Fiction Editor (Brigham Editorial), author, HS English teacher, former NBA journalist, and all-around good guy.
Illinois, USA
Joined May 2009
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Alyssa is wonderful, and I'm positive this book will be worth every penny!
Woke up today a published author, and I can't believe it.
The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents is OFFICIALLY HERE! 🎉
And it's a #1 New Release! 🤯
Thank you, thank you!
I’m so excited for you to get your hands on it and dig into all the data and statistics we’ve gathered from @QueryTracker, which have never before been available to querying authors.
Joel Brigham retweeted
Here's a quick tip for any writer who struggles with perfectionism:
Try naming your draft document something playful, like "Playground," "Draft Zero," or "Brain Dump."
So simple, but it works. That small shift makes the whole thing feel less serious and allows you to prioritize progress over polish.
Remember that your only job at that stage is to get the words down — whatever it takes. Revision is where you'll make them shine.
What is your draft document labeled?
Alright, editor friends. Who sees the grammatical problem with this @Hyundai ad?
Joel Brigham retweeted
writing advice: do what makes the reader keep turning the pages
it's that simple
it's that hard
Let's talk about how to approach writing advice, not just from editors like me, but from beta readers, too. It can be tough to parse through what's actually helpful and what you know in your heart doesn't apply to your book. So how do we sort the good from the bad?
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6. Lastly, everyone brings their own experiences and expertise to the feedback they share. If, for example, my feedback is geared toward landing you an agent and selling to a Big 4 publisher, but your goal is to create art, publication be damned, we are NOT on the same page.
I've been back on this platform for ONE DAY and I'm already getting yelled at by people who hate my writing advice.
Here's one thing I've learned: there are people who writing books, and there are people who are creating art. "Writer tips" hit different based on your purpose...
Writers: try to avoid ANY flashbacks, info-dumps, context-building, or stage setting in at least the first chapter, but preferably the first two or three. There are good reasons for this:
3. Readers want to get lost in the story of NOW, so pick a scene in the present and stick to it. Any diversion from that breaks the reader's flow and keeps them from losing themselves. Streamline your storytelling by cutting away asides.