Maria E. Andreu – | Archive

A note on revenge queries

What are revenge queries? I am in the process of querying for my second agent. It feels a little like walking across the gym to ask someone to dance, plus a job interview, plus being covered in honey and being left out in the hot sun to be eaten up by ravenous ants. Bad, is […]

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Another novel finished

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Last night, at around 11:00 pm, I finished writing a first draft of a novel. It is the third I’ve finished since the one I published. The tale of why none of the three have made it out in the world is one for another day. Although, to be fair, with one being less than […]

For writers: the power of tracking tools

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Do you remember how much fun it was to get a pretty sticker on a paper when you were in the second grade? Well, yeah, stickers still feel good as grown-ups, too, which is why we like a certificate at work or a Mother’s Day card scribbled in crayon. But writing is lonely business. Even […]

For writers: which voice to use

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The choice of first, second or third person is key when framing a new project. How do you decide? Here are my thoughts. All my written novels, including my published one, are in first person present. (We’ll cover tense in another piece). It’s a common way to go, particularly in YA. First person – told […]

Craft books for writers

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If you’ve ever done a job you really, really love, at a certain point you begin to ask yourself how it works, why it’s important, and how those who have come before you have done it. I remember once hearing a writing teacher tell me that you should read all the craft books when you’re […]

Too old is no excuse

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Somewhere in my life, I went from feeling too young to do things to too old. The truth is that making the “age” argument is a cop out on both ends of the life spectrum. You can always find ways in which others are more experienced making you, therefore, too young. You can also find […]

Meditation for writers

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I have been meditating since I was eighteen years old, and I’d venture to say I’ve only scratched the surface of its benefits. My mind is too active, needing engagement at all times – books, articles, television, writing, talks with friends, anything. My thinking is never still. It is not exactly conducive to the zen state […]

10 quotes that will restore your writing inspiration

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Writing inspiration. Too often, it’s hard to come by. The well runs dry, the work doesn’t come out the way we want it to and, if we’re at the stage where we’re trying to navigate the publishing industry, sometimes that can be a bummer. What’s a writer to do? One thing I enjoy is posting […]

Alert: writer humor

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We writers are a pretty nerdy bunch. (We wear it as a badge of honor). So if you’re not a writer, you may want to look away now. If you’re still here, let me tell you that this cartoon made me laugh out loud. I have spent a lot of time reading books on how […]

A double identity

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You might say I was fated to be a writer – either that, or a con-artist or a spy or some other kind of criminal – because I was endowed at birth with a double identity. – Margaret Atwood For about the first four years of my life, I wasn’t quite sure what my name […]