"So often, we think we want to write one thing, but our subconscious knows better. If something in..."

“So often, we think we want to write one thing, but our subconscious knows better. If something in your work in progress isn’t working, look for the story beneath the story—THAT is the path to work that is unique and alive—and everything you need is already in your manuscript! Go back and note anything that feels the slightest bit off. Ask yourself, what is the REAL story here? What does that character REALLY want? Even if this takes the plot in a new direction, follow the breadcrumbs. Trust yourself! Trust the story!”

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Michelle Ruiz Keil is a writer and tarot reader with an eye for the enchanted and a way with animals. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, All of Us With Wings, called “…a transcendent journey” by the New York Times and “…a fantastical ode the Golden City’s post-punk era” by Entertainment Weekly, was released from Soho Teen in 2019.

Has a story you’ve written ever gone in a completely different direction than you intended it to go? Let Michelle know, or thank her for her Camp Care Package!

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