As a traditionally-published author, drafting isn’t something I look forward to—it’s something I do because it’s required. You might ask why I write books at all.
Once I discovered a huge lack of books in contemporary, young adult fiction that feature Black American Muslim teens, it became my calling. I’m committed to providing these types of stories so going forward, young adults who share my dual marginalization and that of my three daughters never have to ask why they don’t see themselves and their lived experiences on the printed page.
To date, I’ve found less than five titles in this specific genre. Both my upcoming 2025 sophomore novel, My Perfect Family, and my 2023 debut, Fatima Tate Takes The Cake, are included in that total.
Part of my resistance to drafting probably stems from the fact that I have an undergraduate degree in accounting and not creative writing. As a life-long lover of books, I never imagined writing them.
For me, getting through my first draft of any novel is almost an organized attack. Revising is part of the process that I love, so getting the story down is essential. I’ve found sneaky ways to ease myself into completing my first draft.
Getting to know my protagonist and solidifying the impossible choice she faces is key.
I complete an extensive list that delves into the main character’s and any major secondary characters’ information (i.e. name, birthday, physical characteristics, temperament, etc.). Next, using my favorite craft book, Story Genius, I work through what the protagonist wants and what obstacles are in the way to achieve the desired end. Creating a scene card for every scene in my manuscript is time consuming and labor-intensive but helps me figure out my three-act structure.
And if I’m drafting under a deadline, I give myself a daily word count goal. It’s typically very reasonable, with scheduled breaks and days off. To protect myself from being distracted, I normally complete any needed research before starting chapter one.
Revision is my strongest muscle but I have to be careful not to over edit. My underlying, unrealistic desire for my works to be perfect will sometimes push me to spend hours on sections of my books unnecessarily.
Some authors will give themselves little rewards for finishing writing tasks they find difficult. Whatever is meaningful to them. Sometimes, after I’ve completed a draft, especially a first one, I’ll treat myself to one of my favorite meals or spend time reading something from my large TBR pile of novels.
Every author is different but my best advice for getting through the parts of the writing process you dread is to find methods and a system to get through the harder parts. Find what works best for you. Please remember that nothing is set in stone and what works for one book may need to be adjusted for another.
Stay strong and keep writing.
Check out Khadijah VanBrakle’s My Perfect Family here:
Cassandra Ramos-Gomez is a Mexican American writer focused on creating middle grade and young adult fiction that centers Latinx experiences. She has a master’s degree in education and an undergraduate degree in art history and has taught middle school language arts and social studies. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and two kids. Her hobbies include painting, collecting animal bones, and playing Minecraft with her kids. Follow her on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Bluesky.
Cassandra Ramos-Gomez | Photo credit: Timeless Moments by Robyn
In this interview, Cassandra discusses her experiences publishing her debut middle-grade novel, Lost on Doll Island, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Cassandra Ramos-Gomez Literary agent: Sandra Proudman with Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency Book title:Lost on Doll Island Publisher: Simon & Schuster Release date: August 26, 2025 Genre/category: Middle-grade horror Elevator pitch: When Diego is sent to Mexico City to live with his tíos, he will do anything to get his old life back—even search for a wish-granting doll hidden on the notoriously haunted Isla de Las Muñecas.
What prompted you to write this book?
I’ve have been fascinated by the spooky and supernatural since I was a young reader. To this day, I still love a good jump scare. And, as a Mexican-American author, it is important to me to center Latinx voices in genres where they might be underrepresented, and to connect with readers through heart and humor.
In Lost on Doll Island, I had the opportunity to mesh my love of middle-grade humor and voice with my love of the macabre. La Isla de la Muñecas offered a rich Mexican lore and provided the perfect backdrop for a middle-grade adventure.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
This book is a bit of an outlier in terms of how fast it went from conception to publication, because I was in the very lucky position of being in talks early with my editors, Dainese Santos and Celia Lee. Usually, a book like this could take anywhere from two to five years to get to published (sometimes more) but the turn around for Lost on Doll Island was less than two years. So, I was very lucky indeed.
