ALLISON E. MCWILLIAMS

*Am still learning This past week I took a little self-styled editing retreat, as I work on getting this manuscript in shape. The trip, to one of my favorite places on the N.C. coast, was planned well before I signed a contract with an agent. But it hit at just the right time. I’d start each day with a long walk along the water, make my coffee, and get to work. Perfection. I’ve spent decades learning how to write. And while there is a LOT more to learn (see also, the asterisk

Honestly, that line still makes me want to pinch myself. I have a literary agent! And not just any agent, but an absolute dream of an agent, THE Carly Watters of P.S. Literary. I couldn’t be more thrilled or excited to work with this publishing pro and rock star human. And, the last few weeks have taught me some valuable lessons I thought I would share with any of you who might be still in those querying trenches (hate that term). Things happen right on time. I’ve been workin

In my last post, I talked about all (well, some) of the steps I’ve taken over the years to try to find my way to publication. Not included there is the doctoral dissertation (which is, technically, published), two non-fiction books published through a press housed on the university campus where I work, and a Psychology Today column which has had more than 355k views to date. None of those are connected to my fiction projects, but they all taught me important things: disciplin

I started writing, like many do, when I first learned to read. Many terrible middle and high school short stories and poems and a few high school and college one-act plays later, at some point in my twenties I started in on novels. Bad novels. Starter novels. The first novel I ever queried was so long ago, I went to the library to research agents in Writers Market, wrote down their mailing addresses, and sent off pages by mail. Not surprisingly, it went nowhere. Years passed.

In my day job, I spend a lot of time with professionals of all ages, both in the office and through the work I do in alumni career development. And one thing I say over and over again is that, no matter how long you plan to stay where you are, you need to get smart about your business. What do I mean by that? I work in higher education, so it’s my responsibility to get as smart as I possibly can on the issues and trends affecting the industry of higher education and my instit

This morning I had the pleasure of leading a networking event for some great professionals who are looking for their next step. And the questions, predictably, were all about . . . how to network. Everyone knows how critical this piece is, for job searching, for career growth, and for success in general. And everyone seems confused about how to make it happen. How do you find the people who are going to help you? How do you reach out and make that ask? How do you get people

At the beginning of the year I decided to go deep into a commitment I’ve made (to myself) over the past few years to my writing. It was my version of self-care in the midst of all this madness: instead of constantly engaging in the insanity, I would show up for me, take classes, seek out feedback, and write as much as possible. And, mostly, I’ve done it (what can I say, I’m very goal-motivated). I love getting to a point where you can look back and see how far you’ve come and

In my higher ed job I get to attend and speak at professional conferences on a regular basis. Right now, I’m on the planning committee for three (too many, let me tell you). These are often seen as one of the “perks” of higher ed, and many treat it as such. Instead of going to the workshops or the networking activities, they sit by the pool, or go sightseeing, or bring their families and treat it as a vacation. As someone who is hardwired for learning, I’ve always been baffle

In my day job providing career development for professionals of all ages and stages, I’ve been spending a lot of time recently repeating this phrase: You need to get ready now so that you will be ready when you need to be. Lots of people are losing their jobs right now or are under threat of that happening soon. Unfortunately, many have not put away money, “just in case,” or spent time building their networks or developing their skills when they could. That doesn’t mean it’s

It’s been a minute since I’ve written anything here. It’s been a lot of minutes. The last time I was here, I had turned in pages to an...

Last month I wrote about taking intentional rest over the winter holiday. Which, I’m glad to say, I did. And, for approximately a decade...

I was looking back through my previous posts and realized I’ve written basically this exact same post , at this exact same time a year...

I love learning about other people's processes. I love the podcast How I Built This , I love learning about new organizational design...

Here in North Carolina, lots of folks have been using this famous Mister Rogers quote this week: “When I was a boy and I would see scary...

I don’t know about you, but everything feels a little . . . nutty right now. I posted a silly meme about being exhausted on Instagram...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing the great Frances Mayes talk about her most recent novel, A Great Marriage , at my local...

Everyone I know seems to be saying the same thing right now: “Can you believe it’s already August?” Usually followed by something like,...

I have officially been querying my current WIP for a year. Which, on its own, is worth noting; I’m pretty sure my previous forays into...

It’s graduation weekend at the school where I work (also my alma mater), as it is at colleges and universities across the country. It’s...

I’m not good at rest. Not actual rest – I LOVE a good nap, and sleep is quite possibly my most favorite thing – but acknowledging that my...