I was about 100 pages into the first draft of my book when I happened to have a Zoom discussion with some writing colleagues from around the country. They asked me how my writing was going, and I told them that I was in a huge rut, stuck at just over 100 pages in. Collectively, the boxes bobbed with the participants’ heads nodding in understanding. “Ah. The 100-page curse,” someone said. “Keep going. This is where a lot of writers quit because it gets hard.” Rather than feeli

Fun fact: Stephen King makes it a point to write every day. Every. Single. Day. And from what I know, he succeeds with this goal. He’s shared this with his family, who allows him to make it a priority so he can carve out time to work even during weekends, trips, and holidays. He writes when it’s easy and still writes even when it’s not. This post and the next blog are going to discuss more fun facts, quirky habits, and messy routines of writers, including my own. I’m a huge

One of the questions I am asked most often is about the timeline of writing my book. As always, dear readers, please remember that this is only my experience and only shows how things went for Fool Me Twice, my first novel. Other writers may have a completely different timeline, and even my next book may look completely different for me. January 8, 2025: I opened a blank document, wrote the first line, then texted my husband telling him I had officially started writing my b

In my first blog of this series, I shared a romanticized version of what a writer’s life looks like, oftentimes from stereotypes or an outside view: easy mornings of drinking coffee, dedicated writing time, loads of progress, thousands of words added to the manuscript. And if I’m being honest, that sounds so wonderful. Yet not entirely true, especially for me on an average day. Let me walk you through a day in MY life as I’ve dedicated my time to writing. Remember, as alway

“How long will it take you to publish that book?” “When will your book be done?” “Geesh, it takes a long time to write a book.” “You’ve read your book HOW many times?” “Did you seriously rewrite it multiple times?” These are all questions and statements I’ve heard A LOT in the past several months, especially since I decided to go “public” with my work as an author. The short answers to these questions: a long time, I don’t know for sure, YES, at least ten times, and y

So I wrote a book. What does that even mean? And what does it look like when I call myself a writer? Some people seem to think that authors sit and write for hours at a time, never leaving their office spaces, holing up in dedicated writing time all day. They wake up naturally to the sun shining through their curtains, make coffee in a perfectly clean kitchen, and sit down to write effortlessly perfect prose. The words flow easily for hours on end with no break other than t

Last month, I traveled with my three kiddos to visit my parents who retired a few years ago and decided to spend the winter months in a warmer climate. My dad has been a horse lover all his life, and even though he didn’t start roping until he was in his mid-forties, he’s become quite dedicated to the sport. Because of this passion, he and my mom chose a community in Wickenburg, Arizona where they live with their horses close by and have arenas, events, and trails on and near

Several years ago, I attended a community event where we started with introductions, telling the group our name, where we were from, and what we do for work or fun that defines our identity. I was a stay-at-home mom to three kids at the time, all of them preschool age and under, so I prepared myself to say that I spend my life as a mother and wife. When it came my turn to share, I began with the basics, and then told the group I am a writer. It sort of popped out, surprising

When I was a little girl, I kept a notebook of words that I loved. Words that intrigued me or stood out as I devoured book after book, words that sounded elegant or snappy both in my head and as I practiced saying them out loud. Words that looked pretty on paper. I’d go to the rows of encyclopedias and dictionaries that my parents bought from a traveling salesman, and I’d look those words up, carefully writing the definitions with my treasured, bright-colored ink pens. That l

Storytelling shapes how we understand the world. It connects us, teaches us, and sparks imagination. Kara Frei, a lifelong storyteller, uses her passion for words and character to inspire others. Her journey from classroom teacher to writer shows how stories can influence lives in meaningful ways. A Foundation Built on Education and Passion Kara Frei’s love for storytelling began early and grew through her education. She graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University with a degree