Artist & Writer in London, Ontario.
It can all change in the blink of an eye. Or, in this case, with a toy “dinosaur in the middle of the road.” But what changes as the narrator in Alison Wassell’s “A Stupid Rubber Dinosaur” illustrates the story is a matter of perspective. And this narrator tugs the reader into both the incident and the outcome by head and heart.
Continue reading “Rawr. Commentary on Alison Wassell’s “A Stupid Rubber Dinosaur””
In this post, we’ll hear from S.A. McNaughton, author of short stories and flash fiction from Ypsilanti, Michigan. McNaughton tells us how she manages her writing schedule, lists the many benefits of participating in writing contests, and tells us about the surprising social aspect of joining a community of writers.
You work a full-time administrative job while raising a preschooler at home. How do you arrange time for writing?
A very good question! It’s not easy, and it’s one of the reasons that I’ve found short fiction competitions to be a good fit for me. Many of them take place over weekends, and my very supportive husband is very good about giving me time to write.
Continue reading “Interview with S.A. McNaughton”
In this blog post, we have the pleasure of hearing from Seralynn Lewis, contemporary inspirational romance author, writer of sweet & clean romance, and self-publisher based out of North Carolina. Seralynn gives us a glimpse into the process of writing a series, finding and working with an editor, and navigating the world of self-publishing.
Seralynn, you have multiple books available on Amazon. What has been the most surprising thing about self-publishing?
Continue reading “Interview with Seralynn Lewis”
Season Summary: Summer 2024
Updates & Work in Progress: Autumn 2024
What I’m Reading: Autumn 2024
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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Sharing your drafts within a writer’s circle, workshop, or class can be extremely helpful to the evolution of your individual writing project as well as your development as a writer. Getting into the practice of allowing others to read your writing, receiving feedback on projects, and integrating criticisms into your revision process can make for huge progress. I’ve seen writers, however, express concern that whenever a piece of writing gets shared with a group, there’s a chance that someone may be dishonest. What I mean is that there’s a consistent fear among creatives that someone may attempt to steal work.
And I get it—you struggle to finish a draft only to keep it to yourself for the realistic dread that someone out there might be ready to nab it and plagiarize. In one peer-judged writing contest, the organizer tried to alleviate this concern by coding the webpage so that text could not be highlighted (and therefore no copy function could be used). A good attempt, but there are still other possibilities left open and every participant was well aware of that fact.
Continue reading “Backing-up Your Writing”
“[T]his was my first time making strawberry jelly,” says our narrator-protagonist. And the measurements need to be just right. Vicki Wilson’s “Jelly” opens with emphasis on deliberate and careful measurement. But as we’ll soon discover, there’s more at stake than making a common spread for toast. “If the jelly set, it was a sign that my mom wasn’t mad at me.” This recipe and its progress from harvested ingredients to set jelly is the metaphorical vehicle by which the reader is transported through generations in this family—past, present, and… future.
Continue reading “Homemade. Commentary on Vicki Wilson’s “Jelly””
When I first developed mild myopia at 19, my optometrist commented that I study too much. He explained that having my eyes flexed to focus on text for prolonged periods of time had hardened my lenses to the point that they lost the ability to perform for distance. I’m not certain if this is true. But it was the beginning of my wearing glasses. And a consistent pain that continues to this day is keeping them clean.
Whether you wear glasses “just for driving,” or, “to think straight,” or (my favourite) “because contacts are icky,” at some point you’ve struggled with specks, streaks, and smudges. You’re supposed to be able to see out of those lenses, so it’s imperative to keep them clean. But how? It’s a constant battle. I’m no expert but I do wear glasses for most of the day. What’s more, I have oily skin. In this post I’ll share with you my top three go-to methods for reducing the frustration and keeping those glasses spotless.
Continue reading “Cleaning Eyewear – How to”
When I began submitting entries for writing contests and felt the sting of rejection, I realised that I needed help with the proofing process of writing. This was an imperative part of the writing-for-publication journey. What it meant was that I had to get more practice—not of writing, but of getting used to someone other than me reading my precious brainchildren. Reading my own work does not necessarily catch incoherencies.
As tough as it may be to receive criticism of my work, I learned that it was the surest way toward improvement. After all, writing for publication means that I’m not just doing this for myself. The goal is to reach others. So, my work should be the best and most presentable version—not just what I deem to be good enough.
I’ve decided to share here a tale of the first time I asked for a volunteer proofer to read my composition. It went like this:
Continue reading “Purrfect Prose”
As J. Paul Ross’s story “A Hundred and Twenty-Seven” unfolds, our narrator paints a picture. At first, this is a very narrow perspective. As the story goes on, however, this picture becomes clearer and fuller. It begins with our protagonist, Derrick Crosby, who, “was following 127 people online, and all of them were women.” The narrative then proceeds in a casual and languid manner that mimics the action of scrolling through a social media newsfeed.
Continue reading “Gone. Commentary on J. Paul Ross’s “A Hundred and Twenty-Seven””
In this post, we’ll be hearing from Cheryl Kramarczyk, Chicago-based romance author, wife & homeschooler mom, and hospital lab tech. Cheryl outlines her motivation for writing romance, tells us how she got into self-publishing, and shares what it’s like to navigate the draft-to-published process.
Cheryl, what motivated you to begin writing romance stories? How did the happy ending become the go-to choice for all your stories?
Romance was a must from the start. My parents divorced when I was twelve and I longed for a happy ending—for my parents and for my sister and me.
Continue reading “Interview with Cheryl Kramarczyk”
Pauline Shen 