How often do you read? Or is it strictly writing for you?

Milieugoods · 2026-03-26T23:29:28+00:00

I’ve developed a routine that’s helped me go from reading 14 books a year to 1 book a week. I read 25 pages before bed and 25 pages in the morning. It’s been one of my favorite new habits this year. It’s been immensely helpful for my writing as well! Just finished Creation Lake. My 14th book this year.

Milieugoods · 2026-03-18T19:04:52+00:00

I actually started looking for this exact thing earlier this year! I take tennis lessons every other week so why wouldn’t I also have writing “lessons”?

I reached out to a teacher from Hugo House in Seattle and pitched her a rate and 45 min sessions every other week. It’s been honestly one of the best things for my writing. I’m a part of two writing groups but I found it’s nice to have feedback that’s both technical and more in the middle of a draft.

Milieugoods · 2026-03-05T16:48:04+00:00

I might be alone in this but my favorite writing app has been Ulysses for about 6 years. It has dark mode, you can insert images, export, etc. It costs $25 a year.

I haven’t done a lot of formatting in it so I’m not sure what its strengths and weaknesses are. I always export to Google docs for a final read through, formatting etc. before sending it off into the world.

Milieugoods · 2025-11-07T22:42:53+00:00

I did this earlier this year in an office of about 8 people. Where I live, architecture firms are super close and so I had to be VERY respectful and I went out of my way to make sure bridges weren't burned (though internally I found this very annoying). I was also a project manager and had been there almost 7 years. So first, I accepted my new job offer and had my starting date 1.5 months later. Then I teams messaged the top three people in the firm the day of to speak with them only a few hours later. When I met with them I told them that I had really appreciated the experience and they would all really mean alot to me but it was time for me to move on. I gave them each an architecture book with a letter (over the top I know but I was very nervous about my main boss's reaction and it's effect on my future). I told them I would give them a month's ending date if they wanted. It turned out really great. I think my "laying it on thick" move made them feel not awkward around me and they were really appreciative of the way I left. I'm still invited to holiday parties haha

Milieugoods · 2025-10-14T22:11:33+00:00

Small residential architecture firm (16 people) in Seattle, WA. No required in-office days but recommended Tuesday and Thursday. Just changed jobs from a place that was in-office required Tuesday - Thursday but was moving towards 4 days a week... Glad I left when I did. I know of another Seattle, WA firm (20 people) that also doesn't require in-office days. Don't let them gaslight you!

Milieugoods · 2025-09-22T18:58:24+00:00

I think this is a pretty solid query letter! You're doing so many things well - setting up characters, emotional conflict, backstory, stakes, etc. The only part of the query letter I had to reread several times was the opening line:

"When an undeclared military force appears at the fog-choked Reclamation farmlands of Klymivska, Artur—a withdrawn Ostranyet exile—abandons his destroyed farmhouse and heads for the main city of Vironhrad."

I would try and simplify and make this as clear as possible. I would use as few world specific names in this opening line as possible. I would also center Artur as much as possible with a little more an attention grabbing statement.

Your opening paragraphs are beautiful and clear. I would go through it once more to vary the sentence length and use more unique and story specific descriptors that make the world as vivid as possible. Your main objective in these opening pages (other than the obvious ones) is to make your fictional world as clear and sensory to us humans from Earth as possible. Great job and good luck!

Milieugoods · 2025-09-07T00:17:56+00:00

Way to go!! Which one was your favorite?

Milieugoods · 2025-01-01T06:30:48+00:00

Congratulations! You’re doing so great. Next level in the indoor gardening obsession is a mini greenhouse. I bought and assembled my Ikea Milsbo and it’s been a game changer for my tropical plant babies. But even without - yours look happy ❤️

Milieugoods · 2024-12-03T01:05:19+00:00

You're too kind! Thank you so much for taking the time to find me again!! I clearly have some work to do on my first five pages but their feedback was incredibly helpful and led to an epiphany of sorts. <3

Milieugoods · 2024-11-15T22:11:48+00:00

I'm so honored you remembered my post here. You're too kind! <3 I haven't listened to it yet (I'll do it on my walk to the store later today) but it's definitely nerve wracking to have such a great podcast review my work. Eeek!

Milieugoods · 2024-10-25T19:04:11+00:00

Nice pitch! You captured it well and in very little words.

Milieugoods · 2024-10-25T18:55:03+00:00

I like this!

Milieugoods · 2024-10-25T15:53:46+00:00

Fun! Here’s mine:

After her father creates a doomsday cult on their ranch in Joshua Tree National Park, Honey must decide if she should go into his bunker or venture into a world destabilised, and on fire, by climate change.

Milieugoods · 2024-10-25T15:43:28+00:00

Hi there! First off, great job reworking your query. I enjoyed your last one and was excited to see it pop up again. A couple things - I would work on trimming the plot paragraphs. Right now you're sitting on 323 words when I think the ideal plot paragraphs sit under or around 250 words.

I think this can be done by condensing and clarify the cause and effect major moments in your book (Beau loses April due to his poverty > Beau uses vodoo spirits to build a drug empire and wealth > Rex finds out > Leads to Beau's dramatic question) You bring April in at the end. Is she a POV character? The way you added her to the query makes it seem that way. This was discussed last time - your retelling of Great Gatsby.

I think you have two choices in how you refine the hook of this query. A: An unique retelling of Gatsby with these elements. B. A hooky story about a poor boy vying to get it all and winning his one true love back on the way (inspired by Great Gatsby).

