Announcing Our Spring Into Reading Group Giveaway Event

Monday, April 07, 2025
 

It's spring! As the flowers bloom and the weather slowly becomes warm, we figured it's the perfect time for another group giveaway event.

If you've been with WOW for a few years, you may remember the first event we launched in the heart of the COVID era: the Stay Home and Read giveaway. It earned over 100,000 entries! We've done several more since then and they've always been a big hit with our WOW audience.

We're excited to announce the launch of another giveaway: Spring Into Reading.

Spring into Reading Group Giveaway

The details:

  • The giveaway will launch on May 1st and will last for three weeks.
  • You have until April 25th to join in.
  • All the books will be featured in an e-blast that goes out to over 53,000 email subscribers, and featured in a blog post on The Muffin, featuring all the books and authors.
  • You will be allowed to include one social media account that will be added to the Rafflecopter as an optional entry.
  • There will be three winners to the giveaway, so you will be sending out three books. Each winner will receive a book. The grand prize winner will receive the Amazon Gift Card.
  • We are opening up this giveaway to open to US only winners, so a physical copy will need to be sent to three US addressed.
  • You can also contribute an additional prize to be given to all three winners (in addition to your book), or the grand prize winner.
The fee to join in is $50. ($10 of that goes towards the grand prize winner's gift card.) 

Plus, by joining in, you'll receive a $50 credit that you can put toward any blog tour or review event

Want to join in? Sign up via this form today.

If you aren't joining in the giveaway this round, mark your calendars for May 1st for the launch. We know you'll want to win some of the amazing prizes!

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Interview with Ashly Callaway Runner Up in the WOW! Q1 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest with: "Gross Misconduct"

Saturday, April 05, 2025

Congratulations to Ashly Callaway from East Tennessee for her amazing nonfiction essay titled: Gross Misconduct!

Check out Ashly's submission, Gross Misconduct, as well as all the other winning entries and then stop back here to read Ashly's enlightening interview with Crystal J. Casavant-Otto from WOW! Women on Writing. 

Ashly’s Bio:
A lifelong solitary creature, Ashly’s most at peace when surrounded by animals—dogs, birds, moose, more dogs—and the silence nature wraps around her. Quitting teaching after too many active shooter drills, she somehow mustered the wherewithal to finish her young adult novel in year two of the pandemic, aptly titled Solitary Creatures. When not obsessively checking her nature cam for nocturnal activity, she can be found creating imperfect stained glass pieces, fostering sick puppies, and narrating her dog’s thoughts. She is Oxford-comma positive and cannot wait to retire to Maine. 

WOW: Maine sounds so lovely - and thank you for all you do for the sick puppies! Congratulations Ashly and I'm excited to chat with you today. Thank you for writing such a personal essay. What is the take-away you'd like readers to gain from Gross Misconduct

Ashly: I think it’s important for teachers, especially those new to the profession, to feel supported by my anecdotes and maybe let them know that, no, you are not crazy or incompetent or a failure – teaching in current times can feel impossible. I also think it’s crucial for lawmakers, parents, school administrators, and students in teacher training programs to have a firm grasp of what goes on within public school classrooms. People like to say, Oh, teachers get to leave at 3:00 or, Teachers have summers off; but most people haven’t the foggiest idea of what teachers contend with. Just look up teacher videos on TikTok – former teachers’ re-enactments of educational and behavioral chaos aren’t hyperbole! 

WOW: As a volunteer at school, I give teachers all the credit in the world. Just a few hours a week has me questioning my sanity - thank you for supporting our educators! Where do you write? (As I am confident no human can actually think in a classroom full of children - I know it's not there!) What does your space look like? 

Ashly: My husband and I gave up on using our dining room table for actual dining, so it’s now tucked into a corner of my house where sunshine and critters in trees serve as my backdrop. The other day, I quickly rescinded my complaint that the sun in my eyes was making it hard to type. That’s a good problem to have, I believe. I have a small lamp on the table (for a cozy feel) and a four-photo frame of my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and myself. It’s worth noting I’ve covered up the photo of my mother with a print-out of my 2025 goals – it was my grandmother to whom I was closest, and since her first days of life served as the backstory of my unpublished novel, Solitary Creatures, I like to have in my space the black-and-white photo of her younger self. Also in the workspace tableau is my dog, Millie, who keeps me entertained with her expressive eyebrows. 

WOW! I love your honesty and I'm not sure what I love better, the goals over your mother, or Millie's eyebrows, but that's awesome and begs the question: who is your support, and what have you found to be most supportive in your writing life as well as in life in general? You are clearly an animal person - but are there other writers/readers in your life who help you through? 

Ashly:  That’s true, I’m an animal person because I do tend to be a misanthrope, but since I can’t ask the wrens and chickadees what they think of my writing, I ask female friends to give feedback because they’re especially good at grammar and interpreting figurative language. In general, my husband is my main source of support. A former therapist, he has tools most people don’t have for working through my psychological challenges. This tracks. 🙂 

WOW: Oh my - could you lend him out? I think I'd love having a therapist join me for my morning coffee on the daily...or maybe not...what advice would you give to others (specifically female teachers) when it comes to self care? 

Ashly: For female teachers, self-care would look like running. Not for exercise, but away from education. Many teachers who start off very young and overwhelmed may not recognize the disparity in how male educators are treated versus females. But eventually, they’ll come to find out that, because male teachers are rarer, they aren’t held to the same standards as the dime-a-dozen women. It’s bewildering to work until 7:00 p.m., come into the classroom on Sundays to plan, and prepare extensively for administrator evaluations while witnessing the handful of male teachers grab their keys and depart school at 2:50 each day. That dynamic can exist anywhere, but knowing for every one teacher there are 25 more women standing in line for your job makes it easier for principals to treat you as such – disposable. 

WOW: I had never looked at the profession that way - thank you for enlightening me and all our readers today.

What’s next for you? What are your writing goals for the rest of 2025 and beyond? 

Ashly: During the pandemic, I was laid off from my communications job, so I took advantage of the free time to finally bring a novel to fruition. I’ve been querying agents requesting representation for a long time, but with no luck. I’ve come to understand books go through fads and phases just like every other form of media, and it’s just not time yet for my family saga/young adult novel centering mental illness to be put out into the world. The most important thing for me is to keep writing, though, regardless of interest in publication. 

WOW: I'm absolutely positive you'll find representation at just the most perfect timing and the world will hear more about your book baby! In fact, if readers scroll beyond our interview, they can read an excerpt from your book and I'm sure we can all agree it's a book that needs to be born!

