Friday Speak Out!: WHAT NEWSPAPERS TAUGHT ME ABOUT WRITING FICTION

By Fran Hawthorne

Who? What? When? Where? Why?

For 30 years, that list was drummed into me and my colleagues by the editors at the newspapers and magazines where we worked: Give your readers the facts. Provable facts. No highfalutin' language. No opinions. The facts will tell the story.

A few factual adjectives were permitted. A city council meeting might be crowded, loud, even "spirited." A criminal suspect--especially, of course, one who was still at large--could be described as short, tall, heavyset (never "fat"), blond, elderly. Our ultimate workaround was to sneak in a direct quote from someone who used an adjective or two.

In any case, with our stories usually confined to strict wordcount limits, we had no room for adjectives. As for adverbs? They barely existed.

In a meeting that ran past midnight, and after two years of debate, the City Council yesterday voted 8 to 7 to allow low-income housing on a former warehouse site on the east side.

That's almost flash fiction, isn't it?

Now, however--ah, now I write novels. Now I can actually play with words like: scared, uncertain, miserable, eagerly, carefully.

But here's the thing: I rarely do.

If journalists are taught the five Ws, fiction-writers are just as powerfully imbued with the demand to "show, don't tell."

I don't want to outright tell my readers that Alice, in my new novel HER DAUGHTER, is nervous about meeting with her daughter and her ex-husband. I want readers to feel her nervousness, through the way that she prepares a detailed list of things to say and arrives early at their designated Starbucks in order to scout out tables. She wishes she'd ordered a muffin so that she could keep her fingers busy picking it apart. She knocks over her coffee cup. Maybe I'll even have her best friend urge her beforehand not to be nervous.

After all these years, I've grown into my hybrid style. Call it journafiction? I don't want a lot of fussy little descriptive tics.

Still, I'm glad to have a few stunning or exhilarating (but not tired) adjectives and adverbs in my palette, to be used occasionally and judiciously (but not extravagantly).

* * *

During her award-winning journalism career, FRAN HAWTHORNE wrote eight nonfiction books, mainly about consumer activism, the drug industry, and the financial world. She’s also been an editor or regular contributor for Business Week, The New York Times, and many other publications. Her first two novels, The Heirs and I Meant to Tell You, were published in 2018 and 2022 by Stephen F. Austin State University Press and together won or were named a finalist for seven awards, including the Eric Hoffer Book Awards and the Sarton Award. HER DAUGHTER, Fran’s third novel, will be published in January 2026 by Black Rose Writing. She’s at work on Number 4 from her home in Brooklyn, NY. Learn more at hawthornewriter.com

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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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2 comments Adverbs, Fran Hawthorne, Friday Speak Out!, novel writing, writing fiction, writing for newspapers

Returning to What Works in 2026

In 2025, I learned a lot about stress and how I handle it (the good and the bad). There were plenty of rises and falls as I lost writing gigs, gained lots of stress-inducing clients, and battled a woe-is-me perspective throughout it all. 

With 2026 on the rise, I was wary of taking on any official resolutions (as Sue said recently in her blog post, I'm not a big fan of them either). They end up feeling like false attempts at starting something that just doesn't work out. Yet, as January rolled around and the year's momentum began, I decided: why not try again? 

Instead of taking on fresh and new goals, I grabbed a page from my naively hopeful self of 2025. I had started the year by doing one act of creative writing a day. My energy for that wavered a bit as the year went on, but it gave me a strong start. I look back feeling good about those efforts.

This year, I took on the same challenge. While we're only 7 days into 2026, I've done a bit of writing for each day this year. It's not been much, but putting myself back into the creative process has been energizing.

As you look ahead to your writing goals this year, don't be afraid to take a chapter out of your own page book. Consider it like a cheat method in a video game. What has worked for you in the past? Can you mimic or recreate those processes to give yourself a strong start again? 

We don't always have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, we just need to go back to what worked for us before.

Nicole Pyles is a writer living in Portland, Oregon. Her writing has appeared in Sky Island Journal, Arlington Literary Journal, The Voices Project, The Ocotillo Review, and Gold Man Review. A poem of hers was also featured in the anthology DEAR LEADERS TALES. Her short story, “The Mannequin of Lot 18,” was nominated for Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2024. Since she’s not active on social media very much, stay in touch by following her writing blog at World of My Imagination.

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Interview with Samantha Green: 2025 Summer Flash Fiction Contest Third Place Winner

Samantha’s Bio: Samantha Green is an emerging writer with ADHD who lives in Virginia with her family. She has an accounting degree she doesn't use and writes mostly speculative stories. Her work was longlisted for the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. Samantha can be found at samanthagreenwrites.com. 

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

WOW: Congratulations on placing third in the Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story? 

Samantha: Many aspects of writing this story were exciting to me! I've always liked art that's a bit odd. What started as a mental image of serrated shark's teeth became someone who had grown shark's teeth, followed by the knowledge that the teeth would be passed around to people who needed them for various reasons. It was a little weird and I was eager to write it. I was very curious to explore the circumstances under which people find themselves in need of new teeth. They're usually difficult situations – accident, addiction, hardship, violence – which people are eager to put behind them if given the chance. I wanted to give my characters that chance and see what happened. How would it change their lives? How would it affect the people and creatures around them? Some of the ripple effects would be smaller; others would be significant. 

WOW: What a cool concept! It’s so amazing to hear how something as common as teeth can evolve into something so much grander and more profound as it did in your writing process. What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece? 

Samantha: I'd been reading Annie Hartnett and decided to loosen up my prose and experiment with a more playful, conversational voice. It was fun, and I learned I could be a little silly yet still tell a story that had emotional impact. It relaxed my approach to writing. 

WOW: Writing can be so serious sometimes, and I love to hear that you’re finding ways to have fun with it. I’ve recently seen more publications and workshops supporting writers with ADHD. How do you think ADHD affects you as a writer? Is there anything you do differently in your writing practice because of it? 

Samantha: Everyone's ADHD is a little different, but the common thread is a lack of regulation in attention, behavior, emotion, and impulse control. In terms of how it affects me as a writer, it's hard to capture all of that in a few sentences. It affects everything from my focus, to my awareness and use of time, to my perception of myself as a writer and my ability to overcome obstacles, to task initiation, to the associative way I think and the distillation of many thoughts into usable material, to the sense of overwhelm that sometimes freezes my brain for days or weeks, to my sleep, and more. Especially as a parent, life feels unpredictable. As a result, I'm strategic in the use of my limited energy and focus at any given moment. Rather than planning writing sessions or setting word count goals, I find the most success in writing whatever I can whenever I can, keeping my expectations low, and maintaining a very flexible schedule! 