In that short time, plot points were changed around or deleted entirely—the third chapter became the first chapter, that sort of thing—but the major premise stayed the same throughout.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Yes! This is my first published work, so every stage of the process was a learning experience. The copy edits stage was by far the most fascinating part, because I was suddenly having to study my own writing choices through a completely different lens.
I also have been blown away by the amount of support and community I have received from my writing agency and my publishers. As most authors know, writing can sometimes be a lonely endeavor, and so I anticipated that I would have to do a lot on my own. Instead, I have a huge team of cheerleaders who all believe in my writing and my career.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Not surprisingly, I had to do a lot of research on the Canals of Xochimilco and Mexico City. I learned about the history, current conservation efforts, and about the many museums dedicated to the area.
I also learned that I am a terrible judge of distance and would be the worst person to put together an itinerary for a real trip around Mexico City. During copy edits, it was pointed out that a conservation center I had Diego and his friends visit during their field trip was actually located 30 minutes away from the canals. I had to pull out some maps and rewrite that bit entirely.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
You don’t have to solve it all yourself. In Lost on Doll Island, Diego internalizes a lot of his anger and emotions—he literally keeps the fact that he is hearing the voice of a haunted doll a secret. It’s only once he reaches out and communicates his feelings with others that he is able to find real solutions.
And, once Diego lets go of his idea of how he thinks his life should be, he is able to actually enjoy and appreciate what his life could be with his friends and family in Mexico City.
Mostly, I hope young readers are entertained by a good scare and some laughs, but if they learn a few other lessons along the way that’s good too.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
There’s that famous quote, “The time will pass anyway.” Write the book, submit the poem, apply for the mentorship—five years from now you could be five years into your writing journey, but you have to decide to start it.
Taking my own writing career seriously was the first step of my writing journey, and I’m so very glad I did.
In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, filmmaker and author William Dickerson gives readers a path to understanding David Lynch and his material through his fundamental theme of balance. Plus, read interviews with Emmy-nominated Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne, Lurker writer-director Alex Russell, award-winning short film Sardinia filmmaker Paul Kowalski, and more!
INDIE SPOTLIGHT: Interview with Sardinia Writer-Director Paul Kowalski
Paul Kowalski shares how the pandemic inspired his short film, embracing the challenges of low-budget filmmaking, tapping into the film’s tone and influences, and more.
Click to continue.
The Red List Roadmap Writers Initiative
Are you a writer with a Coverfly Red List ranking screenplay?
Click to continue.
From Paris to Columbus to California: Screenwriter Grace Cunard Was the Ultimate Hyphen as an Actress-Writer-Director (And Sometimes Editor)
Dr. Rosanne Welch celebrates the female screenwriters who came before us with this month’s spotlight on trailblazer writer, director, actress and editor Grace Cunard, also known as The Serial Queen.
Click to continue.
The Tao of “Twin Peaks“
David Lynch was determined to reframe the obstacles he dealt with making the series into opportunities to keep Twin Peaks alive in the collective minds of the viewing public.
Click to continue.
“It’s Changed The Whole Way I Write”: “Adolescence”’s Jack Thorne on Immersive Drama and Ambiguity
Emmy-nominated “Adolescence” co-creator and co-writer Jack Thorne discusses plotting the series, embracing the incomplete, and the difficulty writing each episode as a continuous shot.
Click to continue.
Stuck on a Feeling: Interview with Lurker Writer-Director Alex Russell
Alex Russell discusses focusing on the characters’ complex emotions, his writing process involving character development and the importance of grounding the story in reality to ensure relatability.
Click to continue.
The post The Tao of “Twin Peaks” (From Script) appeared first on Writer's Digest.
Are you tired of the three-act structure, the hero’s journey, or Freytag’s pyramid—plot templates that hit the same beats over and over, making every story feel like another variation of the last? While there’s value in those classics, they’re far from the only way to tell a powerful story.
