Author & Ecologist
EOLYN and her companion novels had a makeover in 2021. Cover design by A Raven Designs Anyone else feel like there wasn't much of a holiday season this year? Everything blasted by so quickly. That's not to say I didn't have a nice holiday. Thanks to vaccines and loosened travel restrictions, I was able to... Continue Reading →
So far in this brief series, we've covered three topics: Why Query? The Basic Structure of the Query Letter Placing Your Work in the Market Today, I'll talk about the pitch. The pitch consists of a few sentences that describe the central conflict of your novel in a compelling manner. The pitch is distinct from... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I promised more posts on the topic of the query letter. Previously, I discussed why an author should query and went over the basic 3-paragraph structure of the query letter. One paragraph of the query letter is typically devoted to placing the manuscript in the market. Let's dig into that today.... Continue Reading →
Covid19 reminded me that cultivating dreams is still, and has always been, at the center of what we should consider "practical."
Once in a great while, a calendar year comes with a singular message; a lesson that seems to start on or near January 1st and come full circle by the end of December. If I were to articulate the big lesson of the last 365 days, it would be this: We must work hard to... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, during a lengthy walk along Tomahawk Creek, I came across these daffodils, among the first green buds to emerge this spring. The season is changing; we all can feel it, even the plants. Especially the plants. Spring is coming. I'm celebrating this year's spring in a special way, with the release of the second... Continue Reading →
Have you ever been told to think about what your future self would say to you? I've never actually received this advice, but I've heard it given, usually to young people who are facing important challenges or decisions. I suppose people who give this advice do so because it's worked for them. Me, I've always been... Continue Reading →
This post is inspired by three seemingly unrelated events this week. One was an article by Renee Asher Pickup about the feminist implications of the story of Ted Bundy. The other, a reflection on a Tumblr blog about Joss Whedon and the ever-elusive female heroine. (This latter post has been on line for over a year now;... Continue Reading →
Karin Rita Gastreich 