WOW: Thank you so much for sharing that insight, and how you adapted as a writer. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it? 

Samantha: I usually read several books at a time. Right now, I'm reading A Swim In A Pond In The Rain by George Saunders to better understand story structure since I don't have training in creative writing. I highly recommend this book to all of my fellow fiction writers! It's so thoughtful and inspiring. I'm also reading Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle because it may be a comp for the novella I'm working on, and it's just a fantastic book. I always have a rom com going as well. Currently, I'm reading The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. It's actually a romantasy, which is a genre I don't read as much, but it's so punchy and grounded that it feels like a rom com. 

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

Samantha: I haven't been writing long and wish I'd started sooner, so I'd say: Write now. Write anything. Just write. 

WOW: Simple yet effective advice. Anything else you’d like to add? 

Samantha: Readers may assume the female student in the story was assaulted by a male, although we know violence can unfortunately occur in any type of relationship. However, because of this, I realized a couple of drafts in just how important it was to include male characters who, in the context of this domestic violence scenario, were driven by a desire to combat it. I'm going to be more intentional about this in the future; I don't think we see enough anti-DV male characters in fiction. 

WOW: 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. Connect on social media: @greenmachine459.

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Leave a Comment Anne Greenawalt, Samantha Green, Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest, Third Place Winner

Change the World One Book at a Time by Nina Amir: Blog Tour & Giveaway

A longtime friend of WOW, Nina Amir, is launching a tour for her latest book: Change the World One Book at a Time. This book can give writers a new way to look at the power of their writing as well as introduce activists to a way to promote their cause. Join us as we celebrate her launch and learn what it means to be an Author of Change. Don't forge to enter to win a copy of this eye-opening book.

But before we get to that, here's more about her book:

Writing has the potential to effect change. One look a tthe world makes it clear that creating change is more critical now than ever. Yet, writers face a roadblock: lack of guidance through the process. Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words provides a handbook to help them achieve their mission.

In Change the World One Book at a Time, Nina Amir details how to produce books that serve as potent tools for transformation. A variety of books have been published about how to become an author, however, none have focused on providing strategies specifically geared toward writers who want to inspire and motivate change. These writers need a better-than-average manual on how to write and publish. This nonfiction reference book will provide activists, coaches, healers, clergy, speakers, leaders, writers, and anyone who wants to write a book that makes a difference with a comprehensive guide to understanding the change process, building engaged communities around their missions, and writing books that move readers to action.

Publisher: Books That Save Lives(January 6, 2026)

ISBN: 1963667298

ISBN-13: 978-1963667295  

Print length:  232 pages

Purchase your copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You'll also want to add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Nina Amir

Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach, is an 19X Amazon bestselling hybrid author. She supports writers on the journey to successful authorship as an Author Coach, Transformational Coach, and Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC ® )—the only one working with writers.

In addition to her most recent book, Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words, Nina wrote three traditionally published books for aspiring authors—How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual, and Creative Visualization for Writers. Additionally, she has self-published a host of books and ebooks, including the Write Nonfiction NOW! series of guides. She has had 19 books on the Amazon Top 100 List and as many as six books on the Authorship bestseller list at the same time.

Nina is an award-winning journalist and blogger, as well as a successful nonfiction developmental editor. Some of her editing clients have sold 300,000+ copies of their books, landed deals with major publishing houses and created thriving businesses around their books.

To further support writers, Nina created the Nonfiction Writers’ University, where members access a huge archive of resources, such as courses, ebooks, and interviews with writing and publishing experts, and receive monthly group Author Coaching. Additionally, she created the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge and Author of Change Transformational Programs. Nina also founded the Inspired Creator Community, which provides group transformational (spiritual and personal growth) coaching around the topic of creating what matters.

Find the author at:

Websites:  https://ninaamir.com/

https://writenonfictionnow.com/

https://howtoblogabook.com/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NinaAmir

Facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationToCreation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirationtocreationcoach/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NinaAmir

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninaamir

--Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: What influenced you to write a book about penning books that will change the world?

Nina: For many years, I was involved with the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference. I saw how many different types of writers wanted to produce books that created change in lives or the world. And I realized how much information they needed to succeed.

Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words was inspired by that experience. I decided to write a book that would provide those writing for change with the education they needed—in the form of a book. And the founder of that conference, literary agent Mike Larsen, encouraged me to write a book on the topic.

While I’m not an activist, I always wanted to write books that change lives—books about personal and spiritual growth. All my books have include discussions related to change. And my books help others write books that change lives.

WOW: Do you believe all genres can have an effect on the world and on the people who read those books – fiction as well as non-fiction?

Nina: Yes, I do. But I believe authors of fiction and creative nonfiction face more of a challenge

when it comes to inspiring and motivating readers to change. That doesn’t mean they can’t do so, but they will have to work harder on their craft to accomplish that goal.

Nonfiction is well suited to offering plans, research, strategies, and other things that move people to do something different. Look at how many nonfiction books exist with the words “how-to” in their titles; they all provide information on change. 

WOW:  Can you share a book that changed the way you looked at the world?

Nina: Interestingly enough, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

changed how I looked at the world. It is considered fiction, although it's a philosophical, inspirational novel that blurs lines with self-help and spirituality. It tells a story about reality, miracles, and becoming your own messiah through the adventures of two barnstorming pilots. It opened my eyes to metaphysics big time, and that topic became a passion of mine.

In the nonfiction realm, God is a Verb by the late Rabbi David Cooper, also changed how I looked at the world—or at least God. And it introduced me to the mystical study of Kabbalah.

WOW: What is your advice for someone who has a message they want to share, but they don’t feel they are a writer? 

Nina: If you don’t feel you are a writer, you can get help. You can hire a ghostwriter, if you have the funds. Or you can write a “messy first draft” and then hire a great editor to clean it up for you; this type of collaboration can prove very successful with the editor even doing a little ghostwriting for you. Of course, you can speak your book; then have an editor edit the transcripts.

I’d also encourage anyone who doesn’t think they are a writer to change that thought. (Coach hat coming on here…) As long as you believe you aren’t a writer, you will feel challenged to write. So, tell yourself you are a writer…or are becoming a writer, and then start writing. If you write, you are a writer.

WOW: What about those who aren’t sure their idea is “big enough” to qualify as changing the world?

