Special Feature

How to Get Back Into Writing

Ratika Deshpande Last year, while I wrote a lot, I also went through long phases where I couldn’t find the time to write, or didn’t feel like writing, until the state of not-having-written became too much to bear. When I did sit down to write, I couldn’t. The built-up frustration of the time away from my…
Issue Six Hundred Twenty Five Special Feature

Writing Advice I Ignore But Still Pretend to Follow

By Sabyasachi Roy Writing advice, ah. So full of wisdom. So universally agreed upon. So… annoying. Don’t get me wrong—I respect the craft. I admire the dedication. But some of the so-called golden rules of writing? Yeah, I nod along, then go home and do the exact opposite. And somehow, miraculously, the universe does not…
Issue Six Hundred Twenty Four Special Feature

Am I A Writer or Just a Person Who Owns Too Many Notebooks?

By Sabyasachi Roy At what point does an obsession with buying notebooks become a cry for help? Because if owning stacks of untouched Moleskines made you a writer, my bookshelf alone would have penned a Pulitzer by now. And yet, here I am, staring at another blank page, wondering if I actually write or just…
Issue Six Hundred Twenty Three Special Feature

10 Magazines Accepting Authors Interviews

These magazines publish various types of author interviews. They accept either pitches or direct submissions. They’re a mix of literary and genre magazines. All of them also accept other genres, like fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry. As always, please read the relevant section in the magazine to get a sense of the kind of work…
Issue Six Hundred Twenty Two Special Feature

How Six Scribes Made Me a Better Writer

By Alice J. Wisler Even though I was happy to see the notice on the library bulletin board, I didn’t realize how much it would contribute to my writing success. Someone wanted to know if others in our area were interested in forming a writers’ group. I jotted down the number to call. Weeks later,…
Issue Six Hundred Twenty Two Special Feature

Writing Effective Flashbacks: Seamlessly Integrating Backstory

By Sabyasachi Roy Flashbacks can be one of the greatest storytelling tools. But there is a catch (there always is, isn’t there). A flashback, as a misused literary tool, is one of the easiest ways to completely wreck a narrative. See, you have to use it well to add depth, emotion, and intrigue. If you…
Issue Six Hundred Twenty One Special Feature

Lessons From a Writer and Her Rejections

By Melissa Witcher With over 100 literary magazine rejections in the past two years, I am quite familiar with being not quite the right fit. I’ve always been a misfit so it makes sense that my writing career would follow suit. Many famous people, quite successful, have written about rejection in poetic and useful ways….
Issue Six Hundred Twenty Special Feature

5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in April 2025

These magazines pay for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They’re a mix of literary and genre magazines. Not all are open through the month. CutleafThis is the journal of EastOver Press. They are open now for literary fiction (including excerpts) and nonfiction. Poetry is closed.Deadline: 15 April 2025 for fiction and nonfictionLength: Up to 4,000 words…
Issue Six Hundred Nineteen Special Feature

How to Play The Subtext Game with Your Dialogue

By Sabyasachi Roy Writing dialogue can feel like a balancing act. If you use too much, you run the risk of overloading the reader. Too little leaves them perplexed. Finding the sweet spot where something magical occurs is difficult, and frequently it all comes down to what you choose not to say. Subtext—those delicious layers…
Issue Six Hundred Nineteen Special Feature

Brewing the First Line of a Poem: Starting Strong with Memorable Openings

By Sabyasachi Roy Brewing the first line of a poem is like pouring the perfect pint—too flat, and no one sticks around; too much foam, and it’s all fluff. But nail it? A friend of mine was called the Yeats of happy hour, for he could pour the perfect pint. The same goes for making…
Issue Six Hundred Fifteen Special Feature

3 Simple Ways to Increase Your Word Count and Finish Your Book

By Delaney Diamond I’m a full-time romance author, and I can tell you that writing full-time means I regularly generate story ideas. So many ideas, in fact, that I have a file where I list them and drop notes for future books. Though I’m excited by many of those stories and can usually get started…
Issue Six Hundred Fourteen Special Feature

Navigating Revision and Editing Without Losing Your Voice

By Sabyasachi Roy Imagine you are writing a draft. Putting your thoughts out into the world. Raw and unfiltered—a little messy, slightly little chaotic, but undeniably yours. Now comes editing, and this is where the real magic happens. Or, let’s be honest, this is where your manuscript risks turning into a lifeless, over-polished chore. How…
Issue Six Hundred Thirteen Special Feature

An Argument for Short Stories

“Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.’ — Ray Bradbury “A good [short story] would take me out of myself and then stuff me back in, outsized, now, and uneasy with the fit.” -David Sedaris Writers who are serious about improving and developing their…
Issue Six Hundred Twelve Special Feature

Building a Writing Career from Small Wins

By Sabyasachi Roy Writing careers are not made overnight. Almost no one starts by landing a book deal with Random House or, for that matter, scoring a column in The New York Times. It is about piecing together a mosaic of small wins. Most successful writers had to follow this labored path — tiny, unimpressive…
Issue Six Hundred Eleven Special Feature

Writing in the Age of Short Attention Spans: Crafting Stories that Stick

By Sabyasachi Roy Let’s start with the elephant in the room, a.k.a. to the point: people don’t have the patience for long-winded setups anymore. Like it or not, we are in the middle of a world of endless swipes, dings, and dopamine hits. This presents a high-stakes challenge, especially for writers, how do you keep…
Issue Five Hundred Sixty Nine Issue Six Hundred Nine Special Feature

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