In this live webinar, you’ll explore fresh, unconventional story patterns found in published literature and learn how to craft the essential elements agents and publishers look for—tension, voice, and unforgettable plots—without falling into formula. Perfect for both novelists and memoirists, these techniques will help you shape narratives that stand out while still resonating with readers.
Join Writer’s Digest VIP Membership!
Regardless of where you are on your writer’s journey, Writer’s Digest can help you achieve your goals. Writer’s Digest VIP Membership is a treasure trove of writing resources designed to inspire and empower you at every stage of your journey. It’s the one-stop destination for information, online learning, in-depth resources, and a unique writing community. VIP membership equips you to develop your craft, hone personal skills and publishing acumen, and achieve your goals.
Catch Up On “Writer’s Digest Presents” Now!
The “Writer’s Digest Presents” podcast has no new episode in August, so catch up now before the new episode streams September 16!
I’ve been a lifelong travel addict—and for me, writing and traveling are closely intertwined. The first time I stepped onto an intercity bus at the age of 14, traveling from North Jersey to South Jersey on my own, I felt an unmistakable thrill venturing into the unknown. I was going to places I hadn’t visited before, and relying solely on my own wits. There was a danger, but also a wonder to it—that I could get this far alone, and could go even farther.
In the same way, writing offers me that exciting plunge into the unknown. I have a vague idea of the direction I’m headed in, but it’s impossible to predict every twist and turn. And in the same way that reading about a place is entirely different from visiting it in person, envisioning a scene before it’s written rarely matches with how the scene ends up. But that’s part of the wonder of it all.
In the great writing wars of plotters vs. pantsers (writers who plot everything in advance vs. those who go by the seat of their pants), I’m very much a pantser. When I write a novel, I know the general arc of the story, and the big, climactic scenes that I’m moving towards. But the intricacies of the plot, the details of each character, the choices they make, which then lead to new developments… all these elements get worked out along the way.
It’s the unpredictability of writing which I love, and it’s akin to the unpredictability of travel. We’re forced to be spontaneous, to follow our intuition. If I’m wandering through a new city, and glimpse a dazzling piazza down an unnamed lane, I’m going to go explore it, even if I don’t exactly know what it leads to. But it intrigues me, and that’s enough of a reason to go there.
This kind of wanderlust has taken me to more than 65 countries (and counting) and to living a life abroad. But for me, travel is more than simply a metaphor for the act of writing. After all, it’s how I come up with my best creative ideas. Every time I find myself staring out a train window at the unspooling landscape, my mind wanders—in a good way. Free of the usual To-Do list that dominates my life at home, the traveling version of me finally has the room to exercise my imagination. I might glimpse a striking scene—say, a lone man walking his dog on a barren landscape—and that might pique my curiosity. What would it be like to be that man, watching a train race past his isolated stretch of the earth? Or to be his dog?
It’s this shift in perspective which travel grants us, taking us out of our comfort zone and into a state of un-belonging. And that shift in perspective fosters empathy. We’re led to see the places where other people make their homes, and go on their daily walks. We start to imagine what their lives might be like.
For me, it’s solo travel which particularly sharpens our powers of observation. When we travel on our own in a foreign place, we automatically pay more attention to everything around us: road signs, the reactions of strangers, the atmosphere of a neighborhood. Some of this is survival instinct (particularly as a woman of color traveling on my own), and it’s also necessary, in order to get from A to B.
But heightened powers of observation also make us excellent people-watchers, who can pick up on the silent tension between a couple, even though we may not understand the words they’re saying. Or imagine the dynamic between three little children, as they wait impatiently for a bus with their frazzled mother. Even though cultures might be different, some interpersonal dynamics are universal.
My latest novel What We Left Unsaid gave me the chance to both celebrate the unpredictability of travel and dramatize certain sibling dynamics I’ve observed over the years. The story of three estranged adult siblings who are forced to drive Route 66 together, the plot of the novel is driven equally by the external landscapes and events that the protagonists encounter on their journey, but also their internal reactions to these landscapes and each other.
