3 Tips to Kickstart Your Revision Process

Do you have a revision process? 

Or does your process look something like not being able to keep track of all your notes and comment and story threads, not to mention character arcs and subplots and layering in emotion?  

Or, does it look more like an endless cycle of revision-feedback-revision-feedback to the point where you don’t trust your inner author voice anymore? 

If you don’t have a revision process, now is the time to create one. You don’t need to feel overwhelmed or at the mercy of the spinning wheel anymore. 

3 tips to kickstart your revision process

  1. Create a Container

Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, revision is a great place to harness the power of an outline. I work with writers on an outline that tracks plot and character arc so we can look for weaknesses, make adjustments, and use that outline as a road map for making revision. 

The outline is perfect for playing with changes, seeing how to pull the thread of a change through the storyline, and see your manuscript whole without getting lost in the page count. It’s the basis of my Revision Road Map and, once you get that outline revised to how you want the story to look, a great basis for your synopsis (bonus!). 

  1. Start With the Wide Shot

I love a movie that starts with a wide shot and moves us through a setting until we slowly get closer and closer to the subject. Think Forrest Gump or The Sound of Music. 

Now, we aren’t starting your stories this way (although you can), but you absolutely should start your revision this way. 

Take the wide angle view of your story before you hone in on the details. You want to start your revision looking at the big picture structure things – character arc (wants/needs/stakes), POV, story point (what is your story about?), and story trajectory, to name a few.

  1. Lean into Routine

It can be easy to lose our momentum in revision. Drafting is easy to track progress with word counts or finished scenes. 

Revision? Not so easily measurable and it can be frustrating when we don’t see our progress. 

Instead or tracking word count or pages revised, it’s more important to create a routine and stay consistent. Touching your manuscript most days not only ensures progress is being made, but will also keep your edits uniform across the story. 

If you can’t show up to your revision day in and day out (and I get it; life can get in the way), take advantage of other routines that drop you into the right head space. I like to incorporate songs at this point in the process. Playlists that speak to the theme or tone of the story. I listen before I start to remind myself of the story, character, or scene mood. It’s a nice short cut to re-establishing your story vibe. 

Lighting a candle or setting an intention for that revision session can also be important routines as part of your process. Experiment. Do what works for you. Take a moment to create a little sense of ritual around your revision. 

Helping writers create and execute their revision process is part of what I love most about my work with writers. 

If you need support, don’t wait until you’re frustrated and overwhelmed, invite support in at any point in your revision process that you need clarity. That might be after your rough draft, in the middle of your second when you realize that plot hole isn’t closing itself, or even after a later draft when you suspect something still just isn’t quite right in your story. 

Let’s get you out from under your pile of sticky notes and off that hamster wheel and back to editing confidently again with a proven process focused on your story foundations and provides you a customized plan for executing your revision. 

Ready to get started? 

Book a 20-minute free consultation call and let’s chat about what’s working and what isn’t in your revision process. 

SCHEDULE HERE

About Me: I’m Monica Cox, a writer and a book coach.

I help writers find the rose of their story in the thorny process of revision without overwhelm. Together, we create a clear road map for your revision process, so you can execute your revision with intention and reach your destination of a finished manuscript faster. 

THEME vs. INTENT: The Small Difference in Your Writing Approach with a Big Impact on Your Reader

When I was in high school, we spent endless hours in AP English classes dissecting a story’s themes. Let’s be honest, I loved an English class, but I do remember wondering if writers really sat down at the page and thought about these themes before writing. Was Melville really contemplating Man vs. Nature or did he just think a novel about a man with an obsession with a sea creature could create some high seas drama? 

I suppose we’ll never know for sure.

Now I know better. 

Some writers are thinking big themes before they even sit down to write. 

Others find them in the rough draft phase. 

And still others are surprised when readers point out themes in their stories they had no idea or conscious intent about but discover are happy accidents.

I’m a big believer in the reader being able to interpret a work however they want. 

(Don’t get my family started on the great “what does the finale of LOST mean?” because we all have thoughts and they do not agree, even though mine is clearly correct!). 

Themes are important to our work, sure. I do not want to discount this. I am a big believer in understanding your story point BEFORE you start writing and story points are very close to themes. 

But in addition to the theme and story point, there is often something we forget to focus on during our writing and revising process because it’s subliminal a lot of the time or we just assume it’s there. 

And that’s our intent for the reader. 

As an author, what do you want your readers to do/think/feel when they finish reading your book? 

