Have you tried to quit writing? Novelist and poet of the American lowlife, Charles Bukowski, thinks you should. But what the hell does he know? Bukowski’s poem “So You Want to Be a Writer?” tickles my rebellious streak. And thank goodness my rebellious streak is stronger than my perfectionistic fear of failing. Because nothing gets me […]
Fiction Writing
How NaNoWriMo Isn’t Really About Novels (And Why You Should Join Anyway)
Are you ready for this? Poise your pens and keyboards because November first is around the corner. Writers everywhere are already nodding along with me. Know why? Because it means National Novel Writing Month is finally (almost) here! If you don’t know what it is already, National Novel Writing Month—or NaNoWriMo as writers so lovingly […]
5 Paid Flash Fiction Magazines Taking Submissions Now
You heard that right. All of these flash fiction publications are paying. All of them accept submissions from unpublished writers. And all of them are accepting submissions right now. What are you waiting for? Get published! #1 Brevity About Brevity: Brevity is an online magazine publishing literary nonfiction in essay form. A few of their writers […]
3 Weird Legends for SciFi & Fantasy Writers
I get it. Dragons and wizards are great. But sometimes you want something different. So do agents and publishers. That’s what makes these international folklores so great. Folklore and myths explain the unknowable. They answer the never-ending “why” from knowledge-hungry children. They reassure us when we’re afraid, entertain us when we’re restless, and help us find meaning. Some myths—like […]
5 Smart Reasons to Write Flash Fiction
How do you tell a story in only 300 words? Ask a flash fiction writer. Flash fiction is like short fiction. Only shorter. These writers are the masters of brevity. The lords of implication. The gods of potent story telling. They’d have to be. Because, with only 300-1000 words to tell your tale, you have no words […]