The clash between the siblings’ personalities is epitomized in their attitudes towards travel: the oldest sister who plans everything and books 5-star hotels in advance, the youngest sister who prefers to wing it, the middle son who just wants to drive Route 66 in order to escape his own home life. Somewhere along the way, as they venture further out of their comfort zone, these siblings start to reconcile their very different mindsets. In the process, they uncover the hidden histories of America, as well as their own immigrant family.
But to be perfectly honest, I think I came up with the idea for this novel, so I could have an excuse to drive Route 66. Perhaps in my own middle age, saddled with parenthood and responsibilities, I needed a work project to justify booking airplane tickets for myself, my partner, and toddler from London to Chicago, renting an SUV, and driving 3,400 miles over three weeks to reach California. Because otherwise, that kind of trip would simply be too… spontaneous.
In the end, I couldn’t have written this novel without going on that road trip and venturing into the unknown. It was one very roundabout way of satisfying my wanderlust. But I don’t regret it for one bit, and neither does my family.
Giri Nathan is a staff writer and cofounder at Defector Media. His writing has appeared in New York magazine, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, and The Believer. He is the senior correspondent at tennis outlet The Second Serve. In 2022, he received the Tom Perrotta Prize for Tennis Journalism. His work was selected for the 2025 editions of The Year’s Best Sports Writing and The Best American Food and Travel Writing. Follow him on X (Twitter), Bluesky, and Instagram.
Giri Nathan | Photo courtesy of the author
In this interview, Giri Nathan discusses wanting to make the sport of tennis accessible and vivid in his nonfiction book, Changeover, his advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Giri Nathan Literary agent: Jim Rutman @ Sterling Lord Literistic Book title:Changeover Publisher: Gallery Books Release date: August 19, 2025 Genre/category: Nonfiction Elevator pitch: Three men ruled over tennis for almost two decades—their dominance was unprecedented. Suddenly, two prodigies, with opposite personalities and styles, managed to break through.
What prompted you to write this book?
As a sportswriter I had been struggling to see what the future of men’s tennis would look like, because the “Big Three”—Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer—had ruled it for so long. I had a lot of false starts where I tried to hype up a young player only to see them destroyed by the old ones. Then in 2022, I watched an ecstatic match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and felt like I had been smacked in the face: This was obviously the future. I had always wanted to write a book about a rivalry, and it took a few years for this one to develop on court, but in 2024, it instantly clicked.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I wrote a proposal in January of 2024. Then I followed the 2024 professional tennis season closely, traveling to several tournaments, and started writing in earnest in November when the season ended. I finished the book in April 2025. I hadn’t intended for the book to follow a single year chronologically, but as that year played out, it became an irresistible structure.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Take the time to find a cover that you’re satisfied with. I kept waiting for the right one. It was a long process, and I was picky. But I also really wanted it to accurately convey the style and substance of the book. Once we had the cover, I was so happy—I felt even more motivated to write a book worthy of that cover.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I pretty much typed the whole book from scratch two or three times. That helped me smooth out the rhythm of the sentences and notice my own tics. It’s a little laborious, but I found it was the only way I would be satisfied with my edit. On each pass, you find new things to tighten up. It can also be meditative.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope readers will find these characters and scenes compelling even if they know nothing about this sport or sports in general. Tennis is a funny, painful, and strange world that I tried to make accessible and vivid. These days, most coverage of public figures (athletes, musicians, actors, etc.) is increasingly PR-vetted and almost propagandistic. I want to show there’s still a place for an independent writer to plainly describe what he sees out there in this sport and have some fun with it without necessarily doing favors for anyone.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Cross-pollinate with modes of art or writing very distant from the one you practice. I deliberately did not seek out sports writing when working on this book. I read a lot of nature writing, poetry, and art criticism. Socially, too, I love the company of visual artists over writers because they’ll notice and articulate things I never could alone.
