Part Two: The Beginning (Nightmare or dream-come-true?)

doretta pirollo martelli

Casting my personal demons aside, I focused on the positives: Four fabulous days of socializing, informative workshops and writing sessions, plus Writers’ BINGO — who doesn’t love BINGO? (Nothing nefarious about that, right? Maybe I’m getting the knack of this!) The whole adventure kicked off with a first-timers icebreaker session, followed by a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception, and ended with an intimate grouping of more than a dozen published authors reading their work. And graciously shaking hands and signing books. Eyes peeled, just in case [x].

WEDNESDAY

Before

Part One: Personal Demons (Get thee behind me)

doretta pirollo martelli

If you’ve ever read Samantha Verant’s The Writers’ Retreat, Julia Bartz’s The Writing Retreat: A Novel, or any of the many books dedicated to writers gathering at a prestigious’ retreat, then you know how they go. Unsuspecting souls move out of their comfort zone, hoping to write with a famous author only to discover there is usually an evil plot to unalive the lesser-known writers and steal their work. And if your mind works anything like mine (commiserating here if that’s the case), the thought of actually attending a real, live writers’ retreat terrifies you, grips your heart with fear, right? What? Is it only me? Hmmm…

Attempting to conquer my demons, this past April, I attended my first-ever writers retreat. First. Ever. The WFWA Alexandria Retreat. And my fears have been . . .  um, diminished [x].

I spent three hours driving from my home in South Jersey, right outside of Philly, reminding myself to breathe as I convinced myself there were no nefarious plans afoot. Positive there were no nefarious plans afoot. Hoping there were no nefarious plans afoot. Praying there were no nefarious plans afoot. Just breathe [x].

Linda K. Sienkiewicz

Why would a writer hire a sensitivity reader? The biggest reason is to help ensure respectful, accurate portrayals of experiences outside their own. The goal isn’t censorship but to avoid harmful stereotypes, unconscious bias, and unintentional misrepresentation.

What a sensitivity reader gave me was not just correction but confidence that I had created a character who felt fully human instead of simply well-researched.

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff

My children devoured the American Girl Historical Characters books, which explore critical moments in U.S. history from the 1700s through the 20th century. Published by Mattel, protagonists are physically represented by dolls with historically accurate clothing, accessories, furniture, and even pets. Since 1986, kids have been obsessed with them. In my family, dolls were passed down from cousin to sibling to friend, but the rule was you had to read the entire six-book set before even considering putting a doll on your birthday list.

My youngest daughter’s favorite was Kaya, a Native American girl living in 1764 who investigates colonialism and cultural erasure as her Nez Perce tribe is threatened by settlers. My middle daughter loved Josefina, who grapples with a caste system that indigenous and mixed-heritage people in 1824 New Mexico dealt with. The three of us spent many nights huddled up in my bed, reading the books together.

These stories reveal the systemic injustices that have existed since America’s inception—a truth that is now part of the so-called “woke ideology” that the current administration is trying to erase. According to PEN America, a nonprofit that has been fighting to protect freedom of expression since 1922, reports that in the last school year, nearly 7,000 books were banned in 87 districts across 23 states; since 2021, PEN America has recorded nearly 23,000 book bans, typically targeting those that discuss sexual and gender identity, race and racism, and social justice.

Lynne Curry

Many novelists reach a moment when their manuscript feels like a marathon without a finish line. The middle sags. The characters stall. Or life interrupts and the once-exciting story now feels like a long, uphill climb. 

Flash fiction are stories typically under 1,000 and often much shorter. Writing these short pieces can feel like stepping out of a crowded room and into fresh air. You still chase emotion and meaning, but you do it in a form that demands speed and bold choices.

Since January 2026, I’ve sold nine short stories, many of them flash. Over time, I’ve published twenty-nine short pieces. These flashes have strengthened my writing, expanded my readership, and kept my website lively while my novels make their way toward publication. 

Teri M Brown

Turn your book into a movie.

Put your book in front of 10,000 active readers.

Gain 1,000+ TikTok followers.

Kathryn Craft

Is it possible for “submission” and “empowerment” to sit comfortably together when speaking about traditional publishing? I say yes. Here’s how to set your attitude to survive this rite of passage with your spirit intact.

1. Submission Is an Honor, Not a Chore

Commit to submission whole-heartedly. This is it—you are paving your road to publication! You’ve spent years applying the craft you’ve learned to the story you hope will be your debut novel. Celebrate your efforts by inviting some publishing professionals to the party! Then, use the conventions of submission to make proper introductions between your story and those who can help it meet its readers. 

2. A Completed Manuscript Is a Starting Block, Not a Finish Line

Your finished manuscript lets you toe up to the starting line of a different kind of process—and it’s not about your talent. It’s about whether you can find a business partner who sees room for your kind of project in their list and in the marketplace. Setting the expectation that this might be more marathon than sprint will help you conserve energy for the long haul and allow a lovely surprise if the process is short.

Maryka Biaggio 

I’ve always been impressed by the author who can sweep the reader away with a magical opening sentence. Some may believe the first sentence is nothing more than the first of many other sentences. But writers worry a great deal about their first lines, as they should: A well-written opening can launch the reader out of port into the open sea of story, eager for adventure.

Of course, every sentence should be there for a reason, but the first sentence must accomplish some specific things. It should draw the reader in, perhaps prompt a question or two, and maybe reveal something about the story to come.

Monica Cox

I felt completely lost when it was time to revise my first manuscript. There were countless books, articles, and classes available on the art of drafting a story, but few seemed to focus on revision. 

Through my own trial and error and work as a book coach, I realized many writers are making these same five mistakes. 

