Visit Sue's blog again for her interview with Barbara Barth about her memoir.
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Monday, February 10, 2025
Sleeping With Dogs by Barbara Barth: Blog Tour & Giveaway
Visit Sue's blog again for her interview with Barbara Barth about her memoir.
Sunday, February 09, 2025
Interview with Ari Honarvar, First Place Winner in the WOW! Q1 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest
--interview by Marcia Peterson
WOW: Congratulations on winning first place in our Q1 2025 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What inspired you to write your essay, “My Poet Mother, the War, and a Used Car?”
Then came the era of speech-to-text voicemail apps. When my family left messages in Persian, the transcriptions were unintentionally hilarious gibberish and I began to see them as a sort of accidental poetry. It inspired me to explore how my relationship with poetry has evolved alongside my relationship with my poet mother.
WOW: How did your essay develop, both in your initial thinking about it and in the revision process?
Ari: I knew I wanted to begin the piece with the nonsensical voicemail poetry. Deciding where to go next and which story to highlight was a bit tricky since there were so many to choose from! I ended up moving back and forth between Iran and the U.S., focusing on the car sale incident. To meet the word count, I had to shorten the original piece, which meant making tough choices about what to keep and what to cut. Come to think of it, I actually enjoy that part of the process.
WOW: What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it?
Ari: I'm fortunate to be part of an ever-expanding circle of women and LGBTQ+ authors, which allows me to explore fascinating genres and styles. At the moment, I'm starting A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea by Laura Taylor Namey.
I'm also finishing Doppelganger by Naomi Klein. I've been following Klein's work for a while and admire how she uses the metaphor of the mirror world (a theme prominent in Persian literature) to illustrate the interconnectedness of the current political landscape, conspiracy theories, climate collapse, and our shared responsibility in it all. I recently finished Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, and I like how both books offer unique perspectives on similar themes.
WOW: Can you tell us what projects are you currently working on (writing and otherwise)? What can we plan on seeing from you in the future?
In terms of writing, I have a few investigative pieces on joy, the power of the arts, neuroaesthetics, and health equity set for publication. My poems will appear in upcoming anthologies, and I’m co-authoring a YA novel with my husband.
WOW: Such wonderful and important work you do! The Rumi audio book is also something I'd be interested in. Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Ari. Before you go, can you share a favorite writing tip or piece of advice?
Ari: Tune in to your own temperament and natural rhythms: Find a writing schedule that suits you, cultivate the right conditions for creativity, and strike a balance between productivity and pleasure.
Friday, February 07, 2025
Friday Speak Out!: Finding Your Writing Rhythm: How I Turned My Morning Chaos into Creative Gold
As a mother of two young children and a freelance writer, my mornings used to feel like a tornado of lunch boxes, missing socks, and half-finished manuscripts. I'd watch the clock tick away, promising myself I'd write "later" – a mythical time that rarely materialized. Sound familiar? But what if I told you that the very chaos I was fighting could become my greatest writing asset?
Here's how I transformed my morning mayhem into a sustainable writing practice, and how you can too:
1. Embrace the Imperfect Time Block
I discovered that waiting for the "perfect" writing time was my biggest mistake. Instead of craving uninterrupted hours, I learned to work with what I call "pocket moments" – those 15-20 minute gaps between making breakfast and school drop-off, or while waiting at soccer practice. These fragments add up surprisingly fast.
Practical Tip: Keep a small notebook or use your phone's note-taking app to capture ideas during these pocket moments. Some of my best story concepts have come while waiting for the pasta water to boil.
2. Turn Distractions into Material
Remember that time your toddler flushed your car keys down the toilet? Or when your teenager's drama rivaled your novel's subplot? These aren't interruptions – they're material. I started keeping a "chaos journal" where I document these daily disruptions. These real-life moments have become gold mines for authentic character development and dialogue.
