Hi! I'm Karyn.
I am a children's book and YA literary agent at BookStop Literary Agency and an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach. Before turning to agenting and coaching, I was a serial publishing intern, a bookseller and book buyer at an indie bookstore, and an agency assistant. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing, and write middle grade and young adult fiction. I started Story & Prose Book Coaching and Editorial Services in 2021 with the goal of helping more writers. By offering 10+ years of industry knowledge, tough love and honesty, and true passion, I help aspiring bestselling fiction writers hone their craft and write better books so they’re more likely to get published. Check out my weekly newsletter for writing motivation, craft tips, and publishing insight.
Subscribe to get all my latest posts
10 Words to Cut for Stronger, Sharper Prose
Hi Reader, Happy Spring! I don’t know about you, but as soon as the season changes, I feel like a new person! Gone are the winter blues, and inspiration bursts up like new flowers everywhere I turn. I hope it’s the case for you. I am super eager to move on to a different project than the one I’ve been revising since November. Yup, it’s been taking me five months, folks, to re-envision this draft after getting some super helpful feedback. By the end of the month—so, beginning of next week,...
READ POSTYour book doesn't need more hustle
Hi Reader, Two weeks ago, I found myself on a very loud, very crowded Disney cruise in the Bahamas. We booked this trip to escape the winter doldrums and to avoid being stuck at home while the kids were out of school for ski week. We are big Disney fans, so a Disney cruise seemed like an inevitable trip for us. And it delivered on all the magic it promised. Our kids loved the Aquaduck water attraction, the pool with water slides, the unlimited soft-serve ice cream, the shows, and getting to...
READ POSTWrite anyway. Especially now.
Hi Reader, Happy February, writer friends. I, for one, am glad to see January go. It’s got to be the worst month of the year, and this was a brutal entry into 2026. If you’re in the States, as I am, then you’re probably well aware of the heaviness and chaos that has rippled through our country. I don’t know about you, but fraught political tensions, crap winter weather, and all the pressure to suddenly wake up and be a better, newer you, doesn’t exactly get my creative juices flowing. Many...
READ POSTBackstory isn't context, it's causality
Hi Reader, I hope this finds you well and, most importantly, writing! I have been a little MIA over here because I’ve been deep in my revision cave, as I work on polishing my contemporary romance before I wade back into the querying waters (gulp!). I mentioned a few weeks ago that one of the things the developmental editor I hired nailed me on was my characters’ backstories, and so I’ve been thinking—and studying—a lot about the craft of weaving in backstory effectively. Some writers weave in...
READ POSTBegin as you mean to go on
Hi Reader, The other day I read this inspiring article by bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo. She’s got some great writer’s life content, but the one thing from this particular article that struck me was the concept of Begin as you mean to go on. She’s certainly not the first to bring up this concept, especially not this time of year, but I have been thinking about it a lot as 2025 comes to a close. Here’s the truth, I don’t always like to buy into the “New Year, New You” stuff, mostly because...
READ POSTI Thought My Book Was Ready. I Was Wrong.
Hi Reader, I hope the holidays are filling your life with more cheer than stress, and that you’ve been able to carve out small moments of writing. I definitely have been working hard at it, especially as January creeps closer and I reflect and set goals for myself and the coming year. Have you started thinking about your writing hopes and dreams for 2026 yet? For me, my big goal in quarter one will be to re-enter the query trenches with my adult contemporary romance. That’s right, I said...
READ POSTWhat Christmas Movies, Salon Glow-Ups & Home Renos Teach About Transformation
Hi Reader, Happy Holidays! I hope this note finds you well as you reflect on the year and the progress you’ve made on your writing goals. It’s been a long while since I wrote to you, mostly because I’ve been deep in the revision cave, trying to implement all the tools and strategies I teach. So I’ve been practicing what I preach. Or trying to anyway. As I’ve been toiling away on a revision that I hope to restart querying in early 2026, something dawned on me. It started as I felt myself...
READ POSTTropes: Not just for romance and fantasy
Hi Reader, A couple of weeks ago I was having a coaching session with my book coach (yes, even I need help, but more on that soon), and I had a big aha moment. Since about May of this year I have been working on a draft of a new book while I’ve been querying my adult romance. This new project is a departure for me. It’s women’s fiction, a little heavier themes, and quite a bit more complicated in terms of structure and scope. I was sliding off track and feeling myself stall out, especially...
READ POSTThe secret to an unforgettable novel? It's all in the voice
Hi Reader, I hope this finds you enjoying November. We are finally starting to see some beautiful fall foliage here in Northern California, which I love. It also reminds me that it's time for the quarterly free training I promised you all. If I've been quiet lately, it's because I've been busy putting together a new workshop (plus, you know...life). Anyway, as I've been working on my own new draft, and now as I head into a revision of the book I've been querying, I've been thinking a lot...
READ POST