TheWriterMarch2022

PLOTTING VS. PANTSING: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE

MARCH 2022

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The Writer THE OLDEST MAGAZINE
FOR LITERARY WORKERS
VOLUME 135 MARCH 2022
Founded in Boston, 1887
COVER: VIK Y/SHUTTERSTOCK 20 34
NUMBER 3
Pantser or plotter? 3 Prologue
Which writing style 4 Dear Reader 26
is right for you? 5 Spring Book
Preview 2022 1
By JACK SMITH 8 Insider
8 Opportunities
26 10 Literary Spotlight

#BookTok 13 Broadening the
How to win at Bookshelves
TikTok – and reach Getting to know East
your readers, too. Asian literature.

By MELISSA HART 42 Postscript
Publishing resources
30
48 Gigi Will Know
A brand-new ending
Read the grand-prize
winner of our annual
essay contest.

By VIRGINIA DELUCA

34

A year’s worth of
inspiration
Everything has its sea-
son – including writing
prompts. No matter
if you’re craving more
time for personal reflec-
tion in your nonfiction,
story-starting launch-
pads for your fiction, or
professional organization
in your writing life, this
seasonal-driven selec-
tion of exercises will
keep your creative wells
filled all year long.

WRITERMAG.COM

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Prologue

“The writer is always tricking the reader into listening to their dream.”

—JOAN DIDION

WALNUT BIRD/SHUTTERSTOCK p.4 Reexamining relationships with writing genres p.5 The best & brightest new books
of early 2022 p.8 A weekly podcast for writers p.8 Upcoming calls for submissions
p.10 A journal for mystery lovers 3

WRITERMAG.COM

Prologue » Dear Reader

The past in my present

OH, READER, WHAT AN EMBARRASSING and future – I eagerly snatched the old- in data, to show me just how much the
est period on the list and took off run- past was already a part of my life.
confession I have for you this month. ning on the page like I was a bona fide
I’ve tracked the books I’ve read for resident of the era. Isn’t that always the way? We try to
be as vigilant as we can about our own
the past decade using a very official sys- Huh again. blocks and blind spots, but we’ll never
tem called “a really long list in an un- I looked at my Netflix queue: Cer- be able to see even the most glaring and
titled draft email,” where I record the tainly no shortage of costume dramas obvious ones on our own without work
title, author, and the year it was read. and period pieces. Hell, my favorite and a little external guidance.
I don’t record my opinions of it or its podcast is about Old Hollywood.
genre or whether it was written by a de- What a fool I’d been, I realized. I I’m trying something new this year,
but author. So when I started complet- loved history, both on and off the page. I’ve decided. I’m circling back on all my
ing a reading challenge in an app that Why had it taken me this many years other just-fine genres, both as a reader
did track all that, I was surprised to see on the planet to realize it? and a writer. I’m trying hard to shake
my most-read genre of 2021 was histor- Because, I eventually realized, I off any notion of what I think I know
ical fiction. was still working with the definition about a genre, or what they’ve meant to
of history as it had been taught to me me in the past, and approaching them
Huh. in grade school, when it was a subject like a wide-eyed, first-time student. I
If you had asked my opinion of his- that I liked, again, just fine. I spent a can’t wait to try writing in them. I can’t
torical fiction earlier in the year, I’d have great many hours memorizing names wait to see how they surprise me – and,
responded, “Oh, I like it just fine!” Em- and dates and the political squabbles most of all, how I surprise myself.
phasis on “just fine” – I enjoyed it, truly, of rich white landowners, and I did
but it’s not a favorite genre; I don’t find well enough at the time, but if you I’d love for you to join me if you’re
myself particularly drawn to it. gave me the choice of repeating those in a rut or need some inspiration
Or so I thought. classes or cleaning every centimeter of this year. Tell us how your writing-
I puzzled over the list, wondering my house with a doll-size toothbrush, outside-your-genre adventures go at
what I’d missed. I noticed I would’ve I’d probably roll up my sleeves and [email protected] or on so-
mistakenly classified some of the ti- start scrubbing. cial media. We’d be thrilled to share
tles as just “fiction,” finding it hard But I’ve always loved elements of your adventures, successes, and revela-
to believe that books set in the ’70s, the past, I realize now. I just didn’t see tions in a future issue.
’80s, or ’90s are indeed now “histor- how my favorite subjects fit into “histo-
ical.” But that didn’t explain why lat- ry.” And I needed something external, Keep writing,
er in the year, when offered a writing something outside myself and driven
prompt that listed several time periods Nicki Porter
to choose from – including the present
SENIOR EDITOR

IN MEMORIAM:

Jennifer Hanrahan, 1992-2021

We’d like to dedicate this issue of The Writer
to Jennifer “Jenshine” Hanrahan, who spent
years working in support of this magazine with
the brightest of smiles on her face. She will be
dearly missed by our staff.

4 MARCH 2022

» Spring Book Preview 2022

Best &
brightest

A look at some of the hottest books hitting store shelves in early 2022.

GOODSTUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK YA of research with heart, craft, love – and sexuality – nev- companion novel to Emezi’s
and insight in a way very few er did run smooth” when debut YA novel and Nation-
I Must Betray You writers can,” praises Kirkus she develops a crush on her al Book Award finalist Pet.
by Ruta Sepetys (Feb. 1) Reviews in a starred review of classmate, Talia Sanchez. In a starred review, Kirkus
Award-winning author Ruta this “compulsively readable “This touching debut offers Reviews calls it “a compact,
Sepetys’ latest historical YA and brilliant” book. an emotional ride that read- urgent, and divine novel.”
novel follows a 17-year-old ers will be happy to embark
aspiring writer in Romania Ophelia After All upon,” praises Booklist. Gallant by V.E. Schwab
who is blackmailed by the se- by Racquel Marie (Feb. 8) (March 1)
cret police to become an in- This debut novel stars Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi Bestselling author V.E.
formant. “Sepetys brilliantly boy-crazy Cuban American (Feb. 15) Schwab returns with a
blends a staggering amount teenager Ophelia Rojas, Fans of Akwaeke Emezi are novel about a young woman
who discovers “the course of eagerly awaiting Bitter, a who, having grown up at

WRITERMAG.COM 5

Prologue » Spring Book Preview 2022

Merilance School for Inde- girls are sent to live with
pendent Girls, is thrilled to their estranged grandfather
be invited to live at her un- in Lansing, Michigan, in a
cle’s manor, Gallant – only story that Kirkus Reviews
to discover the house has a calls “quietly powerful.”
dark side she never antici-
pated. In a starred review, The Paris Apartment
Kirkus Reviews promises the by Lucy Foley (Feb. 22)
book “will hook readers with Fresh off the success of
its gripping worldbuilding, her bestselling novel The
well-rounded characters, and Guest List, Lucy Foley
fantastic horror.” returns with a locked-room
mystery about a woman
Lakelore by Anna-Marie who arrives in the titular
McLemore (March 8) apartment, only to find
Bastián and Lore, two trans her brother, its owner, has
nonbinary and neurodi- gone inexplicably missing.
vergent Mexican American “The Paris Apartment is a
teens, helm this fantastical charged, charming thriller
novel by award-winning au- that’ll have us all eyeing
thor Anna-Marie McLem- the neighbors a bit skep-
ore. Kirkus Reviews calls it tically, no matter where it
“a beauty both bright and is we live,” praises Town &
deep” in a starred review. Country.