Nina: As for an idea not being “big enough” to change the world: if you produce a book that changes one life, that starts the ripple of change. One life impacts another life.

Change doesn’t have to be huge. It can be a tiny movement—like the fluttering of butterfly wings that creates wind all the way across the globe.

"If you produce a book that changes one life, that starts the ripple of change. One life impacts another life."

WOW: What an amazing way to think about our writing out there in the world. Can you tell us about the journey to get Change the World One Book at a Time out into the world?

Nina: It was a long one! I had the idea about 15 years ago. A few years after that, I partnered with someone to create a course based on the idea. That person claimed to have rights to the book, so I had to hire a lawyer and buy them from her. Later, I had an agent pitch the idea, but he never sold it. I began pitching the book after that. I even hired my literary attorney to pitch to the bigger houses for me. In the end, I pitched to a publisher that had voiced an interest in the book when my agent was still representing me; she was still interested. Then the COVID pandemic hit…and two years or so passed. In early 2024, I reached out to the publisher again. On December 31, I signed a contract for the book. There was one more hiccup, but here we are year later…and the book releases tomorrow—January 6, 2026.

WOW: So many words popped in to my mind when I read the story of this book. I think I'll go with tenacious. You, Nina, are an incredibly tenacious writer. What is your writing process?

Nina: I come up with an idea. Then I create a table of contents. I might mind-map all the content out so I know what is going in all chapters or I’ll create subheadings for the chapters so I know what sections will be included.

If I want to traditionally publish the project, I work on a book proposal. I use that as a business plan and creative plan for the book, as I wrote about in The Author Training Manual. When I feel the idea has strong legs to stand on, I write the sample chapters. Once the book is sold to a publisher, I write the rest of it quite quickly.

If I plan to self-publish, I go through all the same steps, except I begin writing and do so until the manuscript is complete.

Sometimes, I still book my blogs—the reverse process of blogging books. I wrote about this in the second edition of How to Blog a Book.

WOW:  Is the craft of writing your primary topic/genre or do you do other types of writing?

Nina: I set out to write about Jewish spiritual and mystical topics. But my first agent asked me to “get published” by writing about what I knew best—writing and publishing. As time went on, I changed my view on the initial topics I wanted to pursue; they become nondenominational or about general personal and spiritual growth.

My current agent is pitching a book that is personal growth. Like those other topics, it comes out of religion (sort of) but is meant from anyone who wants to change—specifically to change their personal stories.

WOW: If you could give writers one piece of advice what would it be?

Nina: Pursue personal growth or development. The only thing standing in the way of you becoming a writer or an author is you—your old stories, beliefs, mental chatter, fears, etc. The way to succeed as a writer and author is to get out of your own way by undertaking personal change. Become the type of person who can write and publish a book; that identity comes with the habits and mindset of a successful writer.

"The only thing standing in the way of you becoming a writer or an author is you—your old stories, beliefs, mental chatter, fears, etc. The way to succeed as a writer and author is to get out of your own way by undertaking personal change."

WOW: What’s up next for your writing?

Nina: My literary agent currently is pitching a book of mine about telling sacred stories—stories that help us fulfill our potential. This book includes writing exercises but is not for writers per se. It is for those wanting to stop allowing their old personal stories to hold them back and craft new ones that help them create a desired future.

Additionally, in 2026 I hope to revise and release two of my self-published Write Nonfiction NOW! guides and my first traditionally published book, How to Blog a Book. And, I want to submit a few proposals for other book projects.

WOW: Thanks for sharing with us and giving us a new way to look at the effect our writing could have on the world. Have a great tour!

--Blog Tour Calendar

January 5th @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir - the day before its January 6 launch! Read an interview with the author and enter to win!

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

January 6th @ Shoe's Seeds & Stories

Want to make a writing resolution for 2026? Don't miss the review of Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir.

https://lschuelerca.wordpress.com/

January 7th @ Create Write Now!

Author Nina Amir stops by to ask the big question: Are you Ready to Write a Book that Changes Lives?

https://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-blog

January 8th @ Lisa Haselton Book Reviews & Interviews

Meet nonfiction author Nina Amir and learn more about her latest book Change the World One Book at a Time.

https://lisahaselton.com/blog/

January 9th @ A Wonderful World of Words

Do you have a cause close to your heart? Nina Amir tells how you can Strengthen Your Cause with Community and shares an excerpt from Change the World One Book at a Time.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

January 10th @ Boys' Mom Reads!

Want to look at writing through new eyes? Check out Nina Amir's latest book Change the World One Book at a Time.

https://karensiddall.wordpress.com

January 12th @ Kaecey McCormick

Learn more about author Nina Amir in today's interview.

https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/

January 13th @ All Things Writing

What Makes Writing for Change Different? Think about your writing in a new way with Nina Amir, author of Change the World One Book at a Time.

https://www.caitrincking.com/blog

January 14th @ Hook of a Book

Hook of a Book is spotlighting Nina Amir's latest book Change the World One Book at a Time. Stop by and enter the book giveaway.

https://hookofabook.wordpress.com/

January 15th @ Words by Webb

Jodi has thoughts about who she thinks would benefit from Nina Amir's Change the Word One Book at a Time

https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog

January 16th @ What Is This Book About

Attention writers! Do more than just put words on paper. Learn more with an excerpt from Nina Amir's Change the Word One Book at a Time.

https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/

January 19th @ Chapter Break

Want to change the world? Author Nina Amir explains why every activist should write a book.

https://chapterbreak.net/

January 22nd @ Knotty Needle

Judy reviews a book that could change the way you think about writing: Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir.

https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com

January 23rd @ Weekend Care Package

Author Nina Amir is planning the perfect weekend - pop by to find out what she's putting in her Weekend Care Package.

https://nicolepyles.substack.com 

January 26th @ Hook of a Book

What's the secret to writing a change inspiring book? Nina Amir, author of Change the World One Book at a Time reveals the answer in today's guest post.

https://hookofabook.wordpress.com/

January 28th @ Writer Advice

Prolific non-fiction writer Nina Amir stops by with thoughts on being an Author of Change.

https://writeradvice.com/

January 31st @ Jill Sheet's Blog

Meet Nina Amir, the author of several books, and learn more about her latest: Change the World One Book at a Time.  

https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

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

Enter to win Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir. Fill out the form below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends January 18th at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day and follow up via email. Good luck!

