Dear word nerd, The past few days we have witnessed events unlike anything we have seen in the United states, at least not in a long time. This situation has been weighing on my mind since Wednesday. In particular, I have been struggling to understand my role as a writer during times like these. This… Read more »
In today’s #OwnVoices interview, we pivot to a type of difference near and dear to me – neurodiversity. I spoke with Elizabeth Little about her novel Pretty as a Picture, which features a main character, film editor Marissa Dahl, who is autistic. Little herself is autistic and the mother of a son with autism, as… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Beanland. Rachel Beanland writes fiction and essays, and has recently released her debut novel. Her essays have appeared in Creative Nonfiction and Broad Street, among other places, and she has an MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. With bachelor’s degrees in art history and journalism,… Read more »
I’m writing this as 2020 draws to a close – and you’ll be reading it with 2020 firmly in the rearview mirror. The challenges brought to all of us by MMXX have been unprecedented. For authors, the traditional ways we’ve engaged with readers – book fairs, bookstore signings, book club gatherings, Renaissance festivals, historical re-enactments,… Read more »
After she’s written her manuscript, after it’s been edited, formatted, and proofread, an indie author makes a goal-driven publishing decision: wide or select? There are plenty of good reasons to choose either pathway, but it’s important to consider your long-term author goals before you decide. What does “wide” mean here? What is “Select”? “Select” means… Read more »
The beginning of your book, as much as the back cover or inside flap, is marketing copy. Your reader will give you wide latitude when it comes to your opening content, but if they’re going to stick around, they expect something enticing on the first page—a promise of things to come. Whether your first paragraphs… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra Monir. Alexandra Monir is an Iranian-American author and recording artist who has published six popular young adult novels. Her internationally-bestselling debut, Timeless was a Barnes & Noble Bestseller and Amazon.com “Best Books of the Month.” In 2018 she published the hit sci-fi novel The Final Six and… Read more »
Falling In Love I fell in love for the first time in July – there were fireworks (literal and figurative) and I wanted nothing more in my whole thirteen years of living than to kiss that boy. Growing up in a small Atlantic Canadian province I hold snapshots of summer in my memory – the… Read more »
One of the biggest steps for me as a writer was the first time I looked at a piece of writing advice from a mentor, someone I trusted and knew had my best interest at heart, and responded with: “That advice doesn’t work for me.” Writing advice is everywhere. You can’t turn a corner without… Read more »
Maybe you received a new journal as a gift this holiday season. Or maybe you bought one during a late night online pandemic induced session of retail therapy. Either way, now it sits. Like those unread books on our shelves, you eye one another warily as you walk by it. You’re overwhelmed by its blank… Read more »