Since obtaining her MFA in fiction, Moriah Richard has worked with over 100 authors to help them achieve their publication dreams. As the managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine, she spearheads the world-building column Building Better Worlds, a 2023 Eddie & Ozzie Award winner. She also runs the Flash Fiction February Challenge on the WD blog, encouraging writers to pen one microstory a day over the course of the month and share their work with other participants. As a reader, Moriah is most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook.
Learn more about Moriah’s editorial services and writing classes on her personal website.
Welcome back to the Successful Queries series. In this installment, find two query letters, one to Amie Schaumberg’s agent as well as her agent’s pitch to Harlequin Senior Editor Meredith Clark for Murder By the Book (MIRA).
Amie Schaumberg
Amie Schaumberg is an English professor living in Washington State. This is her debut novel.
Here’s Amie’s query to her agent:
Thank you for your interest during the recent #DVPit event on Twitter. If We Were Villains meets Nine Perfect Murders in this re-imaging of “The Lady of Shallot” as a contemporary mystery.
A woman is found strangled in the outskirts of a rural college town. She’s been posed to look like a painting of Hamlet’s Ophelia, the scene taunting the police with messages that they don’t understand. Detective Ian Carter is known as a strait-laced cop, but seeing the girl’s body left him shaken and uncertain of where to turn—until a chance meeting with a charmingly awkward literature professor ends with her accidentally seeing, and solving, a clue left by the killer. Now Ian must figure out how to keep her safe; if he doesn’t, she might become the killer’s next creation.
Professor Emma Reilly knows that the books she loves might hold the key to unraveling the killer’s crimes, but she struggles to leave the familiarity of her ivory tower even at the best of times. However, when the murderer strikes close to home, Emma realizes that the safety of her insular life might be nothing more than an illusion. She must find the strength to confront a killer who is turning the stories she loves into lurid scenes of death.
With its dual POV, DEATH UPON HER EYES is a timely exploration of the current tensions in crime fiction. Ian is a dedicated detective who must decide what it means to be a “good cop” when confronted with his own biases. Emma teaches stories about beautiful dead girls but must contend with her own casual consumption of female pain when faced with real-life violence. As they try to catch a killer who is literally objectifying beautiful women, they must also reassess their own engagement and cultural interactions with death.
The current appetite for media that reassesses our darkest stories is clear. Ruth Ware’s bestselling takes on classic literature, Riley Sager’s explorations of horror tropes, referential shows like Mike Flannigan’s The Haunting of… series, and Golden-Age homages like Knives Out all show that this genre is on the rise. By drawing on Arthurian mythology, DEATH UPON HER EYE embraces this trend without retreading the same ground. This novel will appeal to fans of literature-infused mysteries like Horowitz’s The Magpie Murders, Peter Swanson’s Eight Perfect Murders, and M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains, whether readers want to see the classics from a new perspective or simply be the one who “understood that reference.”
DEATH UPON HER EYES is a mystery complete at 94,928 words and features an OwnVoices neurodivergent character. It is written as a stand-alone novel but has the potential for sequels.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Montana and a Master of Arts in Literature from the University of Notre Dame. I currently live in rural Washington, where I teach writing and literature at a local college, providing the expertise and inspiration for Emma’s background.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Check out Amie’s Murder By the Book here:
(WD uses affiliate links)
Here’s the pitch from Amie’s agent to editor Meredith Clark:
DEATH UPON HER EYES is a re-imaging of “The Lady of Shallot” as a contemporary mystery, where If We Were Villains meets Nine Perfect Murders. This a novel that will appeal to fans of literature-infused mysteries like Horowitz’s The Magpie Murders, Peter Swanson’s Eight Perfect Murders, and M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains, whether readers want to see the classics from a new perspective or simply be the one who “understood that reference.”
