Abbie Fine's Blog

[image error]This is my #BoostMyBio for Pitch Wars, a wonderful online writing “contest” and an amazing writing community! You can find me on twitter @abbiei– please say hello. Thanks for reading!About MeI’m a writer, director, manager, teacher, communicator, fundraiser and library-lover living in Northern Virginia. Since writing one of these bios last summer, three big things happened:1) I got my dream job: Managing Director of a fantastic nonprofit, professional theatre company in my community! It's cha...

Welcome to the second installment of my “path to published.” If you missed part one, you can find it here. I talk about brainstorming, drafting for a full year, collaborating with others, querying too soon, and one Big Bad Temptation.To summarize, I started drafting in November 2013, and we pick up here in fall 2015, right after I turned down an offer from a new indie publisher.5. Repeat steps 2 (revising) and 3 (querying) FOREVERAfter not signing that first publishing contract, I didn’t give...

Having released my debut novel a little over a month ago, the question I’ve been receiving most often (besides, what’s your book about?) is, how did you do it?!Below I share an overview of this four-year process from drafting through publication. Every journey to publication is different, and since I’ve been inspired by so many pub stories along the way, maybe this will inspire someone else who doesn’t think it’s possible.It is!1) Brainstorming, drafting and revising in stolen momentsIn Novem...

As another year ends, I join many of you in reflecting on the year passed and scheming about the year ahead. 2017 was a doozy of a year in so many ways, but I’ve found a lot to be extremely thankful for. I think it helps to focus on the positive, so I made lists, of course!My top three creative accomplishments of the year:3) Started and finished a first draft of a manuscript that I love—my sister story!2) Directed two plays that I was super proud of. Stories that I was honored to tell, with f...

I like all the books I read (and write!) to have at least a little romance. I love romance! I like my romance on the side of an epic adventure, or a little edgy, or funny. I don’t usually like my romance super-sentimental, sugary sweet. But there’s one time of year when I crave all the gooey, lovey-dovey stories … Christmas!Specifically, I like holiday romance novels—the equivalent of the Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. I only watch movies like that once a year, and I want to read a...

A debut author and a bookseller are friends—and both obsessed with YA literature—so here is their conversation about writing, book selling and what’s hot right now in YA.Abbie is the debut author of THE LAST FIRST DAUGHTER.Scarlet is a manager at Barnes & Noble (the resident YA expert), a musician and writer.Scarlet: Tell us about your book! Pretend we’re on an elevator and instead of us all looking around nervously, you tell us all about what you wrote! Go!Abbie: Wait… how many floors?[image error]THE LA...

Tuesday November 28, 2017 is #GivingTuesday! This is a global day of giving, always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.Black Friday.Small Business Saturday.Cyber Monday.Giving Tuesday!There are SO many worthy charities to choose from for your holiday giving. If you want to support writers, storytelling, educational programs, and literacy, here are just a few literary nonprofits to consider—with a snapshot of what they’re about, in their own words!We Need Diverse BooksAbout: We Need Diverse Books™...

In the final stages of a rehearsal process, the cast does “run thrus” of the entire show and the director watches. The director sits quietly the entire time, not doing anything except sitting… and taking down notes. The brain is busy, even if the body and mouth are not.This strikes me as similar to the revision process in writing fiction. The writer’s fingers may not be as busy typing away, but each “read thru” of the manuscript has the writer’s brain on overload.Are there techniques to maxim...

This is my #PimpMyBio for Pitch Wars, a wonderful online writing “contest” that’s really the most amazing writing community! You can find me on twitter @abbiei– please say hello. Thanks for reading, cheers!About MeI’m a writer, director, manager, teacher, communicator, fundraiser and library-lover living in the DC suburbs, Virginia side. I fundraise for a library system during the day, and do all the creative things in the evenings and weekends (and sometimes on lunch breaks!).I direct a coup...

I’m creatively full this month, and feeling like the luckiest girl around. While querying my YA adventure retelling (which was selected for Query Kombat, made it to the agent round, and got four requests including two *wild cards!* So grateful!), I’m working on two new creative projects. Working on new things is the best way to handle the waiting of querying, am I right?!I’m finding some fascinating (to me) connections between preparing to direct a play and outlining/drafting new novel. The p...