Mythic Storytelling: The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger

Greetings, Speculators! As you might guess from the title of this column, I’ve found another mythic structure to expound upon. I’m going to take a slightly different approach this time, however. When I read Gail Carriger’s interpretation of the heroine’s journey, it struck a chord with me (imagine angelic chorus here). I thought that Instead… Read more »

The Negative Balance of Writing

When I taught Comp I, I was always surprised by how many students deemed my class unnecessary. They would scoff and say, “I never write except when I have a paper.” But they do – we all do. We write tweets and Instagram captions and Facebook updates that are way too long. We write emails… Read more »

writing fanfiction

#5onFri: Five Reasons for Writing Fanfiction

If you write, odds are you have a passion for storytelling. It’s the same creative passion that might push someone into the realm of insanity that is cosplaying, fanwork, or seeking an artistic career. Whether you produce creative content professionally or grind through a traditional 9-5, burnout is inevitable. If you’ve ever considered writing fanfiction,… Read more »

Interview with Sherry Thomas

Our #OwnVoices interview series continues with a writer of one of Sara’s favorite series who also shares her hometown. Sherry Thomas is the author of the “Lady Sherlock” mystery series, set in Victorian London with a female Sherlock and Watson. They spoke about strong women and the role of outsiders in her books, as well as the lead… Read more »

Episode 342: Multiple Timelines, Climate Fiction, and a Childhood Code of Honor – Interview with Julie Carrick Dalton

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Julie Carrick Dalton. As a journalist, Julie has published more than a thousand articles in The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, The Hollywood Reporter, Electric Literature, and other publications. She contributes to Dead Darlings, Writer Unboxed, and The Chicago Review of Books. A Tin House alum and graduate of GrubStreet’s… Read more »

A Dance of Joy and Tears

Joy Harjo – US Poet Laureate – Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harjo is a member of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation. She is the author of several books of poetry, including An American Sunrise (W. W. Norton, 2019), and Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings (W. W. Norton, 2015). I will talk a bit about Joy in this article… Read more »

reading books

Introducing the Book Nook!

New year, new column! I am so excited to start writing this new column I am calling the Book Nook. As much as I love writing, I’m always reading books. So I was able to convince the Powers that Be to allow me to write a column about books I’ve been reading.  At DIY MFA,… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Ways to Keep Writing Through a Crisis

We’ve all been through a prolonged crisis this past year. The Coronavirus pandemic has challenged the routines of even the most disciplined writers. Aside from the pandemic, we’ve had to weather a barrage of exhausting political Sturm und Drang, and the painful, violent reality of racism in our communities. In addition to multiple crises on… Read more »