Category: Blog

By Myli-Ann Goodine

Writing is a journey. It takes many steps from planning, getting ideas, fleshing out characters and plot, and more. Writing, in some capacity, includes a bit of the writer, whether it’s an experience from their own life, something they’ve observed in nature, or even experiences they’ve heard from other people. All of these ideas and experiences can be written down and saved for later use, creating a personal idea book for your writing in a journal. Journals are great sources to store your creativity without the need or worry for perfection.

Carrying around a journal, small or big, everywhere you go can help you capture ideas, find inspiration wherever you go. Even if it’s small, every idea is worth writing down for the future. It can spur new stories, or help you get out of a writer’s block. Multiple successful writers such as Virginia Woolf or Sylvia Plath kept journals. A quote from Woolf’s journal, “But what is more to the point is my belief that the habit of writing thus for my own eye only is good practice. It loosens the ligaments. Never mind the misses and the stumbles,” (A Writer’s Diary, Woolf, entry April 20th 1919) shows that journals are a good place to practice and get ideas down, without the troubles of mistakes you might focus on when writing.

Journaling also holds a lot of memories, and holds our past selves, which in themselves can create a story. For example, Anne Frank’s diary has become a staple in our history, and proves that diaries and journals can become stories, word for word, or not. They remind you of your ideas and what can become of them. Journals also remind us about how important memory is to our personalities. “I am made of memories,” a quote from The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, encompasses this idea. Our memories make us, and they can be stored in a journal, which we can look back at for inspiration. 

It is always a good idea to keep your ideas in one place. A journal can become a writer’s, artists, or journalist’s home for inspiration, your ideas, observations, anything that might help you in the future. It becomes a reservoir. It can make the smallest details or ideas look big and important, especially if you go back and reread those ideas in the future. There are no grammar, structure, or no rules in general when keeping a journal, which is why everyone should have to, to get your thoughts written down, even if they don’t seem relevant. Every small idea is important to your journey.

By: Roxy Gatchell

“The new generation of ____ is doomed.”  

You’ve probably heard something along those lines before. The new generation of teachers, students, writers, readers, and publishers – is doomed because of technological advancements that we hesitate to see as progress. Some say the Internet is destroying our reading comprehension and ability to think critically about media, while others worry about the declining use of published paper products.  

Amidst this digital panic, we focus on the repercussions of the online writing world rather than the benefits it brings to us. The Internet was created to be a toolset, not an obstacle. It is time we recognize the online space for what it is: a gift of adaptation to a new era of writing and publishing by providing accessibility, interaction, and creativity to its users.  

Accessibility 

The Internet provides a great deal of accessibility. It allows us to publish from the comfort of our homes, alleviating social anxiety and making editing easier. Anyone can make a blog post, submit work to a digital literary magazine or post on social media. We live in an era of convenience! Additionally, audio clips, videos, and closed captions allow one to interpret work despite disabilities or illnesses that can prevent them from visiting talent exhibitions.  

Interaction 

A commonly utilized gift of the Internet is interaction among readers and writers. The Internet boosts fandom interactions through fanfiction writing and participation in character and plot discussions. Drafting this article would not be possible without the opportunity to participate in Internet discourse, which allows us to critically analyze media alongside our peers. Online writing forums can be found anywhere, from published magazines to apps like Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, Coursera, Wattpad or Archive of Our Own. If you’re a writer, there’s a space on the Internet for you.  

Creativity 

Lastly, the Internet fosters creativity as it changes conventions and invents new mediums for self-expression. Video essays are a notable example of this; they require a polished script, performance, and editing skills. Additionally, interactive online magazines combine the knowledge of website creation with traditional writing and editing. The Internet also helps to eliminate writer’s block by executing challenging ways to incentivize writers, such as The Most Dangerous Writing App, an extension that encourages freewriting by deleting one’s content if one stops to think for too long. If you want to exercise your brain, there is no shortage of online resources. 

