When You Think You Might Never Sleep (or Write) Again
Tell me about your writing! Plus insomnia, writer's block, and TONS of writing resources
*For writing links and resources, scroll down*
Oh, hello!
I recently got a bunch of new subscribers, so I’m taking a moment to introduce myself to newcomers and reintroduce myself to those who’ve been with me for awhile.
So, I’m Eva, and I live in the DC area with my husband and two young daughters.
I received my MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of New Orleans, and after many years of writing and querying, I am now represented by Ali Lake of Janklow & Nesbit. Currently I’m revising my YA paranormal thriller in hopes of going out on submission in the fall.
Over the past fifteen years I’ve written eight novels (some that shall never see the light of day), and dozens of short stories and poems. My story “Living Room” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and my story “Clicker” won third place in a Playboy Fiction Contest.
I teach writing workshops and have been blogging about writing for years. Some of my most popular posts are:
How to Write a YA Mystery or Thriller: 10 Tips for Crafting a Teen Suspense Novel
Writing a Novel Inspired by Your Life? The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Autobiographical Fiction
But enough about me…
I’d love to get to know more about my readers! Mind answering two quick questions?
Question 1:
Question 2:
Do you have more to tell me about your writing life and/or what kinds of resources you need? Feel free to hit “reply” and send me an email. I love hearing from readers!
About these dark circles under my eyes…
A few weeks ago I gave a talk at the Find Your Readers Summit. It went surprisingly well, given that I had not slept at all the night before.
It seems I’ve developed an insomnia problem.
Until recently I was a champ at falling asleep. I’d close my eyes at night, and, like magic, I’d drift off into dreamland. Except now, the magic is gone.
I’m not sure what particular anxieties caused my first sleepless night (I think it had something to do with watching The Handmaid’s Tale before bed), but I know my subsequent sleepless nights have been caused, in large part, by my worry that I’ll have another sleepless night.
The more I worry I won’t fall asleep, the harder it is to fall asleep. I lie in bed thinking: I didn’t sleep last night, what if I don’t sleep tonight? What if I never sleep again? Of course this makes it even harder to sleep.
Not-Sleeping Vs. Not-Writing
It occurs to me that the cycle of not-sleeping can be similar to the cycle of not-writing. Currently I’m in a really good place with my writing, but there have been times when I wasn’t writing, and I was worried I might never write again.
You know how it goes. In the past you opened a Word doc and, like magic, the words spilled out. Except, this time, they don’t. You feel stuck, uninspired. So you start to worry: I didn’t write yesterday. What if I don’t write today? What if I never write again? Your anxiety builds, which makes you avoid writing all the more.
The key to breaking the not-writing cycle is similar to breaking the not-sleeping cycle. For writing, you develop a regular routine and make some achievable goals. For sleeping, you develop a regular bedtime routine and stop drinking caffeine in the afternoon. For both, you try to stop putting so much pressure on yourself because stress only makes things worse.
Way easier said than done, I know.
My insomnia problem seem to be getting better. I’m doing all the things. Exercise and yoga and sunlight, no caffeine in the afternoon, camomile tea and relaxation and no screen-time before bed. After two sleepless nights in a row, I went to see my doctor. He says everyone is having insomnia these days, including him — it’s a stressful time to be alive.
Anyway, things do seem to be getting better. One thing that seems to help is telling myself, “you know what, Eva, maybe you won’t sleep much tonight, but you will sleep eventually. It’s not the end of the world. This too shall pass.”
And if you’re having a bout of writer’s block, I tell you the same thing: this too shall pass. Just because you’re not writing right now doesn’t mean you’ll never write again. You will.
Good luck, dear writers, and sweet dreams.
Writing News:
For All Writers:
Globe Soup is hosting an Open Short Story Competition. There’s no theme and the word count limit is 8,000. Early bird entry fee is £5 and the winner will receive £1,500. Entry deadline August 23.
Gabe Soup is also hosting a FREE 500-word Flash Fiction Competition. The prize is £200 and the deadline is August 29. Read here for details.
Looking for a critique partner? Savvy Authors is now offering a free CritMatch Program to help match-make authors looking for feedback partners.
International Literary Seminars is launching a unique and intensive series of workshops, lectures, and cultural offerings. Apply for this year’s program, held in Kenya (application deadline Oct. 15), and check out the website for contests, fellowships, and other offerings.
I really enjoyed this post from Poe Can Save Your Life about why you need blurbs… even before you have a book deal.
The Book Pipeline: Adaptation Contest seeks published books, graphic novels, and short stories for film and TV development. Both traditional and self-published material accepted. Early bird deadline August 15, regular deadline August 31.
https://aprildavila.com/beta-readers/
For Querying Writers:
The Good Story Co. is hosting another pitch-your-premise contest! Story Snob’s Pitch Contest will take place on August 24 for only $5.
Check out this very cool mentoring/pitching event called #PitchMe, taking place this fall. Here’s the timeline:
September 8: The submission window opens
September 22: Selected submissions announced
September 22-October 19: Mentoring takes place
October 20: Revised Twitter pitches posted; agents like their favorites
Every Friday, Operation Awesome offers one free query critique through their #QueryFriday contest.
The Pass or Pages Query Contest will be held October 3-7. Win feedback from agents about whether they would pass or request pages based on your query. Free!
The Savvy Authors Pitch Fest will be held October 26-28. Pitch in an online forum to agents and editors (for free)!
Submission is open from now until Nov. 4 for the Blue Pencil Agency Pitch Prize. I don’t know much about this, but might be worth looking into. Entry fee is £12.
The querying trenches are rough right now, and Twitter pitch parties can feel like a crapshoot, but still, as I always say, it’s a great way to meet other writers and it certainly doesn’t hurt to try. (After all, I found my agent through a Twitter pitch party. I am now an official success story!) So mark your calendar for these upcoming Twitter pitch parties. And be sure to read my article 13 Things to Know About Twitter Pitch Events.
September 15: #LatinxPitch — Twitter pitch for all unagented and agented Kidlit LATINX authors, author-illustrators, and illustrators
October: #PitDark — Twitter pitch for all unaccented authors of horror, mystery, thriller, paranormal, and anything else with a “dark” vibe. Date TBA.
Writing Conferences:
WOWCON, WriteMentor’s online conference for kidlit writers, is coming up September 24 - 26.
This New York Write to Pitch 2022 Conference looks intriguing. The Zoom portion is September 8-11 and the live part is September 22-25 in NYC. And there are pre- and post-content, too. They are calling it The Premier Career Launcher for Aspiring Authors. I’m going to be honest, there’s so much going on with this conference I’d need an entire day to study and digest the website, but it looks very professional and comprehensive, so take a look for yourself!
This year the Writing Day Workshop “How to Get Published” Conferences will be held virtually. I attended one of these conferences in person a few years ago in Philadelphia, and I thought it was fantastic. I can’t vouch for the virtual version, but there are some benefits: recorded classes, no travel expenses, attend in your comfy pants. Plus, you can sign up for Zoom pitch sessions with agents for $29 a piece. Check out the upcoming conferences (and remember, anyone can attend from anywhere; just keep the time zone in mind).
For more writing conferences, check out this list or this list of 19 Writing Conferences for Emerging and Established Writers.
Sometimes you go to bed with nothing at all to worry about.
That always worries me...
-- Charlie Brown