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Hope Springs Eternal: Hang on, Writers. We’re Almost There.

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WEBB

I stepped outside this morning and heard birdsong, smelled melting snow on the air, and noticed the sun felt slightly warmer. Spring is coming, and it couldn’t come at a better time. I hit a pandemic wall last week (I suspect many of you are experiencing similar feelings). The losses nationwide have been incredibly difficult, crippling for some, and to compound all of that, the restlessness has set in.

I’m done being indoors and I’m done being isolated. I’m done NOT seeing my friends and family, not seeing my writer friends. I want hugs and kisses and laughter. I crave inspiration that is difficult to find when your days look like Ground Hog Day.

But that lovely moment this morning got me to thinking about all of the hope on the horizon. The way it can come in the smallest of ways and in the smallest of places, so I thought I’d share it with you. [Read more…]

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Learning to Say No Thanks: Standing up for Your Creative Vision

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Please welcome new contributor Kasey LeBlanc to the Writer Unboxed team! From his bio: Kasey LeBlanc (he/him) is a graduate of Harvard College and of GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator program, where he was an Alice Hoffman Fellow. He has been published by WBUR’s Cognoscenti and was a finalist in 2018 for the Boston Public Library’s Writer-in-Residence Position. He is currently revising his Novel Incubator manuscript, a young adult novel about a closeted trans teenage boy, Catholic school, and a … [Read more...]

How to Find Anything in Scrivener 3

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Scrivener excels at helping you visualize your story’s structure, and at keeping your manuscript and supporting materials organized. But, sometimes you still need to search for something. Whether it’s a scene you misplaced while trying to move it, the details of a conversation between two characters, or the main character’s boss’s eye color, Scrivener makes it easy to find what you need. Here are three easy ways to search within your project. Searching the Entire Project In Scrivener 3, … [Read more...]

Fiction Writing Contests Worth Your Time in Spring 2021

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Welcome to another writing contest roundup. How are your 2021 goals and resolutions? I recently crossed over 500 rejections and started the year strong with four publications—a young arson story in Down & Out: The Magazine, a pair of contrasting flash fiction pieces in MacQueen’s Quinterly, and a quiet flash about balconies in the debut issue of Nevermore Journal. Every season is a chance to try something new. This contest submissions season covers deadlines from March 1, 2021 through May … [Read more...]

Take Five: Sonja Yoerg and The Family Ship

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Please give a warm welcome to our dear Sonja Yoerg today as she discusses her forthcoming novel The Family Ship, releasing February 23rd. Thank you for joining us today, Sonja, and congrats! Sonja Yoerg grew up in Stowe, Vermont, where she financed her college education by waitressing at the Trapp Family Lodge. She earned a Ph.D. in biopsychology from the University of California, Berkeley and wrote a nonfiction book about animal intelligence, Clever as a Fox (Bloomsbury USA, 2001). She has … [Read more...]

Confessions of a Conflict-Avoidant Writer

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Please welcome WU's newest contributor, Kelsey Allagood, whose powerhouse guest post--What Gandhi Taught Me About Telling Stories that Mean Something--you may recall! Kelsey's background as a political analyst specializing in the genesis of war and oppression informs her writing, which is part of the reason today's post is so interesting: What does a writer who focuses on war and oppression in some parts of her life do when she can't seem to bring conflict to the page? Welcome, Kelsey! We're so … [Read more...]

The Case for Kindness

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'The Darkness Calms Down in Space' A podcast is not many journalists' favorite medium. Why? You can't search it. If you know that a person has said something in a podcast but you have no time code to tell you when in the tape that comment popped up, you're left scrubbing back and forth, trying to find the quote you need. So it is that I'm looking forward to the release today at noon of the transcript of a new podcast conversation with Ezra Klein at The New York Times. He's talking with the … [Read more...]

Flog a Pro: Would You Pay to Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?

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Trained by reading hundreds of submissions, editors and agents often make their read/not-read decision on the first page. In a customarily formatted book manuscript with chapters starting about 1/3 of the way down the page (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point type), there are 16 or 17 lines on the first page. Here’s the question: Would you pay good money to read the rest of the chapter? With 50 chapters in a book that costs $15, each chapter would be “worth” 30 cents. So, before you read … [Read more...]

Twenty Authors Talk About the Second Time Around Part 1: The External Experience

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Like firstborn children, debut novels get a lot of attention. I’m a firstborn myself, as well as the first grandchild in a cohort of twelve, and I’ve always liked the role. But what about second novels? I’d heard about the “sophomore slump”—the letdown and diminished interest, from friends as well as the media, in a second book. I’d also heard that a second book is easier because the process isn’t quite so unknown; experience can bring clarity, confidence, and manageable emotions. Both … [Read more...]

Keeping it Real

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One of the more baffling problems I see with my clients is that they’re not keeping their writing real. Their stories might be full of tension and clever plot twists, their characters people I might like to know, but their writing is not rooted in life. This problem most often shows up in descriptions. Their characters’ hair is “silky,” or wool socks “scratchy.” Hearts “pound,” muscles “ripple,” eyelids “flutter.” Sunsets “glow” or rain “pours.” They are simply writing the sorts of things that … [Read more...]

Why We Need Tragic Stories, Now More Than Ever

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Well, I just finished another revision pass on my WIP. This one was for the final edition of a trilogy, and revising the ending has really gotten me thinking. Not just about the story. It’s also made me take a look at myself—at who I am as a storyteller, and how this process has changed me. As well as how my story and I reflect the times and fit into the world around me. Before I go on, I’m going to offer a mild potential spoiler warning to anyone who plans on someday reading my upcoming … [Read more...]

A Writing Conference for All Levels of Writers

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Are you looking for a quality conference that helps writers on all levels move closer to their publishing goals? Do your objectives include instruction from respected professionals within the industry, an opportunity to pitch to agents and editors, and discussions with successful writers who have experience and knowledge? How about options to participate either in-person or virtually? Look no further! The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference—May 30 through June 3 is for … [Read more...]

Desmond’s Drops: February Edition

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Please welcome new Writer Unboxed contributor Desmond Hall to Writer Unboxed today! Desmond pitched a drops-of-wisdom-via-videos idea to us that we just loved, and we think you will, too. You'll see him here once a month from now on, and each of his posts will offer three of Desmond's "drops." Desmond's debut YA novel, YOUR CORNER DARK, released just a few weeks ago. He has a rich history as a teacher, a counselor, an award-winning playwright and filmmaker/director, Superbowl-commercial writer, … [Read more...]

The Unique Structure of the Love Story

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Given that Valentine’s Day is this Sunday, I thought I would post something I use in my Litreactor classes concerning how to stage the conflict in a love story. I find the usual gladiatorial implications of the word “conflict” all too often lead writers astray, making them think of the loved one as the opponent or antagonist in the conventional sense, which creates more confusion than clarity. So, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, allow me to offer you this little gift… ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Love … [Read more...]