FICTION Sea of Tranquility by
Emily St. John Mandel
Black Cake by Charmaine (April 5)
Wilkerson (Feb. 1) Just months after the tele-
Two estranged siblings must vision adaptation of Station
reckon with their mother’s Eleven airs, Emily St. John
past after her death in this Mandel’s newest novel
debut novel, set to soon hits bookstore shelves.
be a Hulu series produced The time-traveling book
by Oprah Winfrey. “Read- braids together stories from
ers will adore this highly the past and an imagined
accomplished effort from future in three different
a talented new writer,” timelines, from 1912 to
writes Publishers Weekly in a 2203 to 2401. “If there was
starred review. ever a year to write sci-fi
autofiction with moon
What the Fireflies Knew colonies and time travel,
by Kai Harris (Feb. 1) it was 2020,” Mandel told
In this debut novel, Kenyat- Esquire in a recent inter-
ta Bernice (KB) must navi- view. “We were all kind
gate her new life alongside of deranged in 2020. The
her sister after her father fiction coming out of that
dies of an overdose, and the year will probably be a little
deranged, too.”

6 MARCH 2022

The Candy House by a starred review, calls it “a of an underappreciated
Jennifer Egan (April 5) timely, significant analysis decade from a stupendously
Jennifer Egan’s latest, a so- of the dire consequences of gifted essayist.”
called “sibling novel” to the public health failures.”
bestselling A Visit from the The Very Last Interview
Goon Squad, is already be- The Nineties by Chuck by David Shields
ing heralded as a “story that Klosterman (Feb. 8) (March 29)
one-ups its Pulitzer-winning “No stories were viral. No David Shields, bestselling
predecessor” by Publishers celebrity was trending,” author of 20 books, has
Weekly. bestselling author Chuck been interviewed quite a
Klosterman writes of the bit over the years for a va-
NONFICTION 1990s in this deep dive on riety of outlets (this maga-
the decade. “The world was zine included.) In The Very
The Phantom Plague: still big. The country was Last Interview, billed as “a
How Tuberculosis Shaped still vast. You could just be a sequel of sorts” to his ac-
History by Vidya Krishnan little person, with your own claimed Reality Hunger, he
(Feb. 1) little life and your own little collects all of the questions
Journalist Vidya Krishnan’s thoughts. You didn’t have he’s been asked by journal-
debut book is being billed to have an opinion, and ists – and omits all of his
as “the definitive social nobody cared if you did or own answers. The result
history of tuberculosis,” did not.” In a starred review, is a book Kirkus Reviews
tracing the global disease Booklist calls Klosterman’s calls “totally deadpan and
from its very beginnings newest book “wonderfully irresistibly hilarious” in a
to its reemergence in the researched, compellingly starred review.
modern world. Kirkus, in written, and often very fun-
ny…a superb reassessment Keats: A Brief Life in Nine
Poems and One Epitaph
GOODSTUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK by Lucasta Miller
(March 29)
WRITERMAG.COM Biographer Lucasta Miller
examines the short life of
John Keats, who died at
age 25, through nine of his
best-known poems, aiming
to discover “how they came
to be and what in Keats’s life
led to their creation.”

Finding Me by Viola Davis
(April 26)
Academy Award, Emmy,
and Tony-winning actress
Viola Davis turns to mem-
oir for the first time with
this much-buzzed debut,
billed as “deeply personal,
brutally honest, and rivet-
ing” and due out at the end
of April.

7

Prologue » Insider

Write-minded

A new guest joins co-hosts Brooke Warner and
Grant Faulkner each episode for inspiration,
insight, and advice on this weekly podcast.

By Melissa Hart

FOUR YEARS AGO, SHE WRITES PRESS Anger to Fuel Your Writing” (Novem- Subscribe to Write-minded
ber 1, 2021), “Using Storytelling to wherever you get your
publisher Brooke Warner sat down Inform and Educate” (September 20, podcasts or listen at
in a Berkeley, California, restaurant 2021), and “The Joy and Angst of a podcast.shewrites.com and
with Grant Faulkner, executive direc- Newly Released Book” ( July 26, 2021). sign up for email alerts
tor of National Novel Writing Month “We invite writers from diverse back- about new episodes.
(NaNoWriMo), and made plans to grounds, with all kinds of experiences,” Interested in being a guest
launch a podcast that would encour- Warner says. on Write-minded? Email
age writers at any stage of their career. Brooke Warner and Grant
“We wanted our themes to range from What you’ll learn Faulkner at hello@
learning to believe in your story and get Charlie Jane Anders is the author of writemindedpodcast.com.
it down on the page to how to publish,” Never Say You Can’t Survive: How
Faulkner explains. “We view writing to Get Through Hard Times by Mak- depletion to continue down the cre-
and publishing as different stages of a ing Up Stories. In her guest episode ative path.
creative journey.” of Write-minded titled “The Difficult
Balance of Writing and Self-Care” “She really dug into this topic be-
He’d been impressed with Warner’s (October 11, 2021), she talks about cause of the pandemic,” Faulkner ex-
Green-Light Your Book: How Writers how to remain vulnerable in the mid- plains. “She spoke about why writ-
Can Succeed in the New Era of Pub- dle of personal and/or global crisis ing is important when the world
lishing, with its message of empower- and how to move through feelings of feels really against you in a deep and
ment, so when she suggested that he
co-host, he immediately agreed. “That’s
what we’re all about at NaNoWriMo as
well – empowering people and helping
them put their voice and their story in
the world,” he says.

Their weekly podcast, Write-minded,
offers insight into the joys and challeng-
es of literary life. Sometimes, the hosts
mention upcoming literary workshops
and other relevant events, both remote
and in-person. Sometimes, they spend
a few minutes bantering about topics
like writing and parenting or publishing
trends or the importance of curiosity in
a writer’s life. Each episode includes an
interview with an author or publishing
industry professional.

“We pick a guest, and then we ask
ourselves what theme the episode will
explore based on that writer,” Warner
explains. Past themes include “Allowing

8 MARCH 2022

terrifying way, and it was particularly the #Bookstagram hashtag on Insta- » Opportunities
relevant to people who feel shut down gram to let readers know about her
by trauma.” book and how to be intentional about Calls for
writing in order to focus on the projects submissions
New York Times bestselling author that most move you.
Kwame Mbalia speaks about “Why Feels Blind Literary:
Retelling Stories is Always an Act of “My collection came about because Writers who are nonbinary
Creation” (November 15, 2021), giv- I got stuck on a novel, and so I pivoted or identify as women
ing listeners insights into how to live [to short stories],” she says. To writers Send short fiction, creative
with one’s characters as well as who who believe they don’t have enough nonfiction, poetry, plays, and
inspires him as an author. The author time to write, she suggests looking at art to Feels Blind Literary for
consideration for its seventh
“We want to help people tell their story. issue. Only submissions by
We’re not selling an empty dream.” writers and artists who are
nonbinary or identify as wom-
of the middle-grade novel Tristan how they’re spending their free half- en will be accepted for pub-
Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, hours. “We have time; it’s just how we lication. On Mondays, it is
Mbalia talks about participating in choose to use it,” she explains. free to submit; on other days
National Novel Writing Month four of the week, the submission
years in a row. Join the mission fee is $3, a portion of which
Warner wants each episode of Write- will be donated to the Rich-
“My process is leashed chaos sim- minded to offer a moment of revela- mond Community Bail Fund.
ply because I have children, and chil- tion for listeners. “I always come back Submit by March 6.
dren demand attention,” he says and to our tagline, which is ‘inspiration for feelsblindliterary.com/donate
goes on to describe how he writes 50 authors,” she says.
to 200 words several times through- About Place Journal:
out the day between parenting obli- The mission of the podcast ties in Submissions for
gations. “When the kids are finally in with Faulkner’s and Warner’s personal ‘Navigations: A Place for
bed…I sit and look at what I’ve done, missions, as well as the missions of the Peace’ issue
and I have anywhere between seven organizations they represent. “We want About Place Journal editors
hundred and a thousand words, and to help people tell their story,” Faulkner are seeking prose, poetry,
I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve written!’” explains. “We’re not selling an empty hybrid genre, photography,
he exclaims. dream. We’re not trying to tell people artwork, sound-art, and
that they’ll write a bestseller and earn a video for their “Navigations:
In one episode of Write-minded, lot of money and be famous. It’s more A Place for Peace” issue.
novelist and television writer Shanthi about identifying the story that matters Submit by March 10 for
Sekaran talks about “Migration as an to them and being bold enough to tell consideration in the issue.
Essential Shared Story” (November 29, it. That is the real gift.” aboutplacejournal.org/submissions
2021) and asks writers to think about
their own migration experiences – as Melissa Hart is the author, most Mistake House Magazine:
immigrants or as members of a family recently, of Better with Books: 500 Undergraduate and
that has occupied the same space over Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and graduate writers
generations. Another episode features Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens This journal publishes fic-
Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret tion and poetry by students
Lives of Church Ladies (February 20, and Teens. Twitter/Instagram: currently enrolled in a
2021), who talks about how she’s used @WildMelissaHart. graduate or undergraduate
program. Submissions of
WRITERMAG.COM photography and works in
translation are also wel-
come. Three $100 Editor’s
Prizes, one for fiction, one
for poetry, and one for
photography, will also be
awarded. Submit by March
15 for consideration in
issue 8.
mistakehouse.org/submit

