Am on a refreshment break, so the regular post will be a few days late. In the meantime, here’s Aaron Gansky on creating atmosphere for a quick blast of craft and then agent Sarah LaPolla on the myth of the perfect agent for a longer blast of the business of writing, including what questions to ask before you query.

I will only add that sometimes when the going gets rough you have to dig in and work harder, but now and then, it’s great to get away and gain perspective. In any case, consider the alternative of leaning into pain to learn what it is trying to tell you rather than avoiding. It is through pain that we learn and change.