Instagram).So while there weren't a lot of words on the page, she really got inspired to finish her revisions. Since she doesn't write well on planes or airports, and there's way too much in Boise to keep her busy, and away from the computer, Abby's wondering if she should go back to Chapter 4 - this was the chapter where she lost her readers while reading to her daughter's class. When you know you're not going to be in your regular routine, is it a good time to revisit something that's not just a blank page?"Don't try to make any big major decisions that will ripple through you're book when your tired or overwhelmed." - Kemlo.It's a good time to do so, Kemlo says, as long as you're not changing something that you're going to have to worry about fixing in the rest of your chapters. If you don't have time to think it through, wait!Abby's also wondering if layering in some humor with Chapter 4 will give it the oomph it needs. There's also some strategizing involved in what her protagonist knows, and when - these details of your story matter. You want to drop your clues in what may seem to you a fairly obvious way, but you know more about your story than anyone. Your reader isn't in your head! Don't leave too much time between the clue and the reveal, and remember - you've got to be moving your story along, there's got to be a point.There's more world-building to be done in this and later chapters, and Kemlo recommends slipping in more world-building for Abby's book world characters. Do they know each other, recognize each other? There are opportunities in this section, and others to make reference, shore up what the reader knows about the book world. Weaving these details in, layer upon later, iteration upon iteration, is what revision is all about.You've got the bones of your story, and now it's time to put up the wiring, stuff the walls with insulation, nail on the sheetrock...you get the idea.

"We're at the point where you just have to dig in and keep going." - MelMel and Abby are at the point in their manuscripts where they're still working on their stories, and nothing significant has come up, no new (big) issues that need dealing with. They are over halfway through - it just takes a loooooong time, and sometimes it's discouraging! Kemlo says all this is very normal, and it's what makes writing a book harder than short-form stories. You have to have the tenacity to move through the slog and still see the bigger picture of your story and what you're trying to do and say.Mel started her chapter out with the word “No,” and Kemlo warned against this. She suggested more of a subtle recap, a little more information. You want to avoid forcing readers to look back to the last chapter. People put books down between chapters, and you want them to be able to pick up the book and keep reading, and not have to guess who is talking, where they are, etc. Even though you, as a writer, just finished writing chapter 12 and moved right onto chapter 13, you can't assume that the bare minimum of context is enough for your reader. Don't lose the immersive experience - you want to challenge them with the story, not with how the story was put together."You want your reader to be anticipating things - you want them to have to puzzle and try to figure out some things, but not at the sentence level. Not pronouns or where someone is in time and space." - Kemlo AkiSpeaking of recaps: Mel threw in a recap mid-page in an attempt to remind her readers of certain events, but she's got to throw it out because there's not a reason for it to be there. If her protagonist needs to ruminate on this, that's fine, but it has to make sense in the context of the story. Often we don't give our readers enough credit in remembering what happens chapter-to-chapter.In regards to the relationship between Mel's protagonist and the potential love interest, Mel needs to go back to previous chapters and find opportunities to plant little seeds for this - signs that her protagonist's opinion of this guy is changing, and a little more projection of what she's hoping and/or fearing. Get the readers looking for these things - it helps us root for her.Kemlo and Mel work through some strategic plotting/character motivation later in the book - what we're looking for is a change in our characters, a completion of our arc. Readers want to see how the events in the story affect the characters. Plot twists are useful in that they need to help the protagonist realize things - ask yourself, is this helping them learn what it is they need to learn to make my point with the story? It needs to a) mean something to your protagonist, and b) move the story forward.

In this episode: Abby visits the school book fair and takes a hard look at what's selling. (Hint, swag and animal books.) Kemlo points out that this is smart research for every author to do, take a look at where your book sits on the shelf. What's around it? The book fair is an extra-special excellent place to do this research because of the energy. The kids are excited! What are they drawn to, what are they saying about all the books? Abby hints at her next series, which luckily for her falls into the animal category-- a perpetual kid-favorite! Abby also revisits the idea of romance in her MG novel, and she decides that maybe she should take it out. She feels like it's complicating her story, but not in a good way. They also brainstorm ways to bring more magic into the book, which is always fun! (And it highlights how un-cool we are with some popular culture references! Case in point, none of the three hosts know much about X-Men...)

