David S. Atkinson is one of the finest people in the indie literary community today. While the community on the whole is friendly and supportive, David takes support to a whole new level. If you are friends with him on Facebook, you can be certain that he will read every story you post, and he … Continue reading Speed Reading with David S. Atkinson
Characterizing History: Writing Historical Figures as Interesting Characters (Guest Blog by Sean Munger)
A special thanks to Sean Munger for providing his insightful thoughts on writing historical characters into fiction. This is something I have never done successfully, and I think Sean's thoughts here are quite helpful. Characterizing History: Writing Historical Figures as Interesting Characters by Sean Munger If, like me, you’re drawn to using the … Continue reading Characterizing History: Writing Historical Figures as Interesting Characters (Guest Blog by Sean Munger)
The Value of a Guest Post
Anyone who maintains a blog that consists primarily of words knows how hard it can be to constantly come up with new posts. Even more difficult, of course, is finding the time to write a new post every week (or whatever your blog schedule may be). This is especially challenging for fiction writers who would … Continue reading The Value of a Guest Post
Matthew Ankeny: Conversation with a Flash Novelist
Today is the official release date of the very first flash novel from Bartleby Snopes Press. We are incredibly proud to release Matthew Ankeny's The Rink. This is a beautiful story that really captures the essence of humanity. Here's the official synopsis of this terrific book: "Life pauses for no one, and Kay and Sandi feel … Continue reading Matthew Ankeny: Conversation with a Flash Novelist
Are Writing Contests Worth Entering
Thus far in my writing career, I have been the lucky victor of four writing contests, earning a grand total of $155 ($50 of which was in Amazon gift cards, one of which was never delivered). None of these were fee-based contests. I haven't entered a lot of fee-based contests, but I know I'm 0 … Continue reading Are Writing Contests Worth Entering
How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Magazines
As a writer, I've written hundreds of stories and sent out thousands of submissions. I've been fortunate enough to have over two hundred stories published, but part of this fortune is the result of hard work and a thorough understanding of the submission process. When I was a new writer, I didn't have a clue … Continue reading How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Magazines
Dear Duotrope: It’s Not You, It’s Me
One of the many challenges of being a writer is finding the right places to send completed work. Luckily, there are many resources available. Unfortunately, not all of these resources are free. At the end of 2012, I posted a three-part series evaluating what I thought were the three main components of Duotrope's Digest. The … Continue reading Dear Duotrope: It’s Not You, It’s Me
The Secret Lives of Writers
The other day, our campus security guard watched me enter a room wearing a shirt and tie only to emerge moments later in running clothes. He said something about Superman as I ran by him. I waved and laughed at the idea. The truth is, I do live a secret life. My coworkers don't know. … Continue reading The Secret Lives of Writers
Welcome to the Monster Opera: Chatting with Nancy Stohlman About Relationships, Writing, and Flashing
A few months ago, Bartleby Snopes Press announced its call for Flash Novels. This was an idea that had been brewing in my mind for a couple years, but I wasn't quite sure how to do it. When the idea for Flash Novels just wouldn't go away, I decided it was time to go for … Continue reading Welcome to the Monster Opera: Chatting with Nancy Stohlman About Relationships, Writing, and Flashing
Writing from the Heart
As a writer of fiction, it may seem easy to escape from reality, to hide behind the characters and the plots we imagine. For me especially, with my tendency to write absurd and bizarre and surreal stories. Surely there's no truth, no personal element, in a story about a boy born with hands made out … Continue reading Writing from the Heart