This may relate to your theme, for example, if you’re writing an environmental fiction, your theme will certainly be related to caring for the Earth. But, you may want your readers to care more about the environment in order to take some kind of action or amend a behavior. That may look like someone inspired to start recycling, composting or speaking out against a large AI data center looking to move into their communities. 

You could write a story whose theme is love conquers evil but your intent is that you want a reader to feel hope in a dark time. 

The theme of your fish out of water immigrant story may be the struggle for belonging and your intent would be wanting readers to find empathy for what others are going through before making stereotypical assumptions about others. 

Do you see the difference? 

When you center your intention or purpose for your book, your WHY you’re writing it, then you will infuse that theme with meaning, you will take special care of your reader, you will layer and focus on your theme in a new way – whether you are aware of it yet or not. 

And boy, is that magic! 

When I work with writers diving into revisions, we spend time articulating your personal why and your story’s themes. Without understanding both, your story pulse tends to be erratic or, sadly, dead on arrival. 

Similar to the backstory you dream up about your characters that never makes it physically on the page, articulating your intentions may never show up on a specific page of your novel. But it will inform every moment. Every description. Every chapter ending cliff hanger. 

Be intentional when you write. 

Pantsing your plot can be fine, but don’t pants what you hope to accomplish. 

Know this. Embrace it. Flaunt it. 

Your why and intention are your story’s special sauce. 

Need help articulating your story’s theme and intention to help your revision sing? Schedule a free consult call and let me help you identify it. 

SCHEDULE HERE

Can You Diagnose Your Story Problem Alone?

I got to ring the bell at my physical therapy office last week for completing my therapy.

I started PT in May for a lower back issue. Around the same time I had also developed a shoulder injury, so once the back was under control, we added shoulder, then moved to exclusively shoulder.

I went twice a week for several months until the fall when we finally dropped down to once a week.

We took three weeks off in January just to see how my shoulder would respond to only doing at home exercises.

I had my re-evaluation last week and my physical therapist and I agreed…it was time to ring the damn bell!!

I’ve been going to PT for so long I watched several knee replacement patients come and go; two students rotated in and out for internships (I am just missing one of them starting as a full-timer later this month); I’ve used practically every piece of equipment in the building and been poked by enough needles I was able to walk another patient through the dry needling process from the patient perspective so they could decide whether they wanted to try it on their calf injury. Let’s just say, I feel like those old commercials: “I’m not a physical therapist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.”

My back is holding steady and my shoulder is leaps and bounds ahead of where we started. I’m not 100 percent, but my range of motion is much improved. My pain level has decreased. And I can now anticipate motion that may exacerbate pain and make adjustments. Even better, I know what to do with specific flare-ups allowing me to recover much faster.

All wins.

Maryellen, my physical therapist, hugged me on the way out the door, reminding me she’s always here if I need a new resistance band or to come for a recheck and most definitely to call if things start to backslide.

Armed with my home exercises, resistance bands, a new foam roller I’ve purchased and my at-home weights, I’m ready to see how much progress I can make on my own.

Which reminded me of my writers.

When writers come to me there is typically a pain point. A problem they can’t quite fix on their own. Something they can’t see in their manuscripts that isn’t working to its full potential.

Just like my shoulder.

I didn’t know if it was an injury that just needed rest, frozen shoulder, or something else entirely. I just knew it hurt and everything I tried from the Internet didn’t help.

Writers, does this sound familiar?

You get stuck. Something isn’t right. You go back to every craft book, blog, and workshop you’ve ever attended hoping that something will click about your issue.

The problem? It’s information overload and too generic to be about your specific story issue.

Similar to physical therapy, I spend time testing your manuscript to diagnose its specific problems. I work with you to dissect your unique story premise and goals and prod the story to find its weak spots. And then, together, we start to massage out a stronger story.

My goal is to arm you with the tools you need – whether that’s in your process, in your craft, or in your mindset – and bring your revision to a place where you can take your at home exercises (ie, revision plan) and revise forward without the overwhelm.

Sometimes, that takes a few “visits” and other times it takes more. It all depends on you and your manuscript and what you both need.

But the goal is always, just like physical therapy, to equip you with the skills you need to take your manuscripts as far as you can.

Knowing I, like Mary Ellen, will always be there to offer a quick tip, support, or a larger check in, if needed.

In other words, you can do so much of the writing process on your own….but I’m here when you can’t.

What I have learned from physical therapy is that there is no shame in not being able to fix myself all the time. There are people whose job it is to diagnose these problems and find the solutions that will help.

The same goes for your writing.

Don’t suffer in silence. Get the help and support you need. You and your stories will be stronger for it.

