Hello!

Some days, I really wish there was a shortcut for learning writing craft. I finished listening to Brandon Sanderson's 2025 lecture series that I mentioned before, and he talks about writing 12 (!) books over about 10 years (!!) before he got his first offer of publication... for a measly $5,000 advance (that was negotiated up to a whopping $10,000). There are few careers that pay worse than writing for the majority of authors, which is one of the reasons why most novelists have day jobs or a spouse who can support them financially or independent wealth or some other way to survive besides their writing.

When I mention I write, many people (mostly non-writers) ask me where they can buy my book(s). In reality, I have published a few short stories and essays but no books (yet). I am currently working on my third novel, but I'm grateful I haven't published my previous books. After writing more consistently for several years, I can go back and look at my earlier writing and see that it needs a lot of work and I wouldn't be comfortable trying to publish it without a lot of rewriting. The only way to learn and see that is to write and revise and write and revise and keep going. There is no "quick course" or "simple trick" or Instagram account or podcast or workshop that can replace the learning you get from actually writing and revising. The #1 tip of every single writer, editor, and publisher that I think is worth taking seriously is none of the other advice matters if you don't first prioritize "butt in chair" - actually sitting down to write! (How appropriate that my recent walk around a reservoir in one of Denver's nearby parks gave me the perfect picture of a giant chair to drive the point home.)

My current novel manuscript is the first I've seriously edited. I'm working on my second draft now, and I'm guessing I'll need three drafts before I'm even comfortable sharing the whole thing with beta readers. I'll do at least one more draft after getting feedback from beta readers before I'm ready to query this novel (i.e., send this manuscript to agents to see if they're interested in helping me get this book traditionally published). I am trying to be patient and understand this is a years-long process at best while also resisting the urge to abandon this project for the two other shiny novel ideas I'm itching to start working on. Right now, the craft I need to practice the most is novel editing, and my hope is that my future revisions will improve as I build these skills - regardless of whether I succeed in getting this book published or not.

Thanks for joining me on the journey!

Nicole

Disclaimer: The views expressed in my newsletter or on my website are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of State or the United States.