Just a few more questions before our time is up today Ashly (though I'm sure you'll be back in the future).

You have an impressive bio - it begs the ask - tell us more about your retirement goal and why Maine or tell us more about your creative outlet and stained glass? 

Ashly: I’m actually working on an essay about just that – retiring to Maine – that goes into why we want to be there. But suffice it to say, not being a true Southerner in the South has effectively pushed me into the margins of the community. I was looking for a place where people are kind, interdependent, trustworthy, and not preoccupied with politics or religious beliefs. It’s become increasingly important to me to feel like I can be myself where I live.

WOW: Ashly, I know it's not Maine, but you should absolutely come visit me in Wisconsin as Door County is an absolute gem filled with the nicest people and the cutest shops and of course, me - we could hang out! Keep me posted about your book and definitely will hold some space for you here at WOW! and we can plan a launch tour! Until then - keep on writing! 


Today's post was penned by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto
Crystal Casavant writes. Everything. If you follow her blog you have likely laid eyes on every thought she has ever had. Her debut novel, It Was Never About Me, Was It? is still a work in progress and shall be fully worthy sometime in 2025. She has written for WOW! Women on Writing, Bring on Lemons, and has been featured in several magazines and ezines relating to credit and collections as well as religious collections for confessional Lutherans. She runs a busy household full of intelligent, recalcitrant, and delightful humans who give her breath and keep her heart beating day after day. 

Crystal wears many hats (and not just the one in this photo) and fully believes in being in the moment and doing everything she can to improve the lives of those around her! The world may never know her name, but she prays that because of her, someone may smile a little brighter. She prides herself on doing nice things - yes, even for strangers! 


Check out the latest Contests: 


Synopsis of SOLITARY CREATURES by Ashly Callaway: When Margaret Arbeiter dies giving birth to a daughter in Depression-era Ohio, her husband absconds, leaving their young son to be taken in by family while the baby girl, Violet, is placed in a state orphanage. This injustice is rectified when a childless party line operator “overhears” the news during a conversation between neighbors and adopts her. From there, generational trauma somersaults through the lives of three women between the Great Depression and modern day.

We watch a spoiled Violet in the 1950s learn to look to men to define her while living in a constant state of self-involvement and distrust. She immerses herself in conflict, suspicion, and violence, using alcohol to numb her unease in relationships and the raising of her daughter, Jacqueline, with the limitations her genes have provided. As a mother, Violet could be described as minimally attentive at best, then we see her lose her husband to a preventable death, had she been paying attention. 

Jacqueline, Sage’s mother, knits together a threadbare sense of self for Sage and where she comes from by making her own decisions about who family should be. No matter what Sage does or doesn’t do, she lives in a home where her mother’s disappointment lurks around corners and the floors are made of eggshells. Cobbling together an unstable identity from her mother’s harsh words, constant rejection, and alienation of Sage from her family, scar tissue surfaces from these continual wounds in the form of a devastating but befitting diagnosis: borderline personality disorder, or BPD.

The bulk of SOLITARY CREATURES has a foothold in contemporary times – the 1990s – where we see Sage grapple with the narrative her mother has created: She is not loved or lovable. And SOLITARY CREATURES needs a trigger warning – Sage attempts suicide and engages in self-harm because, in her mind, these are her best coping strategies for having a mother by whom she doesn't feel loved. By necessity, Sage tries to cope with her emotional challenges on her own, but then she learns she doesn’t have to. With the support of a compassionate female teacher, a kindhearted love interest in the form of a young, educated Hindu man, and her therapist, Sage successfully navigates the treacherous waters of trying to appear “normal” in high school, not listening to her caustic inner critic, and disentangling herself from the twisted family ties that bind her to a vitriolic mother. 

And here's the first chapter of Solitary Creatures for those who have enjoyed what they've read so far!
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The Lessons I Learned in 2025 About Freelancing

Thursday, April 03, 2025
 

2025 has been some kind of year for freelancing. January was one of the largest payments I've ever received throughout my years of freelancing. It was also the most uncertain. I lost a major source of writing income and had to pivot quickly and drastically.

I'll save you the details, as I've finally learned to accept and move on, but it taught me important lessons. Ones I accidentally forgot.

  • Never rely on one source of income.
I've been freelancing for about 10 or so years. Along the way, I've discovered one thing: freelance gigs can dry up quickly. You'd figure I would have learned that and remembered that by now. But you can get complacent when freelance work stays consistent, as it did for me in 2024.

In fact, I had gotten so used to having a single source of my freelance income that I turned down a couple of gigs last year. They were lower paying, so I had my reasons. 

Then January 2025 came around, and my big freelance gig dried up. I was scrambling to replace it. Fortunately, and only because of God, I found another opportunity.

But I was reminded: never be so complacent about a single source of freelance work that you are left floundering when it disappears.

You don't want to say "yes" to every opportunity, but be careful if you only say yes to one source of income. That's when it gets into the dangerous territory of putting all your eggs in one basket.

  • Listen to what other freelancers are experiencing.
I should never have been surprised I lost my writing opportunity. Throughout 2024, the signs were there. I was flooded with work from my single source of income. Yet, other writers were talking about losing their gigs. Layoffs were happening in my niche. Editors I worked with lost their jobs. 

I still didn't think I'd be affected. I was still getting writing assignments. Why should I worry? I thought I was in a good place and thankful to the Lord for it.

I wish I had paid attention. My advice is to avoid being overly confident, especially when people in your field are affected. No, there's no reason to have constant anxiety that you might lose your gig (which I remind myself of constantly), but keep striving. 

Make new connections. Keep learning. Figure out ways you can bring opportunities to you. Practice cold-pitching editors with your ideas. Discover a service you can offer others. Don't wait for assignments. 

  • Try to avoid burning bridges.
I wish I could say I've never burned a bridge with someone. That I've always left things on a professional high note with every working relationship. Sadly, that is not the case.

I accidentally burned a bridge in 2024. You see, I was trying to diversify my income (sort of) but didn't want to cut back on what was bringing me in the most money. So, I tried to do it all.

Well, as you'd expect, I was stressing myself out too much. I had to back out of the project. Unfortunately, I had already backed out once before (and they had given me a second chance).

This year, I reached out to them again. Although I had showcased a significant lack of self-awareness of what I could handle, I had been on good terms with them before. I thought my prior good work record would be enough to make up for my flub-ups. Well, it wasn't. I got the stock answer that they weren't hiring right now.

