Michelle Stoddard

SQUEEE! I'm absolutely delighted to announce that I'm now represented by @LECrockett at @triadaus! Laura has long been on my dream agent list, so being able to call her "my agent" is just unreal. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and my crazy sword fighting story. ♥️

Friendship is trusting someone with your life...but not with a Nerf gun.

50k words into the new WIP, so roughly half way done with the first draft. It's a HUGE mess, but I'm living for those glorious moments when I go "This is better than anything I've written before. I'm really going to like this book when I'm done."

I always forget what a huuuuuuuge literary mess I can make with a novel-length first draft. Still better than a blank page!

Thinking I need to make an advent-type calendar to count down the days until my vaccine appointment. Ideally with chocolate.

This is your official permission to refer to writing as "working" and "my job." Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Perk to being a writer: You can now refer to reading as "market research." People are much more understanding when you "can't go because I have to finish up this market research project" than when you "NEED to know how this book ends."

New Rule: Starting now, all scenes in my outline will be marked with appropriate theme music. #amwriting #WritingCommunity

Drafting or editing, which do you prefer? Personally I take a breath of relief when I have all the words down and it's time to get them in the right order.

I have come to the conclusion that every plot sounds stupid when said out loud.

The most interesting thing about writing my second book has been trying to streamline my writing process. I now know how to get to my destination, but can I do it without all the wrong turns and stopping at Burger King on the way?

I often wonder what it's like to be the person who works out the instructions for TV dinners. In reality, I'm sure they have ways to engineer the right portions and foods to combine, but I prefer to imagine some guy with a microwave burning his tongue on hundreds of Hot Pockets.

A story at the checkout line: A rose, a box of chocolates, and a single TV dinner.

Am I the only one who feels unqualified to write contemporary because I somehow don't have a "real" contemporary life?

I aspire to the level of dedication my cat displays when he tries to convince me every single morning that he deserves canned food.

I swear, 50% of my writing process consists of repeating, "I can fix it. I can fix it. It might suck right now, BUT I CAN FIX IT!"

The best part about writing a novel? You write it all by yourself! The worst part about writing a novel? You write it...all...by...yourself.

When you have created a fantastically hopeless dilemma for your character… Then realize you have to find a way to get them OUT! #amwriting #writerproblems

Am I the only one now expecting a Hidden Bernie in every photo?

Okay, despite spending the first 15 minutes in a state of perma-cringe, Wandavision looks promising.