Frequently Asked Questions
Periodically updated!
Published August 16, 2024
In response to my most frequently asked questions, I'll periodically update this page with some of the crowd favorites. I also occasionally host Q&As on my personal Instagram (most frequently related to my novel writing process and journalism, but anything goes!) I'll update these with links and such as I receive more.
JOURNALISM & WORK
What do you do for work?
I'm a full-time freelance journalist! Most of my background is in product reviews — deemed "commerce" in the industry, but it's basically shopping content and gift guides — but I also write about style, culture, books (of course), and more. My primary goal in journalism is to land firmly in travel editorial, which I've worked on for Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Lonely Planet, Hotels Above Par, The Quality Edit, and more. You can keep up with my latest work on my portfolio aggregator site.
Do you write full-time?
Yes, I do! In different areas (novel-writing, journalism, etc,.) but all writing-related. I got my start in social media, art direction, consulting, and the like so will occasionally vary for my own freshness—and am open to any sort of creative project—but generally love reading, writing, and art as my baseline. You'll sometimes catch me doing the odd drawing commission or calligraphing a suite of wedding invitations. Sky's the limit!
Do you have any advice for getting into journalism?
My entry into the industry was a little strange, because I'd never planned on doing journalism; in fact, I hadn't realized blogging was journalism at all, or that lifestyle writing was as rich as it is. If you're trying to be a freelance writer, I think you should absolutely be posting your writing online. Before I had "clips" to share with anyone, I had blog posts that conveyed my muscle and voice. You don't even have to publicize it either. You should just be able to show how you approach longer-form work when you approach a publication.
How do you balance your work and writing a book?
The short answer: poorly. Up until now — and I'm working on it but by no means successful — I have had very little work-life balance. I have deeper thoughts on this, but I think one aspect that helps is that writing service journalism and writing fiction scratch different parts of my brain. So when one is burning me out, I can generally pivot to the other. Still, if you talk to me after about 4pm, my brain is mush.
READING AND THE BLOG
How do you decide what to read next?
I'm such a mood reader, honestly. I have a big collection of books on my shelves — I definitely prefer print — but also have a healthy number of library holds rotating at any given time. I can generally read anything in about 2-3 hours or a lazy Saturday afternoon, so I can very much decide what mood strikes me at a given time.
Where do you get your books?
Nowadays, I shop from Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and ThriftBooks (secondhand.) I also use my local library (via the Libby app) to read eBooks for free. Pretty much every eBook I ever read is borrowed from my library.
How do you know you'll like a book?
By now, I have a pretty developed view of my taste, which allows me to usually guess that I'll love a particular book. In nonfiction, I love psychology, the arts, social histories, and more. I know certain topics I gravitate towards — memory, time, travel, cognitive biases — and choose accordingly.
In fiction, I love a strong atmosphere or sense of place ("place as character"), lyrical writing, and what I call "very human details." To me, certain writers excel at this specific observational quality, and that makes their books feel larger-than-life. I also love a cinematic, indulgent more commercial book on occasion. I read a mix of classics, literary, and genre fiction so do consider myself well-versed and wide in my reading taste (although I'll narrow in on specific favorites for the purpose of escapism or "brain food" depending on my needs.)
Genre-wise, I love anything supernatural or magical-realism related. I obviously love Southern Gothic (and I wrote one.) I'll read a little of everything, truthfully. Fantasy, thrillers, romances, litfic, and more all have their place in my repertoire.
Are there any things you don't like to read?
I'm squeamish about slashers or body horror. (I prefer my horror to be more atmospheric and thematic.) I've realized I don't like time-slips—especially if the plot is a floundering twenty-something who gets the chance to redo a relationship. I have to be in the right mood for historical fiction, but definitely have a few on my favorites list. I've read a few "fake dating" tropes recently that are done successfully, but sometimes feel they're too obvious, so it's not my favorite trope. Litfic-wise, I don't love very sparse writing that (IMO) is called literary when it's really just plain language.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have many, but on my auto-buy list: I love Maggie Stiefvater, Jandy Nelson, Melina Marchetta, Brittany Cavallaro, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and more. In poetry, I love Louise Glück, Anne Carson, Mary Oliver, Pablo Neruda, Rilke, Rumi, etc,. When I'm seeking a specific vibe or mood, I have my niche favorites for each genre: Katherine Center (warm, optimistic romances), Emma Mills (kind YA contemporary), Becca Fitzpatrick (dark 'n stormy supernatural/thriller), Richelle Mead (absorbing paranormal action), etc,. Recently, I've been loving Melissa Albert's precise, evocative language; she writes dark folktales at the YA/adult line.
