publishing

  • When Editorial Feedback Teaches You Who You Are as a Writer

    By Peggy Arthur Greetings! I didn’t read my editorial letter in one sitting.  I couldn’t.  The letter was long, detailed, and deeply thoughtful. The kind of feedback that doesn’t just touch your sentences, but your story’s bones. And after starting it, I felt something I didn’t expect:  I felt completely exhausted. Not just “tired,” but…

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  • Protecting Creative Energy While Your Work Is Being Pulled Apart

    By Peggy Arthur Greetings! There’s a strange tension that arrives during this phase of the writing life. Your book is finished but not finished. It’s out of your hands, but not really. Your editor is deep inside the work, pulling at structure, pacing, intention. And you’re left with time. Space. Quiet. This is the week…

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  • The Version of the Story Readers Will Never See

    By Peggy Arthur Greetings! There’s a version of every story that never makes it into the book. It lives in deleted scenes, abandoned subplots, and characters who once felt essential yet quietly stepped aside so the story could breathe. This week, I want to talk about that version of The Pretender’s Game. The Scenes I Let Go Of…

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  • What Developmental Editing Really Looks Like (and Why It Matters)

    By Peggy Arthur Greetings! When writers talk about editing, it’s often reduced to a single, intimidating word, editing, as if it’s one sweeping process where your book is either “fixed” or “broken.” The reality is far more layered, intentional, and, when done well, deeply collaborative. Right now, The Pretender’s Game is undergoing both developmental editing…

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  • The Pretender’s Game: Book One Is Complete

    By Peggy Arthur Greetings! There are moments in the creative process that feel less like milestones and more like thresholds. This is one of them. I’m thrilled to share that The Pretender’s Game: Book One is officially complete! What follows is the process, step by step, from completion to what comes next. Step One: Finishing the Manuscript…

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