A Look Back on My Growth as a Blogger (#MyFirstPostRevisited Blog Hop)

August 3, 2017August 2, 2017 / saraletourneau / 30 Comments

Recently I was nominated by the wonderfully bookish and insightful Nandini @ Pages That Rustle for the #MyFirstPostRevisited Blog Hop. (Thanks for nominating me, Nandini!) And having celebrated my eighth blogoversary last month, now seemed like a good time to look back on how I’ve grown as a blogger since the day I launched this site.

First things first, though. The #MyFirstPostRevisited Blog Hop was created by Sarah Brentyn @ Lemon Shark. And since every blog tag has rules, let’s go over them now: Continue reading →

What Do You Think?: E-Newsletters by Writers (Plus, A Quick Survey for You)

October 13, 2016October 13, 2016 / saraletourneau / 20 Comments

One of the most talked-about outreach tools for writers today is the email newsletter (or, e-newsletter). In fact, “start a newsletter” has been among the most suggested advice I’ve heard at Writer’s Digest Conference for the past two years – from authors, publicists, and publishing professionals alike. It seems valuable, especially since other writers have found success with them. Yet despite all the positive buzz, I’ve hesitated to create one.

Why? Well, up until now, it hasn’t been a priority. I’ve had enough going on that starting an e-newsletter would have taken time away from blogging and (more importantly) novel-writing. But now, with a slower blogging schedule and edits on the WIP’s third draft coming to a close, I have time to give it serious thought.

So, what are the benefits of an e-newsletter? What cautions should we keep in mind? Plus, I’m offering readers – yes, YOU – a chance to help me decide whether I should start my own e-newsletter and what content I may want to include. More details on that shortly.

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Field Trip: Writer’s Digest Conference 2016

September 15, 2016September 14, 2016 / saraletourneau / 35 Comments

Now that all of the late-summer busyness has passed, I finally have some time to tell you about this year’s Writer’s Digest Conference! And what an amazing four days it was. In fact, I think it topped the 2015 edition!

With this post, I’ll give a general overview of WDC 2016, including which sessions I enjoyed most and what I learned. Last year I did a trio of posts for DIY MFA; and while I would have liked to have covered the conference for the site again this year, it wasn’t possible with my friend’s wedding 2 weeks later. The good thing is, waiting to do this post has given me time to digest (no pun intended) everything I absorbed that weekend and feel grateful for continuing to invest in my writing career.
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#FriendFriday Feature at Blots & Plots

May 16, 2015November 11, 2015 / saraletourneau / 12 Comments

Yesterday I stopped by Jenny Bravo’s Blots & Plots for her bi-monthly feature #FriendFriday. It’s a short interview, but it covers quite a lot of ground. I shared a little bit about how I started writing, offered advice on how writers can connect with future readers, and recalled one college professor’s encouragement that is most responsible for guiding me to where I am today as a writer. 🙂

Click here to read “Getting to Know Your Readers with Sara Letourneau” at Blots & Plots.

Field Trip: The Muse And The Marketplace 2015

May 9, 2015May 8, 2015 / saraletourneau / 21 Comments

What an excellent way of getting back into the literary conference swing! The Muse & The Marketplace 2015 (a.k.a. #Muse15) was this past weekend in Boston, Massachusetts – and though I was only able to attend on Friday, I absolutely loved it! In fact, as I was walking from Park Plaza Hotel (where the conference was held) to the Back Bay train station that evening, the first thought that bubbled into my mind was, “I HAVE to go all three days next year!” 🙂

So, yes, #Muse15 was a fantastic learning, networking, and confidence-building experience. Here’s my report on Friday’s events, from the general conference details, to the presentations I attended, to lessons learned and tips for attending future conferences.
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Chronicling The Craft: 45,000 Words

March 9, 2014 / saraletourneau / 9 Comments

Identifying Your Target Audience and Age Range – A Daunting Task

Chapters Completed: 11

Chapters In Progress: 9

Chapters Left to Start: 14

“Chronicling The Craft” is an article series where I share my experience with writing my current work-in-progress (WIP), which is a fantasy novel. Every 5,000 words, I let readers know what I’ve accomplished since the previous article and share advice, discoveries, techniques, etc. Besides the word count in each article title, a “chapter ticker” at the top also tracks my progress as I use the skip-around / “writercopter” method to write the novel. Today’s installment celebrates the book reaching 45,000 words in length.

Wow! Even with taking a weekend off from the WIP recently to attend WANACon, I managed to crank out another 5,000 words in 4 weeks. Considering I have a day job and other commitments, I have to say I surprised myself once again. Then again, this winter has been a good period for writing. I’ve turned into a sort of hibernating bear with all the bitter cold and frequent snowstorms we’ve had here. Hibernating yet productive and happy. Can’t complain about that! Continue reading →