That could be true, but I can't help but think I burned a bridge. I didn't mean to and wish I had been more aware of what I could take on without stressing myself out.

With that said, whenever possible: try not to burn a bridge. As a freelancer, I'd rather say no to a project early than say yes and ruin a professional relationship because I mess up on the work product or fail to provide.

This year some lessons have been learned. I continuously work on that ever-elusive work-life balance. Hopefully, by sharing my wisdom, you can avoid some of the mistakes I've made this past year.

Nicole Pyles is a freelance writer who has pivoted back to public relations to make up for a writing gig she lost in 2025. She also pitches people as guests for podcasts, because why not? Follow her not-so-active blog at https://worldofmyimagination.com.

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Interview with Sudha Balagopal: Fall 2024 Flash Fiction Contest Third Place Winner

Tuesday, April 01, 2025
Sudha’s Bio: Sudha Balagopal is an Indian-American writer whose work straddles continents and cultures. Her stories have appeared in Smokelong, swamp pink and Vast Chasm among other journals. Most recently, her novella-in-flash, Nose Ornaments was published by Ad Hoc Fiction, UK. She has had stories included in Best Microfiction, Best Small Fictions and the Wigleaf Top 50. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Sudha's award-winning story "Where I Come From..." and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing third in the Fall 2024 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story? 

Sudha: This story was born in an online poetry workshop. I don't write poetry, but I find that poetry workshops offer great fodder for my stories. The instructor prompted us to think of where we come from, to start writing from those very words and voila the story came to me. I marvel at this ignition of an idea from just a few words. And that's what excited me about the story, how a prompt took me back to my younger years, to a time and place that nests within me but hadn't found expression. 

WOW: What a great idea to use poetry as inspiration for flash fiction! What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece? 

Sudha: I learned I remember more than I believe. I learned I carry images in my brain from long, long ago. I learned, yet again, that relationships are complex. I learned, in terms of craft, that I can use the title as my first line, that I can repeat the concept in every paragraph. I learned I can zigzag through a sweep of time in a few short paragraphs. 

WOW: I love that phrase and idea of being able to “zigzag through a sweep of time.” Please tell us more about your recently published novella-in-flash, Nose Ornaments

Sudha: Nose Ornaments was a runner up in the Bath 2024 novella-in-flash contest. Because the book is a novella-in-flash, each chapter is flash length, under one thousand words. The book started as just one story which took root when I heard family stories about women who were expected to pierce their nostrils before they could get married. The thing that struck me is that while women mostly acquiesced, this wasn't a matter of choice. Of course, all this happened a long time ago and customs have since changed and today, girls have their noses pierced because they want to. 

After that first story was published, I stayed with the character in the story, Lakshmi, and built some chapters around this strong woman who forged her own path in life under hostile conditions. When I felt Lakshmi had surmounted her challenges, I shifted the focus to her daughter Savi and illustrated her trials and tribulations and finally arrived at Savi's daughter, Mini, a woman of our current times, whose life is far different from that of her grandmother's. 

The book is segmented into three parts reflecting societal changes over the decades. The arrangement evolved quite naturally. The segments are interlinked, for they are three women from the same family, but the challenges they encounter are hugely different because times change and with it, society. 

WOW: Thank you so much for sharing that! That sounds like an exciting project, and I find it fascinating to learn more about the lesser-known genre of novella-in-flash. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it? 

Sudha: I'm reading Stone Diaries by Carol Shields who was a brilliant Canadian-American writer. I chose this book since I'd read her book Larry's Party decades ago and it left an imprint on my mind. I'm loving Stone Diaries, a Pulitzer winner, and deeply admire Shield's ability to delve deep into her characters. 

WOW: If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why? 

Sudha: I'd tell my younger self good writing takes time. Don't be in a hurry to finish a story. Instead, dwell, let the story marinate, allow it to develop the way it should. And, finally, understand that writing is really re-writing. 

WOW: Excellent advice! Thank you so much for sharing your story and your thoughtful responses with us. Happy writing! 


Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes and offers developmental editing and ghostwriting services to partially fund the press. Connect on Twitter @greenmachine459.
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Interview with Cate Touryan, Runner Up in the WOW! Q1 2025 Essay Contest

Sunday, March 30, 2025

When she isn’t editing or teaching technical writing, Cate Touryan writes short fiction, creative nonfiction, and novels. Her debut YA novel, Turning Toward Eden, is slated for a 2025 spring release. Cate’s work has won second place and an honorable mention in past Women on Writing contests. Her recent creative nonfiction piece, published in Under the Sun, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize as well as for inclusion in The Best American Essays, 2025. You can read her essay here.

Cate lives on California’s foggy but beautiful central coast with her husband, the sweet spirit of her Yorkie, and a rafter of turkeys—as in both a whole bunch of them and in the rafters.

To connect with Cate, head to her website or Facebook page or send her an email. She loves to hear from her readers.

Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: Congratulations on being a runner up in the Q1 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest for Beyond the Safari Sunset. The imagery is so rich I felt like I was watching a slideshow, not reading. Any insights on how you make your writing so incredibly descriptive?

CATE: That’s a lovely compliment, thank you. As a reader, I most admire that writing which perfectly melds form, function, and fabric such that the narrative transcends the telling and becomes a work of art in itself, an astonishment. I’m not there yet, more miss than hit, but continue to work toward a mastery of craft. To render physical setting well, I rely on conventional advice: infuse scenes with relevant sensory detail, tease out nuanced meaning through juxtaposition, backlight the symbolic, and much more.

But to render description immersive—that’s my ultimate goal, requiring me to reach beyond the physical, intellectual, and symbolic characteristics of a place. To harness the power of setting demands that I see the landscape, for example, as an indispensable thread in the story, not a character so much as a revelatory shading or texturizing. Even that—the descriptive as immersive—has a greater goal: to make my story yours, the distinction between us lost as we converge into one shared moment.

WOW: What made you decide to submit this piece to the contest? 

CATE: There’s something about putting a pet down that, as if not heartrending enough, brings mortality front and center, speaking to the loss of all things. We can, as the story illustrates, try to hem in those we love, prolong their wilted lives, concoct workarounds, tether them with unbreakable love, yet nothing can stave off the inevitable. It may be a fact of life that all things eventually perish, will be lost, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t driven by some fierce force to hold on. Death is anathema to us; though of perishable bodies, we have been set with eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Trying to come to terms with the loss of Wee Willie Winkie meant revisiting the permeating sorrows of this life. And as writers do, I wrestled with those sorrows in story, refusing to let loss have the last word and perhaps doing the one thing we can do: make beauty from ashes. It just so happened that a last-call email from WOW provided the impetus I needed to put fingers to keyboard.

