Seasonal Update: What has Pauline Shen been up to? What can we expect to see from her next?

Season Summary: Summer 2024

• Blank Spaces Magazine published my visual essay “Beautiful Botanicals.”
• After Happy Hour Review’s Summer 2024 issue included my visual piece “In Hand.”

Updates & Work in Progress: Autumn 2024

• Check out my blog in case you missed these awesome interviews. I am delighted to partner with editors, writers, and publishers to bring you an insider scoop on what’s going on in the industry. More to come very soon—make sure you’re subscribed to have these delivered directly to your email inbox.
• Three of my visual art pieces, “Nurture,” “Observe,” & “Steward,” are forthcoming with Marathon Literary Review.
• I am turning my focus toward completing my first full-length manuscript. It’s like doing a large-scale home renovation project while continuing to live inside the house. I’m surrounded by scenes and characters who are constantly nagging for my attention. I’ve been posting periodic updates on social media.

What I’m Reading: Autumn 2024

• Last season, I binge-read Sarah McCoy’s books. If you plan to read The Time it Snowed in Puerto Rico, clear your schedule. The sensual prose is absolutely mesmerizing. Once you begin reading, it is impossible to put down.
• I’ve just finished reading William Zinsser’s On Writing Well. It’s a writing guide that has been awaiting my attention for some years. It is a guide primarily aimed at nonfiction writing; however, I’ve uncovered many helpful nuggets that I’m already placing toward my fiction writing. I do highly recommend this writer’s guide. I am currently reading Zinsser’s memoir Writing about Your Life, which also serves as a writer’s guide.
• I read John Steinbeck’s masterpiece East of Eden and will be following that up with The Grapes of Wrath in the near future. I highly recommend reading any and all of Steinbeck’s novels. He had a keen eye into the human psyche. His fictional characters spring to life and the stories depict universal truths that simply cannot be ignored.

And that’s it. Enjoy autumn. Please share your comments below. Stay tuned for my next blog post. Wanna get it in your email inbox? Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more.

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