Weekly Round-Up: So Many Books, So Little Time

Every week our editors publish somewhere between 10 and 15 blog posts—but it can be hard to keep up amidst the busyness of everyday life. To make sure you never miss another post, we've created a new weekly round-up series. Each Saturday, find the previous week's posts all in one place.

Read Narrowly, Write Widely

How many times do you read a book—just once? You may be following this piece of writing advice: "Read widely." But maybe that's not always the best way to learn from reading. Find out when it's better to read narrowly.

After all, you don't need to read widely to be a writer—you just need to write. Play around with your writing and try out 10 Creative Exercises That Will Help You Improve Your Writing.

Agent Outreach

Meet the Agent: Quressa Robinson of D4EO Literary is seeking science fiction/fantasy, nonfiction, upmarket and commercial women’s fiction, historical fiction, family sagas, contemporary young adult, and science fiction/fantasy young adult crossover.

When you contact Quressa (and any other agents), follow these 5 Tips for Querying & Choosing a Literary Agent.

For an example of a successful query letter, read on and find out how Whitney Gardner interested agent Brent Taylor in her debut novel,You're Welcome, Universe.

Poetic Asides

For this week's Wednesday Poetry Prompt, write a "refresh" poem. Then challenge yourself by trying out a new poetic form: the clogyrnach.

This week's Poetry Spotlight shines on the Hugo House, a retreat for writers in Seattle.

Finally, get a taste of the great advice offered in Poet's Market 2017.

Advice You'll Want to Follow

Check out 7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Eric Scott Fischl. His first piece of advice? Relax. (Okay, he means to keep calm and relax after writing and editing, but still.)

Find Your Voice

Ever hear that every story has already been told? Whether or not that's true, one way to make sure your story stands out is to use your distinctive voice. Make sure your voice pulls in readers by following 4 Tips for Tailoring Your Distinctive Voice. If you're writing a memoir, here are even more tips on finding your voice.