✨Sarah LaBrie and Richard Chizmar Take Different Paths to the Same Destination (Publication Success!) & Share How You Can Follow! ✨

Plus, learning opportunities and tools of the trade to help you on your own journey to success!

Happy Tuesday, writing friends!

For most writers, the path to publication doesn’t run smooth. For every Alix E. Harrow (whose story of getting discovered by her agent and editor on Twitter is kind of the literary equivalent of being spotted at the soda counter at Schwab’s and becoming a movie star), there are dozens (hundreds? thousands?) more whose journeys are not merely bumpy but downright roller coaster-esque. If that feels familiar, and you find yourself considering getting off this crazy ride, we suggest reading today’s newsletter before making any big decisions…🫣🎢😘

First up, we have an absolute gut-punch of an essay by Sarah LaBrie, who spent many frustrating years writing and rewriting a novel that wasn’t quite working, before finally finding the story she was meant to tell: her own. Sarah’s memoir, No One Gets to Fall Apart, is out now, and in her very honest and vulnerable essay she describes the long and challenging journey she took to get to this day, touching on her mother’s mental illness, her fear that the failure of her novel might lead her down a similar path, her fear that she had wasted her life pursuing a dream that was never going to become reality…and the realization that finally turned everything around. Sarah’s story isn’t just inspiring for anyone writing memoir, it’s inspiring, full stop. And the advice she leaves us with at the end… (Editor’s note: I will just say this about that: there *may* have been tears.) Thank you, Sarah. A lot of people need to hear what you have to say.🥹💖

Next, we have a Q&A with award-winning short-fiction author Richard Chizmar, who is the kind of frank, wise and grounded writer we wish we could channel on those days when we need convincing to stay on the roller coaster. What’s more, the story of Richard’s writing journey is further evidence that dreams really can come true if you work at them hard enough: Fifteen years old when he first knew he wanted to be a writer after reading a Stephen King short story in class, Richard was 52 when Gwendy’s Button Box came out and spent six weeks on the bestseller list—with his name appearing on the cover as co-author alongside King’s! Richard’s latest, Memorials, is out today! 😱

And if you’re determined to keep writing but could use some help staying on track, we’ve got just the thing: the 2025 edition of The Ultimate Planner for Writers. Available now in both digital and physical versions, it’s packed with features regular day planners just don’t have. Check it out below!

Finally, don’t forget to read Carly and CeCe’s written feedback for the queries that were critiqued on last week’s episode of 📕Books with Hooks🪝(you’ll find them here every other week now.) ✍🏼

❤️ The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Team