The Internet is daunting to many, but it certainly is not killing writing. Although the web will never be without its critics voicing their concerns about the state of literature, it is important to remember that every tool can be beneficial in moderation. With its ability to boost accessibility, interaction, and creativity, the Internet offers us a plethora of opportunities. Don’t be afraid to utilize online writing spaces and resources, for they only serve to elevate the skills you already have.

In the realm of creativity, possibly the most persistent question artists ask themselves is what will become of their legacy – what will it be that people see in the work they leave behind? The real reason anyone gets anything done is a question as timeless as art itself. It’s a query that delves beyond the overdone narrative of overachievements and success stories. The real reason is far more profound; it’s rooted in the very essence of why we create.

Speaking as a guest lecturer on video games at Aalto University, Davey Wreden talks about the innate contract within all of us — he describes it as “this contract inside you that tells you why you’re really making whatever it is that you’re making. Just as it was praise and validation for me, perhaps for you, it’s the need to prove yourself to someone who thinks you won’t make it. Or a self judgment that the only people that are valuable in this world are the people who are churning creative content all the time”. In an era where it might seem like nothing gets done anymore, the exploration of one’s legacy becomes not just a reflection on personal achievements, but a beacon guiding us through the intricacies of the creative process. Wreden continues to impart on the matter that “even though you didn’t get to decide whether to get this contract, you can decide how you get to respond to it if u keep asking yourself [questions]”.

As we navigate the vast landscape of artistic expression, we often find ourselves looking up to the enduring legacies left behind by iconic figures. Whether it’s the elegance of a songwriter, the enduring beauty of a painter’s eye, or the timelessness of a photographer, each artist’s body of work tells a unique story about their beliefs, philosophies, and the common motifs that shaped their creative journey.

In the world of music, Taylor Swift, for example, has taught young women to embrace girlhood and all the nuances of growing up through her incredible knack for storytelling. Paul Simon’s body of work reflects a musical chameleon who constantly ventured into unknown territories, re-energizing himself with new sounds and ideas constantly and bearing the fruits of a long prosperous career as a result. The music of Joni Mitchell reveals a toughness, resilience and an almost frightening show of vulnerability that had Kris Kristofferson famously advising her, “Save something for yourself, Joni!”. In the world of visual art, Van Gogh’s vibrant colors and swirling brushstrokes leads its audience to reflect on the tumultuous mental landscape of the painter, while Rembrandt’s mastery of light and shadow reveals a profound understanding of the human condition. The photography of Vivian Maier, a name almost entirely unknown in her time, captures the life of ordinary citizens of 1950s and 60s Chicago and New York in extravagant and unique ways. What is especially intriguing about Maier’s legacy is that she was almost completely unknown in her time — her body of work was discovered in 2007 by a historian who acquired a box for her negatives in an auction. She was never able to see the fruits of her labor — she was simply creating and capturing life for its own sake.

Their legacies transcend time, inspiring artists to explore the depths of their own creativity. Delving into a musical body of work is to step into their shoes and see life through their given lens — the intricacies of human relationships, a connection to nature, a search for identity and many other themes that may be communicated. Consider critically reflecting on your favorite artists and what concepts, ideas and messages can you take away from their body of work? Think about how each album or photograph or painting plays into the narrative of the larger picture. How can you look to these artists for inspiration with, not just your own art, but demeanor? What beliefs, philosophies, and common motifs do you see run through, again not just in your creative outlets, but in your way of life?

By: Isla De La Cruz

Feeling stuck? Staring at a blank page? Is creativity standing you up…again? Here’s a secret: Originality is overrated, so quit striving for it. They say “Write what you know.” The easiest way to write what you know? Re-write what you know. The foundation is the most crucial part of any process, so let’s repurpose it. 

