Greetings friend,
I’m so glad you’re here! No matter where we met on my publishing journey, your support is what keeps me writing each day. Thank you for the kind words, encouragement, and advice. ♥️
Book Spotlight
Laurel for victory. Iris for wisdom.
When an assignment through the T’arscia Mountains turns deadly, Asken and his team must decide what they’re willing to pay for completing their mission—and if the price is worth their own lives.
“Laurel’s Price” coming soon, directly to your inbox!
Reading
Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
This book has some similar vibes to Lily’s Passage, which is why I picked it up. If you’re a fan of cottagecore, floriography, uncontrollable magic, and whimsical worldbuilding, you may enjoy this YA novel.
Barefoot Writer – January 2025 issue
As I dive deeper into my freelance copywriting career, I’ve been eating up tons of information about the writing industry. If you’re interested in the challenges modern writers face in the AI and technology-driven world, this recent issue of the Barefoot Writer publication will be a gold mine of information.
Beta reading a friend’s novel
I’m thrilled to finally be at a point where I can commit to reading other people’s work! I won’t disclose much about this fantasy novel, but I’m looking forward to dialoguing with the author about his book.
Quote to Ponder
“We earn attention by inviting our audience to chase answers.” —Andrew Davis, from presentation on the curiosity gap
Though from my studies in copywriting, this quote struck me as particularly applicable to fiction writers. What are the answers I want my readers to uncover? In my own work, I seek to earn (and hold) my reader’s attention by encouraging them to dig deeper for answers lurking beneath the story’s surface.
Updates
✨ “Laurel’s Price” is off to beta readers! A few bits of feedback have already trickled in, and I’m eager to implement some changes for the next draft of this short story.
✨ Lily’s Passage is also in the reading phase. Though I finished my massive edit, I sent my novel to one more round of readers. Their feedback has been eye-opening! So… my goal is to submit my manuscript back to Redemption Press by the end of February. The changes I’m making aren’t major, but thorough enough that I need time to hone the details.
✨ Bonus content: The extra time with my manuscript has given me space to plan out some bonus content, such as deleted/alternate scenes, worldbuilding lore, and floriography guides. Some of these items may be available inside my book, but all will be open to you, dear Lore Keeper!
Lore
Just before Christmas, our main vehicle did the old “shake, rattle, and roll,” causing a detour on our holiday plans. Over the following month and a half, I watched in amazement as my husband disassembled the engine and put it back together again. The garage was a war zone of car parts, tools, and unknown spilled substances. But when the day finally came to “fire her up,” that engine sang again, good as new.
The whole process reminded me of my own writing journey. Oftentimes, I can’t make things work until I break them apart. When I think of the original Lily’s Passage—that tender zero-draft I completed as a sophomore in high school—much deconstruction was in store. The narrative switched from 3rd to 1st person POV. Many characters underwent name changes (including Farrah, my female protagonist). The main theme developed and deepened, as did my worldbuilding, subplots, and character arcs. With so many changes, does any of the original remain?
Yes. In fact, many of my favorite scenes withstood the editing chopping block, multiple drafts later. The base plot is still the same. Some elements may have changed for clarity or stylistic purposes, but they still exist. I’m telling the same story—but that story has grown up with me.
And sometimes, fixing an underlying problem requires taking everything apart. To an outsider, things may look messy. But to do creative work, we need freedom to deconstruct what we’ve made so we can rebuild.
As the wind blows,
Sydney Frusti
