Tradwives, Girlbosses, and Yesteryear | Book Review
Book review and craft notes on Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear: structure, tension, and why the tradwife-vs-girlboss binary is fiction, from a BigLaw-partner-turned-novelist.
My Writing Process + Routines
My writing process and routines including purchasing school supplies, first drafts and endless revision, research, beta readers and moodboards.
What I Read, Watched and Enjoyed in June
Everything I Read, Watched and Enjoyed in June featuring Ann Patchett, Theo of Golden, Romantasy, and Euphoria!
Three Manuscripts, One Question
As a lawyer, I thought writing a novel would be like writing an extremely long legal brief. Three manuscripts in, I now know creative writing is magic compared to legal writing, and subconsciously grappling with the same theme in every story is a normal author thing to do.
Finding Community As An Anxious Writer
Meeting Yann Martel and Rebecca Makkai at the Chicago Humanities Festival was totally worth the anxiety over leaving my house, reckless drivers and security concerns. Finding one’s writing community IRL is hard.
Ministry of Time | Book Review
Review of The Ministry of Time as part of the Reading as a Writer series: time travel, workplace comedy, romance, and so much more.
Three Years Out From BigLaw: Psychology of a Career Change
I left my Kirkland & Ellis partnership to write novels. Three years later, here's what the identity shift actually looked and felt like.
Everything I Read, Listened To and Watched in February
February's best reads, rewatches, and podcasts — from Katie Kitamura to Schitt's Creek to Amy Poehler — reviewed by a novelist trying to stay sane during end times.
When You Cheat On Your Information Diet
A recovering news avoider falls down the Epstein rabbit hole — and learns the hard way that an information diet is about intention, not abstinence.
Beach Read Book Review: The Novel That Changed My Career
A review of Emily Henry's Beach Read, including craft observations from reading as a writer, and reflections on how the book inspired my career change from lawyering in skyscrapers to writing on beaches.
My Favorite Productivity Tools for Writing
My top 8 productivity tools for writing including task organizers, Pomodoro timers and tons of soda.
The Orr Report | January 2026
January newsletter from author Sara Orr including comedy specials, dark academia and realizing one of my characters needs her own book
10 Things I Learned in My Second Year as a Full-Time Writer
The top ten things I learned in my second year of full-time writing after two decades of law.
Best Books I Read in 2025
My top 10 list of the best books I read in 2025, featuring mostly Oprah, Jenna and Booker Prize-nominated novels.
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai: Book Review and Craft Tips
Book review of The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, a meta-meditation on loneliness as a writer.
The Orr Report | December 2025
My monthly newsletter featuring novel updates, book recommendations and some great holiday gift ideas for readers.
How I Transformed My Home Office into a Magical Fairy Writing Space
How I transformed my lawyer home office to a writer home office with fairy lights, decals and rainbow sparkles among other design necessities.
Culpability, Buckeye and Bridge of Sighs: Book Club Books Review and Craft Tips
Book review and craft analysis in my Reading as a Writer series of three celebrity book club picks: Oprah picks Culpability and Bridge of Sighs, and Read with Jenna’s Buckeye.
Heartwood by Amity Gaige: Book Review & Craft Tips
Book review of Read With Jenna pick Heartwood by Amity Gaige.
The Orr Report | November 2025
My monthly newsletter with updates on Novel Writing November, meeting my hero David Wroblewski and three happy things: Jess Walter’s So Far Gone, Victoria Beckham and Nobody Wants This.