Let’s get started and help you get to the place where you can ring the bell on your finished manuscript!

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Musings from the Weekend of January 23

Originally posted to Substack on 1/29/26 for context.

To be honest, I am not sure what to write about this week. I avoided it for a long time. Unsure where to put my words, my fear, my anger, my joy.

And so I will share some random thoughts from this past weekend.

Friday

I saw the venerable monks who are participating in the Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, DC. They passed the entrance to my neighborhood here in NC, so the whole family went out to join the throngs lining the busy street to watch them pass.

It was beautiful.

A crowd of people went silent. The only sounds were the shuffling of their steps on the asphalt, the slow wisp of the tires of the escorting police cars, a camera shutter or two.

I’d been wondering why their journey had moved me so much to stand out in the cold in the midst of preparing for what promised to be a nasty ice storm coming to our area.

And it was that moment of quiet. The peace in their hearts they are demonstrating for us all. The lessons they want us to hear to cut through the busyness in our minds.

We are a people hungry for peace right now. Bombarded with news, commitments, social media feeds that whizz and bang and activate all those dopamine parts of our brains. Peace feels like a mirage. A myth more than a promise.

My friend was with me and as we turned to go back inside, she said it almost felt anticlimactic. To wait to watch someone walk by. It was over so fast. When we spoke about it again the next day, I shared that I thought that brevity was the point. That the peace we all need doesn’t have to be for an hour or a day or a week.

We can choose it for one moment at a time.

Peace is a choice.

Saturday

I don’t even know what to write about Saturday. Such deep and utter heartbreak. What is happening in Minnesota is both awful and inspiring. ICE and Border Patrol are acting with disregard to laws and human decency. The people of Minnesota, however, are acting with grace, grit, and love.

Alex Petti acted with love when he showed up for his neighbors that day. He acted with love when he put himself in harm’s way to check on a woman who had been pushed. He acted with love as an ICU nurse at the VA hospital.

And now we all grieve the loss of a life filled with love for others.

“What is grief if not love persevering?”

His love lives on in all who mourn this senseless loss. I am devastated for his family. His colleagues. His patients. His friends. His community.

I wonder how can we keep showing up? How can we make a difference in changing what feels like a mountain of chaos and cruelty?

We follow Alex and Minnesota.

We show up with love.

When we call our representatives. When we donate. When we protest. When we write.

Love is a choice.

Sunday

My 50th birthday was Sunday.

Time marches on.

And while I joke about the aches and pains, physical therapy, and perimenopause of it all, I feel empowered.

I am firmly on the other side of that metaphorical hill. I don’t know how many years I will end up with, but I know there are fewer ahead than behind. And the first 50 went by entirely too fast.

I want to spend the next years afforded to me loving my family fiercely, writing, supporting other writers, creating, experimenting, being outside, thinking, engaging, and being present.

I want to spend these years choosing peace. Choosing love. Choosing art.

Living is a choice.

I wondered whether to post this. It’s not my usual content. It’s not a tip or trick of helping a writer make their way through their work.

But it’s what I needed to write.

And what I needed to share.

Peace. Love. Life.

May we have it. May we be it. May we share it.

How Long Does it Take to Write a Book?

It Depends on Your Process

I was at a writing event once where a relatively new writer was sharing how he had woken from a dream with a new idea, went to the keyboard, and in a month had “finished” his 100,000+ word book. 

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

That is a blistering pace in a month for a draft, but depending on the circumstances (he was retired), entirely plausible. 

BUT…

Was he done writing that book in a month? 

I’d argue not even close. 

Writing a book is a process.

Sure, not every book needs every step, but some of the things involved with writing a book include: 

  • Planning (whether the book came to you in a dream or not). This could include plotting, character development, backstory brainstorming, tent pole scene outlining, full on outlining, testing your character’s goals, stakes, and motivation against the plot, setting brainstorming, etc… 
  • Research. This part of the process will take longer if you’re writing historical, but even if you aren’t, you may need to visit a specific location, interview a doctor/police officer/lawyer/teacher/glass blower/etc…, or map out how long it takes to get from one place to another. 
  • Drafting. Yes, there is the drafting. The one potentially predictable piece of the process–how many words do you want to write total and how many words can you typically write per session. A quick long division problem will show you how many session you need to draft that story. But that doesn’t mean writing 1,000 words a day for a 90,000 word novel will take you 90 days if you only have weekend writing time. Those 90 sessions will be stretched over months. 
  • Revising. This part of the process is a wild card. Once you have a draft, you will need to look at big picture story structure first, flesh out your protagonist’s internal journey, plug up plot holes, solidify subplots, layer emotion, and shore up your scene structure. This can (and I would insist should) take several passes and how long those passes take really depends on how much work needs to be done. 
  • Line Editing. This part of the writing process always takes me longer than I budget for. This is the part where you get to dive into the nitty gritty: punch up your descriptions, search for filter words, look at word choice, and otherwise take a fine tooth comb to how the words look and flow on the page. 
  • Beta Reading/Feedback. Receiving external feedback is also part of the process and one that will then dump you back out to Revising and possibly Line Editing again to address any major concerns your outside readers find. 