9

Prologue » Literary Spotlight

Mystery Magazine

Love mysteries? Send your classic & contemporary
whodunits for consideration in this 6-year-old journal.

By Melissa Hart

A MAILMAN TASKED WITH DELIVER- Tone, editorial content “At the cutting edge of crime
fiction, Mystery Magazine
ing a potentially life-saving secret formu- “Judging by the reviews and feedback presents original short
la to a Des Moines epidemiologist finds we’ve received, our readers seem to love stories by the world’s best-
his life threatened by people determined stories with humor,” Carter says. To meet known and emerging
to steal the information for themselves. this demand, staff recently released their mystery writers.”
first hardcover anthology, called Die
A woman befriends the daughter Laughing: An Anthology of Humorous Reading period:
of a homicide victim after a 1945 po- Mysteries, which Carter notes has sold Year-round.
grom in Krakow’s Market Square and exceptionally well. “We received so many
swears to do whatever it takes to find great stories for that collection that we’ve Genres:
the mother’s murderer. got quite a few left over, so readers will Cozies, police procedurals,
be noticing more humorous mysteries in noir, whodunit, supernatural,
A woman with a chronic medical our regular magazine issues,” she says. hardboiled, humor, and
condition begins to question reali- historical mysteries.
ty and her sanity when specially pur- One of these stories is T.T. Tres-
chased therapeutic foods in her refrig- tle’s “Breastman,” about a hard-edged Length:
erator begin to vanish. male debt collector who wakes up with 1,000-7,500 words.
well-endowed breasts. “He comes to real-
These are three of the plotlines from ize that having them offers special perks,” Submission format:
Mystery Magazine, a 6-year-old print Carter explains. In December 2021, she Submit via form on website.
and digital publication based in Cana- published another humorous piece, “Ca-
da. Editor Kerry Carter looks for stories jun State” by O’Neil De Noux. Set at Payment:
that evoke classic mysteries by Arthur Cajun State University, De Noux’s story Two cents/word USD.
Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, as follows retired New Orleans police de-
well as the pulp fiction stylings of Ray- tective Hunter Bourget, now a university Contact:
mond Chandler and Dashiell Ham- police officer, who’s charged with finding Editor-in-Chief Kerry Carter,
mett. Got a contemporary tale that’s both the large Christmas tree that’s been [email protected],
more Tana French or Patricia Corn- mysteryweekly.com
well? Carter wants to see those as well.

FRAN_KIE/SHUTTERSTOCK

10 MARCH 2022

stolen from campus…and the thief. Car- cruelty. Everything else is fair game. » Opportunities
ter appreciates the author’s witty writing, She suggests that potential contrib-
along with the absurd premise of a world- 2022 Bougainvillea Poetry
wide hunt for a stolen Christmas tree. utors submit a story for one of the mag- Prize: Poetry collections
azine’s special annual issues, such as the The Bougainvillea Poetry
Contributors Sherlock Holmes issue in October or Prize, sponsored by Flower-
the Christmas issue in December. “And Song Press, seeks poetry
The December issue of Mystery Maga- we’re always on the lookout for more that “grapples with issues
zine includes Robert Jeschonek’s “The cross-genre stories,” she says. “Although concerning the poor, work-
X in Xmas,” about Detective Charlie we brand ourselves as a mainstream ers, the underclass, finan-
Collins, who joins forces with a female cross-genre mystery magazine, we really cial insecurity, working con-
detective connected with the mob in or- don’t receive enough stories with sci-fi, ditions, inequity, precarity,
der to solve the murder of a Mafia boss horror, or fantasy elements.” and related concerns” for
during the December holiday season. its annual prize. The win-
Kerry notes on the magazine’s website Hoping to land a cover story? Car- ning collection will be pub-
that in the story, “the twisted holiday ter explains that to snag this coveted lished and awarded $750.
traditions of local wise guys lead them spot, you need to submit a story of at Working-class, BIPOC, and
down a dark road decorated with death.” least 4,000 words and include evocative LGBTQ poets are especial-
visual scenes to inspire cover artist Rob- ly encouraged to submit.
She’s excited to publish Frank Ore- in Grenville Evans. Submit by March 31.
to’s “The Maintainer of Diaries” in an flowersongpress.com/
upcoming issue. It’s the story of a re- C. Matthew Smith’s story “Hundred the-2022-bougainvillea-poetry-prize
tired detective trying to solve the only Year Flood” in the August 2021 issue is
bona-fide mystery he’s come across an excellent example. From the maga- Bag of Bones Press:
during his policing career. “Customers zine’s website: “Massive flooding disin- Modern horror
of a certain used bookstore have a hab- ters bodies from a small town’s ceme- Submit horror or dark
it of disappearing,” she says of Oreto’s teries. In the wake of this horrific event, speculative fiction up to
piece. “Using stark but evocative writ- someone is leaving a trail of new bodies, 2,022 words for consid-
ing, the author doesn’t waste any time and the local sheriff must race to figure eration in Bag of Bones
pulling you into his clever story, and out who – or what – is to blame.” Ev- Press’ Annus Horribilis
the story also has a surprising ending.” ans’ cover illustration depicts coffins anthology. The catch?
floating down a flooded urban street in Every story must be set in
Carter enjoys mysteries with unique the midst of a punishing rainfall. 2022. (“We don’t want one
settings, pointing to Josh Taylor’s “The hundred stories all about
Path of Least Resistance,” a whodun- Potential contributors wanting to coronavirus though, so
it set on a mining ship in space, as the study the stories in Mystery Magazine’s think outside of the box,”
type of story she likes to publish. John back issues have plenty of options. Sub- the editors remind sub-
M. Floyd’s “Lily’s Story” (publication scribe in Kindle Newsstand or download mitters.) Twenty percent
date TBA) takes place in 19th-century issues from Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and of anthology sales will be
California, while Gretchen Altabef ’s other online retailers. “Our own story donated to children’s char-
“In the Land of the Living” (October reader mobile app lets you read any of the ities in the U.K. Submit by
2021) is set in the Swiss Alps. stories from our current and back issues March 31.
using tokens,” Carter explains. “These bagofbonespress.com/
Advice for potential contributors can be purchased or earned through so- submission-calls
cial actions such as commenting on sto-
Editors are open to almost any type ries or promoting our issues.” Geminga 2022: Tiny prose,
of story as long as it has a mystery el- poetry, or art
ement. “We tend to turn down stories Melissa Hart is the author, most Sunspot Lit will award $250
that give themselves an expiration date recently, of Better with Books: 500 and publication to the win-
or reference politics, terminal diseases, Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy ner of this contest, which
or the COVID pandemic,” Carter ex- and Encourage Self-Acceptance in aims “to honor the power
plains. She also rejects pieces involv- Tweens and Teens (Sasquatch, 2019). of the small.” Send prose
ing excessive violence and/or animal under 100 words, poetry
Instagram: @writermelissahart. under 140 characters, or
art no larger than 25 inches
WRITERMAG.COM for consideration. Submit
by March 31.
sunspotlit.com/contests