In DEATH UPON HER EYES (93,600 words), a woman is found strangled in the outskirts of a rural college town. She’s been posed to look like a painting of Hamlet’s Ophelia, the scene taunting the police with messages that they don’t understand. Detective Ian Carter is known as a strait-laced cop, but seeing the girl’s body leaves him shaken and uncertain of where to turn—until a chance meeting with a charmingly awkward literature professor ends with her accidentally seeing, and solving, a clue left by the killer. Now Ian must figure out how to keep her safe; if he doesn’t, she might become the killer’s next creation.
Professor Emma Reilly knows that the books she loves might hold the key to unraveling the killer’s crimes, but she struggles to leave the familiarity of her ivory tower even at the best of times. However, when the murderer strikes close to home, Emma realizes that the safety of her insular life might be nothing more than an illusion. She must find the strength to confront a killer who is turning the stories she loves into lurid scenes of death.
With its dual POV, Death Upon Her Eyes features an OwnVoices neurodivergent character in a timely exploration of the current tensions in crime fiction. Ian is a dedicated detective who must decide what it means to be a “good cop” when confronted with his own biases. Emma teaches stories about beautiful dead girls but must contend with her own casual consumption of female pain when faced with real-life violence. As they try to catch a killer who is literally objectifying beautiful women, they must also reassess their own engagement and cultural interactions with death.
What Meredith liked about the pitch:
When Felice Laverne first pitched me Amie’s debut novel, she said all the right things to get my attention: “literature-infused mystery”; “readers who want to see the classics from a new perspective”; or “be the one who ‘understood that reference.’”
The pitch itself was very clear about what this book was offering: a very fresh take on a familiar story. A killer was targeting female college students, a cop at a loss for what to do both in the case and with his job, and an amateur sleuth who would be able to aide in solving the mystery. Ideas that maybe I had seen before, but certainly not executed nor tied together in this way. This was new, this was different. And Amie’s pitch made that very clear.
The comps were contemporary and compelling: I recognized the other titles and authors immediately, so it was easy to understand who the audience was. And she also highlighted that the book featured a neurodivergent main character, which was wonderful to see and a key aspect to understanding why this book had so much potential.
So it was easy for me to want to read the now titled MURDER BY THE BOOK, and even easier to be drawn into the compelling story that Amie had pulled together.
Thoughts on the submission process from Amie Schaumberg:
After working on what would become Murder by the Book on and off for literal years, writing in spare moments and on vacation days, I decided I had something worth putting out in the world around 2019. I spent the next year and a half revising and polishing that draft—which meant I was ready to begin querying agents just as the pandemic hit its peak.
That was not a great time for publishing professionals (or anyone else), and I hit a series of walls with agents who were closing submissions, ignoring them, or simply deleting them in a few cases. Following my submissions in QueryTracker became an exercise in endurance, with even a form rejection feeling like a win. Fortunately, one agent took the time to give me some insightful feedback that prompted another flurry of revisions that included adding a new character. While that agent didn’t end up representing me, she set me on the path that led to publication.
Once I had signed with a different agent—after a colleague of hers spotted my tweet during a Twitter pitch contest!—I came to my first meeting with my editor, Meredith Clark, with a stack of notes, questions, and ideas, most of which I left untouched as our conversation progressed. I’d gotten feedback from a number of agents and editors that the female protagonist, Emma, needed to be more “likable” (which almost always meant more neurotypical) and that the ending needed to be more focused on her relationship with the male protagonist. I’m not a fan of having an HEA in a book where women are brutally murdered and had prepared myself for debate. Instead, I found that Meredith shared my vision for the book and had smart, helpful critiques that would make it even more itself.
There was one scene in particular that Meredith identified as needing revision. I wasn’t surprised. It was a scene from Emma’s POV that I just couldn’t seem to get right. I’d revised it and revised it, trying to find the magic combination of words that would make it sing, but it still felt flat. Meredith came at it from a completely different direction, and before the Zoom call had even ended I knew what it needed. And I knew I wanted to sign with MIRA. We didn’t agree on everything during the editing process—the title was a particular sticking point—but the final version is something I’m both incredibly proud of and grateful for.