So a book in a month? Sure. Give it a go.

But if you want to write the best story you can, don’t skip out on the process. Lean into it. The daydreaming, brainstorming, research, drafting, analyzing, fixing, rewriting, polishing…it’s all part of the writing. 

And the writing is the best part – watching our stories come to life on the page as a result of our nurturing processes. 

Do you have a process to support your writing? 

Things to consider: 

  • What do you need to know BEFORE you start writing? 
  • What days/times do you write best? 
  • Where do you write best? Is it always the same place? A quiet place in your house or a busy coffee shop? 
  • Do you have rituals that help you write? Lighting a candle? Listening to music? Would creating these rituals help? 
  • What does your revision process look like?
    • Where do you begin after typing “The End” on a draft? 
    • What do you look for first in your manuscript to address? 
    • Do you know what your weaknesses are in drafting? 
  • Does your revision ritual look different from your drafting ritual? 
  • Do you have a list of crutch words to search for during line edits? 
  • Do you prefer revising linearly (from page 1 to the end) or have you considered revising by “issue” (for example: story trajectory, stakes, motivation, character arc, sub plot, emotion, etc…)? 

If you haven’t considered a process for your writing, take a moment to journal about all the things that have worked and haven’t worked for you in your writing life. See if you can find common struggles or successes. Repeat the wins and look for support for your struggles. 

I struggled mightily looking for a revision process. I created one that works for me and I have shared with my clients. Whether it works for you or not is a personal preference, but if you’re looking for somewhere to start in your revision process, check out the Revision Road Map. 

REVISION ROAD MAP

Whatever your next step, be intentional with your writing. Create a process that works for you but is flexible. Chances are the process may need to be adjusted for your next work in progress. But having a basis of a process eliminates the guessing game of “What am I working on today?” when you sit down to the page for your writing time. 

Knowing what’s next will make your writing more efficient, helping you to get to a finished and polished manuscript faster, whatever your pace is. 

Share your favorite process or writing ritual in the comments! 

Looking for a Quick Fix for Your Writing?

Stop looking. Focus on process instead.

I am the first one to preach that writing a novel is a marathon and not a sprint.

And yet, I am also constantly keeping my eyes open for a short cut.

A quick fix.

A faster process.

Sound familiar?

Whether it’s in my writing or creating a new course or offering for my coaching clients or starting a new exercise routine, I want to get to the finish line faster.

But that is NOT how anything in life works. Is it?

[No. It is not. In case you were also hoping I was going to say that it is.]

You can’t skip the process for the results.

There is only one way this thing works, whether it’s writing, creating, launching, working out, etc…, and that’s by doing the work.

One word, one sentence, one piece at a time.

If we spread out the pieces to a puzzle on the table, there is no faster way of putting it together other than putting it together. You can’t just mash a bunch of pieces together and have the picture turn out like the one on the box.

You have to engage YOUR PROCESS to start.

For me, that’s finding all the edge pieces first. Then I may pick a portion of the image with a distinctive color or font or design to focus on next.

You may sort all your pieces by color, or pattern, or theme.

Someone else may sort their pieces by their physical shape.

There are a number of ways to go about solving a puzzle, but no matter what way you choose, you can still only put the puzzle together one piece at a time.

Similarly, you can still only write your novel one word at a time.

I am currently struggling with a draft, looking for the quicker path. I’ve put some vague pressure on myself about completing it “as soon as possible.” The problem with this non-specific deadline is that as soon as I run into a rough spot that requires a bit of research or background work, I feel behind. Even though there is no set deadline beyond “I’d like it to already be done.”

Super helpful, right?

Nope.

The same happens for writers in revision. You may start and want it to be done “as soon as possible” then resent it when it requires multiple passes or you spend a ton of time line editing before realizing that the order of the chapters is wrong or a character needs to be eliminated.

If we want to speed up, we need to slow down.

What does that look like?

Focusing on the process.