11

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Broadening the EAST ASIAN
LITERATURE
Bookshelves

This month, we’re shining a spotlight
on East Asian literature.

By Yi Shun Lai

SPICYTRUFFEL/SHUTTERSTOCK

WRITERMAG.COM 13

B →B East Asian Literature

Getting to know
East Asian Literature

S ometimes, you talk to a person, and they battle between whether I write my
give you a bunch of hope for the future American existence or the Asian cul-
while simultaneously making it very clear ture and ethnicity that rules my par-
that you still have a lot left to learn. ents’ house – and, if I’m being totally
transparent, often guides my first im-
I’m talking to Xu Xi, Jenks Chair chopsticks, and in which, when the pressions. Xi has another, and to my
of Contemporary Letters at College characters speak, it’s in broken English, ears, healthier way of looking at the
of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mas- charmingly offset with italics when quandary. She says, “I think that saying
sachusetts, author of 14 books and ed- they mispronounce words. who is the authentic writer is the worst
itor of four anthologies of Hong Kong question you can ask. It’s like it’s almost
writing in English. Her latest project is In some ways, I was right to worry – irrelevant because authenticity has
The Art and Craft of Asian Stories, an my book, a contemporary women’s nov- nothing to do with the imagination or
anthology comprising a selection of el, is shelved in “Asian American stud- creativity or art. You know, art is about
works by Asian authors with commen- ies” in some places, and I did get told ‘how do you see the world?’ And ‘what
tary from Xi and travel writer Robin by a major agent that I should employ is humanity about?’ Whatever vantage
Hemley (Bloomsbury Academic, Oc- more broken English and more food point you take is authentic.”
tober 2021). For starters, the antholo- descriptions.
gy was a hard project for me to wrap my This is deeply refreshing to hear.
brain around – it isn’t, Xi and Hemley It is all very much tied up in what But Xi has more knowledge to impart.
write in the introduction, “meant to folks believe is marketable – and what I tell her about the students in the
silo off Asian writing for Asian writers.” the gatekeepers believe the American Master of Fine Arts programs I teach
In fact, it’s meant to do almost the ex- public wants to see; what they believe in, who say that they want to be seen
act opposite – it’s meant to “widen the is an “authentic” story from an ethnic as writers who just happen to be Asian
field of models for students from any voice. But even though that was seven or happen to be Mexican or Black or
background in any country.” years ago, the question of who “gets” to female and who also are good writers
write or tell which stories is still on ev- who tell good stories.
I take some time over this sentence eryone’s lips. In my case, it’s a constant
in the introduction because I have be- Xi tells me that she believes that
come used to judging a book by its cov- the way forward from that is to keep
er – and, worse, a short story or a nov- encouraging these writers to write their
el or any text, really, by the perceived actual lives. “I mean,” she says, “the ques-
ethnicity of the person who wrote it. tion is, how does a writer that happens
Frankly speaking, I should know bet- to be East Asian live? Does she live an
ter: When I queried my debut novel in East Asian life or American life? Or is it
2014, I fretted, and rightfully so, that a life where they never speak their lan-
potential readers would see my name guage, the East Asian language, [a life]
on its cover and expect a certain kind where they never eat the food? [To-
of narrative, one that takes place in day’s writer is] drinking bubble tea, and
Taiwan, where I’m from, and is pep- they’re eating kimchi, and then they’re
pered with all sorts of exotic foods and also eating pizza – I mean, this is normal
now, right? I think that somehow their
writing is going to reflect that. It’s ‘how
do they live?’…How do they experience
the world? What do they see? How do

14 MARCH 2022

they move? What concerns them? What both languages, and it’s not like they’re demographic that reads it: While there
catches their eye? What are you hear- separated from their [home] cultures. still may be echoes of the type of prej-
ing? What are you listening to?” So someone like Gish Jen, for example, udice that influences my own reading,
is really a very American writer, right? younger writers, Xi notes (she cites
In many ways, this is a deeply ironic And she doesn’t pretend to be other- K-Ming Chang’s Bestiary, which spans
position for me to ponder writing from: wise; at the same time, she’s drawing three generations and addresses queer
I, who also wanted to be seen as a writer on all that Chinese family and cultur- love), are writing very much against
who just happens to be East Asian, never al history. The young people, younger the stereotype while they’re drawing on
really had East Asian friends, nor did I writers, who are coming from China or the legends and lore of East Asia. There
seek them out. And although my moth- Shanghai or Hong Kong with Taiwan will be no dragon ladies or trauma nar-
er cooked the way her mother cooked or whatever, can look to the West and ratives in which the single Asian girl in
in the countryside of Taiwan, once she
discovered the less elaborate American “I think that saying who is the authentic writer
meals of steak, salad, and potato, we is the worst question you can ask.
moved quickly to that. And, growing up
in the Inland Empire of Southern Cali- It’s like it’s almost irrelevant because
fornia, our food choices for dining out, authenticity has nothing to do with the
more often than not, were pizza, sub-
marine sandwiches, or Chinese takeout, imagination or creativity or art.”
which bore little to no resemblance to
the food of my childhood. So although go there, and be just as comfortable a majority white school gets bullied. “A
my published name is ethnic and my there as they are here.” lot of writers now are cutting through
family practices my home language and stereotype, writing narratives in which,
traditions, I would fall into the category At this point in the conversation, yeah, OK, a girl gets bullied, but maybe
of writers whose lived experience is more something clicks for me. Me, I say to she’s also a bully,” she says.
American than Asian. myself. Xi is talking about me. I, too,
straddle these two different worlds. I Talking with Xi has, like all the best
And thus comes the second learn- may not be teaching classes in Taiwan- conversations, challenged and exposed
ing point Xi has to impart to me, the ese or even in Taiwan anytime soon, my own prejudices and allowed me a
marked difference between Asian lit- but I can see a future in which that hap- larger lens with which to view an entire
erature and literature from the Asian pens. I don’t know if any of the books I demographic’s literature. And if it feels
diaspora. She notes that the globalism write will appeal equally to East Asian a little funny that the demographic she’s
of our current time is encouraging trav- audiences and majority-white audienc- pulled back the curtain on happens to
el to the point where writers can move es, but it shouldn’t matter because there be my own, well, so be it. No one ever
back and forth between East Asia and is a whole demographic of folks who said that growth was painless.
the United States. “They’ve mastered are writing stories that not only occu-
py the space between Americana and Yi Shun Lai is the author of Pin Ups,
Black, Latinx, East Asian, Muslim heri- a memoir. She teaches in the MFA pro-
tages but that move fluidly and joyfully grams at Bay Path and Southern New
between and among them. Hampshire universities and is a found-
ing editor of Undomesticated Maga-
Literature changes to reflect the zine. Visit at undomesticatedmag.com.
demographic that writes it, not the

