The Routines of Successful Writers

I have always been fascinated by the routines and daily schedules of other writers and artists. Writing is not a job with hours or even deadlines, unless you count the self-imposed ones. There is so much self discipline involved in being a dedicated writer. Some of my friends write best in bars, others measure their…

Writing Prompt: The Happy Funeral

There are lots of words people use to describe funerals, although rarely do any of those words have positive connotations. Your challenge today is to write about a funeral. But you can’t use any of the following words: Sad, dour, mad, upset, crying, sobbing, grieving, angry, dark, black, rain, or tombstone. The tone of your…

The Five Best Literary Journals Re-Opening This Month

In February many journals are opening their doors to submissions. Some of these journals have only been closed for a month, others have been closed for over six months. February’s list of five journals includes two of my favorite literary journals. 1. A Cappella Zoo A Cappella Zoo is a journal of magic realism that…

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On Becoming an Author

1au·thor noun \ˈȯ-thər\ : a person who has written something; especially : a person who has written a book or who writes many books : a person who starts or creates something (such as a plan or idea) (From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) I receive emails all the time asking me what it means to be…

Review of Danse Macabre

Most of the journals we have been reviewing lately accept very few creative works; most only accept around 1% or less of the work submitted to them. When you are first starting out, sometimes you just want to get your name out there and have your work published. Danse Macabre accepts almost 70% of the…

Writing Prompt: 50/50

Some writers pepper their books with dialogue, some rarely add any dialogue: Conversations are mostly recapped, and they don’t actually happen live. I love dialogue. You can add wit to an otherwise dull section of the book with dialogue, and you can give a character more dimension through the words they choose to say out…

Review of Lightspeed

Lightspeed is an established monthly electronic publisher of science fiction and fantasy writing. Many of the works that have been published there have gone on to be nominated for prestigious genre awards, including the Hugo and Nebulla awards. They pay their authors 8 cents a word and publish stories of up to 7,500 words in…

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Quote of the Week

Why a Writer Must also Be a Salesperson

You’re a writer, just like I am. Perhaps you’ve always known you had a natural talent for grammar and an ear for tone and flow. When your English teacher was diagramming sentences, you just knew what was correct; not because you could name all the parts of speech, but because your intuition told you where…

Writing Prompt: Rear Window

Rear Window is a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie. It stars Jimmy Stewart as a professional photographer stuck in his tiny New York apartment because of an accident. He has very little to do all day, which has turned him into a watcher. The rear window of his apartment faces a courtyard where he can see…

Whiskey Island Review

Whiskey Island Review is a non-profit literary magazine that has been published by students of Cleveland State University for over 30 years. They accept original poetry, prose, and art submissions during two reading periods. They publish two issues a year. They are established, respected, and produce wonderful print issues. Whiskey Island Review accepts less than…

3 Ways Promote Yourself As A Writer (Even When You Don’t Want To)

“Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”  ― John Green As an introvert, a writer, and a very reluctant self-promoter, this quote has always struck me as being particularly profound. Not just because of…

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