Stephanie M. Wytovich, MFA

Dear Charlotte Perkins Gilman

An open letter to Charlotte Perkins Gilman that reflects on postpartum and her story "The Yellow Wallpaper."
Stephanie M. Wytovich, MFA

Dear Anne Sexton

An open letter to Anne Sexton on her birthday.
Stephanie M. Wytovich, MFA

Dear Emily Dickinson

A haunting open letter to the influential American poet.
Autumn Christian

How to Write Authentic Fiction

How to write authentic fiction that resonates with other people.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Writing Horror in a Post-Covid World

How do you write dark fiction in a post-Covid world? Be a phoenix, rising from the ashes.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Living Vicariously Through Our Fiction

Some thoughts on how and why we live through our stories and protagonists.
Autumn Christian

How to Write Edgy Fiction Without Being Obnoxious

Edgy fiction is difficult to pull off - and requires a depth and understanding of history, literature, and yourself. It's not about repeating what's been done before. It's about expanding it.
Joshua Isard

Improve Your Stories By Eliminating Agendas

The agendas with which you approach your story might be holding the narrative back.

Clarity vs. Experimentation: A Letter To Myself

Does your work have a worthwhile story underneath the experiment? In other words, are you going to pay off the work a reader does to understand what’s going on?
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Activities to Feed Your Dark Creative Soul Around Halloween

A few ideas on how to tap into your inner darkness, as we approach Halloween.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Love in Fiction

How to write about love in your fiction.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: 10 Ways to Fool Your Readers

Ten tips for the best ways to fool your readers.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Fiction As Film—Writing Scenes That Are Visual

How can your fiction be as visual and engrossing as a film? Here are some suggestions.
Chuck Palahniuk

Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs

You've always heard the maxim, "Show, don't tell..." but almost no writing teacher ever explains... How. Discover how to strengthen your prose by unpacking abstract and static verbs into descriptive action.
Stephen Graham Jones

Ten Obvious Truths About Fiction

Ten obvious truths about fiction and its relationship with your readers.
Chuck Palahniuk

Beware the ‘Thesis Statement’

In: Abstracts
Abstract and summarizing lead statements feel natural to journalism and academic writing, but will suck the life from your fiction. Learn to unpack and rearrange these abstractions for greater effect.