Specifically…

When DRAFTING, slowing down can look like:

  • Setting a realistic deadline. How many words do you typically write in a session? How long would you like the book to be? Divide how many words you typically write in a session into the target word count and determine how many sessions it will take you. Now, take a real honest look at your calendar and schedule those sessions.
  • Prepare. You don’t have to have a detailed outline to prepare, but you should have a handle on your story foundations. These pillars will help guide your writing so when you start to feel off track, you can course correct before you get to “The End” and end up having to rewrite half the book.
  • Daydreaming. I’m a big believer that thinking is writing. Slow down, have a think, journal as your protagonist, interview your cast, brainstorm, stare out the window as you let your subconscious ponder a plot problem. Plowing on may get you to your word count goal faster, but you’ll take more time in revision having to tease out the same information later. Take a moment when you’re drafting to slow down and be intentional.

When REVISING, slowing down can look like:

  • Taking a break. Giving yourself time between drafting and revising can feel like a time suck, but will bring you back to your story with fresher eyes allowing you to see your story more clearly.
  • Preparing for your revision. You shouldn’t pants a revision, and yet a lot of writers will try. Taking a step back to analyze your story, triage your revision needs, and tackle them one at a time in multiple passes of your manuscript will make your story stronger from the ground up.
  • Asking for feedback and/or support. Whether that’s a beta reader or a coach or an editor, taking the time for third party feedback isn’t quick, but can help you avoid plot holes, big picture issues, and help you find those weird writer crutches we all have (confession: all my characters enjoy a good shrug/nod/smile during dialogue if I’m not careful!).

There are no quick fixes in writing. There is only the work. And the work takes what the work takes. Just like the puzzle. Some parts will come together quickly and others will take more time.

And the fun is in putting the puzzle together. Once it’s finished, there is no solving the puzzle anymore. It’s done.

Investing in the time to do it right will save you time in the long run. I know, it sounds counterintuitive, but the tortoise and the hare story endures for a reason.

When you find yourself frustrated with how long it’s taking to achieve your goal, slow down, focus on your process, and find the next right piece.

Before you know it, you’ll have a completed novel that you actually enjoyed writing.

If you’re ready to create a process for your revision, reach out. I am here to help.

My 2026 Word of the Year

January 1 is as arbitrary a day as any for new starts, because let’s be real. You can start a novel any day. Start working out any day. Resolve to stop getting take out lunch any day. Start a new hobby any day. 

But, a year is also a container–and I’m all about containers (hello, Revision Road Map!). And so I, too, spend much of December reflecting and planning for the year ahead. 

While I do have some plans and goals for both my writing and my coaching, I find this time to be even more helpful in reviewing my mindset. 

Hence, my love of picking a word of intention for the year. 

Last year, my word was butterfly. And to be honest, I still feel a little bit in the goo and not quite a fully formed butterfly. Apparently, transformation is on its own timeline. 

As I looked back on the year 2025, as usual, I tended to wallow on the things I didn’t get done. 

The new rough draft I haven’t made as much progress on as I would have liked. 

The new services I didn’t launch. 

The publishing contract I have yet to receive. 

The goals I fell short of achieving. 

When I forced myself to take a bigger step back and look at the whole year, I saw that 2026 was also filled with a lot of wins: 

  • My oldest graduated high school and started college. Surviving the spring of senior activities, preparing for and moving him in this summer, and adjusting to the day-to-day routines without him in them have all been a challenge for all of us. But he’s settling in and establishing himself into his new home away from home. 
  • My youngest started the year with pneumonia, broke his arm in the spring, and still managed to keep a smile on his face and knock the second half of his freshman year and first half of his sophomore year out of the park. We still get to be band parents thanks to him and had a blast being groupies traveling to all his competitions.  
  • While last year at this time, I was able to share about the excitement of “the call,” I’ve since shared that roller coaster, not exactly the ride I was hoping for. While no fun and not something I’d recommend, the experience was a huge testament to my own persistence, hope, and optimism. If anything, I feel more resilient as a professional writer because of it. A win to be sure. 
  • In 2025, I also added college essay coaching to my quiver of arrows to help writers of all ages. It’s been such a rewarding and fun experience! I’m already hearing from some of the students I worked with about where they are getting accepted and I can’t wait to see what they do next. Being a small part of their journeys has been such an honor. 
  • Last winter, I went on a coaches retreat that was way outside my comfort zone but one of the most validating and inspiring experiences of my career.  I went on another writer’s retreat at the beach where the camaraderie outshines the views. In both instances, I know I am in the rooms I want to be in with the people I want to be with. These coaches and writers are soul sisters, mentors, and friends. I adore them all. 
  • I did a massive edit of my book before it went on submission in a very truncated amount of time. A win all around that I even managed to survive the aggressive schedule I held myself to—even though I did end up with pneumonia after (0 out of 5 stars, do not recommend). 