Change the World One Book at a Time Giveaway

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10 comments author interivew, blog tour launch, book giveaway, Jodi M. Webb, Nina Amir, writing craft

Interview with Frances Figart - WOW! Q4 Creative Nonfiction Essay Runner Up

Frances Figart (Fié-gert), a runner up in the Q4 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest for Safeway,joins us today to tell us about shifting gears with her writing and what she's learned from other writers.

Frances grew up in east Kentucky and lived in both Canada and Costa Rica before settling near Asheville, North Carolina, in tiny Flag Pond, Tennessee. She edits Smokies Life Journal and directs the team of writers, editors, graphic designers, illustrators, and videographers creating a books, periodicals, podcasts, and videos produced by Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner organization supporting Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1953. In 2020, Frances launched Word from the Smokies, an educational column that now appears weekly in several regional news outlets in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Her creative spirit has yielded three books for young readers: Camilla and the Caterpillars, Mabel Meets a Black Bear, and A Search for Safe Passage, each of which addresses a current conservation need in east Tennessee and western North Carolina, which share the country’s most visited national park. She manages the Steve Kemp Writers Residency. Though she has always worked as a writer and editor, she only began to explore creative writing for an adult audience in 2023 after hosting the first Tremont Writers Conference, an annual program she co-founded in the Smokies.

WOW: Congratulations on being a runner up in the Q4 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest for Safeway. It was a very interesting connection of your present and your past with a link to the natural world. Do you feel your beautiful surroundings influence your writing?

Frances: I work in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and live in a rural area with lots of protected, roadless land nearby. I suspect that my personal creative writing is indeed influenced by the creativity that comes from living and working in a natural setting. I can compose to the sound of water trickling into koi ponds, walk a trail by a small creek, or enjoy time in the middle of a stone circle that’s been erected on my property. I’m convinced that I wouldn’t have enough energy and inspiration left over from my fulltime job to work on my personal writing if it weren’t for having time immersed in the natural world. It’s restorative, regenerative, and healing in a way that nothing manmade can match.

At the same time, because roads are often our means of traveling through otherwise forested areas, there is much sadness that occurs in this day and age because of the wildlife mortality associated with roads. This topic of road ecology is one I’ve written articles about as well as the children’s book “A Search for Safe Passage.”

WOW: Your writing takes so many forms but recently you've tackled creative nonfiction. What influenced you to write for a new audience? 

Frances: I’ve always been a writer and editor, and in my 30s my focus settled in the realm of ecology. My column “Word from the Smokies,” now bylined mostly by my talented staff writer Holly Kays, and my children’s books such as “Mabel Meets a Black Bear” and “Camilla and the Caterpillars” educate young people and their families about the need to protect wildlife. I have a compilation of essays entitled “Word from the Smokies” on deck to come out next year.

I’m not sure I’ve yet found the audience for the personal writing I’ve begun to work on over the past few years. I do it for myself, for the process, for the flow and stillness of mind that comes when I’m writing. I see it as a spiritual practice. I want to undergo a transformation, a shift in perspective, a new way of seeing that comes with an expanded view—and create that experience for others. I’m drawn to doing this through speculative fiction as well as creative nonfiction. The topics can range from childhood friendship to cultural reconciliation to loss of parents or partners, but I often seek to address a personal experience that I haven’t yet fully unpacked, and the writing allows me to lean into that place of resistance and explore it more deeply. 

WOW: Aside from writing, you've taken on a new project for writers. Can you tell us a little about the Tremont Writers Conference?

Frances: There is an excellent outdoor writer named Ron Ellis, who wrote “Cogan’s Woods” and “Yonder: Tales from an Outdoor Life.” Ron has a cabin in the Smokies and is involved with the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. He studied under Rick Bass at an intensive Writers Boot Camp and approached Tremont a few years ago suggesting that a writers conference in the Smokies could be a worthy undertaking. Tremont is a nonprofit park partner, and so is my organization Smokies Life, which has been assisting the nation’s most visited national park since 1953. My CEO asked me to partner with Tremont to create a conference.

My co-founder and co-organizer would be a field program director named Jeremy Lloyd. I’d met Jeremy before, but we really didn’t know each other and, frankly, I didn’t feel we had much in common. When we sat down to plan what the conference would look like, something he said reminded me of a line from my all-time favorite singer–songwriter: “When you know even for a moment that it’s your time, then you can walk with the power of a thousand generations.” When I said this, an expression of amazement came over Jeremy’s face. “Oh my God,” he gushed, “Bruce Cockburn is my favorite musician of all time too!" Bonding over our love for the Canadian Bob Dylan, we were off to the races.

We’ve created an intense, intensive, immersive experience that happens for 25 or so writers every October deep in the heart of a beautiful national park. Our author workshop leaders have included Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Richard Powers, poets Frank X Walker and Maurice Manning, and this year our nonfiction cohort was led by the incredibly talented multi-genre writer Crystal Wilkinson. These leaders and our participants say this is the most fulfilling writers conference they have ever attended. Our submissions window opens this month at writers.gsmit.org.

WOW: That sounds like an amazing opportunity to learn from fellow writers. As a writer, do you think your craft improves from your spending time with other writers? 

Frances: Absolutely. In addition to reading others’ work, physically being around other writers gives us encouragement to keep going and helps us hone our craft. Sharing about process, about literary choices, about what we have learned from others—all of this helps us to more clearly see why we write and to understand that there is no one way to do it. You are always going to read your own writing from the maker’s perspective, which may not be anything close to what others receive when they read it. So getting another writer’s take on your piece is an amazing gift.

We all share the same struggle: to find ways to put our story on the page so that it unfolds for the reader in a way that will give them the experience we want them to have, so that they get that same chill of insight that caused us to sit down and pen the tale in the first place. It is extremely heartening to see my colleagues' smiles of understanding when we compare notes on the compulsion, burden, and reward of our creative endeavors.

WOW: Have you gotten any advice from the many writers and other creative people you work with that you could share with the WOW community? 

Frances: Since 2023, when we started Tremont Writers Conference, and since I began attending North Carolina Writers Network events, I’ve learned so many great tips. Memoirist Jennifer McGaha says not to think about audience at all until after your first draft is vomited out. When she wants to emulate the style of another writer, Crystal Wilkinson types out forty pages of their work to feel what it’s like from the driver’s seat. Self-taught Southern fiction giant David Joy says if you are using too many adverbs, it’s because you haven’t chosen the strongest verb. Appalachian fiction award winner Karen Spears Zacharias, who discovered writing as a way to process losing her father in the Vietnam war, develops works in which places are characters just a strong as her human ones.

