Is The Novel Dead?

Is The Novel Dead?

Lately I’ve been keeping these columns short. Buuuut I figured you all might be in the mood to think about something other than death. Human death, anyway. And I figured you might have some time to kill, whether that’s because you’re sitting at home and getting paid or sitting at home because you’re laid off. Let’s think about something else for a bit.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

Why I'm Writing Poetry Again: A Celebration of National Poetry Day

Why I'm Writing Poetry Again: A Celebration of National Poetry Day

Photo by Karis Rogerson

I’ve been a poet almost as long as I’ve been a person who breathes.

Not an acclaimed poet; not even a published poet; but a poet nonetheless, someone who finds solace and freedom in playing with words, in language too pretty for prose, in different structures and stanzas and formats.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

How To Help Out Writers During A Pandemic (and How Writers Can Help Themselves)

How To Help Out Writers During A Pandemic (and How Writers Can Help Themselves)

One may assume that us writers have it the easiest during a nationwide pandemic that calls for social distancing and working from home. To a degree, we are lucky, given that our careers require nothing more that click-clacking away on computers or typewriters all day, and so many of us are introverts anyway, that don't socialize even when there isn't a virulent upper-respiratory infection sweeping across the world.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

The Strange Case of Hazel Drew

The Strange Case of Hazel Drew

Hazel Drew’s lifeless body was found floating in Teal’s Pond in Sand Lake, NY, on July 11th, 1908. She was young, attractive, and her violent demise baffled many. Over a century later her murder is still unsolved. All that remains is her gravestone at the Brookside Cemetery in Barberville, NY, not far from the scene of the crime. The autopsy revealed the cause of death to be repeated blunt trauma to the back of the head.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

The Most Interesting Cover Trends That Emerged in 2019 — And What We Can Expect in 2020

The Most Interesting Cover Trends That Emerged in 2019 — And What We Can Expect in 2020

As 2019 recedes from our collective memory, it’s easy to forget the trends that defined it, from fashion to film to food. Naturally this applies to literature as well — and it can be especially difficult to pin down cover design trends of a given year, as they tend to evolve gradually and may even re-emerge after long periods of dormancy.

Indeed, any seasoned cover designer will recognize that no cover design is 100% new. However, each year there will be certain colors, shapes, and textual arrangements that “has its day,” so to speak.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

Storyville: Using a Chorus in Your Fiction

Storyville: Using a Chorus in Your Fiction

Chorus defined:

A Greek chorus, or simply chorus (in the context of Ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, and modern works inspired by them), is a homogeneous, non-individualized group of performers, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action. The chorus consisted of between 12 and 50 players, who variously danced, sang or spoke their lines in unison, and sometimes wore masks.

—Wikipedia

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

Stay Positive, and Write

Stay Positive, and Write

Images via Andrea Piacquadio & Ivan Bertolazzi

According to the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center, positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that allow people and their communities to thrive. The field of positive psychology is based on the understanding that we all want to live lives that are meaningful, and that we all want to be able to do what is best for ourselves to enhance and optimize our life experiences. 

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

20 Mind Destroying Secrets about Ghostwriting

20 Mind Destroying Secrets about Ghostwriting

Images via Jimmy Chan & fotografierende

You might not like this article if you still believe every successful author writes his or her own books. Most of you know better. Some of you may even know people who ghostwrite. You may know people who have used ghostwriters, but you may or may not be aware of who they are.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

Spring Cleaning For Writers

Spring Cleaning For Writers

Ah, spring. Nothing like sweating under your coat one day and freezing your junk off the next. Pollen in your nostrils, flu in your eyes. It’s really the perfect preparation for the worst time of year: summer, the suckiest season of all the sucky seasons. Don’t fight me on this.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.

How to Get Paid as a Freelancer

How to Get Paid as a Freelancer

Original image via uglykittens.crew

Okay, so you're a freelancer. I feel your pain! I've been doing the freelance thing for a dozen years. I started writing for blogs that didn't pay and worked my way up to what you're currently reading, as well as places like Publishers Weekly and NPR. I've learned a lot along the way, especially in terms of getting paid. I will give you some pointers below. Some are more serious than others, but all of them will be useful to you.

To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account.