Can I pitch you my book?
Yes! Email grace@wordslikesilver.com. As a mood reader, I can't commit to a review within a certain window (unless I specifically go out of my request to read it), but I promise to consider it.
MY BOOK & PUBLISHING PROCESS
What's your book about?
The one-liner pitch: A scrappy foster kid counselor with a secret must fight to stay at her beloved summer camp after aging out or risk losing the only home she's ever been able to return to, except when the seasons change just for her, she discovers an ancient evil waking in the mountains instead.
What's the genre?
I call it a Southern Gothic. You could also call it a supernatural thriller, a horroromance, paranormal...I pitched it as YA but certain agents also called it adult. It could be literary or upmarket. A lot of genre — beyond certain rules like pacing, subject matter, age, content, etc,. — is based on branding and positioning within the market.
How long did it take you to write?
I started it in 2017! I picked it up and put it down at various points during college, generally working on it in the summers. I completed the first "real" draft in fall of 2020. I queried it in January 2021, immediately got a revise & resubmit that made me entirely gut it (for the better) over the course of a year; I submitted it again in January 2022, signed with an agency in March 2023, did another revision that took me until September 2023, left that agency, re-queried starting January 2024, and signed with my new agents in February 2024. I recently finished my newest revision for them.
Do you have any advice for querying?
I have lots of advice, and have written about it extensively in my book updates newsletter. I'll copy some over onto the blog! In general, I advise to be as specific as possible, even if it feels niche; most problems I see in queries I review are that they're too broad and won't stand out in a clogged agency inbox, no matter how good your execution is! Plus, then you know whoever signs you really understands the core of your book. I also like a formula for comp titles that's one for voice + one for feel + one for plot. If you're unsure what to personalize for a specific agents, I'd recommend saying who you feel similar to. Ex: My voice/book/plot will appeal to fans of author A, author B, and author C. I do recommend personalizing every letter (I know it's time-consuming), even if it's just to connect over a favorite book or rotate comps.
Also, I recommend having a specific treat/ritual you do every time you get book news or movement—a pass, a partial, a full, a response, sending a scary query. The hardest part of the process for me was feeling stagnant or despairing over the wait, and doing so (wow! I popped six one-glass bottles of prosecco this week!) made me realize how much movement was actually happening. Good luck!
Can I pay you to review my query letter?
I generally advise paying for an agent to review it if you're going to use a paid critique service. I did intern for a literary agency at one point, but generally read submitted works or prepared foreign rights packets—things like that. I'm very confident in my querying, but you can look at auctions/fundraisers that pop up on occasion for various causes or a Manuscript Academy critique. I've done one MA call that was helpful and one that was really not—very much depends on the person.
Are you writing another?
Yes, but more on that to come!
How do you improve your writing?
Reading, reading, reading! Reading within your genre and outside of it. Personally, I think reading is absolutely crucial to the process because you pick up on so many unconscious patterns that form the basis of most writing advice without consciously realizing how much you're learning. You'll also pick out what you love and don't love and form the basis of your taste; I think it's no accident I pitch my book as reminiscent of some of my favorite writers, because my preference for their patterns has bled into how I form my own stories. I do have favorite crafts books, which I'll write about and link, for helping me plot and strategize. Personally, I think my prose has benefited most from reading and studying poetry for aspects like tone, atmosphere, rhythm, structure, and more.
PERSONAL & CONTENT
Where do you live?
I live in Waialua, Hawai'i, which is on the North Shore of O'ahu. I've also lived in Park City, Honolulu, New York City, and Tampa.
What do you do in your off time?
I love reading and writing, of course. I'm also a big hobby person in general and appreciate having other activities to balance out my brain. I studied studio art so am big on drawing. I also love having a physical outlet so love dancing, exercising, surfing (badly) etc,. I'm often seeking the closest source of nature and/or sunshine. Traveling (of course) is a huge passion of mine.
Do you use a camera?
I often default to my iPhone 13 just because I forget and it's what I have on me. That being said, I love my Canon G7X and relish the final product when I remember to use it. I also recently invested in a Fujifilm XT30 II but don't use it as frequently because it's not pocket-sized and I still don't fully know my way around. As a professional product reviewer, I love testing new tech.
& more to come!! xoxo
You can keep up with me live by following me on socials and DMing me there. I'm usually pretty responsive to my messages!