WOW: What about you personally, what are your tips for us?

Frances: As someone who never got an MFA, I’ve found the book “Beginnings, Middles and Ends” by sci-fi genius Nancy Kress profoundly instructive. Ronald Verlin Cassill published “Writing Fiction” the year before I was born, listing four timeless stylistic modalities: narrative summary, description, scene, and half-scene. Canadian Nicole Breit has a great online course called “Spark Your Story Lab” in which she teaches the power of channeling your writing into new unfamiliar structures as an approach to tough material. One form I’ve been practicing lately is the 100-word essay. It’s like a meditation and a good way to learn what all can be left out, which ironically can increase impact.

Go to conferences, take online classes, find a group of writers to workshop with, and learn all you can from those who have been able to turn their craft into a money-making endeavor. 

But, in the end, listen to your own intuition and instinct. This commitment to writing is, ultimately, about your own compulsion to tell story, your own voice, your own process. No one else can tell you how to write what will be meaningful to you. Someone may tell you that your story would work better if told from a different point of view, but you may have written it from this character’s perspective because that was the way it meant the most to you. Be cautious about changing your work to conform to someone else’s standards. Write for yourself!

WOW: Thank for advice that is so simple and true and also so difficult at times. Write for yourself. I think we need that on t-shirts.

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Friday Speak Out!: Are you writing an autobiography or a memoir?

By Ronit Plank

One of the first topics I cover in my memoir writing classes is the difference between autobiography and memoir. Because they share the same Dewey Decimal call numbers in libraries and are often grouped together in bookstores, there is a tendency to think of these two kinds of first-person nonfiction narratives as the same. But they are quite different and when we better understand what sets memoir apart, we can write and revise our manuscripts that resonate and shimmer.

Perhaps the most obvious way is that autobiography is often an account of an entire life or career, while memoir focuses on a specific period of time or experience. Autobiography can include every single event the writer feels called to share whereas memoir is about transformation and requires writers to be far more selective and self-aware.

If you’re contemplating dipping your toe into memoir, here are a few elements that can help infuse your manuscript with tension and complexity.

You the character and you the narrator

Memoir is distinct as a genre in that it asks of the memoirist to craft not only a compelling “I” character but also a reflective narrator, one who can highlight patterns and amplify stakes for that “I” character. In memoir the narrator-you is there to make meaning from what has occurred and guide the reader through your journey of self-discovery. When you harness this reflective narrative voice you ratchet up the stakes for the character-you and help keep the reader invested in you and turning the page.

Less what happened and more how it matters

Memoir is less about the particulars of what happened and more about why that matters now. The driving force of your narrative is that of a curious mind at work pushing for greater understanding about how and why the events you depict have their hooks in you and hound you; why you revisit them again and again in search for clarity. If you have already written a bit of material but feel you need more tension, more stakes, ask yourself what work your chapters are doing, what dynamic they show and how they provide opportunities for narrator-you to interrogate your behavior.

The question your memoir is asking

At their heart, memoirs are a story of becoming and when we gain insight about the central question our memoir is asking, we can structure our manuscript in dynamic and resonant ways. The central question has to do with what is still unsolved in you, the memoirist that has you revisiting your experience to try to make sense of it. And one of the most fascinating aspects of memoir is that the more you excavate your story, the clearer the question you’re asking becomes.

For me the thrill of memoir is knowing that when we approach our stories with curiosity, courage, and self-awareness we have the opportunity to create satisfying narrative arcs in our manuscripts as well as profound growth and change in our lives.

* * *

Sarah Anne Photography

Ronit Plank is a writer, teacher, and editor whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, Poets & Writers, The Rumpus, Hippocampus, The New York Times, and elsewhere, earning Best of the Net, Best Microfiction, and multiple Pushcart Prize nominations. Kirkus Reviews calls her debut memoir When She Comes Back, “An intimate, intuitive, emotionally vivid family account that finds hope in reconciliation". Ronit teaches memoir online at University of Washington’s Continuum Program, hosts the podcast Let’s Talk Memoir, and publishes monthly memoir craft advice on her Let’s Talk Memoir Substack.

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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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Friday Speak Out!: An Academic Gets Creative

by Rebecca Knuth

Trading an academic writing style for a creative one has been such a relief. The holistic permission that is retirement allowed me to cast off my straightjacket and write something I hadn’t even known existed—creative nonfiction. Finding a voice and writing with enthusiasm was hard, but oh so satisfying. I claimed myself as a writer and a woman.

The how-to-of-it meant a complete lifestyle change—moving to London, enrolling in a writing program, and reinventing myself. Creative writers are attuned differently, I thought. I set out to develop a ruminative mind-set and live a non-fiction kind of life. Changing my circumstances and shedding professional identity would foster internal percolation, the subconscious processing of thoughts, that fed expressiveness.

Over two years, I learned that popular writers have a different purpose and audience. Academics write to establish and maintain territory. The tenure system (where publications are currency) is based on judgment by peers, and how you slice and dice your work is often as important as what you are writing about. Those who can’t or won’t conform won’t be published. My dream of being creative meant something antithetical to academia—originality.

Voice and presence within one’s writing mattered, so I rebelliously shed a disciplinary mode that demanded detachment. Transitioning from academic writing meant saying “yes” to self-revelation, putting my thoughts and opinions out there. Showing that there was a moving mind (and heart!) behind my sentences.

Creative nonfiction is a genre of narrative in which an author tells a true story, using the techniques of fiction (evocative scenes, dialogue, and plot). For my course, I wrote a book called Emily Dickinson Had to Have Curls: The Feminist Masks Forced on Women Writers, which fell short of creative nonfiction. But it was illuminating (for me especially) and I became a confirmed feminist. While Emily Dickinson was good practice, I hit my CNF stride with London Sojourn: Rewriting Life After Retirement, a memoir coming out on January 27, 2026.

How I say something is super important because words are my conduit to readers. When I wrote my first academic book, Libricide: The Regime-sponsored Destruction of Books and Libraries in the Twentieth Century, I felt like I had climbed the mountain, Martin Luther King-style, and what I had to say was really important. It was however so densely written that even my mother nodded off when reading it. With London Sojourn, I am similarly exhilarated, though it’s a different mountain, with a much greater portion of the accomplishment in the writing.

It's a true story about transitioning, evolving, and writing my way to self-understanding. I tell many different stories and take readers on a ride through life change and a city beloved to book-lovers and writers. London Sojourn is accessibly written for those who want that kind of ride, find an examined life interesting, and are open to reinvention.