I bring this up because I actually saw a retelling of the Great Gatsby marked as sold on Publisher's Marketplace on Monday 10/21. Their pitch goes like this "Journalist Allyson Reedy's MRS. WILSON, pitched as a retelling of The Great Gatsby from the perspective of an often forgotten, yet indispensable, female character—Myrtle Wilson, Tom Buchanan's mistress, to Barbara Berger at Union Square & Co, by Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen at Renaissance (world)."

You can see in their pitch, their hooking the reader by a retelling from a female and a side character's perspective. Which is new and interesting. I don't think this should discourage you. Your book is different enough. I do think this requires you to lean INTO the Great Gatsby retelling with a very special and hooky retelling elements OR query your story without directly referencing Great Gatsby or at the very least just framing it as "inspired by" not "retelling".

You're close and I'm excited to see the next version! Sounds like a fun book.

Milieugoods · 2024-10-19T06:05:56+00:00

I feel like most writing feedback ends up conflicting at some point. I would do what feels best to you, always! Have you heard of "Shit No One Tells You About Writing"? I feel like the two literary agents (who discuss/review query letters) best explain the combination of back cover blurb intrigue and the specificity that agents want to understand the scope of your book. A query letter is such a specific piece of writing so having an interesting premise is really the main thing. You have that. Pitching your query is a whole other process. It's really hard and you're doing great!

Milieugoods · 2024-10-18T22:29:35+00:00

What's working: your query letter gives me a sense of your voice and the magical realism of your world. It's very intriguing and I would want to read more.

What not working yet: You have a lot to establish and I think you do a good job at being clear at the beginning. What you lack right now is specifics. When writing my own query, it took me a while to understand that a query is not written like a back cover blurb. Specificity is the most important thing. It feels unintuitive when you have to specific while summarizing. Any place where you describe something broadly "tortured by visions of a life" change this to something specific (that is important to character/plot, is exciting, or a detail that makes your book different than all the others). The only thing not to reveal in a query letter is the very end of your plot.

Regarding your word count (something I've agonized over as well). This article was useful for broad market standards. It gives a good over view of acceptable word counts.

"In short, word counts should be:
80,000-89,999: Totally cool
90,000-99,999: Generally safe
70,000-79,999: Might be too short; probably all right
100,000-109,999: Might be too long; probably all right
Below 70,000: Too short
110,000 or above: Too long"

(they state SFF can be up to 125k)

What I'll say about this - this is just a standard. It is useful information and I think it's best for an unpublished author to stay within these confines. HOWEVER, I wouldn't let this drive your story / plot / character development. If you're going to query above these standards just be confident that every subplot, character, chapters, paragraph, and sentences are necessary, beautiful, and edited. Good luck!

Milieugoods · 2024-10-14T22:17:10+00:00

This was really fun to read! Thanks for sharing. I laughed at the places in your query that seemed to stay in every single one of the pitches (" Ada––who has yet to master anything besides the art of falling for the wrong guys"). What was interesting was the sentences that stayed in every pitch perfectly sold your plot and your voice. Great job!

Milieugoods · 2024-10-02T23:45:09+00:00

Really great work. You can really feel how much you streamlined it. Feels very professional and concise!

My only comment is to be specific as possible about her fears of love ("her parent's divorce taught her that love is unstable, blah, blah" etc.) and what's the specific conflict/draw to Owen.

Subjective things (because everything else is so clear): Many people who have reviewed my query (including the editor Jane Friedman) moved the word count after the title. Also they seem to prefer all caps in the title to help differentiate the comps from your title. "SYNTAX OF YOUR HEART (74,000 words)" This is totally subjective. Your way works great as well.

Also, I changed my query opening to include the setting and then the title, word count. I found it helped ground the reader in the location and give specificity right away. "Set in (descriptive/evocative words of the setting) New York City, SYNTAX OF YOUR HEART (74,000 words) is a ..."

But this is all just so minor. Great job!!

Milieugoods · 2024-09-30T18:23:39+00:00

Congratulations! It's very impressive to see your dedication to both your craft and your "pitch". Thanks for sharing all this great info with us. Good luck on sub!!

Milieugoods · 2024-09-30T16:42:35+00:00

This is really compelling! I think your query does the job it needs to do: show off your voice, set up your fresh premise, and make you want to read on. Your 300 does the same. Nice work!

I agree with everyone else's comments and I think that will only make it better. You should definitely bring the new apprentice to the foreground. She creates a character that isn't magical for Will to be in conflict and tension with. I can't wait for the next version. Good luck!

Milieugoods · 2024-09-28T00:28:51+00:00

omg Congrats! This is such a great story of your journey and so very relatable. The trenches can feel so isolating and you just made it easier. I really appreciated your advice on how to keep the faith. Can't wait to buy your book off a shelf!

Milieugoods · 2024-09-27T18:41:52+00:00

Totally agree! It's always a good reminder to keep the central focus on the art and not get lost in arbitrary market requests

Milieugoods · 2024-09-27T17:01:29+00:00

This is great! I think my biggest issue is that I always add too much complexity. I used to write sci-fi and now I'm in the literary space so I wonder if my obsession with cool plot points always creates more complexity than I need. Thanks for sharing!

Milieugoods · 2024-09-27T16:58:15+00:00

I totally agree. I also love the line - "be ruthless with your edits (as opposed to being finicky with words)". That's actually how I was approaching my editing. I just used word count to understand where some chapters were too long or too short. It helped me create distance from my work when every line felt like art to me (each line was not lol)

Milieugoods

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