My Messy House...

Here it is, another Monday morning. I ran out of the house without finishing my usual routine. One of the kiddos forgot their show and tell so there's a little extra fuel consumption, but even without the extra trip to the elementary school, I am vowing until the end of the year that I will have a messy house. Feel free to read that again. MY HOUSE WILL BE A MESS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!  I actually...

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3 comments books as gifts, crystal otto, distractions, gift books, goals, NaNoWriMo, writing goals

Why I Returned to Hippocamp

By Christy O’Callaghan The draw of Hippocamp goes beyond the craft and business workshops, which are plentiful, but for me it was all about the people. The interactions with the other attendees my first year made all the difference and brought me back for a second. Hippocamp is a conference put on by Hippocampus Magazine with a focus on non-fiction writers. I, like many people, don’t have...

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3 comments Christy O'Callaghan, creative nonfiction conference, Hippocamp, Hippocamp 2019, Hippocampus Magazine, Nick Flynn

Introducing Shelly X. Leonn, YA Thriller Author Who Began on Wattpad

Muffin readers, we are so excited to share with you today this interview with Shelly X. Leonn, who is a YA thriller writer with her first book out two days ago! She started on Wattpad, which is where she also found her agent. She is cool and positive and hosts a podcast, where she might want to interview you. Plus, through exchanging emails when Angela asked if I wanted to interview her, we discovered...

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1 comment agent, author interview, Instagram, Metamorphosis Literary agency, Shelly X. Leonn, YA Author, YA thriller, young adult author

My Latest Writing Challenge: The Writer's Bio

You'd think telling people about myself would be one of the easiest things to do. Yet, recently when someone asked me to send along my bio to be published with an article I sent them, I realized how difficult it was to summarize myself in just a few sentences. To be honest, my writing biography changes quite a bit. It is based on what I feel at any given moment. Let me walk you through my thought...

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4 comments Nicole Pyles

Interview with Christa Fairfield, Spring 2019 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up

Christa’s Bio: Christa loves fountain pens, the subtle differences in the texture of paper, ocean waves lulling her into an afternoon nap and her dog Meeka. She believes in the magic of people writing together to find their stories and community. She is an Amherst Writers and Artist (AWA) workshop leader and treasures her time facilitating writing groups and retreats. She lives in Northern California...

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2 comments

Decluttering: Knowing What to Toss from Your Writing

Last week, I was reading a blog post about decluttering your kitchen. The object of the overall challenge is to declutter your house in a month. The author provided a list of kitchen items to toss. I was surprised how applicable the list was not only to my kitchen but also to my current writing project. Novelty items or other things you senselessly save. In the kitchen, this is the cute useless...

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3 comments research, rewriting, rewriting nonfiction, Sue Bradford Edwards, writing nonfiction

Interview with Brigitte Watson: 2019 Q3 Creative Nonfiction Contest Runner Up

Brigitte’s Bio: Brigitte Watson hails from Montreal, Quebec, Canada where she’s lived her whole life. She began writing stories a year and a half ago when she joined a memoir writing class at her local library. This will be the first time one of her stories is being published. Brigitte has studied in Fine Arts, Women’s Studies, Midwifery and Psychology. For a while, she dabbled in tattooing. Her...

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3 comments 2019 Q3 Creative Nonfiction Contest, Anne Greenawalt, Brigitte Watson, Runner up

Entering a Different Season of Writing

Warning: When your kids start driving you may not know what to do with yourself. Yesterday morning, I got up a little early because I wanted to make Belgian waffles for my kids as a celebratory end of a long week. I’m more relaxed in the mornings these days. I help them organize their lunches (I know, I should stop doing that as they are both teenagers!), sip my coffee, spend a few minutes snuggling...

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4 comments Renee Roberson, seasons of writing, writing advice, writing with children

Friday Speak Out!: American Ninja Warriors Remind Me of Writers

by Denise Scott Time to fess up. Is the TV show American Ninja Warrior (ANW) one of your secret guilty pleasures? NBC promotes it as a “high octane obstacle course competition.” My grandma used to watch TV wrestling from her rocker, cheering and grimacing as if she had a ringside seat at the event. That’s how I watch American Ninja Warrior. Even if you’re not a sports fan, the personal narratives...