3. Create a Mobile Writing Station
Since I couldn't guarantee where or when I'd find time to write, I created a portable writing kit. It includes:
- A tablet with a bluetooth keyboard
- Noise-canceling earbuds
- A small notebook and pen
- Writing prompts on index cards
4. The Power of the "Terrible Ten"
Here's my most effective strategy: I commit to writing ten terrible sentences every day. Just ten. They can be awful, ungrammatical, or completely unusable. This removes the pressure of perfection and often leads to writing much more than planned. Some of my published pieces started as "terrible ten" exercises.
5. Build Your Support System
I joined an online writing group specifically for parents who write. We meet virtually twice a month, share resources, and most importantly, understand when someone has to step away because of a juice box emergency. Having this community has been invaluable for both accountability and encouragement.
The Result?
By implementing these strategies, I've published three short stories and completed my first novel draft – all within the beautiful chaos of family life. My productivity actually increased when I stopped fighting against my circumstances and learned to work with them instead.
Remember: Your writing journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's. The key is finding rhythms that work within your reality, not despite it. Those stolen moments between life's demands? They're not just good enough – they might be exactly what your creative process needs.
Start today: Pick one strategy from above and try it for a week. You might be surprised to find that your best writing doesn't come from perfect silence, but from the beautiful mess of real life.
Leslie Williams is a freelance writer, chaotic-morning connoisseur, and mother of two who’s mastered the art of drafting novels between school runs and snack time.
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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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Thursday, February 06, 2025
My Full-Circle Moment
This past week I experienced a full circle moment. From 1996 to 1998, I worked at my campus newspaper, The Blue Banner, at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, starting out as a staff writer, and then later moving up to a features editor and then the news editor. Most of the time I was covering current events on campus, writing about pop culture, and assigning stories to other staff writers. I was not writing about true crime. Sure, it was something I had always been interested in reading, but there wasn’t really a crime beat on our newspaper. In fact, I didn’t even know about an unsolved murder on our campus from 1973 until just a few years ago.
Tuesday, February 04, 2025
Interview with Jane Cleere Johnson: Summer 2024 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up
Friday, January 31, 2025
Friday Speak Out!: Express Yourself
When you were a child, what creative outlets lit you up? Were you a painter, singer, pillow fort architect, or LEGO master? And more importantly, how many of those creative outlets have followed you into adulthood? Anyone?
For me, writing and dance have always been the purest expressions of my heart and soul. Yet, I spent the entirety of my 20s pushing them aside. I was climbing the corporate ladder, collecting accolades, but something was missing. I didn’t feel fully alive.
Why? In my pursuit of professionalism, I lost sight of the value and importance of creativity. I forgot how vital it is to bring our full selves—not just our to-do lists—into the workplace. A turning point came during the pandemic. I reconnected with my favorite hip-hop teacher in NYC (thank you, virtual classes!)—right in the middle of busy season. To my surprise, this creative outlet didn’t just keep me balanced; it sharpened my mind and made me better at my job.
We often think of creative passions or exercise as “extras”—nice to have if we have the time, which we usually don’t. But what if we reframed them as essential components of balanced leadership? Our brains operate on two key networks: the task-positive network (TPN), perfect for getting things done, and the default mode network (DMN), which is where innovation and insight live.
As a former accountant, I was a master of the TPN. I could tackle to-do lists, solve audit challenges, and outwork anyone around me. But allowing myself time to “chill”—to paint, sing, dance, or simply daydream? That was harder for me to wrap my head around. Yet, the more I learned about neuroscience and leadership, the more I realized that without tapping into both networks, I was only using half of my superpower.
Now, I start each morning with a reflective walk in nature, letting my mind wander and giving space for my DMN to wake up. Every day, I come home with a new creative insight to kickstart my day. I’ve also joined a weekly choir to train my brain in new ways, and I’ve returned to teaching ballroom dance. Moving my body and expressing myself has brought more of me to my work and leadership—not less.
What about you? How will you express yourself this week? For the world needs who you were made to be.
