<![CDATA[Shelby, in the margins]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CucV!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fshelbymccoyauthor.substack.com%2Fimg%2Fsubstack.pngShelby, in the marginshttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.comSubstackFri, 04 Sep 2026 13:58:35 GMT<![CDATA[What comps taught me about my novel]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/what-comps-taught-me-about-my-novelhttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/what-comps-taught-me-about-my-novelTue, 01 Sep 2026 15:45:43 GMTI’ll compare this part of the process to eating your vegetables. It’s good for you, even when not as fun as dessert (pinning character inspo on Pinterest).

When writing Middle Grade, everyone wants to compare their book to Percy Jackson or The Mysterious Benedict Society. But, in addition to already being widely referenced, they are also too old to be strong comps in general (from my research, comps should ideally be from the past few years of publication).

I’m still in the process of revising my manuscript, but I thought it might be a good time for me to start researching comp titles. I thought it may take me a while, and I want to be ready with them once I am prepared to start querying!

It took me a little bit of digging to find some comp titles that I think might suit my story—that’s still a work in progress. But there were a few with potential, so I decided to go ahead and purchase them.

For anyone reading this who isn’t familiar with the publishing world—comp titles are books that agents request when you are pitching your book that may have similarities to your own story. Setting, character, purpose, etc. Would fans of XYZ like your book? Why?

While quickly skimming them to see if they could be potential comps, I started to notice something. These MG main characters had a lot to say. My book is action-packed and fast paced, which these were as well. But something I was missing was interiority.

Blythe was describing the events surrounding her, but had limited commentary. I realized I wanted to add more of her voice. Her thoughts on people, her quips to herself, what her internal emotions felt like compared to what she showed the world.

Additionally, I was missing whimsy.

In an effort to make my story digestible for middle grade, I’d missed tons of opportunities to add atmosphere and beauty to my writing. I’m already going back to my third draft with this in mind, and I can feel the story getting even stronger because of it.

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Because, yes—there’s a literacy crisis in middle grade, and there’s no sense in denying it. Children currently ages 8-12 were at the prime age to have their educations be affected by COVID back in 2020-2021. Teachers, publishing professionals, and researchers all agree—it’s a fact that middle grade readers are not reading at the same level as kids did a few years before them.

That’s heartbreaking. But it doesn’t have to be permanent.

One of my goals with Look Between the Tides is to create a story that is accessible for readers who may be struggling, but also to challenge them. I believe they are capable of learning and growing, and oversimplifying my manuscript won’t do them (or me) any favors.

SO.

More interiority. More whimsy.

A better book.

Yay!

]]><![CDATA[Farmer’s Market Days]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/farmers-market-dayshttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/farmers-market-daysSun, 30 Aug 2026 23:12:42 GMTI wish I was one of those people that only bought local produce and shopped exclusively at the farmer’s market. Sadly, real life doesn’t always allow for that luxury.

HOWEVER—today, it did!

Christian and I found ourselves on a rare Sunday with no plans. No travel, no appointments, no dinner dates—nothing! So, we decided to make the most of it and go to the Charlotte Regional Farmer’s Market.

It’s actually less than half an hour from our house, so the trek was completely worth it. We ended up buying what felt like 20 pounds of frozen, local meat: chorizo sausages, chicken breasts, ground beef, and ribeyes. Next time, I genuinely would consider bringing a cooler with us.

Christian was also thrilled about purchasing some green Thai chiles and oyster mushrooms. I’m working on overcoming my mushroom aversion, so I promised him I would try them.

And my favorite purchase of the day: a $15 dollar bouquet that would easily be $100 through a professional florist. The flowers at the market are absurdly beautiful. I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that the prices are so different between here and a local florist. Even getting a grocery store bouquet is probably similar in pricing, with flowers that are far less unique and farm-fresh.

We finished off the day with a family walk and a late afternoon dip at my parents’ pool. Of course, watermelon and wraps were key players at dinner as we ate outside by the pool. Caroline has discovered a deep, deep love for watermelon.

Oh, what an August day!

