Welcome to Pen & Sword, a blog by two fans of all things reading and writing.
Join us for updates twice a week as we ramble about our favorite reads, bemoan the struggles of being an aspiring author, and discuss anything else related to the lovely world of literature.
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How the HECK do you Finish a Book?
Excuse my langauge. Guys, I fear that I am attempting to do the impossible. How could I, a mere ADHD-ridden individual, manage to get my butt into gear and finish a freaking book? I love writing. I love drafting. I… Continue reading
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It’s Okay to Set Aside Novel Projects
As writers, we get very attached to our novel projects. In my personal experience, by the time I’ve drafted the first 10,000 words or so of a novel, I feel like my characters are real people and they’re my friends.… Continue reading
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Ranking my Rejection Letters
An unfortune reality of submitting your work to be considered is that you’re going to hear ‘no’ a lot. And I mean a lot. I’ve submitted to dozens of places over the last few years and have gotten three yeses,… Continue reading
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Five Self-Pub/Indie Press Reads I’ve Recently Enjoyed
As a (currently) self-published writer, it only makes sense to elevate my peers as best I can. As a rule, any time I see a self-pub or indie press published writer plugging a book that sounds like I’d like it,… Continue reading
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100TH POST EXTRAVAGANZA: 50 Books, Shows, Movies and Games That Will Change You
WELCOME TO THE PARTY!!! Can you even BELIEVE we have been vomiting out our thoughts and opinions on this blog for 100 ENTIRE POSTS??? Technically, 105, if you count the unscheduled posts, but we’ll ignore those for the sake of… Continue reading
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Thoughts on the Agent Querying Process
If you’ve been a writer for a while, you’re probably familiar with the dreaded task: querying agents. It’s something most of us without connections have to do, and quite often to little results. It’s frustrating, exhausting, and often demoralizing. Since… Continue reading
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Should Books be Over 500 Pages?
As someone who reads and reviews a lot of books, I notice a lot of trends. According to The Storygraph, so far this year, my sweet spot for books floats around 300-499 pages, with 64% of my reads falling into… Continue reading
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Drafting VS. Revising: Balancing Hope and Despair
There are two sides to every coin. In writing, the two sides are drafting and revising. One of them is mostly fun, the other is mostly awful. First I’m going to discuss drafting- my usual process, the parts of it… Continue reading
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Five Magical Book Reviews^5
Can you believe I’ve written 25 blurbs for this series? I barely can, and I’m the one doing all the work! As always, check out articles 1-4! Your support means the world. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea –… Continue reading
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My Weekend Attending Get Lit! Fest 2026
The weekend of April 17th, Saige and I had some much-needed, creation-focused time together in Spokane attending the Get Lit! Festival. Get Lit! is put on by a nonprofit of Eastern Washington University and features a diverse and talented panel… Continue reading
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