Library of League of Vermont Writers

By Jenna R. London After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, The League was thrilled to offer the 2022 Agent Pitch in person. The implementation of social distancing protocols enabled participation of a wide audience. Equally thrilling was the opportunity for Vermont-born-and-raised author Robin MacArthur to kick off the day.

By Gail E. Wind At the summer 2022 Writers Meet Agents event in Rochester, Vermont, Katharine Sands gave the presentation “First Writes to Last Rights.” Katharine hails from the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, a well-established agency that got its start in the 1970s. Among other things, she is the driving force and contributor to the indispensable book, Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent’s Eye.

by Harlen Houghton Saturday afternoon's “The Author/Agent Partnership” presentation by Susan Nystoriak of the Golden Wheat Literary Agency—part of the 2022 “Writer Meet Agent” event hosted by The League of Vermont Writers at Pierce Hall in Rochester, Vermont—started with an outline of the do’s and don'ts of querying, before getting into the details of what a writer can expect from the agent/author relationship.

by Julia Neily Leah Pierre is a literary agent. She presented at the League of Vermont Writers “Writers Meet Agents” conference on August 13, 2022.

By Hank Parker No Plot? No Problem. At least according to Chris Baty. Baty founded the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 1999. Twenty-one aspirants signed up that first year. Their goal? To write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Two decades later, over 300,000 people annually take up the challenge...

By Caryn Connolly I am a white woman living in the mostly white state of Vermont. Until recently, I didn’t truly understand what white privilege meant. I had no concept of what systemic racism was. I started attending webinars, watching documentaries, and reading to educate myself. Here are some resources to help you better understand the issues and do your part to be antiracist.

By Lisa Halvorsen In September 1929 the Chicago Cubs won the National League pennant, British pilot A. H. Oriebar set a new world flying speed record, and Ernest Hemingway's novel, A Farewell to Arms, was published. And in Springfield, Vermont, history was being made by a small group of distinguished writers.

By A.Y. Berthiaume I’m a mom who works full-time and a writer. Unfortunately, writing always comes third. Not because I want it to, but because it must...

By Ethan Dezotelle Cardy Raper used to have writing down to a science. Literally. But then she retired...Beginning a new chapter in her career and life was no small feat for Raper, though.

By A.Y. Berthiaume If you’ve decided to take on the writing life than there are certain things that come with the territory. Reading. (Every writer needs to also be reader.) Revising. (Every draft needs to go through revision.) Rejection. (Every final product is likely going to be rejected at some point along the way.) It’s rejection that I focus on here...

By A. Y. Berthiaume I am more reviser than I am a writer, if there were a way to break down “writer” into these two camps. Like how some “plot” (brainstorm and outline their work) and others “pants” (make it up as they go), I would rather dig in with the content after it’s down on the page than stare at the blank page having to produce the very first draft. Give me the clay and tell me to mold, but please don’t make me make the clay first.

By Sonja Hakala Years ago, when I was a magazine editor, I wanted a local ghost story for our fall issue. Well, in New England, ghosts (or at least stories about them) are rather plentiful.

By A.Y. Berthiaume I’ve been dedicating a lot of time over the last month or so to getting my author platform set up. I’ve thought concertedly about which online spaces I’ll try to command a presence within...

By Sarah Ward. The dream of publishing is one that many pursue, hoping to share our stories with the world. It is a complicated path, filled with options that require the author to become proficient in more than just the craft of writing.

By A.Y. Berthiaume I joined the League of Vermont Writers in 2012. I was only a year removed from my MFA program. Though the act of writing happens in isolation, living the writing life does not. I mean it could, but it would be hard and boring and unfulfilling (in my opinion)...

By Stephen Russell Payne When I was in seventh grade, Gallway Kinnell visited my English class during which he spoke of his deep need to write, that it was something vital, a part of his core...

By Amy Braun David Jauss writes like a plow truck-driver plows. He glides along making the near impossible task of writing a collection of quality short stories look simple.

By A.Y. Berthiaume It’s hard to believe that another Writers Meet Agents (WMA) is just a month away. Two years goes by so quickly (like, scary-fast) and here we are again in full planning swing.

By A. Y. Berthiaume Writing is the first and foremost passion that I have and yet never have I said to myself (or others) in my adulthood with conviction and true determination – I’m making this year about writing...

By A. Y. Berthiaume As I mentioned in my first post on this topic, I’m struggling to decide whether to write under my own name or to choose a pen name. Growing up all I wanted was to someday see my name across the covers of my own books...