Jenn Todling is an author, speaker, executive coach, as well as an adjunct instructor at the University of Denver as part of its Frontline Manager Leadership Program. Formerly an audit partner at a global Big 4 accounting firm with over twenty years of professional services experience and an ICF-certified transformational leadership coach for over ten years, Jenn helps her clients express their soul in their work and life. A lover of adventure, travel, and dance, she currently resides near her hometown of Boulder, Colorado, with her husband (and dance partner), and young daughter. Her debut memoir Dancing on My Own Two Feet will be available April 2025. Learn more at jenntodling.com.
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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Thursday, January 30, 2025
A Rose by Any Other Name: Why You Need to Call Your Book What It Is
I love it when a discussion comes together in the comments on a post. Recently Renee Roberson and I were discussing Erik Larsen’s The Devil in the White City. You can see the conversation on Jodi Webb's post "Why Good Writers Read Bad Books." Renee disliked it, but I love it.
- To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.
- Click here to find her newsletter.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Interview with Zarah Elouis-Ro , Runner Up in the WOW! Summer 2024 Flash Fiction Contest
----------Interview by Renee Roberson
WOW: Congratulations, Zarah, and welcome! “Cereal, Love” employs a clever use of wording that results in a chilling end. How did you get the idea for this story?
Zarah: I had been watching something about a serial killer a while back, and there had been a throwaway comment about how the family hadn't suspected anything. It conjured up a whole scene in my head (I usually visualise my stories as films/tv shows before writing) of a child processing that moment their life changed forever. Initially, I saw this as a novel - a child reckoning with their father's crimes and how the family of the serial killer are just as much victims but without any of the sympathy. I had thought about how they would exist in a world post exposure and how they would navigate losing someone they never really knew. I wanted to write it through a child's eyes because trauma presents so differently as you age, especially when it has occurred in childhood. That perspective really fascinated me, and the cereal/serial conversation came to me quite quickly thinking about how a child would muddle up the words, and what clues might stick out on later reflection that may have seen innocuous - if strange - at the time. Initially, this was going to be the first chapter of said novel, but as I have a million ideas every year, it got filed away for "expanding at a later date". This year, I have really enjoyed honing my skill with micro, flash, and short story comps and I realised that this would make a perfect flash with a bit of a tweaking.
WOW: You have had success writing Christmas Romance, as stated in your bio. What are some of the most prominent hallmarks of this genre and what has drawn you into writing it?
Zarah: I don't like to be pigeon holed, and especially when it comes to creating. I am a firm believer that even if you have a preferred genre(s) - mine are dystopian, speculative fiction and fantasy - you should always practice writing across genres. It's so fun to go places where you normally wouldn't when creating, and you never know what else it will inspire. My first dabble in Christmas Romance was in the 2021 PMJ Christmas Love Story competition. I saw the competition the day before it closed and I had just binged "It's A Sin" and the idea of an elderly gay married couple reliving their love story came to me in a flash. It was such a joy to be shortlisted because I had just left a role in contract law after hitting burnout in the pandemic and everything was up in the air. These little wins as writers can really give you a boost when needed to show that you are on the right path and that you do have talent. Writing is such a solitary process and I love creating community wherever I can. I set up a group for all the shortlisted participants (we called ourselves the penguins) to wait together in the months it took for the winner to be announced. The winner - Talia Samuels - was in our group and let us know as she got the win. From there, a few of us decided to keep the momentum going and in a few shorts months had written, edited and self-published under the name The Christmas Collective "More than Mistletoe", which was a collection of short stories with a Christmas Romance theme. The following year we did the same with "The Mistletoe Mixtape" and we have started work on our third in the series to be released Autumn 2025. Some of our authors have been traditionally published since and it's been really heart warming to see their progress. Writing is such a competitive field but among authors there is also a huge comradery and level of support that can help you along the way. Even though Christmas Romance isn't my niche, I love all things Christmas and I am a romantic, so it isn't difficult for me to indulge that when writing and I am so grateful top have a set space to do that with my anthology pals.
