Once upon a time, I was absolutely horrible at writing query letters, which was worrisome as they're an essential part of securing agent representation. I can’t tell you how many times I would write, rewrite, tweak, light the draft on fire, start fresh, and do the whole process all over again. I couldn’t seem to… Continue reading Tips for Queries and First Pages
Tag: YA writer
My Top Five Writing Craft Resources
Hello and happy holidays! As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to share some of my all-time favorite writing resources. It took me years to find a few of these, and I wouldn’t be at the level I’m at now in my writing craft if I didn’t learn from these resources. Whether… Continue reading My Top Five Writing Craft Resources
NaNoWriMo, Meet MiniWriMo
Happy November! This is my absolute favorite time of year, and I can’t wait to do something I haven’t done in years: participate in NaNoWriMo! Nine or so years ago (wow), I dove into my first NaNoWriMo...and missed my goals spectacularly. I had no idea what I was doing, I’d gone in with absolutely no… Continue reading NaNoWriMo, Meet MiniWriMo
Autumn Revisions and the Importance of Rest
Hello! I’ve just returned from an early anniversary trip to Disney World (can confirm: I’ve eaten all the things), and I’m feeling refreshed and eager to tackle revisions on my Midnight WIP! After drafting this novel in 30 days, I took a longer break than usual because I’ve unfortunately been dealing with some still-unresolved health… Continue reading Autumn Revisions and the Importance of Rest
Drafting a Novel in 30 Days and Being ‘Enough’
Hello! Hope you’re staying cool this summer (mentally, I’m already in autumn). It’s been a great summer so far, and one of my big goals is right on track: I’m drafting my fourth novel, and I’m doing it in 30 days! Technically, I’m spending 22 of those days actually writing, because I built in days… Continue reading Drafting a Novel in 30 Days and Being ‘Enough’
Summer Updates and New Projects
Hello! It’s been a little bit since my last post, but I had quite a busy spring. In May, I underwent surgery to remove my gallbladder (a source of problems for 10+ years), went to Paris for a week, and still managed to hit a massive, semi-secret writing milestone. Talk about a busy month with… Continue reading Summer Updates and New Projects
WriteMentor 2022 Wishlist
Welcome! I’m so excited to be a YA mentor for the WriteMentor 2022 summer program, and I'm thrilled you're considering me as a potential mentor! After having an amazing experience last year as a mentee, I’m ready to take what I’ve learned and pass it on to another incredible writer who's looking to take their… Continue reading WriteMentor 2022 Wishlist
The Road to Going on Submission for the First Time
Hello hello! Since my manuscript has been off with my agent for feedback and revisions, I’ve had a little writing break, but it’s been a great, productive few weeks. I’ve read 6 books in less than three weeks, which is a ton for me, have beta read a couple of fantastic books, spent time organizing… Continue reading The Road to Going on Submission for the First Time
2022 Goals and Dreams
Hello! Hope you had a great end to 2021 and are feeling good about the year ahead. I spent a lot of my break sick (thanks, back-to-back sinus infections), but that’s thankfully behind me now. Like December, January is usually a pretty reflective month where I focus on new goals for the year and what… Continue reading 2022 Goals and Dreams
How I Got My Agent
I’ll be honest: part of me didn’t think I’d ever write this post. I used to dream about doing so, especially on the days this dream felt furthest away. Please allow me to scream: I’VE SIGNED WITH A LITERARY AGENT!!!!!! Okay, now that the shrieking is out of the way (for now, because who are… Continue reading How I Got My Agent
valerie c. norton 