I am Umbridge

Ask me to choose a part of Harry Potter that is “not fun,” and my first reaction will probably be to stare at you blankly, my jaw slightly ajar, wondering why you’re asking unanswerable questions. When pressed, I might begin reluctantly admitting that certain parts of the Potterverse are less fun: maybe Dursleys? Maybe Draco? […]

What I Learned from Cutting 70,000 Words

The second draft of my first YA novel was 165,000 words long. I swore up and down that not one word could be removed without damaging the entire story. *snort* Then I began researching publication. The more I read from YA publishers and writing blogs, the more I became convinced that my query had to […]