In this episode: Today we welcome one of Author Accelerator's Founding Coaches to the show. Kathleen Furin joins us to talk all about writing rituals. (Don't you love that? She doesn't call them routines. She calls them rituals. Isn't that a beautiful way of looking at it?)Let's face it. The holiday season throws a wrench in the works every year. Despite best intentions, everything gets thrown out of whack: our routines and bedtimes and diets. And that's not to mention the kids! The kids are home (and sugared from class parties), and all jazzed up about presents and no school.Did I mention no school?So what a great way to start 2020, with a talk about rituals.Kathleen says, "I think it's so easy to just put writing at the bottom of your really long to-do list. And when you prioritize it, however you decide to do that or whatever that looks like, I think, you know, you're really, sort of just giving space to yourself."We talk about what this can look like. (And it looks different to everyone, but don't you just love listening to how different people approach their writing time?!)To Kathleen, that looks like reading poetry before she writes and taking those beautiful words into her writing session. To Abby, it looks like imaging opening a box of books-- her books-- and feeling the excitement of holding it in her hands for the first time. And Abby brings that energy into her writing time.Kathleen and Abby talk a little about visualization and meditation and how it can connect back to your writing practice and your identity as a writer."I had a supervisor who used to say to me, you know, you can't control the outcome, but what you can control is the process. Especially with traditional publishing, like there's so much as writers that we don't have control over. But what we do have control over is our process. Are we showing up? Are we giving it our all? You know, how are we devoting ourselves to our craft? And I think that that is what we can control, and that's what really matters." --Kathleen FurinKathleen also talks about her writing group and their methods for helping and supporting each other. Fun fact: it involves writer's tarot cards!Kathleen talks about the importance of story and human experience. She references Elizabeth Gilbert and her TED talk, where she says you don't have to have a traumatic existence in order to be creative. And she references Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk The Danger of a Single Story. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=enKathleen talks about being a juror at the Scholastic Teen Writing Awards. One of the most memorable stories for her was one written about a first kiss. She points out that she didn't think anything new could be written about a first kiss, but the teen writer's fresh spin on it was unique."Whatever we're experiencing, I think there's value and there's story in that." -Kathleen FurinLastly, we share some routines that Author Accelerator writers in our Membership Circle shared with Abby. There are some great tips in there if you're looking to try something new that might resonate with you and your schedule!

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.Characteristic number ten is you must be self-motivated. Jennie talks about how her growth mindset. She also touches on the side effect of learning how to be a book coach, and that it can absolutely deepen your own writing.If you're a self-motivated go-getter, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitThanks for joining us on this 10-day romp through the life of a book coach! Join us next Tuesday for a regular, old Mom Writes episode. ;-)(But don't fear! If you miss Jennie's voice on the podcast, you'll get to hear her again in Season Three when Melanie and Abby *gulp* pitch!)

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.Characteristic number nine is you must be able to protect yourself from emotion. Jennie talks about how emotion can manifest itself in two ways: in the writer's life and on the page. Tune in as she talks about how working with a recent writer affected her emotionally.If you're up for handling a writer's emotions, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #10!

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.Characteristic number eight is you must also be comfortable working alone. Jennie talks about how isolating this kind of work can be, and how being part of a network like Author Accelerator can counter that isolation.Why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #9!

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.Characteristic number seven is you have to like to work one on one. Jennie talks about the realities of this sort of intimate work that you may not think about when you think of working so closely with someone. Jennie also discusses that her love for one on one work matches her personality and how she approaches life and personal relationships.If you identify with what Jennie is saying, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #8!