]]><![CDATA[What I’ve learned while revising my first draft]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/what-ive-learned-while-revising-myhttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/what-ive-learned-while-revising-mySat, 29 Aug 2026 18:00:56 GMTIn the process of writing Look Between the Tides, I wanted to get feedback from other writers. I’d joined Critique Circle with a previous manuscript, and this time I also decided to try out Scribophile.

First of all, I have to say how cool the internet is (I know—I sound like someone who didn’t grow up with it). The fact that writers from all over the world can connect and help each other improve is so special. We’re so lucky to live in a time where we can utilize resources like that!

Shelby, in the margins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

But I digress. What did the majority of actionable feedback look like?

What it boiled down to was PURPOSE.

I knew why all of my characters were making certain decisions, obviously. But what is the character’s motive? How does it move the plot forward? And does the reader understand why?

I needed to demonstrate that across the board: are Blythe’s hands shaking because she’s nervous? Is Pops making a certain decision because he’s worried for her safety? These were things I knew the answer to in my mind, but I hadn’t quite translated it to paper yet.

Through the process of uploading chapters to Scribophile, I got a message from a girl named Etta asking me to beta read her novel. Thankfully, she returned the favor for me. Her feedback has been far and away the most helpful for me. She’s an excellent writer herself, and was able to give big picture suggestions, compared to the chapter-level feedback from Scrib and Crit Circle.

That’s another lesson learned: it’s easily accessible to find an online community of like-minded writers. So take advantage of it.

Some other trends I noticed, in no particular order:

  • Word repetition: Keep an eye out for the same word or phrase being used repetitively

  • Over-explaining: In a first draft, I’m telling myself the story. The reader doesn’t necessarily need all of that background information

  • Strengthening sentence structure: Avoid weak or passive phrasing

  • Logic: Does what’s happening right now make sense with the rest of the story? Is the reader able to easily trace how we got here?

If any of this helps another writer with their edits, I’ll be thrilled! Happy writing!

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]]><![CDATA[My book is called...]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/my-book-is-calledhttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/my-book-is-calledThu, 27 Aug 2026 22:06:31 GMT

Look Between the Tides

At least… for now :)

Book titles can, and often do, change during the query process. However, I feel pretty good about it! As far as I can tell, it isn’t currently being used by another author, TV show, or musical artist. That’s a pretty good start!

It also references the setting of coastal North Carolina—specifically, the tidal island where the lighthouse sits. And it may just be a clue to solving the mystery Blythe faces…

What do you think of the title? Does it interest you in the story?

More about LOOK BETWEEN THE TIDES:

Blythe Portsmouth has always suspected there’s something magical about the lighthouse where she lives. Then a seventeenth-century pirate ship sails out of the mist.

The ship’s young passenger, Thomas, is stranded three hundred years from home in Franklin Bay, North Carolina and needs Blythe’s help. With her six-year-old brother Benji in tow, Blythe follows a trail of old sailors’ songs, forgotten grottos, and secrets buried in the lighthouse’s past in search of a lost treasure that could send Thomas back home.

But when their search yields nothing, and the ship’s fearsome captain prepares to sail back into the fog, Blythe may be running out of time to solve Franklin Bay’s oldest mystery.

I am planning to post some excerpts soon—stay tuned!

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]]><![CDATA[Easy weeknight dinners]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/easy-weeknight-dinnershttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/easy-weeknight-dinnersThu, 27 Aug 2026 16:15:55 GMTI make dinner nearly every night for my family—and don’t get me wrong, I love doing it. Christian would probably love to take over our weekly menu, but I’ve claimed it as my territory. It also serves the bonus purpose of giving him dedicated time with Caroline almost every night after work.

Evenings are usually pretty chaotic. Between catching up after work and squeezing in a toddler meal before bedtime, I don’t get the luxury of an hour of uninterrupted kitchen time.

I wanted to share some consistent winners in our household—easy, somewhat healthy, and most importantly, totally delicious.

Most of these recipes were originally sourced from old faithful: the New York Times Cooking section. I’ve modified them to suit our preferences and what we actually have in the pantry that night.

So dive in, and I hope you find some yummy inspo!

Thai Chicken Meatball Curry

Curry is always a winner in our house. Bonus points if we can use the Thai Basil growing in our garden!

I’ve also completely made the switch to a good rice from our local Asian market. I didn’t realize how much better it tastes than instant rice! The extra 15 minutes are worth it.