* * *

REBECCA KNUTH is a retired professor and expert on censorship and cultural destruction. Formerly at the University of Hawaii, she authored Libricide: The Regime-Sponsored Destruction of Books and Libraries in the 20th Century and has contributed to Smithsonian Magazine, Cabinet, History News Network, CBC Radio, and more. Transitioning to creative nonfiction, she earned another master's degree, her third, to add to her doctorate, and immersed herself in London's literary scene. Now a full-time writer, she published Emily Dickinson Had to Have Curls in 2024. She lives in Portland, Oregon where she coordinated the Sylvia Beach Writers Conference as part of the Oregon Writers Colony. Learn more at rebeccaknuth.com.

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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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Hate Resolutions? Me, Too!

 

Just stop with the resolutions.

I’m doing 2026 my way. I’d like to encourage you to do the same. Yes, you can read this if you are into resolutions. I’m not here to stop you. After all, I’m not your mom. And maybe resolutions work for you. After all, how could they be such a strong part of our culture if they work for no one? But they don’t do a lot for me. 

If I’m feeling profoundly optimistic, I’d estimate that I meet annual goals maybe half the time. Maybe. 

So, what might I do instead? I’ve done some reading on alternatives to resolutions and given them a writer’s twist. Here are a few suggestions.

Clear Things Out

I like to think of this one as taking out the trash. What is the writing resolution that you’ve made several years in a row but never achieved? 

“I’m going to finish my fantasy novel to self-publish.” 

“I’m going to craft a Lord of the Rings inspired political satire, Gollum’s White House.” 

Whatever it is, give yourself permission to ignore it completely this year. Focus on something new! I like this idea a lot because it gives you permission to leave behind something that isn’t working for you.

Writer of 2026 

Read an author throughout the year who initially inspired you to become an author. For me, this would be Marguerite Henry. 

Or you could read an author who inspired a particular project. Before I set reading all of the Sherlock Holmes novels as a goal, I should probably check out how many there are. Apparently there are four novels and 56 short stories. I know I can knock out the novels. 

You might also decide to take a course taught by a favorite author. If you love fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, you can find lectures from the college writing class he teaches on YouTube. Check out his YouTube videos here.

Go Big! 

Then there is the idea that your resolutions simply have not been big enough. Instead of stating that you want to finish your fantasy novel, you should plan to finish a trilogy, perhaps by setting a NaNoWriMo style goal for each quarter. 

Or you might normally state that you want to clean off your desk and keep it neat throughout the year. Instead, you set the goal that you want to catalogue your home library on Library Thing.  You can find Library Thing here.

This isn’t a good fit for me simply because I’m quite capable of setting inflated goals on my own. I do not need encouragement! 

Try Something New

With this idea, you try something new every month. If you are anything like me, this one would be easy. 

You could try writing in first person if you normally write in third. Or you might try writing in a new genre. Of course, you need to acquire knowledge to tackle a new genre. 

Take a look at the WOW! writing classes and see what catches your eye. You can find the list of clases here. There are classes on writing flash, writing a novel, and even screen writing. Do any of these appeal to you? 

Do you have another inspirational idea we might all benefit from in 2026? 

--SueBE 

To get a free copy of Sue’s book, What to Do When Your Book Is Banned, subscribe to her newsletter, One Writer’s Journey, here.

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 80 books for young readers.  

• To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin on the first Monday of every month. She teaches:

• Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work 

• Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 

• Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 

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Interview with Jordan Bass, 2nd Place Winner in the WOW! Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest

 

Jordan Bass is a short story fiction writer specializing in comedy, magical realism, and surrealism. Her previous flash fiction piece, “Sea Monkeys,” was awarded Runner Up in the WOW! Women on Writing Winter 2024 contest. More of her work can be found on Medium. 

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

WOW: Welcome, Jordan, and congratulations! I absolutely loved the use of the Roomba in this story of a woman coping with her unexpected separation from her husband. What sparked the idea for “The Roomba Ate My Wedding Ring"? 

 Jordan: I see a lot of stories on the internet, some fake and some real, that follow a similar pattern. A relationship ends unexpectedly, usually through an affair, and the narrator is left wondering how to move forward. I wanted to write about a woman experiencing that betrayal from her partner and sorting through her own feelings. Angela fights it out with Craig, who is desperately clinging to the life she had with Daniel. When Angela wins, she's also regaining love and confidence within herself. 

WOW: Having experienced success in the form of flash fiction, could you offer our readers some tips for the art form? Any do's and don’ts? 

Jordan: Keep the setting and number of characters small, so you have enough space to add detail where it is most important. If you have more of a supernatural element (like Craig the Roomba), don't ponder on how it came to be that way, just focus on how it affects the story. Have your character make a choice during the story (like Angela deciding to sell the ring, instead of giving it to Daniel). And don't underestimate the importance of your first sentence. 

WOW: Why did you decide to publish your work regularly on Medium? What has that experience been like for you? 

Jordan: It hasn't been nearly as regular as I would like, unfortunately. My goal for the Medium page is to publish a series of short stories within the same universe, so I've been spending more time building characters, outlines, and lore than I have sitting down and actually writing. Overthinking is my biggest obstacle here. I've never written a series before, and I'm constantly changing details that affect all of the stories, not just one. However, I've been writing a lot within that series since I sent in "The Roomba Ate My Wedding Ring" and I'm excited to say that I will begin publishing on Medium again before the year is finished (and much more in 2026!). 

WOW: Do you have any specific writing goals for the next year? 

Jordan: Definitely publishing more on Medium! And to enter more fiction/flash fiction contests like this one. I want to get into the habit of writing everyday and practicing as much as I can. 

WOW: Are you reading anything right now that you think writers in our community would appreciate? 

Jordan: Mystery Lights by Lena Valencia. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, but especially female writers. It's a collection of short horror stories, some supernatural and some not, themed around the female experience. I absolutely loved it.

WOW: Oh, that's sounds fascinating! I'll have to check it out. Thanks again for joining us today, Jordan.

