I am a parent. The job comes with no instruction manual. Believe me. I looked long and hard for one. I read a lot of nonfiction in hopes of finding out how exactly I was supposed to nurture, love, support, enrich, and provide for the autonomous extensions of my heart. I love my kids. My …
This last week 3,133 hopeful writers like me submitted their unpublished novels to #PitchWars. A friend asked me to explain why this matters. My angst was not convincing enough. PitchWars is a writing contest. A BIG one. You send off the first chapter of your book in hopes that someone who is wiser than you …
Once upon a time I went to a writer’s conference and pitched a handful of agents. The conference was in San Diego, and the Jacaranda trees were going nuts. They went all out in their support, y’all. It was after lunch (A lite lunch. I lose my appetite when I’m nervous). And I was waiting …
Writing, like any profession, has its own jargon. For example writers can identify as a “pantser” or a “plotter.” Plotters outline their novels, draw road maps, and have a plan. Pantsers fly by the seat of the matter and enjoy being surprised along the way. I’ve asked a certain NYT Bestseller I know about this. …
Y’all, the only time I **used** to wear my glasses was for needlework. And the last time I did that was for Lady Liberty on January 28, 2017. Isn’t she beautiful? I love her so. She’s up on my wall now. But #PitchWars broke my eyes. So here I am typing, revising, editing, rewriting and …
I’ve had a busy writing week. I joined Twitter (find me @AmeliaHworth) and dove into a writing contest called Pitch Wars. Pitch Wars is a chance for talented upstarts like me to work with published authors, editors, or agents to improve and polish a manuscript. I’m all in BECAUSE I have one of those! I’m …
Reading should be an emotional experience. Once upon a time, I was a young adult–well maybe more middle grade. Those almost 14-year-olds are tricky to place. It was winter vacation. Harry Potter books entered the ancestral home as a holiday gift. And this was before there were more than three books. And this was before …
This happens a lot at my house. Laundry gets out of control. It snowballs into a beast of tedious ferocity that I alone must conquer. (Why? Because too many members of my household have fallen victim to laundry’s henchman–the marauders of No-Clean-Underwear and Unmatched Socks. Too many have suffered punctuality’s defeat because precious minutes were …
It’s been a week for reading. Aren’t books a marvelous way to cope with bad news, out of town significant others, and heat advisories? This week I’ve read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. …
I have achieved another milestone with my writing. It was not a fun one. Yesterday, I received my first rejection on my full manuscript. It stings. It is disappointing. There are questions I have that will never be answered. Most of them begin with “why.” You’d think that the feedback in the email would be …