WOW: Yes, I agree that a looming deadline can give us the extra nudge to write. Do you frequently enter writing contests? 

CATE: I don’t, entering maybe a half-dozen essays for WOW over the years, but I do have a
wonderful story to tell with a shoutout to two tremendously kind and encouraging editors, Angela Mackintosh and Martha Highers.

When a CNF essay I submitted to WOW last year made it to the finals but no farther, I reached out to a WOW editor to ask if the topic was too political for the contest. She thought not and pointed me to the literary journal Under the Sun, saying its editor-in-chief had recently written her own piece on the same topic. Even though my entry was too short at 1,000 words for their preferred style, what would it hurt? The editor-in-chief liked it enough to ask me to expand it. After nine months of collaborative work, my now 3,000-word essay was published and subsequently nominated for a Pushcart Prize as well as for a 2025 Best American Essays selection. As if that wasn’t honor enough, I was asked to be a reader for Under the Sun and am now working with authors we’d like to publish, paying it forward as it were. I am loving the behind-the-scenes reading and editing and can’t speak highly enough of the terrific team rooting for every submission.

Not making it past the finals in the WOW contest was a blessing in disguise. There is reward ahead for those who persevere.

WOW: Pushcart Prize and American Essay! That is an incredible story. And a wonderful example of how we all, in our turn, lift our fellow writers up. On your website, you write that you reach for "....the beginning beyond The End." Can you share what that means to you?

CATE: Simply explained, I write stories, fictional and otherwise, where real life meets real faith.
While we cannot see beyond this temporal life—and indeed, many believe there is nothing to see—I believe we catch glimpses of another story that awaits us after “the end,” a story of redemption and the renewal of all things. Or as the apostle Paul put it far more eloquently, “the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Christianity provides, if not the easiest, safest, or most popular life, the only one that offers both meaning to our own stories and the promise of a story
beyond our own. I write to capture glimpses of that which lies beyond our temporal vision, to offer that which has brought my life both purpose and hope.

WOW: What an inspirational look at your writing process. So, what's your next big writing project?

CATE: I’m excited to be launching my debut historical YA novel, Turning Toward Eden, along with the audiobook in May. It’s a crossover in many ways—historical, mystery, coming-of-age, small town, YA/women’s, not fitting neatly into any particular genre, but with appeal to those who enjoy a good story with heart. I have a middle grade novel in the works as well as more creative nonfiction, perhaps my favorite format.

WOW: You are busy! What is your upcoming novel about?

CATE: When chasing another is easier than facing yourself. It’s 1971. The Cold War has cast a chill over the hot summer of California’s central coast. Caught in her parents’ own cold war, 14-year-old Eden is strapped with caring for her severely disabled brother until the arrival of a mysterious Russian immigrant unleashes a rash of escalating crimes. Rumors swirl: the “commie” is to blame . . . and Eden
is her accomplice. Determined to prove her innocence, Eden embarks on a reckless game of chase—even if it means risking her brother’s life. Stumbling upon the girl’s secret, she unearths her own. But will it be too late to save her brother?

To read the short story prequel, set in 1910, please visit my website and subscribe to my quarterly newsletter.

WOW: I 'm signing up today because I can't resist a sneak peek inside a new world.

CATE: Thank you for inviting me to share about my creative process and works. It’s an honor!



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Friday Speak Out!: Write With Your Heart; The Best Writing Advice I Received From My Father

Friday, March 28, 2025


By Jeanine DeHoney

I proclaimed I wanted to be a writer at a very young age. As I sat on the sofa in my family’s Livingroom, my imagination had free reign as I wrote stories about cute little kittens and fairies with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays.

Then, as the weekend loomed in front of me, my father who was a saxophone player and jazz aficionado, who loved listening to music teeming at the seams with the barebones of improvisation, syncopation, and a melodious rhythm, would take a  jazz album from his collection out of its sleeve and play it on our stereo console.  


I would drop everything to sit beside him, and then mirror how he attended to this music; the bobbing of his head, tapping of his feet, taking mental notes of any listening instructions he gave me. 


The main one he imparted to me was, “Always listen with your heart and not just your ears.”


So, I would, and the music I thought sounded strange as a child soon sounded inviting and soothing.

 

When I became an adult, and began my journey as a freelance writer, I realized my father’s words held significance, not just for music but for writing. I paraphrased his words some to encompass that I also needed to, “Always write with or from my heart.”


For when I did, I didn’t write to anyone else’s drumbeat. I didn’t hold back from writing what others thought should be “shrouded” or “kept hidden in the closet” particularly if it concerned a sensitive or cultural issue. I opened my heart and gave myself permission to empty my emotions on paper and let readers see the authenticity and vulnerability of who I was or who I was writing about. I stopped worrying about being judged. 


Writing with my heart allowed me to unfetter my core on the page and forge a relationship with readers who might be walking a mile in my emotive shoes.


My words; the fiction stories, the creative nonfiction essays. even my first children’s picture book, are all heart stories. They are not just slivers but full-on narratives about the complexities of love, life, family, culture, the bad entwined with the good, sadness entwined with joy, etc., just like the music I learned to appreciate as I listened with my father.  


Although I never got the chance to tell my father his advice on listening to jazz would be some of the best and most inspiring advice I got about writing, I hope he knew somehow. I hope he knew when he thumbed through my first published magazine story in my early twenties, that I followed his instructions about the heart. That I listened for the heartbeat of my stories when they hovered overhead, until they defied gravity and landed on the page. 


And from one writer to another, I pass that same advice on to you, write with or from your heart, because you are a unique wordsmith and your/our stories are oh so needed in the world we live in today.