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Leave a Comment 2nd place winner, Contestant interview, Jordan Bass, Renee Roberson, WOW! Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest, writing advice

Interview with Brooke Carnwath, WOW! Q4 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest Runner Up

Brooke teaches writing and freshman seminar at Montana State University in Bozeman, where she lives with her two daughters and husband. In addition to creative non-fiction and flash fiction, Brooke writes kid-lit. Her first novel for middle-grade readers, Far From the Ocean’s Edge, will be published by SheWrites Press in September 2026. She’s also written a YA novel (For the Love of Lexi Jane, for which she’s seeking representation) and a non-fiction book proposal, The Alchemy of the Sutras, about Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which was awarded an honorable mention in Hay House Publishing's 2024 book contest. Additionally, Brooke and her daughter Grace authored a picture book, Scout & Lucy, in 2022; recently, one of her flash fictions was published in Voices Elevated, the Elk River Writers Workshop Anthology. When not writing or reading, Brooke loves to hike, swim and spend time with the dear women in her life (which might also include writing, reading and talking about writing and reading). 

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

WOW: Welcome, Brooke, and congratulations! If you’re anything like me, you work through many ideas for essays and stories while exercising. Is that what inspired you to write "Some Women Run?" 

Brooke: Partly, yes! I often receive ah-has while running or swimming—some whisper of a new story or character I’m noodling around. Also, I hold a tremendous amount of gratitude for living next to my best friend, who I’ve jogged with for more than 30 years; and while our conversations certainly generate specific ideas, it’s more often the comfortable, reliable company that stirs broader, deeper insights. And since we both lost our dads recently, the idea for a story focused on aging friendships (especially as I watch our mothers find comfort in the company of female friends after their husbands pass) has been hanging around—and yes, became a “I have to write this” during one of our many runs. 

WOW: I loved reading your descriptions of nature and almost felt like I was personally along for the run with your friend. What was the revision process like for this essay? 

Brooke: I love that! My memories are very sensory, and since we live at the base of the Bridger Mountains, my days are heavily influenced by their topography—as are, more broadly, my sense of home and stories of home. So, it made perfect sense to integrate the creek we run along, that we witness shift throughout the four seasons; in my combined memories of running with Holcomb, the sounds, smells and images of Middle Cottonwood Creek are always present. As far as revision, there wasn’t much time! I wrote it the day before WOW’s deadline. But that’s how inspiration goes—it brews for a bit, then just flows! 

WOW: That's even more impressive that you completed such a concise draft in a short amount of time! Your middle grade novel is scheduled for publication with She Writes Press in September of next year. What has your experience been like working with them?

Brooke: Overall, it’s been positive. What drew me to SheWrites is the community of creative women at its core. And the publisher, Brooke Warner, who is a badass entrepreneur, writer and advocate for women in publishing. So far, I’ve enjoyed the grassroots aspect: I learn a tremendous amount from the women publishing in my cohort; we meet monthly to connect, answer questions, share experiences, and support one another’s publishing path. It’s an inspiring, generative and effective model. 

WOW: You sound like you have an amazing tribe of women as a support system. Have they inspired any of your other work, fiction or nonfiction? 

Brooke: Because I’ve lived far from family for twenty-five years, my women friends have consistently felt like my family: We celebrate holidays and birthdays; share the fun and hiccups of motherhood; and show up for each other after a loss or in the middle of a challenge. We gather together, eat together, hike and ski and run together—we are so lucky! As such, these connections to the women in my life permeate my stories, but most fundamentally in my ability (and privilege!) to write about friendship with authenticity and ease. 

WOW: Let's shift gears for our final question. What are you reading for pleasure these days? 

Brooke: I read a lot of middle-grade fiction, as that’s what I’m mostly writing these days. Kate DiCamillo is my hero, as is Lauren Wolk, so I read anything they write—sometimes twice. Their books are lyrical, sensory and heart-warming—which I aim for in my kid-lit. Also, because I love writing flash fiction and non-fiction, I read online stories from Brevity and Smokelong Quarterly for inspiration. 

WOW: Great suggestions, and I love how you mix it up. Thank you again for stopping by today and looking forward to the release of Far From the Ocean's Edge!

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Leave a Comment Brooke Carnwath, Contestant interview, Renee Roberson, WOW! Q4 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest, writing advice

Writing Isn't Perfect

Well, it's December 26. The Christmas Season is officially over. 

Or is it?

I don't know how Christmas unfolded in your family this year but a pesky bout of the flu left several presents unclaimed under our tree awaiting a visit for Christmas 2.0. Tomorrow, I'll be reluctantly heading out to purchase some clearance wrapping paper and cards for next year. Promises of snowy and icy weather have postponed (canceled?) my brother's waffle breakfast on Sunday. Then there's the friend who wisely schedules her annual holiday party for January, "when everything settles down." Except that means I have to keep my festive red sweater ready for a few more events.

So the holiday I thought was completed, isn't quite.

I find I have the same problem with my writing as I do holidays. Left to my own devices, I could probably refine, rewrite and rethink creative writing pieces indefinitely. I never seem ready to declare something done. In my mind, just one more edit will make it perfect.

Except writing isn't perfect.

This year I'm going to stop striving for that unachievable goal and start asking myself simpler questions. What point or emotion did I want this piece to share? Did I achieve that? Could I read this piece aloud to an audience and be proud of it?

I recently started working with an author who wrote about overthinking. Basically, getting stuck in a cycle of analyzing every detail of a situation and either being paralyzed into inaction or plunging into unhelpful action. This is me with my writing!

I think it's time to declare some pieces I've been worrying over for months (even years) as done and move on to something new. Maybe it's time to send a piece out into the world. Maybe working on a new piece will allow me to come back to this piece again with a fresh viewpoint. Either way, I refuse to allow myself to become trapped by one piece of writing.

This evening I'm starting a new piece of writing that is a bit different than anything I've written before. It may be good. It may be bad. It won't be perfect. But it will be something.

Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to tea to butterflies. Stay tuned for more details about the new piece she's working on in 2026.  She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing. After a December break, she's returning to blogging at Words by Webb. 

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1 comment editing, Jodi M. Webb, writing tips

Interview With Myna Chang : Summer '25 Flash Fiction Contest First Place Winner

Myna Chang is the author of The Potential of Radio and Rain (CutBank Books). Her writing has been selected for W.W. Norton’s Flash Fiction America, Best Small Fictions, and Best Microfiction. She hosts the Electric Sheep speculative reading series, and publishes MicroVerse Recommended Reading. Find her at MynaChang.com and on Bluesky at @MynaChang.

---interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on winning first place in our Summer 2025 Flash Fiction competition! What inspired you to write your story, “Tascadora, Texas, 1935?”

Myna: My grandparents told so many amazing and terrifying stories about growing up during the Dust Bowl years. I’ve always been fascinated by the “rainmakers” who blew into town, promising miracles. Tascadora is a fictional town, but the scenario in my story is based on a rainmaker’s visit to a small town in the Texas panhandle at the height of the drought in 1935.