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.Characteristic number six is knowing the marketplace, and just like project management, this is a learnable skill! Today Jennie talks about what this phrase "knowing the marketplace" means. It's something she taught herself, and it's something you can learn, too.If this sounds interesting to you, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #7!

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.Characteristic number five is all about being able to see the big picture while at the same time focusing on the details. Listen in while Jennie talks about how this works. (And surprise, it has nothing to do with proofreading!)If you're the kind of person who (like Jennie says) can spot holes in movie plots, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #6!

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.Project management is crucial when writing (or helping someone else) write a book. How good are you at project management? Is your answer, "Gee, well, I don't know?" If so, no fear. This is one of the learnable skills that you don't have to come to this profession already possessing. (You can learn it if you do our advanced training program!)In this episode, Jennie talks about what is involved in managing a writer who is creating a book. If you aren't intimidated by the idea, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #5!

In this episode:Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.The third characteristic of a good book coach is that they are comfortable with the creative process. This is crucial, but what does the creative process look like? Today Jennie gives you a glimpse into what it’s like to write a book.If creative chaos doesn’t intimidate you, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #4!

Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.The second characteristic of a good book coach is that they are someone who loves writers-- not the act of writing, but the actual writers themselves. Writers are a weird breed, and you gotta dig who they are. Not the pretend version of what a writer is, but the real, raw version. If you’re a writer yourself (which remember, isn’t a prerequisite!), you know exactly what we’re talking about. And if not, listen in on today’s episode to hear Jennie talk more about what working with a writer means.If this appeals to you, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #3!

Jennie Nash is back! And she's bringing you ten mini-episodes all about what characteristics make a good book coach. Each episode is short, so in less than 5 minutes, Jennie will give you a little food for thought about the kind of person for whom this work is a perfect fit.The first one might seem like a no-brainer. You gotta love books! Listen in and see if you identify with the kind of book-loving person Jennie is describing.And if you do, why not sign up for the FREE business of book coaching summit that Jennie is hosting January 20-24, 2020. You can find the schedule, who's going to be speaking, and how to register here: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/summitTune in tomorrow for characteristic #2!

Happiest of holidays from all of us here at Mom Writes! We hope you celebrate your butts off with the people you love! And if you find yourself in need of a little Me Time, feel free to pop in your earbuds, curl into the fetal position and hide under that giant mound of crumpled wrapping paper, and listen to our latest episode. Kemlo challenges Melanie to dig deeper into her writing by asking herself a question. Surprise! It's not WHY, but SO WHAT. And it's funny how this little twist on the classic WHY can put a fresh spin on how you think. Mel also laments that she finds herself struggling with the same things over and over. Kemlo assures us that most writers she works with seem to struggle with the same problems again and again. She assures us, it's normal!

In this episode:This one needs very little by way of explanation.This week on Mom Writes, Abby and Mel go through the archives and dig up the very first drafts of their novels.We’re talking B.C.Before. Coaching.It’s cringeworthy and giggle-inducing.Then they read the current drafts of their novels. We think you’ll be able to tell the difference!

In this episode:Abby’s been doing a new thing that helps her put on her writer’s hat and get into the groove when she sits down to write: when she’s wrapping up a writing session, she puts the caps lock on and writes down what she thinks needs to happen next, where the story’s going, what her protagonist is thinking, etc. When she sits back down, she reads it, highlights it, erases it – and keeps going. Prime the ol’ brain pump!This week, Abby’s been working on Chapter 15 – working from the ground up, putting the scaffolding in place for her story. Her protagonist finds her friend Logan taking down mean posters (about her!). She didn’t want her protagonist to be in a world where everyone is literally making fun of you. In middle school, it only feels that way. What she was trying to do in this chapter is point out (without pointing out) that our perceptions of things are usually worse than the reality.“I felt like my first draft was working out the big picture thing that was happening. It wasn’t about the words on the page – it was figuring out what the hell the story was about.” – AbbyCraft/planning question: can you have a really minor character play a minor part in one book, and play a more substantial role in a later book? Kemlo says yes, absolutely, but you can’t have it come off as too convenient. They need to serve some sort of purpose in the story and not just hang around chewing the scenery.Kemlo asks Abby the same question she asked Mel last week: When you went to revise this chapter, based on your manuscript audit, what were the big issues you were working on? Abby says that 1) the first half of the book didn’t match the second half of the book, and 2) the protagonist’s school world and book world never intersected. Abby brought in Ralph the Mouse, and he made an appearance at school, and he’s going to play a bigger part in this revision.Abby’s wondering if she can work on Chapter 15 a little more. As much as she loves moving forward, she feels like she wants to polish it a bit so she can move on without it hanging over her head.

