Darlene Elder
darlin09.bsky.social
Darlene Elder
@darlin09.bsky.social
lover of history and chocolate; always reading and always (I wish) writing, mostly middle grade fiction; grandmother of nine; believer in kindness and compassion
I'm attending this event. RT if you think others will find this helpful 🙌 forest.plotsummit.com
Escape the Plot Forest 2025
The online summit for plotting your story
forest.plotsummit.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I'm def in the query trenches now! Fourteen queries sent, three rejections already. Does anyone have any ideas for how to stay strong and not give up? I queried my first MG novel 75 times. Now it sits silently in a file on my computer. It was hard to put myself out there again, but I've done it.
August 6, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Hello, fellow word lovers!
I am excited! My daughter and I are starting a new business! She is an Assistant Professor at Penn State. I have been involved in writing my whole career.
If you know anyone who might need our services - students, adults, whoever! - please pass our info along! Thanks!
Elder Editorial | Enhance Your Manuscript Today
Professional editing services for fiction, non-fiction, academic, and more. Over 30 years of experience helping writers achieve their publishing goals.
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July 2, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Just sent my first query on Saving Gracie, my middle-grade contemporary with a touch of magic. I hope I have more luck than I did with my first mg novel! Fingers crossed!
July 1, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Got a query letter written. Got a synopsis. But now I'm hung up on choosing comp titles. Agghhh! So many rules to follow! Help!!!
June 17, 2025 at 8:36 PM
I'm curious. How many rejections does it take before you give up on a manuscript? I sent out nearly 75 queries for my first MG novel, and had only two requests for fulls. They both ended up as rejections. I'm getting ready to query my second one, but not sure I should send that many this time.
June 4, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I'm close to querying my second middle-grade novel. This one is contemporary with a sprinkling of magical realism. I had so much fun writing this one. It's called Saving Gracie, and I bet you can't guess who Gracie is!
Hope I have better luck with this one than I did with the first!
May 27, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I'm so excited to be here in this group! Thanks for the invitation! Eleanor (in the picture) is also excited. Oh, what, she was happy it was her birthday!😅
September 19, 2023 at 8:33 PM