WOW: You’ve written a lot of creative non-fiction, including contest entries for WOW, as well. What inspires you to write fiction and what draws you to CNF?

Myna: My fiction writing is often based on things I find wondrous. My CNF is usually inspired by anger or sorrow.

WOW: Tell us about the Electric Sheep speculative reading series. What do you like about speculative fiction?

Myna: Electric Sheep is a small, casual group of speculative fiction fans. We meet most weeks to discuss short spec stories. We invite our featured readers to join us for a Q&A. Our goal is to have fun and celebrate short fiction writers and the magazines that publish them. Our reading series is open to the public, showcasing some of the writers we’ve featured over the previous year.

I’ve been a speculative fiction fan ever since I can remember. I have a special love of hard science fiction, including cyberpunk, biopunk, and classic space opera—but I also love all kinds of fantasy and horror. Being able to geek out with the Electric Sheep group is a treat for me!

WOW: Since we’re in December now, do you do any end of the year reflections about your writing achievements? What New Year’s resolutions or planning do you do?

Myna: Great timing with this question! I’ve been evaluating my 2025 goals and, as usual, I see that I’ve spent too much time on ancillary projects and not enough time actually writing. For 2026, I hope to do fewer book reviews and author interviews on my MicroVerse Recommended Reading blog. I love connecting with other authors through the blog, but it really takes a lot of time. I will continue doing my monthly flash fiction roundup, though—I enjoy that too much to stop!

WOW:  Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Myna. Before you go, what encouragement or advice can you give to writers about entering writing contests?

Myna: I think contests are so much fun! I appreciate the absolute deadline, and I love the anticipation that builds as the winners’ announcement date approaches. I encourage anyone considering a contest to research it thoroughly before paying an entry fee. Not all contests are managed well, and some are outright scams. Look for contests with an established track record and a reputation for treating entrants with respect.

***

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Leave a Comment Contestant interview, first place winner, flash fiction, Marcia Peterson, Myna Chang, Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest, writer inspiration

Interview with Laura Heaton: Q4 2025 Essay Contest Runner Up

Laura’s Bio: Laura Heaton is a retired public-school educator who lives on Long Island with her husband and family. Since retiring from teaching, she has been developing her passion for writing. Her writing journey was inspired by her experiences parenting a son who struggled for twenty years with addiction. Now Laura is dedicated to honing her craft and expressing her heart through honest stories, just as she once encouraged her fifth-grade students to do. She is excited about her first published essay on WOW! Women on Writing and is anticipating publishing additional memoir essays and short fiction she is currently working on. When she’s not perfecting sentences, Laura enjoys perfecting recipes, relaxing with friends on a sunny beach, and participating in activities with her two energetic young grandsons. Whether it's a bike race, a swim contest, interval training, or whatever they suggest, “Mima” is happy to join in! 

If you haven't done so already, check out Laura's award-winning essay "Snapshots" and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Q4 2025 Essay Contest! How did you begin writing your essay and how did it and your writing processes evolve as you wrote? 

Laura: I began with the question, “how can I write about parenting my son through his long struggle with addiction within 1000 words?” I decided to ground the essay in the few photos I have of my son as an adult. Those photos, and the fact that there are only a few, are very telling of the consequences addiction had in his life, in my life as his mother. I introduced the essay with the common practice of parents taking snapshots of their children because it is relatable for readers and to the story I wanted to tell. I shifted from “we” to “I” in the midst of the essay to bring in the photos of my son and to tell our story. 

WOW: What an innovative way to incorporate photos into your work. What did you learn about yourself or your writing by creating this essay? 

Laura: Most of my writing has been long memoir essay form, so creating this essay was helpful for improving my understanding of writing short. It also bolstered my confidence as a writer and motivated me to learn more about brief, poetic forms, which led me to enroll in the WOW! Women on Writing class, “Writing Short, Writing Deep” with Sheila Bender. I’m looking forward to that. 

WOW: I’m so heartened to hear that writing this essay was a positive experience, and that you’re inspired to take Sheila’s course. I hope you love it! How did you develop your passion for writing? Or were there any particular moments that inspired your creativity? 

Laura: Near the end of my teaching career, I had been working on an 80,000-word memoir about my family's experience with my son’s addiction. When I finished it, the challenge of attempting to publish it daunted me, but also inspired me to work on myself as a writer. I began experimenting with short memoirs, essays, and fiction in an online writing class with instructor and writer Kyle Minor, which was a powerful learning experience. Since then, my passion to improve has driven me to write daily for hours while reading more short work. Late in life, with important stories to tell, so much to learn, and the luxury of retirement, I have become somewhat obsessed! 

WOW: Thank you so much for sharing about your writing journey. Which creative nonfiction essays or writers have inspired you most, and in what ways did they inspire you? 

Laura: The "go to" essays, I guess you could say. I love Joan Didion's essay, “Good-bye to All That”, the way her long flowy sentences, vivid details and confiding voice sweep the reader along as she explores her love affair and disillusionment with New York City during her time there as a young editor. And E.B. White's reflection on his mortality while vacationing with his son in "Once More to the Lake", especially the strong metaphorical ending. I’m also a fan of the memoir essays I’ve been reading over the past few years in The Sun Magazine. To name just one of those writers, John Paul Scotto, who writes about addiction, family, and relationships with poignant humor and frankness. I like the balance of scene, exposition, and reflection in his essays. 

Among the many, many memoirs I've found inspiring are Joyce Carol Oates’s, A Widow’s Story, for her raw descriptions of her intense and devastating grief, and Anne Patchett's Truth & Beauty: A Friendship, for the truth and beauty in her story that brings her friend poet Lucy Grealy to life. 

WOW: What a fabulous list of essays, books, and writers. If you could tell your younger self anything about writing, what would it be? 

Laura: You are busy, raising kids, caring for your home, studying, teaching, but there is a writer in you, so make more time for writing, while you still have years ahead, because one day, many years from now, you will realize you are a writer, have always been, and writers should write! 

WOW: Excellent advice! Anything else you'd like to add? 

Laura: Thank you to all writers who create powerful work by exposing their most intimate selves. And to WOW! Women on Writing, for the opportunity to share my essay. 

WOW: Thank you for sharing your writing with us and for your thoughtful responses. 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. Engage on Twitter or Instagram @GreenMachine459.

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Leave a Comment Anne Greenawalt, Laura Heaton, Q4 2025 Essay Contest, runner up