Category: Blog

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!

by: Beatriz DeMelo

Everyone’s an author. We all have a story to tell. We can all share something with others that can impact their lives. Allowing readers to experience events from someone else’s view.  Everyone has a narrative to tell, even if it may not seem like it.

The process of writing a story or narrative can be scary or overwhelming. A great place to start is to just begin writing out words that connect with the story you are trying to express. Once you’ve done that, use those words to form sentences, then paragraphs, then chapters; in the end, you have a story. You may be surprised by the significance of what you have written.

Authors will include a theme or lesson in the story they write. The power if the theme, though, lies with the reader; it is up to them to interpret the author’s intent. Think of your favorite piece of literature and how you have learned from its theme; how its, maybe, gone as far as changing your view on life.  A literature piece that has done this is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; a piece famously known for its intellectual imprint on readers. Themes of family, social class, and more obviously pride and prejudice. Allows for reader to interpret these themes in ways that connect them and their lives to the narrative.

So, start off by writing those words on a page, and create sentences; you never know the impact your story will have on someone who reads it. Focus on creating connections with people through your work. Everyone has different opinions and interests, but storytelling can unite us in amazing ways. No matter what your topic is, you can send a powerful message, don’t sit in silence: make your voice heard. What’s your story?  

By Matt Fuentes

In the present-day world, the field of academia has been noted for promoting the creation of written works on subjects that may not necessarily arouse the writer’s passion or inspiration. This phenomenon can often lead to individuals feeling hesitant about engaging in writing as a whole. However, I implore you to ponder on something that you hold dear to your heart and attempt to create a written piece about it. What is that one aspect of your life that you deem irreplaceable? What is that one topic that you can discuss for hours on end and educate others about? I am certain that it would not be a difficult feat for you to pinpoint this particular aspect, as each person possesses that one passion or hobby that they would love to write about in the absence of any academic constraints.

For me, personally, the subject of music holds a special place in my heart. Although it is true that music is a common love among most individuals, it occupies a particularly vital role in my life. I am constantly listening to it, playing it, and even producing it. It occupies my thoughts for a significant portion of each day. I am certain that you, too, possess that one thing that you continually think about and would prefer to be doing in place of school or work.

It is important to note that you need not conform to a particular set of guidelines or format. Rather, simply allow the words to pour out of you with the ease and fluidity that often characterizes people when they are in their “zone”. This may entail writing about your favorite pastime or even your most beloved passion. In sharing what you love, you will find that it can be a therapeutic experience, while simultaneously inspiring others to take up your cause. Who knows, you may even succeed in influencing someone to take up your passion themselves.

Write down the initial thoughts that come to mind without giving in to the temptation to overanalyze the process. Then, at a later time, you can revisit your work and modify it to your liking. Rest assured that this undertaking should not pose any difficulty since you are writing about something that you adore, rather than some unexciting topic. This exercise may even engender an enhanced appreciation for writing in its entirety and may be the starting point for a newfound passion. I am eager to read about your interests and hopeful that they may spark a newfound appreciation within myself as well.

By Marley Churchward

Often the intensity of a book’s storyline or theme can be so gripping you cannot stop turning the pages, despite knowing it is much past your bedtime. Does this ever make you think “how do writers do this?” “What gets the reader to keep turning each page?” Some of the most crucial factors of a theme are the characters, as well as key events, character development, and how the writer can create helpful plot points to keep things moving.

Let’s look at the Divergent series as an example of how the author expands on theme. The series is about a dystopian society divided into five factions that everyone should be able to fit into, except for one or a few. This develops into a theme of “you should always make decisions for yourself, rather than allowing society to make decisions for you.”

The main character, Tris, throughout Divergent really drives the development of the theme by making her own choices, despite her fear of what others might think of her for possibly defying the five factions. But Tris doing this was for the greater good of everyone else without even knowing.

A remarkable thing to take away from this is not only the character development through conquering her fears, but these moments through the story that drive to theme. This brings me to how these events keep your audience interested. When key events occur, it should bring character development with it as well as the development of the plot. This gives the writer the ability to expand the theme.

Diving into another example, where the key points involve the main character(s), Tris chooses dauntless rather than the faction she grew up knowing. Tris continues through with her choice when she realizes how physically demanding and scary the faction she chose was. The faction made her get on moving trains and jump off, and even fight peers to get accepted. The Dauntless faction is for protection because those who are willing to protect are brave enough to do so.

Furthermore, these choices bring about new characters, adding more development to the story. These characters also aid in building the main development and theme! Also, worth noting is understanding how your characters would act/behave in various different circumstances, this can aid you in creating helpful plot points that can drive a character into an action that supports your story’s theme.

An example of this is, when Tris meets Four not only adding another character but also adding more development. Through Fours character development you find out Four is like Tris and does not just fit into just one faction. Whereas Tris fits into all the factions, but four only fits in a few. With Four by Tris’s side he is able to give her new information about a developing plot to overthrow the current governing faction.

Using the main or developing characters to help plot points throughout the story not only gives further development of these characters, but also theme. As in the example above there are other developing characters that have other motives unknown yet.

In conclusion, you should be able to not only develop your main characters but also the key points developing your theme, giving room for expansion in many ways. Making sure to understand how your characters will respond in many situations can help understand how they respond to big “life changing” or key points in your storyline. All the more allowing you to develop your theme.

By: Matthew Carter

The Economy of Language

By Matthew Carter

Whether you are a seasoned writer, or relatively new to the scene, one aspect of writing is the most important. Can you guess what it is? WORDS! It should go without saying that language, more importantly word choice, is at the forefront of all writing skills. It is important for a writer to understand the message they are trying to convey, and to deliver that message as cleanly as possible.