WRITERMAG.COM 15

B →B East Asian Literature

Talk to the The Writer: When we first met, we had a chat about end-
Practitioner: ings. We talked about how the conventional wisdom skews
more toward happy endings in children’s literature. Can we
Jane Park talk a little about how you view endings and how that works
its way into your books?
I met Jane Park during a children’s literature
happy hour over Zoom. In one of the breakout Jane Park: I think to only have happy endings in picture
rooms, she mentioned that her latest picture books really does a disservice to our children. We’re
book, Juna and Appa, was coming out in 2022. socializing them to think that there’s always an answer,
It’ll be her second publication with Lee & Low all things can be resolved in 32 pages if you just try hard
publishers, and her first book with them, Juna’s enough. If you’re just special enough. We all know that we
Jar, was published as a result of her winning can try and be as good as we can be, and things still don’t
Lee & Low’s New Voices Award, which is given to work out. And, in fact, many old fairytales and folktales
a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer have pretty grim endings. When did we decide all children’s
of color or Indigenous/Native writer. Park’s work stories need a “happily ever after?” Sometimes we might
is joyful and sensitive, depicting with sharpness need the fantasy and have things end neatly. But sometimes
and nuance a life lived multiculturally, so I sat we just need some comfort from knowing that others go
down with her over Zoom to talk about every- through things like this, too, and that we’re not alone.
thing from endings to political activism.
When I first started watching Korean films (once they
16 became more available in the U.S.), I used to feel frustrated
by the endings. I felt like they’d just abruptly end. But I later
realized that I was looking at them through a very American
lens. An aspect that I really appreciate about Korean work is
that it often defies conventional genre boundaries. You think
you’re watching a drama, and in the middle of it, you get over-
the-top, gross-out comedy. I mean, what is the phenomenon
that is Squid Game? Or the novel Kim Ji-young: Born 1982,
[which] has nonfiction elements like footnotes. I love that.

MARCH 2022

Life is comedy and horror and drama how would Juna work through them? I think that picture books would top
all together, and they throw it all at you. Her character drives the story forward. the list. I’ve seen very few adults ac-
Why are we so interested in creating tually radically change from reading a
boundaries and limitations and formu- [The incident with the character book. You pick and choose what you
las for art? Isn’t art precisely about play- who loses his coat,] Mr. Parker, never want to read, and they’re usually books
ing with or even defying conventions? happened, and it happened a thousand that appeal to you, not challenge you.
times. To my dad, to my mom, to me
The ending for Juna and Appa was when I worked the counter. I often felt But picture books are formative.
definitely an issue that came up. [Ed. like many people saw me as “less than” They’re for the time when adults spend
note: Juna and Appa centers around because I was behind the counter, and the most time reading books with kids
Juna’s father misplacing a client’s jack- they were in front. I hope that the kids and actually have conversations about
et.] I got a lot of initial feedback that who are growing up in their family them. They reach both the adult and
the missing jacket must be found. But shops will feel seen. And, more broad- child and prompt dialogue. Picture
that’s not what this book is about, and, ly, the kids who have seen their par- books are powerful because they are
in fact, [a happy ending] would negate ents, their heroes, treated as “less than,” visual representations of our existence.
what it’s about. I felt unwavering about too. I want these stories to be authenti- They shape the way kids view the
the ending. Luckily my editor, Jessica cally and compassionately told so that world and their sense of themselves
Echeverria, very much related to this kids might feel that they are not alone. and their place in it. So what happens
story and never once said she thought when they’re invisible in them? Or
that the jacket needed to be found. It Felicia [Hoshino, Juna and Appa’s misrepresented? In Dr. Sarah Park
doesn’t need to have a pat, neat ending illustrator] also brings in her own mem- Dahlen’s analysis of diversity in picture
in order to feel satisfying. ories of her dad and the dads she knows. books, it revealed that not only do
I think many people believe that the picture books feature majority white
TW: Juna and Appa draws some picture book author tells the illustrator protagonists but that there are even
inspiration from your own childhood. what to draw, but this is not the usu- more books about animals than of all
What’s it like to work with your al process at all. When an illustrator kids of color combined.
memories in this fashion? And, at comes on board, they’ve read the manu-
some point, do the book and its script and have their own vision for how There are studies that show that kids
characters take on a life of their own? to bring the story to life visually. I was who were read picture books featuring
What’s that like? unable to even imagine how she would cross-racial friendships became more in-
illustrate Juna running through the rows clined to reach out to and play with kids
JP: There’s a lot I drew upon from of clothes into the forest. I saw it as a of different races. That’s a mind-bog-
spending so much time at my parents’ moving image, but how to capture that gling finding! It provides a concrete, ac-
[dry cleaning] shop when I was young, in a spread? What she did is so magical. tionable step that could be implemented
but ultimately it is fiction. So it starts tomorrow! If we are all working toward
with fragments of memories of being TW: Last year, you participated in a a more equitable and just future for all
at the shop. It’s strange that I can’t re- rally for AAPI Youth Rising, an orga- kids, shouldn’t this incredible finding
ally remember any specific incidents or nization largely composed of middle impact the decisions about the kind of
conversations that happened, but I re- school students calling attention to picture books that are published?
member things like the warmth of the rising xenophobia against Asian Amer-
steam from the presser, the texture of icans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in We need books that feature a diver-
grimy shirt collars, the slippery feel of the United States. You wrote a poem sity of kids with different lived experi-
rows of plastic-covered clothes. Then, for the young women in the audience. ences who have stories to tell. All these
I thought about the character of Juna. What role do you think picture book diverse experiences need to be normal-
What would she do at the shop and writers can play in our current zeitgeist ized, not exoticized or “othered” in
with those shop supplies? And how in terms of inspiration, politics, and picture books. We know they are deeply
would she process her feelings from driving public thought? impactful! We talk about our favorite
witnessing a difficult moment? I would kids’ books, remember and cherish them
have squashed and repressed them, but JP: If you think about what kind of into our adulthood. Isn’t it far more ef-
books could really drive social change, fective to represent a more honest truth
when kids are forming their perceptions

WRITERMAG.COM 17

B →B East Asian Literature

of the world rather than try to undo the to you and affirm who you are. Such a after I write all the art notes, which
skewed messaging as adults? genius way to put it! When I was a kid, I help me figure out the whole story, I
devoured books, but they were definite- go back and take them all out.
TW: What role would YOU like to ly all window books. I remember liter-
play, if any? ally crying and accusing my dad of not This is all just in general, and there
loving me because what I learned from are always exceptions. In nonfiction, I
JP: I would love for my work to speak books is that you show love by saying think art notes are actually preferred.
for itself, but at this moment in time, “I love you” and with hugs and kisses. I wrote two nonfiction picture books
I don’t feel like there’s a choice to be My dad never hugged or kissed me or that I actually submitted with all the
more anonymous. I’m usually resistant ever once said that he loved me. But he rough visuals – photos and layout.
to put myself out there or to join groups worked 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week This is usually not what agents and edi-
or identify myself by profession. But we to make sure we were sheltered and tors want from [writers who are not]
need to take up space and tell our sto- clothed and fed. He always cut the fruit author-illustrators. But because of the
ries! If not, other people tell our stories after dinner for us. And I love chestnuts specific nature of the book, I felt like
for us and decide who we are. We are to this day because they remind me of you have to see the images to see why
not just about holidays and food. him scoring and roasting piles of them kids would love this kind of book.
for us. Like the Darwin frog says in Juna
We don’t all have to be public and Appa, parents show love in lots of Another way that writing for TV/
speakers to make a difference. I want different ways. I don’t want kids to have video helps with picture book writing is
to encourage kids to do what they to wait until they’re adults and discov- that you are working with time/length
do to express themselves – speak out, er Subtle Asian Traits to realize that constraints. The video has to be 20 or
write, draw, code, create, sing, dance. their parents, of course, had deep, deep two minutes, and you have to tell the
We are quiet, and we’re loud – we’re love for them. [Ed. note: “Subtle Asian story, deliver the content within the
not a monolith, and I wish we would Traits” is an online group that connects timeframe. In picture book writing, you
stop instilling this “self-help” mentality “Asian individuals globally to create a have 32 pages and ideally under 500
that kids have to be fixed, to be better, community that celebrates the similarities words. The Juna books are longer, but
to be different. They are enough just as and differences within the subtle traits of I know that’s not the norm, and, like I
they are. Asian culture and sub-cultures.”] said, there are always exceptions!