 * * * 

As a freelance writer my writing has been published in Wow: Women on Writing, Mutha Magazine, Literary Mama, Scary Mommy, Brain Child Magazine, Please See Me Literary Magazine, The Light, Jerry Jazz Magazine, Rigorous Magazine, Soul In Space, The Write Place At The Write Time, Gemini Literary Magazine, The Dirty Spoon Radio Hour and Journal, Sisters AARP,  Mahogany Blog, Carefree, Kiza Blacklit, and a fiction story in an upcoming anthology curated to spread awareness about domestic violence, “Why I Stayed," and MER literary magazine, among others. I am an essayist in anthologies by Chicken Soup For The Soul, Black Lawrence Press-"Mamas, Martyrs, and Jezebels," Black Freighter Press's- "Waiting To Exhale" and BLF Press- "Black Joy Unbound,” and in Zora’s Den anthology. I won first prize for prose for the table/feast Literary Magazine The Blossom Contest, and The Colorism Healing Contest and second place for my essay for the Light-Leaders Igniting Generational Healing and Transformation Literary Journal, and was shortlisted for a fiction story for the Embellishment Contest for Australia's Voices of Women which was performed in Australia as a monologue. I was an Honor Award winner for Sleeping Bear Press Own Voices Own Stories 2022 award season for a children's picture book, "This Sunday My Daddy Came To Church," and it was acquired for publication by Sleeping Bear Press and will be available  in August 2025. 
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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What Is the Heart?

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Recently I’ve been watching sessions from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Online Conference. My favorite sessions always involve a how-to element. One session was on finding your writer’s voice. Another was on taking something from idea to full picture book. 

Yet my favorite session was on making your work stand out. The same thing kept coming up. Know what is at the heart of your project. 

It was interesting to hear agents and editors alike explain how vital it is to know what is at the heart of your project. When you are drafting a project, it helps keep you focused. Whether you are outlining or working on your draft, when you feel stuck, consider the heart. Why am I writing this? What inspired it? What do I want this piece to do for my readers? Often these questions can help get you moving again. 

Questions like these are just as critical when you are revising. This is especially true if you are revising based on an agent’s or editor’s comments. 

Think about it. The agent tells you that editors are seeing too many manuscripts set in New York. You groan. You did so much research to figure out what your characters would see as they moved through the city. Should you try revising and setting your story somewhere else? It depends. Why are you writing this piece? Let’s say that you wanted to create a fast-paced piece of fiction with two sisters as the main characters. Hmm. New York didn’t even come into play. What did you want this piece to do for your readers? You wanted them to experience a story with two smart, sassy women who have each other’s backs, come-what-may. Maybe you could try a new setting. 

But if the agent tells you that one of these two characters needs to go, no one wants a sisters-as-buddies story? That’s another situation altogether. The pair of sisters who are also buddies is at the heart of your story. Getting rid of one of them would be self-defeating. 

The agent concedes that you can keep both of your characters. But one of the sisters should betray the other. That would increase the tension and be quite the plot twist! It would. But it too would go against the heart of your story. If you want to give the agent's suggestion a try, you might try to write the big reveal and see if it feels genuine. 

Or you could employ one of my favorite tricks. The story needs more tension. Check. But who else could be the secret villain? Who else could it be that would be just as shocking? That would create just as much tension? I always try to see what is behind the request for a change. But I also try to keep the heart of my story in sight. 

I am much better at doing that when I write nonfiction. I am hoping that using this idea in my fiction will help me wend my way through that revision. 

--SueBE

  • Click here to find her newsletter.
Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 60 books for young readers.  

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin on the first Monday of every month. She teaches:
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Interview with Zarah Elouis-Ro, 2nd Place Winner in the Fall 2024 Flash Fiction Contest

Monday, March 24, 2025

 


Zarah is a single parent living in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with her son, Kellen. Zarah holds a marketing degree from the University of Liverpool and previously worked as a paralegal in contract law. Zarah is independently learning creative writing and in 2021, Zarah was shortlisted in the Penguin Michael Joseph Christmas Romance competition, following which she organised with other shortlistees to write and publish two Christmas Romance anthologies, with a third planned for 2025. Zarah writes broadly across the Fiction genre with a preference for sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian and speculative fiction. In 2024, Zarah was a candidate awarded the Writers on the Rise program with the Black British Book Festival and Pan Macmillan, and was shortlisted in the Jericho Writers Self-Edit Your Novel course, as well as being named a Top 10 Finalist in the WOW Summer 2024 Flash Fiction contest and being shortlisted for the Tadpole Press December micro contest and the Globe Soup December micro contest. Zarah hosts a weekly online writing group for underrepresented writers, and is currently focusing on two novels for submission in Summer 2025. In her spare time, Zarah crochets, bakes, and does DIY (badly).


 ----------Interview by Renee Roberson 

 WOW: Hello again, Zarah, and welcome! “The Salt Line” is the sort of story one wants to read more than once, so they can fully take in all the metaphors and hidden meanings tucked away in the paragraphs. How did you get the idea for this story? 

 Zarah: I find inspiration in the most unlikely places. This time it came from a spam email from Quora. The subject line read something like “I heard my mother asking the neighbour for salt” and the post was a short parable about asking your neighbours for something small so they feel like they can ask you for something when they need it. I thought that was beautiful, and my mind immediately conjured “The Salt Line” in response. I was fascinated about the concept of asking your neighbour for something but needing something completely different. So much of how we communicate is actually about what is left unsaid, what lingers, or the difference between what people hope they are conveying and how it actually comes across. This was one of the fastest shorts I have ever written because the idea was so clear and it was so fun to write. 

WOW: Inspiration really does exist all around us! Let's talk about perspective—reading the story from the daughter’s point of view—is one of the most powerful aspects of “The Salt Line.” How do you feel it would have changed had it been written from the mother’s perspective? 

Zarah: Writing from the perspective of the daughter really allowed me to play with the presentation, severity, and impact of the mother’s mental health issues in a way that I am not sure I would have been able convey had I written the story from her perspective. Through the eyes of children we often see how all they want is a parent to love them and feel happy, regardless of how bad their home life might actually be. 

From the adult perspective, all you have is the anxiety and the judgment consuming your brain and nervous system. There is no empathy for the self or compassion. The mother is aware that she needs help and things need to change, but in her consumption, she leaves her daughter alone (albeit only to go next door) when everything finally gets too much for her to bear. That is a challenging aspect to write about when it comes to mental health, but through the lens of a child, we see the compassion and empathy she is unwilling to give herself. Her daughter generously accommodates her mother’s illness despite the isolation of their life. Then we see the immediate positive of her mother taking action to regain her life: even though the daughter doesn’t understand her mother’s request for salt, she intuits that something has shifted and it is now safe for her to return to the role of child and go and play. 

