Category: Candid Talks

Spend some time learning about the author Pauline Shen as she discusses topics related to the writing life, creativity, and getting published.

Candid Talks, Writing

How to Choose a Literary Journal …for Submitting Your Work

Pauline Shen

If you’re writing for publication, you need to know where your work will fit. After you’ve written a short story (or poem, or nonfiction piece…), you’ll need to send it somewhere. But where? Do you simply send your work to any and all journals that have an open submission call?

Or should you devote some time to reading current literary journals? It is a good idea to look for the best fit for your writing, so you ought to consider reading a selection of journals first. Now wait… there are so many literary journals out there! So, to avoid being overwhelmed I’ve developed a system to help narrow the field when you’re just starting out. It goes like this:

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Candid Talks, Writing

Giving Feedback

Pauline Shen

How much criticism is too much to give a writer? Is there such a thing?

This question always comes up in writer’s forums, particularly for those who are participating in a writing contest involving peer feedback. How do you go about offering an anonymous critique to an unknown writer for a piece that was written and submitted within a time crunch? Do you take it easy and focus on positives? Or should you comb through it and scrutinize every possible aspect? If a happy medium exists, is it fair to aim for that?

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Candid Talks, Writing

Journaling

Pauline Shen
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Up to now, the longest I’ve maintained a personal journal was when I was ages nine through twelve. At that time, it was a little pocket diary and my entries consisted of one or maybe two phrases. In my adult years, I’ve attempted and abandoned journal writing several times over. When it came to starting one, I usually had an idea of what I wanted to write about, but then my stamina just didn’t click-in. Who wants to waste time sitting with a journal when there’s no shortage of other things to do?

Plus, when it comes to actually writing the journal entry, doesn’t it feel awkward like you’ve been forced to engage one of those wallflower kids at the school dance? Or worse, you’re the wallflower kid getting pulled into conversation? Eeek!

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Candid Talks, Writing

What’s Your Writing Process?

Pauline Shen

This question popped up on a writer’s forum and the concern was that smaller pieces such as short stories and micro fiction seem to pose much more difficulty for a writer due to their condensed nature. As a writer, what is your process for micro fiction? Do you keep an eye on the word count while drafting, or do you plod ahead with an idea and cut back later? When you’re trimming the piece, how do you know what to chop and what to retain? Isn’t it a struggle to make those decisions?

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Candid Talks, Writing

Should You Pay Submission Fees?

Pauline Shen

If you agree to pay a fee for your work to be considered for publication, how much is too much? Is a couple bucks okay? What about if that “couple bucks” is listed in a foreign currency and so is actually more like five dollars? What if there are added feedback charges, or if the journal presents you with a tip jar option? Does the prospect of paying submission fees motivate you to produce higher quality work? Or do you submit the same work that you’d send a place that doesn’t charge?

So many questions! In this article, I’ll talk about areas where a writer may be asked to fork out cash just for work to be taken into consideration. I’ll also include some tips to help you navigate the submission process without having to pay fees and while being alert for signs of potential scams.

Literary Journals

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Candid Talks

Acknowledgements – Do you read them?

Pauline Shen

When you read a novel, do you also read the acknowledgements that the author has included with the book? This question has been bouncing around social media, and I have a few points to share on the topic of acknowledgements. Whether you read them or not, there is a purpose behind this part of the book.

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Candid Talks, Writing

What’s the point …of Submitting to Literary Journals?

Pauline Shen

I saw this question on a discussion forum some time ago, and thought it was a good one. The person who posed it was just starting out as a writer and unsure about navigating all the different publication outlets. Should a writer invest time and resources in short stories and micro fiction for the purpose of submitting to journals? Is this a wise choice for a writer whose ultimate goal is to finish a novel? Can you make a living from submitting smaller works of fiction? What, really, is the point of having your work appear in those little journals anyways? Why not just go for the full manuscript from the beginning and skip all the rest?

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Candid Talks

Making Room for Reading

Pauline Shen

Reading is an imperative activity for a writer. Tackle that unread pile! I’ve got three tips to share that will help you make more room in your week for reading. When you see my explanation for each, you’ll notice that all three tips meld into each other like one super-hack. I hope this will assist you in reaching your reading goals.

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Candid Talks, Writing

Why Participate in Writing Contests?

Pauline Shen

You many have noticed that there are a lot of writing contests. You can find lists of upcoming ones in places like Dreamers Magazine or the Funds for Writers website. Some magazines, like Blank Spaces, run a regular quarterly write prompt contest. Many literary journals will simply run a contest for the purpose of fundraising and/or as a method to boost publicity for the volunteer judge(s). There are even third-parties, such as Writing Battle, that specialize in supporting emerging and established writers with very specific prompt-driven, time-limited tournaments.

Each one of these contests is unique in how it handles theme, prompts, judging, awarding “prizes,” and so forth. Entering your work in a writing contest can be beneficial. Depending on the individual contest, you can make great strides by getting involved. Here’s what I mean:

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Candid Talks, Nonfiction

Three Cures for a Book Hangover

Pauline Shen

If you’re a reader, then you might have experienced this situation. You’re so entranced by a book’s plot or characters that it draws you in and touches the very depths of your being. You never want this adventure to end, but eventually you finish the final page and close the book with a tear in your eye. “Alas, no other book will live up to this one!” You’ve just developed a book hangover. It’s real.

The thing is, you’ll have to get over it eventually. But it’s such a conundrum. What to read next? How to move forward in the world, le sigh. There’s a plethora of advice out there about book hangovers, and most of it isn’t all that helpful. “Select another book and start reading it.” Duh! But how? So in this post, I’m sharing my top three go-to options to cure a book hangover. Hope it helps.

Here’s my Big Three:

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