In analyzing my year, I noticed that many of my wins were more personal in nature, having to do with family and relationships. Where I felt I fell short was in growing my business and my writing. 

Part of that is a-okay with me. I have created a career that gives me flexibility to be there for my family, to be able to rest when I’m sick, and that honors my core value of connection. 

I want to take the best of 2025–connection and trying new things–and pair them with my second core value, creativity, to elevate my writing, my business, and my relationships in 2026. 

A while ago, a wise gardening friend shared with me that there is a rule when planting new trees. In the first year it sleeps as it adjusts to the new environment. In the second year it creeps, experiencing slow growth as it continues to acclimate to its new home. In the third year, it leaps showing off big growth that may include flowering and fruit. 

I am ready for my leap year. 

I have spent the last few years of my business in creep mode, slowly but surely learning things about myself, the writers I serve, what works best, and how to reach them. 

This year, I want to take that knowledge and create the services that will serve writers in the revision process so they can finish their stories faster. I want to take what I’ve learned writing and revising what I know was my best manuscript to date and add new skills to my writing toolbox and write an even better story. 

With focus, intention and a little stretching, I want to stand on the shoulders of 2025 and leap into new risks, new opportunities, and new relationships. 

I have found in my life that the times I’ve trusted my intuition and just gone for it, I have ended up exactly where I need to be. Whether that’s been every time I’ve moved or taking that job that didn’t look like a good fit on paper but launched my career or the side gig that taught me to write cleaner, faster. None of those experiences were comfortable or easy, but they were authentic and true and insanely rewarding. 

For 2026, I am choosing LEAP as my focus word. 

Are you ready to jump into 2026 with me? 

Tell me, do you pick a word or intention for the year? What is it? 

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What Do You Need to Learn in 2026?

As an oldest daughter who found herself in gifted programs, on the AP track, lauded for her essay writing skills without feeling like I was trying too hard, and told math just wasn’t my subject when I struggled a little more in those classes, imagine my surprise when I got to college and things got real.

I assumed that classes I found hard (hello Econ, Stat, and Astronomy (and let’s not ask how this non-science person decided Astronomy was going to be the best class to fill that science requirement)) just meant they were outside my wheelhouse.

“I am not a math person.”

“I am an English person.”

“I don’t take standardized tests well.”

“Writing papers is easy for me.”

These were some of the stories I told myself in high school, college, and beyond that internalized things I was good at were easy and things that were hard just weren’t for me.

The fact is, when things feel harder to learn, I tend to look for the escape hatch.

This doesn’t happen all the time. I have taken plenty of courses and advanced in plenty of jobs where I navigated new skills. But if those new skills don’t come relatively easily…well, let’s just say, I start to tell a story that releases me from needing to know them in the first place.

Which is completely unrealistic behavior when running a business.

I have had to learn website design, copywriting, a ton of marketing tools, and navigate new software to create courses, handle accounting, and manage my projects.

And yet, each time I have to learn something, I get upset.

“Why don’t I just know this?” (Um, because I don’t…yet!)

“Why is this hard for me? It must be easier for others. I must be stupid.” (Um, no, I just haven’t done it before).

“Learning this is taking time away from other work and feels like a waste.” (Yes, it’s time consuming sometimes, but I’m learning new skills that will help future me work more effectively in the future).

“Buying a new course/book/software/whatever is just money out the door.” (Or it’s an investment in my skillset).

As one does at this time of year, I’m taking a hard look at the year ahead and I have big goals. Big goals for my writing and how I want to create this new project. Big goals for my business with new services and opportunities to help more writers in revision.

In order to play big in these sandboxes, I am going to need support.

I am going to need to learn some new things.

And that is going to make me uncomfortable.

In fact, it already has. This month has my stomach constantly twisted in a knot as I plan for things that are going to be a stretch for me creatively and in my business.

Which means, I needed to try something new.

I’ve decided to lean into a business coaching program for myself. Because without it, I will spend all my time looking for the escape hatch for these individual hard things I want.

I’m tired of escaping.

I’m ready to step into my future as a writer and a book coach.

I talk a lot about how my values are rooted in creativity and connection. My writing and coaching both grow from these roots. If I want to feed my writing and my coaching this year, I need to provide them the right kind of support.

So I’m doing that. Filled with fear and excitement and a reminder that a growth mindset is about the effort, the learning, the progressing.

I can’t know it all yet. No one can.

