In 2021, I ended up reading about 80 books. I expanded beyond my usual preference for YA, checking out different fiction genres as well as a ton of nonfiction. My biggest secret? Reading two books at once–generally fiction on my kindle for about an hour before I fell asleep each night, and nonfiction throughout the… Continue reading 2021 – Books Read
Tag: books
DITD – Soundtrack
If you know me, you know music is integral to my writing process. A song can inspire an entire scene, layout the motivations for a character, or perfectly encapsulate the mood. If there’s one song that kick-started my drafting Devil in the Daylight, it’s “Gun In My Hand” by Dorothy. The title was inspired by… Continue reading DITD – Soundtrack
Devil in the Daylight
Quick update on Blood and Water: I’ve been sent back to the drawing board with some suggestions from agents to revise and resubmit. I also read through it again recently, after having shelved it for almost a year, and I flippin loved it. So the good news is I have a spark of hope reignited… Continue reading Devil in the Daylight
Query Update – January 2020
As of now, my full manuscript is still with an agent, and TWO other agents have my partial story. That’s right, my first response of the new year was a request rather than rejection, which is a lovely way to start 2020! I don’t have a timeframe for when I’ll hear back—if I’ve learned anything,… Continue reading Query Update – January 2020
Querying
Well, I did it! I sent out a query letter to a handful of agents! I’ve got to polish my synopsis and try to ease off tweaking my manuscript because it is time, baby! Or maybe not–I’ve got another list of agents to query next week. I’m hedging my bets a little bit and leaving… Continue reading Querying
Never-Ending Edits
I’m currently on draft number who-even-knows-anymore of my work in progress, Blood and Water. The cool thing is, every time I finish a draft, I feel really confident in it, like it’s the best I could ever accomplish. (To be fair, it really is my best work at that point in my life.) Then I… Continue reading Never-Ending Edits
Writing Vacation
Last week was a crazy adventure. In the course of 9 days, I spent over 24 hours in a car, 3 hours on a plane, and traveled to 5 cities in 5 different states to see friends, family, and watch the St. Louis Blues bring home the Stanley Cup (#LGB!). This came at a really… Continue reading Writing Vacation
Blood and Water: Playlist
I’ve got a few hundred “inspirational” songs that have gone into writing Blood and Water. I’ve narrowed them down and compiled a list of 21 songs that I think best represent most of the novel, and/or were the most influential for some scenes. The entire playlist can be found on YouTube. Enjoy! Please Don’t Say You… Continue reading Blood and Water: Playlist
The First Raid
Solvi: Mam is buried beneath her blankets again. It’s been two days, but still she refuses to rise. Maiken burned the stew she reheated for breakfast—again. Now, it’s nearing dinnertime, and Mam doesn’t stir. Papa, Ulf, and Tarben will return soon, but the longhouse is empty of the scents that usually greet them. No one… Continue reading The First Raid
Blood and Water
I am in hardcore editing-mode of my first novel, working title Blood and Water. Still, the creative side of me is hard to turn off. I love exploring ideas by writing short scenes and discovering the memories each of my characters hold dear. Soon I will begin to share some of these scenes. Hopefully, it… Continue reading Blood and Water
Annie Atkin 