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1 comment American Ninja Warrior, Denise Scott, Friday Speak Out, writer inspiration

No More Mrs. Potato(head)

It's hard to avoid. As a part-time writer, I sit a lot. You know the mantra: butt in chair. If you're not sitting down, it's tough to write. I also read. A lot. That's crucial to writers too: you have to read a great deal to develop your writing craft. And if you're past your 30s, if you're 40-something or you're in your 50s and definitely if you're 60-something, you discover (fat roll by fat...

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5 comments self care for writers, Sioux Roslawski

Why Wait?

As I was growing up, we had a family tradition where we would go "treeing" during the Christmas Holiday season. We went from house to house looking at everyone's trees, talking about the lovely presents, and eating delicious food. I believe the adults had a few cocktails, and it was a chance for the children to enjoy a soda pop with their cousins. My Auntie Joyce and Uncle Eugene had the most lovely...

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3 comments crystal casavant, crystal otto, don't wait, enjoying life, living for the moment, Waiting, writing fear

Interview with Jerri Jerreat: Spring 2019 Flash Fiction Contest Third Place Winner

Jerri’s Bio: Jerri is a social justice and environmental activist, and writes fiction, both good and terrible, for joy. She is inspired by her family, her ten-year-old students, and a number of kick-ass non-profit groups. Her fiction has appeared in The Penmen Review, (pending), Everyday Fiction, The Ottawa Arts Review, The Yale Review Online, The New Quarterly, The Antigonish Review, The Dalhousie...

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2 comments Anne Greenawalt, Jerri Jerreat, Spring 2019 Flash Fiction Contest, Third Place Winner

How To Win Contests (Or At Least an Honorable Mention)

I sometimes get the opportunity to critique manuscripts for contests; I might be asked to give feedback on essays or short fiction or novel excerpts or even picture book manuscripts. It’s not always easy to find the best manuscript, but there are two basic flaws that’ll quickly kick your work out of the competition: Same Old, Same Old I don’t care whether you’re writing an essay or a picture...

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6 comments Cathy C. Hall, elements of story, hook your readers, marketability, plot, writing contests

Taprina Milburn Writes Through Her Grief, a runner-up in our Quarterly Essay Contest

Taprina Milburn Welcome to Taprina Milburn who will inspire you with her positive attitude despite her current dealings with grief and empty nest. She has managed to figure out a way to write through her pain, and we are glad she did. You can win her winning essay, "Gifts" here. Here's a bit about Taprina: In her blog, reimaginingthislife.com, Oklahoma native Taprina Milburn shares stories of...

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4 comments Creative Nonfiction Contest, empty nest, Essay contest winner, grief, writing about grief

To Critique or Not to Critique, That is the Question

Is it just me or do some people critique like they have an ax in their hand? I have realized one of the hardest aspects of writing is getting my work critiqued. Whether it's finding the right people to critique my work, reading people's feedback about my work, or the reaction of others when I critique their work, it's all a bit of a landmine sometimes. My ego gets stepped on meanwhile I accidentally...

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3 comments critiquing, Nicole Pyles

Don't Ignore YouTube Just Because You're Not 8 to 16

So the other day on my Facebook business page, I posted this meme: Parents and grandparents of elementary school kids should be nodding (and laughing, come on--it's funny) along with this hysterical meme from Debi Downer on Facebook (which you should follow by clicking that link because she is super funny!) because you understand the YouTube craze like no other, I'm sure. My daughter who...

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6 comments children's authors, making a video, marketing, school visits, social media, YA authors, youtube

Fake News: The Importance of Reliable Sources

Recently I was listening to a panel discussion on writing young adult nonfiction. Participants were asked about doing research in the age of fake news. I literally laughed out loud when I heard that phrase. Clearly the moderator thought of fake news as a contemporary problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sefton Delmer was a British journalist who created fake radio news broadcasts...

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4 comments Fake News, finding sources, research