1. Jumping Right Into Line Edits 

It’s so tempting to type “the end” then turn back to page one and start editing. The problem with this strategy is you get sucked into line edits too early, and if you haven’t solved the big problems in your manuscript first, it’s wasted work. 

Laura Drake

Learning how you write a book is like finding your way in a pitch black room full of furniture. You can learn by barking your shins, but there are less painful ways. 

Does it make you crazy trying to locate details in your WIP? In which chapter did the dog first show up? Or the first kiss? Or harder yet, the smaller details—what kind of shoes did the old man wear the second time the heroine met him? How old was the character when she met her husband? What year was that? How many words are left to stay within genre limits?

I know I do.

Janet Roberts

As writers, we understand the power of revision. Like shifting tides, life fluctuates. With each movement comes change. A tweak. A slight edit. A major overhaul. A resulting calm stretch. An ensuing realization.

Have you lost a dream you still cling to, a dream you were driving hard toward achieving when something derailed it? Getting it back on track is a lot like manuscript revisions. Take it from someone who had to perform major edits just as my dream of publishing a new book came true.

The Dream Begins: Retirement 

Finally, it was time to move full speed toward dreams that had carried me through years of 50-hour work weeks. I would write, travel, and pursue a healthier lifestyle. I signed a hybrid contract with a small independent publisher, confident that my marketing strategies would recoup my investment. For four months, I focused on launching my novel, What Lies We Keep, taking a trip to Europe, and visiting the gym more often. As my launch date of May 7, 2024 fast approached, life was good.

Monica Cox

As a former video producer, my dialogue tends to read more like a script. While the pacing and content shine, the meaning I imbue in my head doesn’t always translate onto the page. I have had to learn to add more context, intentional body language, and narrative exposition to enhance my dialogue.

I’ve learned to use these five strategies to help.

1.  THAD 

In From Idea to Novel: Mastering the Process, Elizabeth George suggests the Talking Heads Avoidance Device, or THAD method. The idea is that characters in conversation with one another are doing something—a work task, eating, knitting, etc. These actions reveal things about the non-POV characters, add to the reader’s understanding of your POV character, and enhance the setting. 

Lynne Curry

You’ve been told to build your platform. You create a website and start sending out newsletters. You announce your upcoming book; you share the launch, the win.

Maybe thirty percent of your subscribers open it. Then, silence that stretches longer than your last drafting drought.

Many authors assume they need better promotion. What they really need, however, is better conversation.

Delise Torres

If you’re an author looking for a new way to market your books, you may want to consider Pinterest. The social media platform currently has 553 million active users, mostly women between the ages of 18 and 34. Unlike traditional social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, Pinterest functions more like a visual search engine, a place where people go to find solutions and inspiration. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the platform, this post will show you how to get started and what type of content you can share to market your books.

How Pinterest Works

For those who enjoy creating graphics, Pinterest may be a good way to increase visibility, especially if women are your target readers.

Jacquelin Cangro

You can polish the paint, tune the engine, and line up on the starting grid—but your novel doesn’t actually move until something forces it forward. That moment is your inciting incident—the spark that ignites the engine of your entire plot.

That spark causes the emotional ground beneath your protagonist’s feet to shift, after which nothing will be the same. A well-placed inciting incident doesn’t just hook readers: it powers everything that follows. Without it, even beautiful prose can feel like the story is idling in neutral.

Let’s look at how to make that moment accelerate your plot. 

Nancy Johnson

Originally Published in WriteOn! Summer 2025 Issue

Your book won’t sell itself no matter how good it is. We spend years writing and rewriting, agonizing over character development, plot, and just the right turn of phrase. Eventually, we publish and then what? Sit back and wait for the world to anoint our book baby as The Great American Novel?

Sorry, that’s not happening.

Monica Cox

This article was originally published in WriteOn! Spring 2023 edition

Beta readers are an important part of a writer’s revision process. After we draft and revise a manuscript, our characters and story worlds become a part of us. As a result, it can be difficult to recognize when important elements haven’t made it onto the page for the reader. Here is where a beta reader—an early reader acting as a stand-in for your eventual target reader—can help.

Despite the number of people in your book club or social circle offering to read your manuscript, be selective when choosing beta readers. You want actionable feedback. For instance, your mom might be an avid reader, but she’s going to tell you everything you do is wonderful. If you want an ego boost, send your manuscript to her. But if you want constructive criticism to improve your craft, you must be more discerning.

Cara Sue Achterberg

Originally published in WriteOn! Summer 2018 Issue

Why Do You Write?

This is a question I always pose to my creative writing students. Many are earnest, ex­cited, anxious adults who hope to write a novel. They arrive in the classroom with crisp blank notebooks and their favorite pen (as instructed), but what they really bring are their dreams. They set them down gently in the scarred chairs of the high school geography classroom where we meet.

Jen Sinclair

Back in the days of dial-up Internet, and long before the rise of social media, there was blogging. For writers especially, blogging gave us an outlet, an opportunity to sharpen our skills, to tell stories, and to hone our voices. We wrote about whatever meant something to us. And we blogged to connect with readers and each other long before the world became overconnected.

Though many of us have abandoned blogging in favor of social media, the practice still has value. It’s with this in mind that WFWA is launching Write Away, a blog that takes you behind the screens, laptops, tablets, and pages of the amazing community of WFWA members. We’re hoping to become a reliable source of insight for every step of the writing and publishing journey, from the perspective of those going through it in real time.

Whether you’re a WFWA member or a hopeful writer scrolling through, all are welcome to subscribe and follow. We want nothing more than to provide the kind of support that helps fill your creative tank so that you, too, can write away.