If we flip that, and have the mother aware that she is a burden to her child, we lose the complex nature of carer dynamics. Many children care for their parents as a necessity. It is unfair and heartbreaking, but these children love their parents and want what is best for them. I think it is tragically beautiful. As a parent/carer, I am a little obsessed with writing about the importance of community. 

I think one perspective I could have conveyed from the mother is how self-awareness, self-love, wanting to change etc, is no replacement for community. Humans are social creatures and we cannot heal alone. But the mere thought of being vulnerable can be vomit-inducing! Fearing rejection means people often overlook the immediate channels that can help their situation feel less apocalyptic. Having the courage to take that step and say “I need help” is a wonderful thing, and I like to believe I could have done justice to the relief she would have felt after receiving her neighbour’s acceptance. 

WOW: Having experienced success in a variety of writing competitions, but particularly WOW’s, which limits the word count to 750, what advice would you give writers trying to tell a complete story in such a short amount of time? 

 Zarah: We all know the advice to “kill your darlings”, right? Every sentence you write is a darling you can kill. It is excruciating hacking away at your story to get it to fit a restricted word count but practice makes perfect. Can you say it in less words and retain the impact? Regardless of how it makes you feel (dagger to the heart!), if the answer is yes, then you must do it. I start off with a master document of free form writing, then copy and paste into a new document and whittle it down. That way I can compare the two, and if there is a competition with a higher word count I want to enter, I then have room to expand. I usually end up with about 3 versions of one story! Oddly though, “The Salt Line” was pretty close to the word count when I had finished splurging, so it was more about refining the quality than cutting it down. 

WOW: Are there any writers who have inspired your own work? 

Zarah: When I was a child I used to read Jodi Picoult books that I pilfered from home. Same with Marian Keyes. I loved how Jodi creates such complex characters and ethical quandaries, and Marian is just amazing at writing relatable, funny and complex characters in more every day scenarios. My favourite adult book is by Kate Morton “The Forgotten Garden”. It has everything I love — drama, tragedy, secretive characters, mystery, and a hint of the magical. My favourite children’s books are the “His Dark Materials” trilogy by Phillip Pullman and “The Narnia Chronicles” by C.S. Lewis. I love the existential themes wrapped up in fantasy and adventure. Whenever I read any of these authors they inspire me to write as I am reading them, which means I often have to pause my reading to write. 

WOW: Those are some great authors to recommend. Many writers have a love/hate relationship with the revision process. I know I do! How do you tackle it in your own work? Do you have any tips you could share with us? 

Zarah: I am an odd one out here as I typically loathe the first draft process but I adore editing. My top tip for editing down a piece to fit a specific word count is divide your cull by page. For example, if you have a 700 word limit, but you have a story that’s 1000 words and 3 pages long, set yourself the target of cutting 100 words from each page. I repeat this process until I get down to the word count. It takes the pressure off because on some pages you’ll naturally cull more which will help you save in the areas you really can’t cut. You’ll know those areas because the story either won’t make sense without them, or you’ll feel like the sparkle has been lost. Also remember that when editing, every writing rule can be broken if you commit the sin well enough! The only other advice I have is to leave time between edits and don’t fall into the trap of eternal editing. As writers, we are (or should be!) always learning new techniques to make us better, but the catch is that your previous works will never keep pace with that. And that’s okay! You need to know when to stop editing and send it on to the next stage, otherwise nobody will ever see your work.

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Trespassers and Other Stories by Áine Greaney: Blog Tour & Giveaway

 
Trespassers and Other Stories by Aine Greaney

I'm excited to announce the blog tour for Trespassers and Other Stories by Áine Greaney. This book is perfect for readers who like contemporary fiction that spans cultures (Ireland and America) and character age groups (characters ages 16 – 76). You'll especially enjoy it if you love reading women characters facing issues of identity, family disruption, and displacement. 

Today, we're sharing an interview with author and giving you a chance to win a copy of the novel!

Before we interview the author, here's a bit more about the book:

From coastal Massachusetts to rural Ireland, the characters in Trespassers struggle to reconcile past and present, place and displacement, loss and hope.

A woman travels from her Massachusetts home to her native Irish village to care for her estranged and sick father. Back in her childhood home, she comes face-to-face with previously unspoken losses.

A wealthy couple travels to Cape Cod to spend their 52nd summer on the wife's ancestral estate. On their private beach above Nantucket Sound, the husband must confront the realities of their long marriage and its social-class tensions.

An Irish immigrant takes her American-born teen to a raucous Boston house party. At that party, the teenager discovers that her mother had lied about her child's birth father—a lie that will permanently divide the mother and daughter.

PUBLISHER: Sea Crow Press
ISBN-10: 1961864207
ISBN-13  978-1961864207
Print Length: 130 pages

You can purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You can also add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Áine Greaney


An Irish native, Áine Greaney now lives and writes in the Boston area. In addition to her five published books, her short works have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Salon, Another Chicago Magazine, The Boston Globe Magazine, The New York Times, Books Ireland, NPR/WBUR and other publications.  

As well as being an author, Greaney is a trained teacher who has designed and led fiction and non-fiction workshops, presentations and keynotes for regional, national and international organizations. 

Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, cited in Best American Essays and named a ‘Great Group Read’ by the Women’s National Book Association. 

You can find her online at:

Instagram: ainegreaney
Threads: ainegreaney

- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First of all, congrats on your short story collection. What inspired you to put this collection together?

Áine: Thank you. I got the idea for this collection when, during a rare bout of house cleaning, I came across some of my old short stories in print literary magazines. As I stood next to my bookshelves, it felt like I was reading a stranger’s work. Also, I noticed a recurring pattern: Across these stories, the main characters (mostly women and ranging in age from 17 to 77) all found themselves in uncomfortable or misfit places.

When I switched on my laptop to read through some stories in progress, here was that same theme of displacement. So I knew that I had to roll up my sleeves to edit and finish the stories and that this collection would be about places (Ireland and Massachusetts).

WOW: I love finding an ongoing theme in my work. It tells me so much about my writing. You have some incredible successes under your belt. What have you learned that you can share with us about how to make a short story capture a reader?

Áine: I learned the opening scenes or pages have to draw the reader in, while also subtly orienting the reader to the story’s place, era and characters.  Also, the opening scenes must present or hint at the story’s central conflict.  Through vivid language and precise word choices, we are inviting the reader to come on board and join us for this virtual and immersive reality tour through our fictional world.