Re-writing stories is about honoring tradition while embracing innovation. Through re-writing creators can pay homage to classics while introducing new concepts, storylines, and ideas. From adapting Shakespearean plays to re-imagining folklore, the process bridges the gap between tradition and modernity. The modern re-envisioning of classics is found in beloved movies like “Clueless” (a modern adaption of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’) and “10 Things I Hate About You” (a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of The Shrew’). Both adaptations share plot points and character arcs while leveraging modernity to revamp the storytelling. Recreating liberates writers from the constraints of original plots and encourages them to follow and explore new paths and possibilities. It challenges creators, sparks the spirit of experimentation, and promotes pushing creative limits and boundaries. There’s no need to feel stuck if part of your new story has already been written. Storytellers can delve deep into characters’ psyches by redrafting ideas and offering unique and fresh perspectives. Take the Broadway musical “Hamilton” as an example; while the musical does its best to represent an accurate portrayal of Alexander Hamilton’s life, it allows the audience to experience Alexander and other historical figures in a new light by infusing fresh perspectives into our understanding of U.S. history. Re-writing also inspires adaptability. Humans must always learn to adapt to the ever-changing landscapes of life. Re-writing teaches creators invaluable lessons of resilience as a reminder that using resources available is not failure but a stepping stone to growth. Writers can be encouraged to face uncertainty, confront challenges, and transform setbacks into new opportunities for reinvention. Re-writing stories is a powerful tool. 

Here are some questions to spark new intentions with preexisting work:

How can I expand on these characters? What would happen if the setting of this story was different? How can I reinvent my favorite song into a story? What if the events of this story took place in 4 days rather than two years? What would happen if these characters were younger, older, had powers, or were ordinary? What if this character lived? What if this character died? How can I share this hero’s victory differently? 

In the tapestry of the human experience, rewriting serves as a thread between the past, present, and future. It transcends boundaries and ignites the imagination. As creators and writers embark on their creative journeys, we should embrace the transformative power of retelling and re-writing. Endless possibilities are waiting to be discovered, shared, and celebrated within pages already written. Take your something old and borrowed and make it something new! 

by: Tara North

It seems unfair that actually writing a piece is only half the battle, but it’s true–for your work to get in front of an audience, it has to make it through a publisher’s editorial gauntlet first! Fortunately, there are some things you can do that will significantly improve your chances.

Proofreading

Venues all seem to have one thing in common: too many submissions. An editor’s time is precious, and they expect publication-ready works. If your submission is riddled with typos, poor grammar, and misspellings, the odds of it disappearing into a bottomless ‘maybe’ pile increase exponentially. 

Ideally, have a friend review your work before you begin submitting it for publication. If you’re flying solo, dramatically changing the font, point size, and spacing of your final draft can help you spot errors you missed on previous read-throughs.

Pick the right venue

Many venues are, fortunately, pretty up-front about their preferred genres and length. Don’t waste your time submitting poetry to a publisher that only takes a few poems per issue. If the submission guidelines say that works above or below a certain length will be a hard sell, believe them.

Many venues are, less fortunately, prone to rhapsodizing instead of getting specific about the tone of what they’re looking for. Instead of trying to puzzle out what constitutes a heartbreaking work of staggering genius, check the venue’s recent archives. Most literary journals will have the editors’ favorites or their most representative pieces available to read for free as a way of increasing buzz (and subscriptions).

Play the odds

Getting an acceptance is frequently a numbers game, and you can expect to submit your piece to several venues before one says yes.

Once you have your list of venues, decide what you’re looking for from a publication. The highest readership? The most money? The fastest response time? The best chance of being accepted? Prioritize the venues that can give you that.

Follow the directions

The default manuscript format for fiction venues is the Shunn standard. If the submission guidelines don’t mention things like font, spacing, and indentation, they’re most likely expecting you to follow Shunn formatting. 

If the guidelines do mention specific things, make sure to follow those instructions! Many editors, fairly or un-, see an author’s lack of care in following submission rules as a red flag. If the author didn’t bother making the font 12-point Arial, what critical steps did they skip with writing and editing?

Many submission systems are also heavily automated. Send your piece to the wrong email, or without the required subject line, and it will land in a spam folder. Writers have wasted months waiting for a reply only to find that their story never made it to a human.

Going through these crucial steps won’t guarantee an acceptance, but it will help get your work out of the slush pile and give you the best shot at getting an acceptance.

Good luck!