For this week’s prompt, write a meeting poem. The meeting could be a business meeting, meeting of the minds, moonlight tryst, or something larger (like a rock concert or comic convention). Maybe it’s a planned meeting or a chance encounter. It could be the first time, the last time, or somewhere in between.
Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them.
Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the site, go to Disqus to create a free new account, verify your account on this site below (one-time thing), and then comment away. It’s free, easy, and the comments (for the most part) don’t require manual approval (though I check from time to time for those that do).
Write a poem every single day of the year with Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming. After sharing more than a thousand prompts and prompting thousands of poems for more than a decade, Brewer picked 365 of his favorite poetry prompts here.
Here’s my attempt at a Meeting Poem:
“softball parents,” by Robert Lee Brewer
once again, we clang along the bleachers to our familiar seats on the hot metal as our girls put their bags in the dugout
before running laps and stretching, and we ask how the day’s going, maybe say something about the weather, our busy
schedules, and so on, all while watching our girls swing their bats, field their balls, and giving their all as we cheer them on.
Ania Ahlborn is the bestselling author of the horror works Brother, If You See Her, The Devil Crept In, Within These Walls, The Bird Eater, The Shuddering, The Neighbors, and Seed, the thrillers Good and Joyful Things and Dark Across the Bay, the novella collection Apart in the Dark, and the novellas Palmetto, I Call Upon Thee, and The Pretty Ones. Born in Ciechanow, Poland, she now lives with her family in North Carolina. Visit her at AniaAhlborn.com or follow the author on Facebook and Instagram.
Ania Ahlborn
In this interview, Ania discusses how the interplay of memory and imagination helped shape her new horror novel, The Unseen, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Ania Ahlborn Literary agent: David Hale Smith @ Inkwell Management Book title:The Unseen Publisher: Gallery Books Release date: August 19, 2025 Genre/category: Horror Previous titles: Brother, Seed, The Shuddering, The Bird Eater, The Neighbors, and more. Elevator pitch:The Unseen explores what happens when a broken family opens its doors to a child who doesn’t belong—one who may not even be real. It’s a chilling look at grief, motherhood, and the unseen forces that twist both.
What prompted you to write this book?
Honestly? I write weird stuff—it’s just how my brain works. But The Unseen took shape somewhere between memory and imagination. I grew up in the deserts of New Mexico and spent a handful of summers at my cousin’s place in Roswell, catching horned toads and staring up at the night sky, wondering what the heck was out there. There was a lingering feeling that blended wonder and unease. I suppose I never quite got over it.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
The Unseen took about two years—maybe two and a half. I wrote the first draft over the course of about a year, then spent another six months revising it. I already had an ongoing relationship with Gallery Books, and, luckily, they were just as excited about this story as I was, so I didn’t have the agonizing haul of finding a publisher.
As for whether the idea changed? Not really. The core of it—this eerie, reality-bending tale about grief and the unknowable was always there. We tweaked things in edits, added texture, and deepened some threads, but the spine of the story never shifted.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I’ve been really lucky to work with my editor, Ed Schlesinger—we just get each other, which means the process is usually smooth and low on surprises. With The Unseen, I did try something new by weaving in news reports throughout the story. I’d never used that kind of structure before, but it felt like the right fit for this one. It’s a little nod to Carrie, which has always stuck with me. Not so much a big learning moment, but a new trick I’m glad I tried.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
A good time. Or maybe a terrifying time disguised as a good read. I hope it unlocks a new fear—something subtle, the kind that lingers: that run-up-the-stairs-after-you-turn-off-the-lights, hope-nothing-grabs-your-ankle kind of feeling. But most of all, I just want to give readers a story that sticks with them.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Forget writing what you know, or what you think will sell. Write the book you’ve been searching for—the one you wish existed but can never quite find. Chances are, if it’s the story you want to read, there’s a whole crowd of readers out there waiting for it, too.