Recently, I read that this is about more than a literary journey or entertainment. Neuroscience says that, as a scene unfolds on the page or screen, our brains and nervous systems can react accordingly. But these neuro-responses won’t happen unless our opening scenes are meticulously crafted—which means some wild writing but careful editing.

WOW: How interesting! I never knew that. Did you have to go back and do any extensive revisions to your stories?

Áine: Oh, gosh, yes! On that house-cleaning day, when I read those old stories, I realized just how much we change as readers and as writers. In some cases, I saw how overwritten the stories were.

Meanwhile, those unfinished stories in my laptop needed what I call “macro editing.” In one story, the opening scene became the closing scene. Another opening scene got moved to half way into the story. Once I had made these architectural changes, I reached for my red pen to do multiple rounds of micro-editing. And I mean, “multiple rounds!”

WOW: That must have been such a rewarding process. I loved reading more about you in your author Q&A on your website. How did moving to America change your writing career and direction?

Áine: I’m an almost lifelong reader, so once I settled into my first landing place in upstate New York, I scouted out the town’s local library and independent book shop. In that main street shop, I found “The Middleman and Other Stories,” a fiction collection by the late and wonderful author Bharati Mukherjee. As well as her writing style, Mukherjee’s stories about immigrants in America really, really spoke to me.

 A few years later, mostly on a lark, I decided to apply for a fiction-intensive fellowship at the local state university.  As part of the application, I had to write, finish and submit a short story. I got accepted, and, on the first night there, the teacher-author said that he’d assumed from my submitted story that I was (a) male and (b) British and (c) at least 75 years old.  

This was over three decades ago now, but looking back, I think that Mukherjee’s stories about the experience of straddling countries and cultures—coupled with being in a community of fiction writers in that class—gave me the courage to get and keep writing.

WOW: Ha, I can't help but laugh about what your teacher said at the time. I'm so glad you kept going with your writing. You describe yourself as being an immigrant author. How does that guide the stories you write and the readers you interact with?

Áine: Especially in the early years or decade here in America, I lived my life in a kind of liminal space between my new and native countries and cultures. Now, there are days when I see or hear nothing to remind me of my past life in Ireland. Other days, a sight or sound or an extra vivid night dream will instantly transport me back to childhood. This juxtaposition between past and present and between native and adopted countries keeps me writing.

When I read other immigrant writers, the authors’ words and stories often mirror my own dual-realities. The literature of displacement makes me feel less displaced.

WOW:
 It's like you found your literary community! Drifting away from your short story collection a bit, your book Writer With a Day Job spoke to me. How do you balance your day job with writing?   

Áine: I’ve written all of my books, stories and essays while working a day job—which is what inspired me to write my instructional book!  I’m a morning writer, so I get up an hour or more before I have to get ready for work. I also keep my day job and my creative work very separate—both in my mind and in daily life. Since our pandemic, I’ve been working two part-time jobs—as a communications specialist for a non-profit health organization and as a writing-workshop instructor. Both are (mostly) work from home roles, which is wonderful.  Deleting the commute time gives us back a big slice of creative time. Finally, it helps to keep what I call “a writers mission,” and to keep reminding ourselves that writing is who we are.

WOW: As someone who used to have an hour commute to and from work, and now works from home, gaining those two hours back is a life changer. That brings me to one of my favorite questions to ask writers: what does your writing space like?

Áine: For the generative work such as journaling, first drafts, or general scribbling, I use an attic room in my house where I’ve placed a small writing table. An American friend told me it’s an old vanity table, but trust me, early in the morning before work, there’s nothing beautiful or vain about what gets written there!  For my second drafts and those macro and micro edits, I print up the manuscript and walk to a local café or our local public library. Getting out of the house helps with the switcheroo from day-job to writer. It also helps me to switch from writer mode into critical reader mode.  

WOW: I think that's a wonderful balance for your writing routines. Thank you so much Áine for taking the time to talk with us today. Best of luck on your tour!

Trespassers and Other Stories by Aine Greaney Blog Tour and Book Giveaway

-- Blog Tour Calendar

March 24 @ The Muffin
Join us at The Muffin as we celebrate the launch of Áine Greaney's blog tour for her short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories. Read an interview with the author and enter a giveaway for the book.

March 27 @ Bookroom Reviews
Visit Dick's blog for a guest post by about the origins of stories: where fictional ideas and inspirations come from.

April 1 @ Just Katherine
Visit Katherine's blog again for her review of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 2 @ Create Write Now
Join Mari for a blog post by Áine Greaney about how to set up and stick to a writing schedule.

April 2 @ The Mommies Reviews
Join Glenda for a guest post by Áine Greaney about Willie Nelson's three rules and how they apply to writing.

April 5 @ Renee Roberson's blog
Visit Renee's blog for her response to the author's prompt about when she was in an uncomfortable, misfit place or setting or a place or setting where she could never be her true self.

April 8 @ Words by Webb
Visit Jodi's blog for a guest post by Áine Greaney about how she got started as a writer. 

April 9 @ Beverley A. Baird's blog
Stop by Beverley's blog for a guest post by Áine Greaney about being a dual-genre writer.

April 10 @ Frugal Freelancer
Visit Sara's blog for her interview with author, Áine Greaney.

April 11 @ Renee Roberson's blog
Join Renee for her review of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 12 @ Boys' Moms Reads!
Visit Karen's blog today for her review of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 13 @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
Visit Joan's blog for her review of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 14 @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy's blog for an excerpt from Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 16 @ Beverley A. Baird's blog
Visit Beverley for her review of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 16 @ The Mommies Reviews
Visit Glenda's blog again for her review of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 17 @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra's blog for a spotlight of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 19 @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Join Linda's blog for an in-depth interview with Áine Greaney about her short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 20 @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie's blog for a guest post by Áine Greaney about being a writer with a day job.

April 21 @ StoreyBook Reviews
Visit Leslie's blog for an excerpt from Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 22 @ Frugal Freelancer
Sara joins in the tour by responding to our tour-themed prompt of a time when she was in an uncomfortable, misfit place or setting or a place or setting where she could never be her true self.

April 23 @ World of My Imagination
Join Nicole when she shares her response to a tour-themed prompt of a time when she was a misfit. Plus, she shares her thoughts of Áine Greaney's short story collection, Trespassers and Other Stories.

April 25 @ Choices
Visit Madeline's blog for a guest post from Áine Greaney on finding and keeping the joy in writing.

