Author: Pauline Shen

Pauline Shen’s work aims to showcase beauty and courage rooted in unexpected and challenging places. Her writing, art, and photography is published with Amethyst Review, Blank Spaces, Dreamers Creative Writing, Lighthouse Weekly, Quibble Lit, and The Signpost [Dorchester]. Pauline is located in London, Ontario.
Interviews

Interview with Alanna Rusnak

Pauline Shen

In this post, we’ll be hearing from Alanna Rusnak, Author of The Church in the Wildwood, Owner & Operator of Chicken House Press, and Founder & Managing Editor of Blank Spaces Magazine. Curious in knowing the origins of the beautiful Blank Spaces Magazine? Want some insight into what it takes to branch out on your own in the publishing industry? In this interview, Alanna tells us all about these things plus talks about her current work-in-progress and more!

So, you wear a lot of hats, Alanna. Tell us a bit about your average day or work week.

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Story Reviews

When Your Default Mode is Appeasement. Commentary on Elissa Matthews’s “A Good Man”

Pauline Shen

If you’ve gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette, then what do you get if you spend your entire life side-stepping eggshells? In Elissa Matthews’s “A Good Man,” the narrator presents this very scenario. We see a man who is known for being, well… good.

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Story Reviews

It’s Not About the Guardrail. Commentary on Desiree Nippard’s “An Early Thaw”

Pauline Shen

In Desiree Nippard’s “An Early Thaw,” the reader witnesses a group of schoolchildren sending lanterns into the sky while playing a send-off tune on recorders. In this ceremony for the deceased, “[y]ou could hear every pause for breath, every off note from the shifting of small fingers as we all allowed the melody to seep into our souls.” (54) This coastal town is grieving, and the narrator reveals the cause with deep sensory descriptions that guide the reader with the right amount of grace and gentleness.

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Story Reviews

Wretched Creature. Commentary on Jennifer Milne’s “Gravy Boat Genie”

Pauline Shen

Writing a story that revolves around an unlikable, nay despicable, protagonist is a bold move. The classic example is Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” However, that protagonist resolves to change by seeing the error of his ways. In Jennifer Milne’s “Gravy Boat Genie,” our protagonist, who serves as narrator, obtains absolution by a different means.

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Interviews

Interview with Garrett Souliere

Pauline Shen

In this post, we’ll be hearing from Garrett Souliere, Editor/Founder of Quibble Literary Journal. Garrett tells us the story behind Quibble’s founding, describes how the journal has and continues to evolve, and shares inspiring words that every budding writer should know.

When you first founded Quibble, what was the main driving factor that motivated you to launch this independent magazine? 

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Candid Talks, Nonfiction

Time Management – How to PART THREE

Pauline Shen

How do you manage your time as a freelance writer? PART THREE

In PART ONE of this topic, we established that managing activities is only one part of the equation. In PART TWO, I introduced the crucial element of scheduling in a way that feeds motivation rather than increase the likelihood of burnout. In this post, I’ll describe the final three (out of five total) techniques that work for me at the present time. These are:

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Candid Talks, Nonfiction

Time Management – How to PART TWO

Pauline Shen

How do you manage your time as a freelance writer? PART TWO

In PART ONE of this topic, we established that managing activities is only one part of the equation. What’s crucial is to schedule them in a way that feeds motivation rather than increase the likelihood of burnout. So in this post, I’ll describe the first two of five total techniques that work for me at the present time. If you see something here that you can emulate, great! I hope it works for you as well.

Five techniques that ensure I stay on track with my freelance career:

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Interviews

Interview with Nancy Kay Clark

Pauline Shen

In this post, we’ll be learning more about Nancy Kay Clark, Toronto-based Writer & Editor, and Editor-in-Chief of CommuterLit.com. Nancy tells us about the beginnings of CommuterLit, gives poignant advice to new writers, and shares resources for writers such as the CommuterLit Writing Circle.

Nancy, you have a lot of editing experience. Can you share your number one tip for budding writers looking to get published?

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Story Reviews

Home is Where the Heart is. Commentary on Abigail Oswald’s “Camp for Sad Girls”

Pauline Shen

It’s that overpowering, unshakable feeling that disrupts any possible elation. Even when you’re in the brightest, most sensory-stimulating, and enriching place, homesickness sets in. Oh, summer camp. How we hate to love you. But we all do.

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