Oftentimes writers may use an excess of lacklustre words when one impactful word is what completes the thought in the cleanest way. It is important for a writer to utilize their vocabulary to write at their best. The following two sentences describe the same setting, one using enhanced vocabulary, and one using filler words.

It was a very hot day at the beach.

It was a sweltering afternoon in Daytona,

Here we can see that these sentences are conveying the same message with different deliveries. It is important to understand that a story is only as good as it is conveyed. One may write an incredible story with a poor word choice which suddenly diminishes the value of the story. It is common for the first draft to not be entirely polished with the most effective word choices. It is typically in the editing process where revisions to direct use of language is made.

One great way to understand the importance of words is to look at language as an economy. If you had to spend a dollar for every word you used in a story, how often would the word “Very” be used? Chances are you would avoid this word at all costs. There are a variety of key exercises one may use to practice their effective word choice. One warmup one may use is writing in the Haiku format which only allows for limited syllables. Another practice would be to describe your favourite story in exactly 10 words, no more and no less.

Next time you write a piece of work, look over your word choice and who knows, maybe your story will go from very average to phenomenal.

By: Maddy Campbell

You sit down at your desk, feeling creativity surging through your head. You open your computer and look at the blank canvas in front of you. With hands hovering over the keyboard, you wait for inspiration to strike. You keep waiting. You then get frustrated and slam your computer shut. 

Believe me, you are not alone in this feeling. Writing poetry is a great way to express your emotions and explore your creativity, but it can be difficult to get started. One common issue when preparing to write poetry is finding inspiration. Writer’s block is tricky, and staring at a blank page with frustration can keep potential poets from writing their masterpieces. Through the following 3 practices, you will feel more confident in finding inspiration for your poetry than ever before. 

1. Choosing a Form

When new ideas are not generating, the first step toward tackling writer’s block is choosing a form of poetry. This can affect what you write about. There are so many styles to choose from free-verse, sonnet, or haiku. Each form comes with its own sets of rules, which we will not be going over here, and some with a common subject. Sonnets, for example, are typically written about a strong emotion or memory. Haikus are commonly used to describe nature, like “The Old Pond” by Matsuo Bashō. Picking a style of poetry can help channel ideas like a funnel onto the page. 

2. Finding Your Focus Through Meditation

What if you already know how you want to write your poem, but the subject is still eluding you? The next step that helps me focus is meditation. That may sound drastic, and a little cliché, but taking the time to center yourself and tune into your thoughts can create an explosion of ideas. Now, I do not mean “pull out your yoga mat and light some candles” meditation. Take a moment and sit in your space. Close your eyes and slow your breathing. Listen to your surroundings. Are you comfortable? Is it quiet enough? Is it too quiet? Is your space set up for you to be productive? If you answer no to any of these questions, a small change to your space can be the needed change to get started. 

3. Optimizing Your Space

You picked your style of poem, made your space the most optimal for writing, and you still have no idea what to write about. Do not let that stop you. Think about why you want to write poetry. If you love writing about nature, go outside. Observations can be an amazing way to find inspiration. Sit on the ground and watch the skies or trees. See how the world around you communes with itself. Take notes, record the sounds you find special, then use the meditation skills you practiced earlier to think about what sticks with you. Maybe nature is not your cup of tea. Find a journal and start writing about your feelings, childhood memories, and stories about your friends. 

Writing poetry is not just for old men with quill pens. Reflective free-verses about your favorite birthday or a descriptive haiku about an oak tree are art that you can treasure and share. Do not let the stigma of great art cloud your thoughts. Finding a simple idea can create the best poems if you give yourself the time.

By: Christian Copley

The central idea behind most if not all forms of writing is the theme. Without the theme there is no story, there is no meaning, and there is nothing to take away from a piece of writing. The theme is the backbone of an entire piece of writing. Therefore, without a shadow of a doubt, the most important thing to do before you begin writing is to figure out what the topic of the piece will be.

Start simple. If the topic is easy to remember and straightforward, then the rest of piece is most likely going to come naturally to you as well.

Although simplicity can make things easy, that doesn’t mean you are not allowed to expand on the theme and have multiple topics or ideas spread throughout your piece. While it can sometimes be difficult to have multiple topics in one piece of writing, it is a good way to keep the reader interested.

One of the best examples that shows how topic enhances a story is the original Star Wars trilogy. While these movies are not technically pieces of writing, the ideas behind them are great examples of how the theme affects a story.

The main theme behind these movies was the idea of the Hero’s journey. Throughout the entire trilogy, we see the main character, Luke Skywalker, evolve from some farm boy who lives on a desert world, into a magic wielding samurai who fights an evil empire with nothing but a laser sword.

The entire trilogy explores how Luke grows throughout his adventures; however, the films also explore other topics along the way to enhance the viewer’s experience. The films are called Star Wars, so obviously there is probably some sort of war going on in space. Naturally, the films also explore the war being fought between the Rebel Alliance and the evil Galactic Empire.

One of the greatest things a writer can do with multiple themes, is to answer questions that a viewer might have. Going back to Star Wars, something the viewers might be asking is “well, what are the villains doing?” Something that the movies do well is show certain scenes explaining what the villains are planning to do to stop the Alliance. Having these scenes scattered throughout the films is a great way to give the viewers a sense of scale of the movie’s universe and, as an added bonus, answers some of the viewer’s questions.

There are many ways to expand upon the theme of a piece and knowing where to begin is not always clear. Whether the topic is simple or complicated, the entire piece of writing is dependent upon how well the writer makes the piece connect with the theme. Knowing what you want the topic to be undoubtedly ends up affecting how well the piece of writing resonates with the reader.