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Enter to win a print copy of Trespassers and Other Stories by Áine Greaney! Fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends April 6th at 11:59 pm CT. We will choose a winner the next day and announce in the widget as well as follow up via email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Interview with Hana S. Elysia, Runner Up in the WOW! Q1 2024 Creative Nonfiction Contest

Sunday, March 23, 2025

 


Hana S. Elysia is a professional dancer turned writer with a keen interest in the dark and whimsical. Her writing has appeared in Cleaver Magazine, Confluence, Trembling with Fear, and elsewhere. She was named the winner of the Duality Creative Nonfiction contest in Cleaver Magazine, the 2024 Story Slam at the AGLSP annual conference, and the 2023 Creative Writing Award in Confluence. Her short nonfiction piece “What They Call Me” is directly based on her mother’s life after coming to the United States from Miyazaki, Japan. More of her writing can be found at hanaselysia.substack.com, as well as on Instagram @hana.s.elysia. 
 







----------Interview by Renee Roberson 

WOW: Hana, congratulations again and thank you for being here today! "What They Call Me" features a series of vignettes involving your mother's experience after moving to the United States from Japan. How did you decide which scenes to include in this essay? Were there any in the first draft that you decided to edit out? 

Hana: I interviewed my mother to decide which scenes to include. When the opportunity to write about her life presented itself, I went to her with an open mind and no parameters, then took extensive notes on everything she described. I remember one specific question I asked: what feeling do you want readers to be left with at the end of this piece? Initially I thought she’d say something like, “An inkling of hope for a better future,” but it was the opposite. She wanted to convey the bitter hopelessness in realizing that she couldn’t return home. That she’d been torn from her family and trapped in 1960s Kansas City, surrounded by hostile strangers, including her own mother. She rarely talked about her past while I was growing up, and after I became an adult, I finally understood it was because of the pain she carried. I didn’t edit out any scenes. They all came together naturally, I had no idea what they’d become. I only knew that portraying the emotional nuances would be the most important aspect. I’m grateful to Cleaver Magazine for giving me the chance to tell my mother’s story, and now to WOW! Women on Writing for spreading it farther. 

WOW: What do you think makes a compelling piece of creative nonfiction? 

Hana: I hesitate to tell a reader—and especially a writer—what I think compelling creative nonfiction is. There are so many experiences that can be portrayed in so many different ways, along with narrative techniques that are easy to get tangled up in. I suppose my answer is this: truth in the story, and trust in the voice. Even the most mundane topics become fascinating when the author isn't afraid to be mundane. 

WOW: What is your process like for finding markets for your writing? 

Hana: Because I’m a writer who does a little bit of everything, I tend not to fit into one market or another. Sometimes I lean toward literary fiction, sometimes toward speculative—it depends on my mood! Readers who prefer cross-genre work may enjoy this multifaceted niche I call home. I love connecting with them and trust that they’ll find me of their own volition. 

WOW: It can be difficult writing a piece on such a personal topic such as family history and trauma. Do you have any tips on how to best get started? 

Hana: I’d say to set aside rules, techniques, and thoughts about craft during the first drafting process. Editing and refinement can come later, follow your spiritual pull. Some writers may want to approach their stories from a more emotional perspective while others remain at a distance. Allowing yourself to tell it in whatever way feels right, is right. In my case, the first step was to just sit down and listen. 

WOW: Are you working on anything new? We'd love to hear about it! 

Hana: I’d love to write a prequel to “What They Call Me” that takes place back in Japan and features a strange event my mother went through. But the latest short story I just finished writing is reminiscent of Mrs. Caliban, a novel about a neglected housewife who has an affair with an amphibious humanoid man. I also finished a flash fiction piece that’s based on a memory of mine as a dancer, where I was gifted something I haven’t forgotten to this day. And whichever route I choose to go for a debut novel, I’ll likely put my heritage on full display. I have a particular interest in Japanese mythology, so we’ll see where that ends up taking me in the future.
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Libraries are Community

Wednesday, March 19, 2025


I can't stop thinking about my monthly library board meeting. Despite the controversial things happening in our nation's libraries concerning choices of books and events in recent years, my local library seems relatively untouched. Our board mostly discusses upcoming events for patrons, switching over to LED lights, the ongoing search for personnel (anyone know a reliable part-time custodian?). Our meetings are mostly about the nuts and bolts of creating the best possible library for the community.


But on Monday night, in addition to our usual stack of papers of the librarian's report, bills for approval and other details there was something extra. A Show Up for Our Libraries handout was a statement from the American Library Association about an executive order issued on March 14 calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." Hmmm.


I did some research and it seems there are some things that "shall" be maintained according to law while others "may" be maintained. Of course the unsaid half is that they also "may not" be maintained. It's very complicated and blurred by legalese talk. What I want is someone to tell me straight out what we will be losing. Is this a step toward ceasing our national public library system?


I'm all for saving money but libraries - public, school, academic - receive 0.003% of the federal budget. That's a very thin sliver of the pie. Maybe our representatives are thinking that libraries are dinosaurs. We have the Internet. We can get any book we want on Amazon. Why do we need libraries? Or more to the point, why are we still paying for libraries?


Frankly, because libraries are so much more than a building full of books. Libraries are community. People come to my local library to read but they also come for presentations on everything from computers to reptiles. They can join groups for readers, writers, knitters, gamers, computer geeks, puzzlers. They can get loans of baking supplies, party games, hand tools, sewing machines. They can use a 3-D printer, a computer, a copier, free wifi. They can see art displays and use meeting spaces. They can bring their children to story time, learning programs, holiday parties.


In rural areas like mine, libraries are an important bastion of community life. Our nearest bookstore is in the next county. Keeping school libraries open and filled with books for all students is a continuing challenge with shrinking school budgets. Also, there are limited spots for people to come together and participate in activities. And many people are feeling a pinch to their budget. We don't all have the luxury of buying that book our child needs/wants to read, participating in fun activities or even affording Internet service. The many services the public library provides are a gift to our whole community.


For many years, libraries have been a valuable resource for me. Helping me to polish my writing and helping me research for various assignments - everything from poisonous plants to pretzels. Recently, I received an assignment to interview Jesse Q. Sutanto and my library quickly rounded up four of her books from nearby libraries so I could be an expert before talking to her. I have a new assignment and they are rounding up another batch of books for my pre-interview cram session. Libraries help me earn my living.



I'm worried about the future of public libraries, are you?


Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to tea to butterflies. She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing and a writing tutor at her local university. Get to know her @jodiwebbwrites,  Facebook and blogging at Words by Webb

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