AAPIs aren’t being attacked and TW: Can you tell us a little about the TW: What’s next for you?
scapegoated because we’re so quiet and craft of writing a picture book? You are
complacent. AAPIs are being attacked also a television writer; do the skills JP: Juna and Appa comes out in May.
because of racism. This is essentially complement each other or merge into Hidden Animal Colors comes out in
what I wanted to share with the AAPI one another at any point? spring 2022 and Hidden Animal Fea-
Youth Rising girls. I had expected maybe tures in fall 2022. They’re playful animal
100 people to show up and felt OK JP: Writing for TV/video and having books, but the underlying message is to
about reading my poem, a love letter to to think visually helps a lot in writ- pay attention to the overlooked, which
my daughter and these girls. The girls ing picture books because the images is a theme that drives most of my work.
somehow managed to get 1,200 people play such a key role in the storytelling.
to show up! I was pretty shocked, but at When writing nonfiction scripts, I I’d love to create another Juna story
that point, there was no way out of it. I have a column for the words/sound and have been working on a third man-
had to take these girls’ lead and be brave. and a column for the footage/images. uscript. I would love to see more adven-
This format helps me see the story vi- tures with Juna navigating her emotions
I hope to continue to have the op- sually when writing picture books, but and her fantastic worlds. Also, having
portunity to write stories about kids of in the final manuscript, art notes are worked on several animal TV shows
color just being kids, but with cultural generally not encouraged. The artist for kids, including creating an original
specificity and universal themes. Like will read the manuscript and interpret show featuring a diverse group of kids
the scholar Rudine Sims Bishop wrote, it with their own creative vision. So, on adventure (Nickelodeon bought and
all kids need windows and mirror books made a pilot, but it didn’t go to series),
– ones to look into people’s lives and it would be a dream to me to have Juna
ones that reflect your experiences back as an animated wildlife series.

18 MARCH 2022

Nightstand Recommended reading from Vanessa Hua

Author and San Francisco Chronicle columnist National Book Award in the young
Vanessa Hua has had a very busy few years. Her adult category).
book of short stories, Deceit and Other Possibil-
ities, was published in 2016 and then reissued Fiona and Jane, Jean Chen Ho
in 2020, and her debut novel, River of Stars, was
published in 2018. She was a National Endow- (Viking, 2022).
ment for the Arts grantee in 2019, and her next novel, Forbidden City, “This is a [book] about female friend-
will be published in April. Since the pandemic started, she has been ship,” says Hua, “and it takes place in
learning how to forage. We asked her to list five must-read books by southern Los Angeles County. Not
East Asian writers, and she gave us a range of work that will have us Disneyland, not Hollywood, but, you
reading long into the night. know, the place where people actual-
ly live.” Hua also credits this “funny,
Tastes Like War, Grace M. Cho The Memory Police is set in a world poignant” book with another charac-
where “whole orders of things dis- teristic: “We see [the characters] come
(The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2021). appear by some unknown order, or together, drift apart, come into their
This memoir is “at once lyrical and by fiat, and…the people who remem- sexuality, dealing with family stuff…
scholarly,” says Hua. Cho’s mother ber these things are also being taken [And] there’s very little talk of older
had been a camp girl during the Kore- away,” says Hua. “It’s bleak, but there’s notions of Asian-American narratives
an War, which led later to some emo- also resistance; it’s thinking about art where it’s like ‘bringing shame to the
tional and mental difficulties, which and beauty.” family.’ It’s not really positioned that
were never discussed or treated. After way. It feels right, like this is just the
immigrating to the United States, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, way people are. It’s not typical to find
Cho’s mother made a home in rural these depictions.”
Washington state, where she became Malinda Lo (Dutton Books for Young
interested in foraging. “She [would We Should Never Meet, Aimee Phan
go] out into the forest and find fa- Readers, 2021).
miliar [to her] greens, and then [she] Hua’s YA pick, a queer romance, takes (Picador, 2005).
also launched a whole blackberry place in mid-1950s San Francisco. Phan’s collection of eight linked
selling and blackberry pie business… When 17-year-old Lily Hu discovers short stories is anchored by “Oper-
In a way, it was like she wasn’t accept- the lesbian club scene in Chinatown, ation Babylift,” during which thou-
ed necessarily by the community until the need to live her own truth threat- sands of Vietnamese children were
she began to feed them…it just keys ens everything from her friendships evacuated from Vietnam in 1975 to
into some of my interest, not only to her father’s citizenship status. “I be adopted by American, Canadian,
as a forager but just sort of the ways know that neighborhood really well,” European, and Australian families.
that history and lineages continue says Hua, “having written about it in “I love the historical nature of [this
to shape us and are sometimes sup- A River of Stars. [And] I knew about book],” says Hua. “So often, the per-
pressed, and what the consequences the whole red scare, where, you know, spective of the Vietnam War is told
of that are.” people with links to communist Chi- by that of the soldiers or by principal-
na were being questioned for their ly the American soldiers.” Hua also
The Memory Police, Yoko Ogawa loyalties, even though they’re natural- appreciates the collection’s linked
ized citizens, their papers being taken structure: “There’s always a delight
(Vintage, 2020). away. It’s all very reminiscent in some with linked stories: ‘Oh, when is this
This dystopian novel was a finalist for ways in terms of what happened sort character going to appear again? Or,
the National Book Award and winner of in the current moment but also just will I learn something in this chapter
of the American Book Award. (Oga- beautifully rendered.” Hua notes that that makes me completely rethink
wa is a Japanese novelist whose works this work will appeal to both adult what I read before?’ This collection is
are widely available in translation.) and young adult readers (it won the full of places like that, full of delights
like that.”

WRITERMAG.COM 19

PA NTS ER

20 MARCH 2022

“At heart, I would have to
say I’m a pantser. I fully

embrace the chaos of letting
the unintended happen, on

life and on the page.”

– MARGARET STOHL

OR

PLOTTER?

Which writing style 21
is right for you?