But I can try. And stop looking for the exit signs.

All this to say, I see you. All you writers out there who are still learning, struggling, trying. All you writers who think maybe this writing life isn’t for you when it starts to get tricky or you have to learn structure to augment your elegant prose or get feedback that points you in the direction of further learning.

And I especially see you if, like me, you’re thinking if it doesn’t come easily then it isn’t part of your inherent talent and therefore you quit.

Well, dear friend, I am here to tell you that is straight up bull shit. (Which I say here to remind myself most of all).

Simone Biles is probably the best gymnast in the world in our lifetime, but are any of us foolish enough to think she doesn’t have to put hours into the gym to practice and learn new skills all the time? I doubt it.

Michael Jordan definitely practiced.

Steve Jobs may have created the iPhone, but how many of his other ideas never made it past development?

We all need support, feedback, and guidance to keep us from dashing toward the exit.

I’m getting mine this year.

What do you need to learn in 2026?

If you are looking for some support, feedback, and guidance in your writing this year, I invite you to reach out.

Let’s do this big thing in 2026 together.

Note: This will probably be my last post for 2025. I am taking some time next week to be with my family. I wish you all the happiest of holidays filled with rest, books, cookies, snuggles, and whatever else brings you joy.

My Roller Coaster First Year with my Agent(s)

A year ago this week, I got THE response every writer wants to a query.

I had been querying my contemporary fiction novel since late fall of 2023. I was batch querying – so attempting to only send out a few at a time and only sending new queries when I got responses. The goal was to analyze my responses to see if my query or my pages were a problem.

Since I was not getting significant feedback that indicated my pages were a problem, and I received enough positive responses to my query letter to indicate it wasn’t the issue, I just kept plugging away.

What does that mean?

Researching agents (MSWL, social feeds, Publisher’s Marketplace, QueryTracker, checking acknowledgements of books I loved that felt similar in feel to mine), tweaking my query intro to be more personal, and most importantly of all, sending out queries.

In that year, I sent out 59.

[Note: I’ve queried three manuscripts in total and this last round the response times (if you even got a response) were much longer than they had ever been. To the querying writers out there, have patience. I received a full request from one agent ten months after I’d sent the original query. I’d long written her off as a “no response means no” pass!)

The Monday after Thanksgiving last year, I remember feeling a bit lost. I stood outside my husband’s home office door, like I do when I’m having big crises of confidence (so much more often than I’d care to acknowledge), and admitted that maybe it was time to give up writing. Maybe I wasn’t good at it after all? Did I have the capacity to write and be a successful book coach at the same time? Did I need to let one of these things go?

I admit, there were tears. Tears of frustration—I’d been querying this manuscript for a year. Tears of loss—I didn’t really want to give up either of these things. I love writing AND coaching. Tears of fear—what if I just suck at all the things and I’m just not listening to the signs out in the world telling me to quit?

I felt like I was coming upon a crossroads. And I wasn’t ready to make a choice.

woman standing in brown field while looking sideways
Photo by Burst on Unsplash

In his infinite wisdom, my husband told me to drink a glass of water and go sit at my desk and start something. Anything. This wasn’t the kind of decision to make in a moment. I think he recognized that I just needed to get out the doubts then get back to work to see what felt most right. We agreed all things were options at all times and we could regroup as I started planning for the new year.

Within a half an hour, an email popped up in my inbox from an agent I’d sent my full to just a couple of weeks before.

She wanted to chat about my story!

Chagrined, my face still splotchy from my earlier breakdown, I slowly marched back upstairs and said to my husband:

“You know how I wanted to quit a little bit ago? Looks like maybe I should wait.”

There were new tears then, but these were more of the relief and hope kind.

Later that week, I had the call with this agent. We chatted about books and writing and my story. She loved it. Read it over the holiday. Said lovely things that ended with, “I’d like to offer you representation.”

I went back to my query list and nudged anyone who had a partial or full as well as a few agents I’d only recently queried and had not responded yet. Those nudges resulted in a few additional full requests, some excellent comments, but ultimately no offers.

At the end of the two weeks, I signed with my original offering agent!

I loved her philosophy, her vision for the book, and her energetic personality. We made a plan for edits and I got to work, devoting the entire month of January to revision, polishing in February, and we went out on submission in March.

I wish this story had a happily ever after, but like most journeys, there were some pretty big road blocks.

In the spring, I was grappling with my next project. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue revising the story I had been working on before I put it aside to get my agented manuscript sub ready, or start on a new idea that was percolating. I reached out to my agent to get her opinion. When she finally responded (odd for her, she was usually quick to respond), she promised we’d chat soon. A few days later, another email from my agent arrived. A form email to all her clients announcing that she was closing the agency.