This week, Mel reviews chapter 12, and she’s horrified – and not in a good way (that you might want to feel while writing something thriller-ish). She wasn’t happy with it at all.“Damn, that sucks!” – Mel, reading the rough draft of her Chapter 12Kemlo advised her not to think about it being “objectively good”, but about what she wants her readers to get out of this.Abby quoted Jennie, who was quoting KJ Dell Antonia, in regards to sending your manuscript to agents: “It’s got to be good enough to send out, but not so good I don’t want to change it.” It’s a good mindset to be in if you’re preparing for traditional publishing because it’s going to go through a lot of hands before it sees a bookstore, and changes will happen.Kemlo cited a writer who said recently that she never reads a book once it’s in print because she sees too many things she’d change, even after all the work of getting it published. You may never be happy with the final product, but that’s okay – focus on your personal best, your personal goals, and aim for that.Mel’s goals for this chapter were to shore up the internal workings of her protagonist. She thinks she’s improving incrementally overall both in this chapter and the revision, but she still misses stuff all the time. The scenes she’s working on in this chapter are very physical, and making sure everything flows is important – and that level is worked out. Now, she needs to go back and figure out what it means and why it matters to her protagonist.“There were a lot of places where you were showing her fear and agitation, but it’s how anyone would react. Of course, you’d be shocked and terrified, …but why does that matter to her, given her agenda?” – Kemlo AkiIt’s the magical, making-us-care quality that makes a book hard to put down, which makes it relatable, even if the characters’ lives are vastly different from our own. It’s a skill that takes a lot of trial and error to get right, and that’s revision in a nutshell.

How your life goes, your writing goes – Jennie NashThe past couple of weeks Abby’s been doubting her writing, and has been dealing with a lot ofheavy life questions in the meantime.“All I can think of is, is it even good enough?” - AbbyShe was relieved to get Kemlo’s feedback this week – the things she needs to work on is allsmall stuff. It’s what she likes about having a book coach – knowing that she’s on the righttrack, helping her with confidence in her moment of weakness. Kemlo, for her part, feels likeAbby put into her protagonist what she was wanting to feel for herself: confidence,transformation, etc. The whole story of Bernadette is lighthearted and humorous, but dealswith some pretty big questions.Kemlo has worked with around 80 writers at this point, and she hasn’t worked with anyonewho didn’t have some self doubt. The ones that went on (vs the ones that quit) had thedetermination to not let that stop them from moving forward. Indeed, having no doubt is awarning sign – overconfidence doesn’t lend itself well to revision.This week, Abby’s protagonist takes control of her situation. The kids at school making fun ofher for her purple house? Go big or go home, Bernadette! Abby had this whole scheme writtenout, with a purple dress and Bernadette’s social destruction, and it was really fun to write, butthen she asked herself – how does this serve the story? It didn’t. Abby put on her editor’s hatand decided to wipe the whole chapter, and instead, Bernadette has an awakening, a plan, anda powerful moment of decision. Sometimes you need to take a step back and ask yourself whatyour scene is doing for your characters and your book as a whole, and it takes a certain amountof bravery and faith in yourself and your characters to highlight the whole thing and press thedelete button.