By Jack Smith

WRITERMAG.COM

four months. Knowing this helped

him determine the length of each

scene as well as how each scene would

W hen you write a story or a novel, fit with other scenes “along a time-
you’re undoubtedly focused on
turning out a good one. That’s line,” yet, critically, “not what would
the product. But what about the happen in each scene.” In the pantser
process? Are you a so-called plotter, vein, he says, “I didn’t try to prescribe
what the characters might do, even as
I understood how long they had to do
whatever it was they were going to do.”
Instead, with “no plan in mind,” he

one who creates summaries and outlines before depended on them to lead him along
from one plot development to anoth-

clicking out your story or novel? Or are you er – “with the timeline sort of thrum-

a so-called pantser, one who follows your ming beneath the events.”
In her early novel drafts, novelist

intuition or your instinct, seeing where that Marjan Kamali is a pantser, but when

takes you? Or are you both – a “plantser?” she moves into the revision stage, she
carefully plots. “When I started my

We were curious to know where five well- first novel, Together Tea, I had the title

published authors stand on this issue. Which and a vague idea that I wanted to write
a mother-daughter immigration story.”

are they, plotter or pantser? What do they She discovered the rest of her novel

see as the upsides and downsides of both as she drafted it. “Once the story was
down, I put on my plotting hat to re-

creative processes? structure the narrative.”

Her process was the same with her

second novel, The Stationery Shop.

Again, she began with very little: “I

knew I wanted to write a love story set

WHETHER YOU’RE A PANTSER OR A directions. I don’t know ahead of time in 1953 Iran, where two teenagers fall

plotter might depend on your genre or what those deflections are, but I know in love in a stationery shop. I also had

on the stage of your draft, regardless of they will occur.” an image of an elderly man in Massa-

genre. You might be a pantser in one Anthony Varallo, a prize-winning chusetts wanting to see again his first

case and a plotter in another. short story writer and novelist, is also a love from 60 years ago. That’s all I had.

When writing literary fiction, Grant plantser. When he’s working on a nov- The rest of the story came once I start-

Tracey, author of several novels, con- el, he likes to have a sense for where ed writing.” Once she’d written the first

fesses to being “mainly a seat-of-my- he’s going “but not know how I’m draft, she turned plotter, thinking “hard

pants writer” with an eye toward dis- going to get there, exactly, or what I about how to rearrange the scenes in

covery: “I start with a destabilizing might find once I arrive.” For example, order to create maximum emotional

condition that places the lead character in his debut novel, The Lines, he knew impact on the reader.”

under duress and then pursue the sto- at the outset that the timeframe of the Midge Raymond, novelist and au-

ry’s inner journey. Following the char- main plot would run approximately thor of the prize-winning short story

acters’ impulses, I make discoveries as

they do.”

Interestingly, however, when writ-

ing crime fiction, he becomes more GRANT TRACEY:

of a plantser. He still believes in let- “Don’t just chase the action
ting the characters evolve on their narrative. Track down the inner
own, without an outline on hand, yet

he does see the need to impose some journey. Live in it. Breathe in what TRACEY: MITCHELL D. STRAUSS

structure – namely, author Syd Field’s your protagonist breathes.”

three-act structure for screenwriting.

“There have to be two turning points

that spin the lead character off in new

22 MARCH 2022

collection Forgetting English, always the cast of characters, the themes, a short MIDGE RAYMOND:
begins as a plotter. With her journal- summary, a long summary, some struc-
ism background, she tends to pose ture concepts, maybe even some scene “If you’re a plotter,
questions like “what’s the opening line ideas. On occasion, a character might try letting go of your
or scene, what’s the point, who’s my end up veering off-script, but that is rare outline and seeing
audience, etc.” Yet, says Raymond, “as and short-lived.” For her, being a plotter where it takes you –
with journalism, you’re never quite sure is a lot more efficient because once she’s if you give yourself the
where the story’s going to take you once completed her planning, “the novel es- time and space for a
you begin researching – and this is true sentially writes itself.” total abandonment
of fiction as well.” of all plans, it can be
BEING A PANTSER WORKS FOR SOME so much fun, even if
Even though she knew how her de- it turns out to be only
but novel, My Last Continent, would writers – at some stages of the process an exercise in the end.
end, the rest of it was a surprise. “De- and with some forms or genres. What And if you’re a pantser,
spite all my meticulous planning and are some upsides and downsides of this try outlining a story
outlining, the finished book wasn’t method? How do seasoned writers rate or chapter and see if
even close to my outline,” she says. this discovery method? you find that it makes
you more effective or
During the drafting process, she Though she’s a committed plotter, efficient or focused in
became a pantser, following her in- Copenhaver can see why some writers
tuition, which resulted in substantial are pantsers – due to the “blistering your storytelling.”
changes from her pre-planned novel: “I efficiency of it.” However your story
changed points of view, added and de- turns out, you’ve come up with some- focusing on plot and instead getting
leted characters, and changed the struc- thing, “all without spending weeks into your characters, into their “inner
ture almost entirely. But I’m so glad I or months planning,” and, she says, story.” In his forthcoming novel Neon
did the outlining because that helped “that’s appealing.” Kiss, he knew who the killer was “from
get me get started, and it gave me some the outset,” but as he drafted this mys-
direction – otherwise, I might still be What are some other specific tery novel, the “reasons for the killing
staring at a blank page!” benefits? changed,” and, as a result, “a different

Yet the pantser route, at whatever One is the element of surprise. Ac-
stage or in whatever genre, doesn’t work cording to Varallo, “if you don’t plot
for some writers. As a beginning writer, your novel in advance, your novel will
A.E. Copenhaver, author of My Days be more open to surprise as you draft it.
of Dark Green Euphoria, found this As the saying goes, ‘No surprise for the
method unproductive. For her, it led to writer means no surprise for the reader.’”
“a hundred thousand words of amor-
phous writing” with “no coherence or The payoff comes in characterization,
cohesion.” With so little to show for with the ability “to discover more about
her three years’ effort, she “dramatically your characters, with greater insight and
switched” from pantser to plotter. psychological depth, than if you tried to
make them conform to the plot in the
She’s now a “strict plotter.” If she has a early drafts.” The pantser method “al-
novel idea in mind, she drafts a “propos- lows your characters ‘the open destiny of
al” – for her eyes only – instead of jump- life,’ as Grace Paley might say.”
ing right into the writing itself. “I explain
what I hope the novel will accomplish, Along the same lines, for Trac-
ey, being a pantser helps you avoid

RAYMOND: JOHN YUNKER

WRITERMAG.COM 23

ANTHONY VARALLO:

“In my experience, the best approach is to blend both styles, plotter
and pantser. Be open to plotting in advance and equally open to
letting the next sentence lead you where it may.”