WOW: As a busy mom, how do you organize your days to prioritize your writing projects?
Zarah: This year has been unique in that I have set up several online writing groups to aid in keeping myself and others accountable in our writing. As a recently diagnosed ADHD-er and single parent to a disabled child, organising my creativity alongside all the non-dopamine inducing tasks I have to do has been super difficult. I really thrive on having external deadlines, so this year I have been entering competitions left, right and centre to keep my writing consistent. They say it takes 6 weeks to form a habit but when you are neurodivergent it is a constant effort. I do not rely on motivation to do anything because motivation (that wily minx) shows up at the most awkward times - when I am driving or when I am supposed to go to sleep. I also grapple with imposter syndrome, writer's block and rejection sensitivity - the perfect cocktail for procrastination. So this year, setting up writing groups and working with feedback partners has been invaluable. Not only has it progressed all of the separate projects I am working on, it has also given me and many others a sense of community. I host the sessions which means I stick to them because I don't want to let anyone down, but it allows others to dip in and out whenever they can without any pressure and always knowing there is a space for them to write. Sometimes, these sessions (4x a week) are the only time I will sit down and write, but because of that dedicated time, I am more productive. Finding your routine as a writer is probably one of the most difficult hurdles you will overcome, but when you do, it is so satisfying.
WOW: What sorts of topics do you discuss in your weekly online writing group and how has it been beneficial to you personally?
Zarah: We always start with a five minute random word exercise which one of the members suggested in our first meeting. A different person each week will choose five random words and we have 5 minutes to write whatever comes to mind. We share these in our whatsapp chat after and it's always so fun to see the different perspectives when writing even when the same words have been used. From there, we have 45 minutes to focus on our solo projects and that we have a period of time to discuss what we have been working on. In this time we offer resources to each other that we think people may find helpful, talk out sticking points in people's projects, discuss writing devises and suggest books we are reading, articles, podcasts or anything else that can help us along on our journey. For me, these groups have been invaluable - I am not able to attend night classes anywhere and because of my daily obligations it can be hard finding a community to engage in. So, ever the proactive person, I decided to create them myself! Next year, I would like to add a group specifically for carers and disabled adults who find it difficult to attend classes because of their responsibilities - we all deserve community and carving out time for yourself, even if you don't leave the house - can be a huge lifeline to many. I really want to break down the barriers for people and these free, low-commitment spaces are vital for people who are not able to keep regular schedules through no fault of their own.
WOW: Is there any advice you would give to other writers on where to find the best places to submit their work?
Zarah: The Penguin site has a very comprehensive list of authentic competitions which you can scroll through and decide which ones to enter. I tend to do a lot of Googling and look for the competitions that have been verified through external means like Reedsy. Recently, I have entered the Globe Soup community and they have a wonderful online community and do regular competitions where you can meet other authors online and exchange feedback.
Monday, January 27, 2025
No Life But Immortality by Liudmila Brus - Review Event & Giveaway!
Today, I'm excited to announce a special reader review event with Liudmila Brus. Our readers will share their thoughts about her amazing science fiction story, No Life But Immortality. You'll also have a chance to win a copy of this fantastic book!
But first, here's more about Liudmila's book:
Here Is What WOW's Readers Thought
About the Author, Liudmila Brus
Liudmila lives in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, with her small family and her adopted cat. She is currently a video game writer at Ghost Workshop, working on the game Marsbound.
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Ask the Book Doctor: Why Did You Change My Writing?
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Why Good Writers Read Bad Books
- Character Names - Why do two unrelated characters in a book have to have the same first name? This quirk alternately annoyed and confused me. Of all the names in the world, you couldn't give everyone their own name? There were also two sets of related characters with the same first name. Also frustrating but a little more forgivable.
