Tag: Advice for Writers

Interviews

Interview with Galen Gower

Pauline Shen

In this post, we’re hearing from Galen Gower, writer and founder of Toad Shade Zine based in Memphis TN. Galen tells us about his creative process, shares his wisdom on incorporating feedback to develop as a creative writer, and gives us a sneak peek at an upcoming publishing venture.

Galen, you’ve started a Zine! What inspired you to launch the independent magazine, Toad Shade Zine? Tell us how it’s been going so far.

I literally decided I wanted to do a zine, bought the domain, blundered through making the website, and started sharing the submission call all in about three hours. I started out not telling anyone it was me doing it in case I really pet the rabbit with it, but it turned out pretty well.

I mentioned this in the second submission call, but the world really is full of things because people decide to do them and decide not to let fear or common sense stop them. I’ve never let not knowing what I’m doing stop me. Sometimes the results are disastrous, of course, but I’d rather go down swinging, you know?

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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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Interviews

Interview with S.A. McNaughton

Pauline Shen

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.

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Interviews

Interview with Seralynn Lewis

Pauline Shen

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?

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Candid Talks, Nonfiction, Writing

Purrfect Prose

Pauline Shen

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.

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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:

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Interviews

Interview with Cheryl Kramarczyk

Pauline Shen

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.

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Candid Talks, Nonfiction, Writing

Writers: Don’t Make this Mistake! Avoiding copyright issues through original wording

Pauline Shen

I remember when my family purchased our first home computer. I spent my evenings getting on the web through dial-up. Back then I would wait for what seemed like eons for websites to load. I was logging-on to chat networks long before instant messaging was a thing. If a family member needed the telephone, it meant logging-off and using the computer without internet—an impossible proposition these days. An offline PC meant playing 3D Pinball while listening to music on my radio.

Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

The main reason my parents purchased the computer was to enrich my ability to complete homework and so I could learn about the looming technical age first hand. They knew jobs in the future would involve a computer. Pre-Y2K, this preparation meant learning how to touch-type on the keyboard. We didn’t have a fancy typing program. I simply looked for opportunities to practice. Like when you’re learning a language, it’s a good idea to seek out social situations to engage in speaking it.

Once my fingers got used to the keyboard layout, the next challenge was speed. How did I train this? While listening to tunes, I typed out the song lyrics as I heard them. It was fun! The result? I was one of few students in my secondary school who could type over 70 words per minute. My teachers used to say that it was possible to earn a few bucks on the side by typing essays and such. Great prospect—never happened.

Thanks to my parents’ foresight, in the 25 years since then I’ve placed my touch-typing skills toward a range of personal, academic, and professional endeavours. It’s a skill I use daily. Have I continued typing song lyrics? Well, no. Let’s hold on to that thought for a minute.

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Interviews

Interview with Jordan Blum

Pauline Shen

Jordan Blum, founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Bookends Review, holds an MFA in fiction and teaches composition at several colleges/universities. He’s published creative and/or scholarly pieces in several magazines, journals, and collections. Beyond that, he’s a former Features Editor at PopMatters and a past or present contributor to Grammy.com, Metal Injection, PROG, Consequence, WhatCulture, Loudwire, The Prog Report, and Kerrang! Finally, his three books (On Track: Jethro Tull, On Track: Opeth, and On Track: Dream Theater), were published by Sonicbond Publishing.

Jordan, you’re the Editor-in-Chief of The Bookends Review. What has been the most surprising thing about managing this online magazine?

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Interviews

Interview with Alyssa Bushell

Pauline Shen

In this post, we’ll be hearing from Alyssa Bushell, mystery novel author, blogger, and baker. Alyssa is a Canadian writer located at Lake Huron in Southern Ontario. In this interview, Alyssa shares an overview of her story writing process, publication history, and some advice for fellow aspiring writers.

Your fiction has been published in journals such as Reckon Review and LEON Literary Review. How long did it take before you started receiving acceptance letters for your work? And has publication changed how you view your own writing?

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Candid Talks, Nonfiction, Writing

On Time

Pauline Shen

The speech I delivered in eighth grade was all about time. It even included a line from the Alan Parsons song “Time.” I had gotten the idea from helping my teacher referee basketball games. It was my job to hold the stopwatch and call out, “Time!” at the end of each period. It was less pressure than being the score keeper, that’s for sure!

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That memory surfaced while brainstorming ideas for marking time in narrative. The objective is to move away from exact data measurements and dive deeper to reach the reader on an emotional level. This can apply to fiction, but can also be creatively incorporated into memoir. Sometimes using a numerical measurement just does not do enough to convey meaning. I mean, is it a story or a textbook? Yikes!

For example, “He started high school in 1997,” would be an accurate statement but falls flat. If the narrator marks the time with a scene, this same information could be told like:

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