“It was a dark and stormy night…” Everybody knows this opening line. It’s famous, infamous, and considered terribly, terribly cliché by the average creative writing professor. But did you know that it inspired one of the more popular annual writing contests, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest? It’s a contest where the (intentionally) worst written opening sentenceContinue reading “#1 Writing Contest Everybody Must Submit To Before They Die”
Tag Archives: while you wait
The Writer’s Curse: You Can Never Stop Working
If you’re a writer, you know that you’re doomed. Doomed to a life of eternally working. Time off from the day job just means you have more time to write, more time dedicated to being chained to your desk and the invisible spiderweb deadlines that you construct for yourself. Maybe I’m just speaking for myself,Continue reading “The Writer’s Curse: You Can Never Stop Working”
Even Ernest Hemingway Got Rejection Letters
To make you all feel a bit better about your most recent rejection letters, to keep you amused while you wait for some more rejection letters, and to encourage you to ignore those rejection letters and keep submitting your short stories and manuscripts anyway, I thought I’d provide a link to this rather hilarious articleContinue reading “Even Ernest Hemingway Got Rejection Letters”
Learning the Nuts and Bolts to Getting Your Book Published
This is my understanding of the process and, thus, how I’m going about it personally. Any disagreements? Got any suggestions to add? 1. Write the Book The whole thing. Agents and publishers are only interested in completed fiction. They want to know the final word count and they want to start working on the projectContinue reading “Learning the Nuts and Bolts to Getting Your Book Published”
It’s Not All Over: Go to the Harry Potter Exhibit!
Well I’ve got some good announcements and some bad announcements. The NYU Summer Publishing Institute officially ended on Friday and I graduated with a Certificate in Publishing (yey me!). Good news: with the institute over, I will now have time to be regular with my blog posts yet again. Bad news, though, is that the reason I’llContinue reading “It’s Not All Over: Go to the Harry Potter Exhibit!”
Reading Material, Including a Little Known Harry Potter Short Story
Every once in a while I need to step away from my latest creative writing project and get some fresh perspective on the craft. On Writing by Stephen King I’m not a huge fan of Stephen King–I know, I know, this fact outrages a lot of people–or his writing style, this book included. I wasContinue reading “Reading Material, Including a Little Known Harry Potter Short Story”
What to Expect While Submitting to the Owl Eye Review and Palooka
I’m a strong believer in simultaneous submissions. So I’ve had this creative non-fiction short story, “What To Expect While Grieving for Your Father” that I’ve been submitting around multiple places for a month or so. It’s gotten three rejection letters–from New Delta Review, Owl Eye Review, and Palooka–and today [drum roll please!] I was notifiedContinue reading “What to Expect While Submitting to the Owl Eye Review and Palooka”
The “Writing What You Know” Rule is Baloney
A lot of you writers are probably throwing up your arms in disagreement at my sacrilegious statement. But honestly, fiction writing would be really boring if authors strictly stuck to writing only what they know. Books wouldn’t portray fantasy creatures that they concocted because they never experienced meeting one themselves. Can you imagine how awfulContinue reading “The “Writing What You Know” Rule is Baloney”
J.K. Rowling is Writing a New Harry Potter Book!
J.K. Rowling just started up a website, Pottermore. She’s going to make a surprise announcement in 4 days. Who else is super excited?! This announcement came at the perfect time, just as the depression was starting to set in that the last part of the last movie is coming out. Well, at least, IContinue reading “J.K. Rowling is Writing a New Harry Potter Book!”
Healing From Rejection
For those of you feeling a little bummed about a recent rejection letter, I recommend you check this out. Learning to accept rejection is imperative for any writer. Most writers realize this quickly. Or they make the mistake of self-publishing (guilty as charged). But one important aspect of rejection that many do not consider isContinue reading “Healing From Rejection”
Hannah Karena Jones 