NYT Recipe Link

Stir-Fry Black Pepper Dumplings and Green Beans

This is one of the absolute easiest meals on my list! All you need is a bag of frozen dumplings and some green beans. Trim the green beans, toss it all with black pepper and sesame oil (or other oil), and pan fry! We also add some red chili flakes and sea salt flakes. And Christian, of course, adds Sriracha to his at the end.

NYT Recipe Link

Spicy, Creamy Weeknight Bolognese

This is pretty much straight from NYT Cooking! I just added some basil from our garden and choose a fun pasta shape.

Asian Salmon Bowls

This isn’t from a NYT recipe, shockingly. I found a good deal on salmon at Aldi and had a ton of cucumbers from my mom’s garden, and voila! A meal was born. Pictured here with avocado and homemade pickled onions! Just red onions, vinegar, water, and a little sugar. Topped with hoisin sauce, one of my favorite pantry staples. Also, see my rice comment above. Good rice makes a difference!

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]]><![CDATA[Why I decided to start writing Middle-Grade fiction at 30]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/why-i-decided-to-start-writing-middlehttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/why-i-decided-to-start-writing-middleWed, 26 Aug 2026 14:28:18 GMTThis spring, my mom accompanied me and my husband to a wedding in Nashville to babysit our then-nine-month-old, Caroline. MAJOR shoutout to Gigi for the help on that one.

On our way home, we were killing time in one of those airport restaurants that’s either a sports bar or a Margaritaville-adjacent burger spot. Christian had walked away to get a drink. My mom leaned across the table and said, out of the blue:

“I think you need to write a book about a lighthouse.”

My mom gets these feelings sometimes. She’s always been a little sensitive to that spiritual realm outside our reality, and she sometimes she gets “hunches”. I’ve learned to trust her instinct.

So, I wrote down her idea in my Notes app. A story about siblings who live in a lighthouse. Magical things happen there. That was it—that was the seed that we planted back in April.

I mulled it over for a little while. I wasn’t sure I wanted to dive into a new novel—I just had wrapped up the YA Fantasy novel that pretty much “failed out” of the querying process (more on that later). I had a daughter, and a husband with a recently broken hip.

But I kept thinking about it. I named my main character: Blythe.

I knew what the story would be: a pirate ship appears out of the mist, magically time-traveling to the lighthouse.

And, before long, I sat down and started writing.

Actually, at first, I planned for it to be a children’s book - closer to “The Magic Treehouse” of my own childhood. But as I started drafting and planning, I realized it needed to be middle-grade for a variety of reasons.

Middle-grade is not the easiest market right now. But it’s what the story required. Maybe I’ll write a post with the details of that later.

So… here we are. In the midst of revising my second draft, and loving every moment! I am having so much fun working on this story.

Stay tuned for the journey! :-)

]]><![CDATA[Writing, Motherhood, and my goals]]>https://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/writing-motherhood-and-my-goalshttps://shelbymccoyauthor.substack.com/p/writing-motherhood-and-my-goalsWed, 26 Aug 2026 00:05:17 GMT

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Getting started

My sister, Carson, gave me the brilliant idea to start a Substack. I’ve been working on my writing for a few years now, and I’m currently in the midst of revising a middle-grade novel that I hope to start querying in the next couple of months.

I also am a full-time mom and the resident chef of our little family.

What am I doing here?

I want to post about what I’m working on for my novel, and what I’m cooking up for dinner. And anything else that’s on my mind at the moment!

I’m using this as a half-journal, half-blog with the goal of staying consistent with my writing.

Community

If you care about:

  1. Writing

  2. Cooking

  3. Me

  4. The musings of a 30-year-old woman

Then join me!! Hang out! It’ll be fun, hopefully.

Sesame Soy Chicken with Ginger-Scallion Noodles… yep

Armando Rafael for The New York Times.

Dinner tonight from my fave, NYT Cooking!

Future Posts

Some future posts I have in mind:

  • A “failed” novel

  • Studies in detail

  • Accessible Classics

  • My favorites - books, food, and movies

  • Beta reading thoughts

  • Updates on revising and querying!

Thanks for reading What’s Shelby Cookin’! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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