Coming Out July 7, 2026
PRE-ORDER NOW
to receive an exclusive, early-access chapter!
In case you're new to the internet: this form will add you to the Scribbling Buddha newsletter mailing list. Don't worry, you can unsubscribe at anytime. We can still be friends.
APRIL ONLINE
Online Community
A powerful writing group.
This online community of writers combines weekly group coaching with regularly scheduled writing sessions. Keep yourself accountable, get advice when you need it, and do what it takes to finally finish your manuscript.
Scribbling Buddha
A weekly newsletter.
April's essential guide to interesting things, generally (but not always) related to books, writing and mindfulness practice. The Scribbling Buddha newsletter goes out every Friday with a list of 8 Great Things you need to know.
Private Coaching
Take your writing to the next level.
Sit Write Here coaching packages are built around a unique, mindset-first program to help aspiring authors hone their skills while developing a regular writing practice so that they can finally finish their novel or memoir.
142 OSTRICHES
Set against the unexpected splendor of an ostrich ranch in the California desert, April Dávila’s beautifully written debut conjures an absorbing and compelling heroine in a story of courage, family and forgiveness.
“A vivid, uplifting debut...”
—Publishers Weekly
Recent Blog Posts
What If I’m Just Repeating Myself?
It’s a question that comes up more than you might think, especially among writers working on a second or third book: Am I just saying the same thing again? Maybe […]
Not Every Writing Day Looks Like Writing
Not every good writing day ends with a high word count. Some days, progress looks quieter than that. A lot of writers are very quick to dismiss the work that […]
Writing the Scene That Scares You
Every writer I know has one: a scene that sits quietly in the corner of the draft, waiting. The one you keep skipping. The one you keep meaning to come […]
How Much Backstory Is Too Much? A Writer’s Guide
One of the most common challenges writers face (especially in early drafts) is figuring out how much backstory is too much. The impulse to explain our characters and their histories […]
Do You Have to Say What Year Your Book Is Set In?
At some point in the drafting process, often when revising or thinking ahead to querying, a very practical question comes up: Do I have to say what year my book […]
When Is a Story Ready to Submit?
Submitting your writing to literary journals can feel like standing in front of a room full of strangers and reading your diary out loud. That moment when you hit “send” […]
How to Find Your Way Through the Messy Middle
There is a special type of despair reserved for writing the middle of a book. The beginning had energy. The ending, at least in theory, has momentum. But the middle? […]
How to Handle Emotionally Complex Character Arcs
You want your characters to feel real. You want depth, nuance, transformation. You want readers to recognize themselves or people they know and feel something. But when you start writing […]
How Mindfulness Can Make Writing Feel Easier
I want to dispel a common misconception: mindfulness for writers isn’t about clearing your mind or becoming some perfectly serene person before you begin. It’s about noticing what’s happening in […]
Social Media for Writers Who Hate Social Media
If the phrase “build your author platform” makes you want to crawl under your desk and never come out, you’re in good company. I’ve watched more than one deeply talented […]