The importance of writing with joy 😊

Today's guest is author Sarah Sawyer.

The writing process can feel daunting.

There’s the initial intimidation of the blank page, followed by the formidable prospect of self-editing, sharing your work for feedback, and tackling sometimes hairy revisions. And after all of that, writers are asked to venture into the query trenches, trusting an often-mysterious and opaque industry with the precious words they’ve worked so hard to conjure.

It’s enough to strike fear into the heart of any aspiring author.

But don’t let fear lead your journey.

It admittedly takes a lot of courage to bring a story into the world. But don’t let the fear and anxiety of the process overshadow your joy for storytelling.

Writing is an act of love — for the characters you create, for the world you imagine, and for the readers who will one day hold your book in their hands. Even in moments of doubt or overwhelm, choosing joy over fear can remind you of why you started this journey in the first place and sustain you through its challenges.

In today’s interview, author Sarah Sawyer shares how she writes with joy rather than fear, the approach she took to find her literary agent, and her three recommendations for any author struggling with writer’s block.

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OUR SPECIAL GUEST TODAY IS…

Sarah Sawyer

Author

Sarah’s debut novel, THE UNDERCURRENT, is available now!

What is the most memorable writing tip or technique that you have heard, and how did it influence your process?

I once got an email from the lovely George Saunders in which he advised me to proceed with "joy, not fear," which has become a mantra for me. He was referring to the editing process, which can feel horrible—cutting 10,000 words or a character you love is never fun—but I also use it when I write and when I teach. I think we could all stand to be a little less fearful, and a lot more joyful, as we go about the work of our daily lives, whatever that work may be.

What is one thing you wish you had known about the publishing process before going through it yourself?

I knew nothing about the publishing industry at all, so this is hard to answer, but I think that I have to say that the journey from getting a book deal to seeing the book in a bookstore was much more complex and arduous than I thought. When I was on the fourth round of copyediting, I just wanted to close the document and give up! I continue to be amazed at and moved by the level of scrutiny that every book on the shelves undergoes...every single novel is, eventually, a labor of love by so many people. Of course, after all that, there's a typo in the book, which at least goes to show that it wasn't made by a robot.

How did you get your literary agent? What was the querying process like for you?

I tell everyone that it's a numbers game: you have to do the work of sending out many, many individualized query letters (and waiting for months to hear back). I used QueryTracker, which is an online search engine for agents, and I tried to find agents with a variety of experience levels who were interested in the kinds of books I am also interested in. I looked at their social media profiles, where they often post wish lists, and just tried to get a sense of their approach and their level of expertise and experience.

I probably sent out 30 queries, and eventually I connected with my agent, Kerry Sparks at LGR, who is an absolute delight to work with. I feel really fortunate to have her in my corner!

How do you personally get over writer's block?

I don't see writing as a key to providing a sense of self, which helps. I love to write, but sometimes I don't have much to say...and that's fine, because there are always books to read and people to spend time with. I think it's important to believe that a story will come when it's time for it to come (I'm not sure this is true, but I choose to believe it anyway!). For me, it's important to get a lot of fresh air and exercise, and it's important to have a little ritual that means that it's time to sit down and write. I can really recommend three things: a timer, a good pair of headphones, and the Spotify Deep Focus playlist.

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Are you a plotter or a pantser? What's your personal drafting process like?

I feel like a pantser when I'm writing, because I often feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but when I finish a project and look back at my process, I am always struck by how much I think about scaffolding and structure as I go along. My working notebooks are filled with strange, shifting diagrams, bulleted lists of key plot moments, and arrows and brackets galore. I'm also a huge fan of giant sheets of paper and colored markers, and a whiteboard in a quiet room is even better. The key for me is to preserve a sense of discovery, which means being flexible and being willing to change my mind as I go along.

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Looking for more writing and publishing tips?

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😉 7 Querying Hacks I Wish Every Author Knew (YouTube)

🤔 Struggling to finish your draft? You’ve got a choice (X/Twitter)

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