Over the summer and after some back and forth to ensure my manuscript could stay on sub with a new agent, I decided to sign with one of the agency’s junior agents after she was ensconced in a new agency.

I officially signed with Hailey Stephens at Rosecliff Literary at the end of August and we jumped back in to resuscitate my manuscript that had been floating out there with no one to care for it for a few months. We are still in that wait and see process of submission (if you think querying is tough…), but feedback has been overall positive, so I’m trying to hold onto that.

I knew going in to the querying process that getting an agent wasn’t a magic bullet, but clearing that hurdle only to have a brick wall appear gave me serious whiplash.

What I’ve learned during this process:

  • You can only control the writing and how many queries you send out. Put your best foot forward for each.
  • You can do all the research, talk to existing clients, feel super confident and shit will still happen. This wasn’t a fly by night agent or agency. I still don’t know what happened, but I have faith that someone doesn’t choose to shut down their company lightly, especially when it affects their other agents and writers.
  • Invest in an attorney. I wanted an expert in my corner to determine that the termination protected my manuscript and that the next contract covered all my lessons learned. It wasn’t cheap, but I have a much safer contract for me this time should something like this ever happen again.
  • There is no perfect process. There are so many stories from other writers about agent mismatches or editors leaving publishing houses or any other number of SNAFUs in publishing that I am accepting the speed bumps as part of the process.

The mayhem was frustrating and it’s made it difficult to get back into the creative process. And every second I’m not writing or advancing a story, the farther behind I feel. I’ve had to take a step back and remember all my whys–why I tell stories, why I told this story, why I continue to voluntarily split my day between my own creative work and helping others with theirs.

As I plan for 2026, I am looking to the things I can control. The words I can write, the time I can spend on projects, the places I can show up, the help I can give.

The rest is passing scenery. Sometimes it’s beautiful and sometimes it’s a construction zone. Sometimes we’re moving fast and other times we’re stuck in traffic.

Either way, I’m going to keep going.

So, if you need to hear this today, maybe have a good cry, drink a glass of water, and sit at your desk and see what feels right for today.

You never know when that email/idea/award/contract may arrive. Make sure you’re ready for it.

Want a fun way to track your revision? Try Revision Bingo!

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You Finished Novel November…Now What? Create a revision plan that keeps your momentum moving in the right direction

To all my tired writers out there who just slogged through Novel November:

CONGRATS!!

You wrote a whole bunch of words you should be proud of. Not because they are particularly special yet, but because you did the hard work of getting the bones of your story down.

This is no small feat!

At the same time, the work is only just beginning.

[I know. Sorry.]

Tell me if any of this sounds familiar…

You’ve written 50,000 words for Novel November or you used NovNov to finish up a rough draft of a novel. Maybe you’ve even read it through once. You know revision is the next step, but you aren’t sure where to even begin.

OR

You flipped back to page 1 on December 1 and are now sucked into line edits that aren’t really servicing the larger structure of your story and can’t seem to find your way out.

Been there.

What if I told you there was a way to analyze your work, prioritize changes, and track them at a glance to systematically resolve edits in a way that keeps you on the road to a finished manuscript faster?

Sound good?

The Revision Road Map is a solution I developed for my own personal use when I found myself overwhelmed and constantly pushing back revision deadlines.

It revolutionized how I approach editing.

I actually look forward to revising now because I know the Revision Road Map has got my back at finding all the missteps I made when banging out new words.

The Revision Road Map is an online, self-paced mini-course that allows you to:

➡️ See the story whole at a glance

➡️ Analyze your story

➡️ Identify the key structural problems

➡️ Organize edits in a logical manner

➡️ Keep track of your changes in a single document so you can revise with purpose

It’s been a game changer for me and my clients who have tested it out.

I know coaching isn’t in everyone’s budget. Especially these days. And the ratio of craft books related to drafting versus editing can often leave writers floundering in the dark with little direction.

My goal is for this tool to be an affordable option for writers looking for a better way.

The bonus?

Gaining story clarity, calm, and a proven process to finish your revision smarter and faster.

Want to give it a try? You can learn more here.

Consider it a little story stocking stuffer!

Happy Revising!

Want more hands-on revision help? I offer one-on-one coaching that includes the Revision Road Map customized for your project with in-depth feedback, individual guidance, and next steps to keep your revision on track for the long haul. Contact me below and let’s chat about whether coaching is right for your project!

CONTACT ME