- Long Chapters - At the beginning of each 50+ page chapter there was a brief paragraph outlining political events happening in the city during the time period. Perfectly fine if you read every chapter in one setting. Stopping in the middle meant losing track of what decade we were in and having to page back to find the chapter beginning for a brush up. There sometimes being years between chapters made it difficult to keep track of how old the characters were at any given time. I had to do math! Also the vagueness about the passage of time didn't help me experience the story. At times I would be asking myself, is this later in the month or is it years later?
- Character Evolution - The young man who hid a violent streak under gentlemanly manners became an old man who hid a violent streak under the veneer of money. The timid man eventually became head of the family but remained timid. The young women unsure of her groom's love on their wedding day was still unsure on the day he died. The bitter, homesick young woman died a bitter, homesick old woman. There were no epiphanies, no improvements, no spirals....just a steady march to death as the exact same people they were on page one, just a little older and richer.
- Impetus - Several times while reading, I put this book down for days and didn't think about it once. Didn't wonder what would happen next, didn't want to finish "just one one chapter", didn't try to sneak in just a few pages. In the beginning, I thought this family that was slowly climbing the economic ladder would be pushed off and have to crawl their way back to the top but , no. Basically they made money, found and lost love, died, made money, found and lost love, died...for several generations. Where were the surprises?
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. She recently changed a character's name in her WIP because two woman who were close friends both had names that began with the letter M. No taking chances confusing people.Get to know her @jodiwebbwrites, Facebook and blogging at Words by Webb.
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Interview with Carole Mertz: Summer '24 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up
--interview by Marcia Peterson
WOW: Congratulations on your top ten win in our Summer 2024 Flash Fiction competition! What prompted you to enter the contest?
Carole: WOW! Women on Writing has been an inspiration for me in various ways over the past 10—12 years. I’ve appreciated essays from your staff contributors. I enjoyed Margo Dill’s work in writing about and publishing children’s books, and later Nicole Pyles with whom I worked on several reviews and interviews for the Blog Tours she conducts. See at http://CaroleWrites.com
You published one or two short pieces I submitted to your Friday “The Muffin” spot. I was encouraged by those acceptances. I’d entered one of your contests more than 10 years ago. Annoyed that my story didn’t “place,” I had strong motivation to try again. I think the decade has taught me to respect failures as much as successes, realizing you can learn from both. In fact, energy may derive as much from failure as from success.
WOW: Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story, “One Soldier’s Afflictions?” You captured Arthur’s thoughts and experiences in such an insightful and beautiful way.
Carole: Thank you for your kind words. While enrolled in a novel course, I began a story fifteen years ago about a war veteran who suffered PTSD. I suppose my concept of that veteran stayed with me over the years and became Arthur. Time somehow drew me closer to this imagined character. The figure of Arthur calls me to respect the sacrifices our soldiers make, sacrifices so often overlooked.
WOW: What advice would you give to someone wanting to try writing flash fiction for the first time?
Write what’s on your heart. Know your character(s). (In flash fiction, present only one or two characters.) If possible, use an arc with rising and falling action; then bring the story quickly to a close. In the case of “One Soldier’s Afflictions,” I’d lived with the character so long in my imagination that the story almost wrote itself.
WOW: Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Carole. Before you go, do you have a favorite writing tip or piece of advice you can share?
Carole: My tip for writers: when you’ve established a connection with a worthy literary site, stay with it and use what the site offers to your advantage. I’ve lately benefited, for example, from the Markets Newsletters at WOW! They’ve steered me to make pitches to journals I might not otherwise have considered. I also read the Craft Corner articles. Course offerings, too, were a great benefit. Chelsey Clammer boosted my writing efforts within a mere four weeks as much as a year-long course I’d taken elsewhere. I feel happy to be associated with Quill and Parchment, a journal that highlights poetry and poetry reviews, along with engaging artwork. When I contribute to that site, and to The Ekphrastic Review, I feel I’m writing directly for the editors and their readership; it helps to be able to envision your “audience.”