truth emerged: a story of abuse, a ahead of time. I wouldn’t trade that According to Kamali, “while the
brother’s obsessive control and domi- high for the world.” highs are high when you’re having a
nation of his younger sister.” The pant- great writing day and discovering the
ser approach helped him turn out a But, as with most things in creative story, the lows of being stuck and not
novel he hadn’t originally imagined – writing, which is a complex art, you knowing how to move the story forward
and, as he sees it, a better one. need to consider potential downsides. can be pretty demoralizing at times.”
We’ve seen some plusses. What about
If being a pantser can help with minuses? Raymond adds that “pantsing can
character interiority, it can also be an be difficult for writers on deadline –
adventure, says Raymond. “The fun One is a plotless novel, says Varallo. all that pressure!” If she has a revision
thing,” she says, is “letting the charac- If you begin the work without a plan, deadline, she turns to plotting in order
ters go where they want, letting the sto- your characters will very likely “spin to see “what needs to be accomplished.”
ry take wild and unexpected turns, dis- their wheels at times,” which will lead She says being a pantser is similar to
covering an entire backstory you didn’t to a novel without the “necessary en- being in a maze, where you can lose
know was there.” In her story “Lost ergy to keep a reader engaged.” Keep all sense of direction: “You start out
Art,” from Forgetting English, she had this in mind, he says: “If you prefer to in one direction, hit a dead end, and
“no idea” where this story was headed make it up as you go along, your revi- then backtrack or try another route.”
until she began drafting it. “I began sion skills need to be top-notch. You Although “this is part of the discovery
with nothing more than an image from might bang out a first draft of a novel process and leads to so many good rev-
an art show I’d seen in Sydney, Austra- in a matter of weeks or months – but elations and insights,” it’s got a definite
lia – a tiny, intriguing sculpture cap- you will likely need to spend a year re- downside if a deadline is near.
tured my attention, and I couldn’t stop vising it.”
thinking about it. It eventually became THERE ARE SEVERAL UPSIDES TO BE-
a story about siblings, addiction, love, As Copenhaver puts it, “pantsing
art, family dysfunction, and travel, can leave you with gobs of words but ing a plotter – emotional ones, for one
among other things.” The adventure, no story,” meaning “you might end up thing. Affective ones, like inspiration.
the real fun, says Raymond, was “learn- having to do some planning but after If nothing else, says Raymond, “plot-
ing how all of these ideas wove togeth- you’ve already written so much and ting helps me get going – it gives me
er and how everything I added to the done so much work.” a starting point, which for many writ-
story connected to the piece of art that ers is the hardest part. I don’t mind if
inspired it.” For Tracey, the problem with pan- things go off track – for me, the idea
tsing is that “you have to live in uncer- of plotting is more important than the
With the panster approach, there’s tainty and be confident that a plot and plotting itself, simply because it jump-
a “particular magic” that you can ex- inner journey will emerge. You trust in starts the story.”
perience, says Kamali, the kind that impulses and instincts. If uncertainty
“is hard to capture if you plan ahead.” makes you uncomfortable, then this
She found this magic when she was isn’t the approach for you.”
writing The Stationery Shop, discover-
ing “twists and turns” that absolutely A.E. COPENHAVER: VARALLO: MIKE LEDFORD; COPENHAVER: ROXANNE ARNOT-COPENHAVER
surprised her. These tended to be emo-
tionally charged moments. “I would “With enough enthusiasm and
literally gasp or cry at my desk as char- organization, planning or plotting
acters died on me or made decisions I your novel can be just as enjoyable
could never have consciously predict- and rewarding as writing it.”
ed. The process was intense, emotion-
al, and healing in a way that it couldn’t
have been had I planned the story out

24 MARCH 2022

KAMALI: DAVID E. LAWRENCE According to Kamali, being a plot- MARJAN KAMALI: then the writing will become overde-
ter surely “makes it easier to face the termined and the character outcomes
blank page because you already have a “Sometimes writers predictable.” Keep these two ideas in
sense of what to tackle.” are afraid of allowing mind, says Tracey: “Inevitable is good.
Predictable is boring.”
Practically speaking, you’ll have a themselves to be
clear direction from the outset, says pantsers because Raymond also agrees. “Plotting
Varallo, “which will save you several they’re worried they’ll becomes a challenge when you try to
steps of drafting to achieve that effect.” ‘waste time’ writing make the story or the characters fit into
Compared to the panster method, he material they won’t what you’ve planned out – if things are
says, it’s like “driving on the interstate use, but any time too carefully outlined, you risk losing
to get to your destination versus taking spent getting to authenticity and spontaneity by forc-
a rural route: you’ll get there quicker on know your characters ing characters or plots to stick with
the highway, although you’ll miss some better is not wasted. your plans.” For the “most meticulous
of the view.” Writing is not an of plotters,” she says, “I’d recommend
efficient process, surrendering to the story and the char-
For Copenhaver, the strengths of nor should it be – acters on occasion.”
plotting “come from doing all the dif- efficiency does not
ficult and tedious thinking ahead of necessarily create According to Kamali, “one weak-
time.” Having plotted a work, she says, ness of being a plotter is that you can
“I never find myself wondering what great art.” commit to a plot that is perhaps not
will happen next, and I rarely ever write best for the characters.” You don’t
stories into a dead end.” A thorough you want lively, multi-dimensional want to back yourself into a corner,
job of plotting pays off, she says: “If I’ve characters who contain contradictory she says. What you plot out might
done all my planning correctly and I’m impulses and drives – they will rebel not be the best you can do. She ad-
finally ready to write, I end up sitting against the plot you’ve got planned for vises against labeling yourself plotter
down at my desk, looking at the outline them.” Be careful, he warns, against or pantser. “I’ve found that refrain-
of the novel, and then just writing what “too much intentionality” – it can “sti- ing from labeling yourself as one or
the outline tells me to write on that fle your novel.” another can help because it gives you
day.” She compares this experience to freedom to alter how you write de-
“having someone telling me what to do, Tracey concurs. Be careful not to pending on the stage of the draft or
which is great for me.” box your characters in, he states. You the particular project.”
have to “remain open to the process
According to Tracey, being a plot- of really listening to your characters Despite her adherence to plotting,
ter “can save an author a great deal of and letting them breathe. In dialogue, Copenhaver can see a downside to it:
wasted energy. You aren’t inventing they might surprise you, say something “planning, or plotting, comes with
constantly to stay alive in the story unexpected. Allow that to occur.” Fur- the risk of over-planning or over-plot-
and see where the action line is head- thermore, he says, “allow yourself to go ting – as in, a writer could spend years
ed.” But beyond that, he says, “in- where you hadn’t intended to go.” Be thinking about a novel instead of writ-
vesting in known plot structures can open to unplanned character devel- ing it. Planning requires intuiting when
be a fun pattern to break and vary.” opments: “If you’re not truly listening you’ve done enough preparation so that
If you’re writing a crime novel, for to the inner lives of your characters, the novel is ready to write itself. And
instance, you can profit from being then you do have to write it!”
aware of the “scaffolding” of successful
crime novelists. Your own creative process

These are the plusses. As with being a If you’re a beginning writer, you might
pantser, there are potential downsides. not have determined your creative pro-
cess yet. You’re still trying to find your
“Trying to plot any novel in ad- way around what you want to say and
vance risks closing the narrative off how to say it. Being a plotter is a ratio-
to possibility,” says Varallo. “After all, nal approach; being a pantser is an in-
once you say what the plot of your tuitive one. Which suits you best? Give
novel will be, you are inherently say- each a try. You might be one or the oth-
ing what the plot will not be, and that er – or both.
can be a problem.” Furthermore, he
says, “it’s unlikely that your charac- Jack Smith is the author of six novels,
ters will ‘agree’ with the plot you’ve four books of nonfiction, and numerous
got planned out for them. If they have
any life in them whatsoever – and reviews, articles, and interviews.

WRITERMAG.COM 25

#BookTok SVETABELAYA/SHUTTERSTOCK

How to win at TikTok –
and reach your readers, too.

By Melissa Hart

26 MARCH 2022

When I first learned about CASEEN GAINES, AUTHOR OF FOOT-

TikTok from my teenager, notes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote
the Rules of the Great White Way, had
I didn’t believe it could do no interest in TikTok despite encour-
agement from his wife to make an ac-
anything for me, or I for count with book promotion in mind.
“I’d seen all of the dances and trends,”
it. I can’t dance to save Gaines says. “And I was like, ‘I want ab-
solutely no part of this.’”
my life, and the social
But then his publisher, Sourcebooks,
media platform – on which offered a webinar on how authors can
engage on the platform. “There is a re-
users post short videos – ally wonderful community of people
on TikTok who use the platform for
seemed to me to be merely information,” he says. “There are lots
of amazing storytellers, and I don’t just
a pleasurable pastime mean authors. People are talking about
politics and their kids, and whatever
replete with pop songs and the case may be.”

enviable hip hop routines. Gaines was so impressed that he
made his first video directly after the
How wrong I was. webinar. Rather than use his account
to post a series of commercials for his
TikTok, which originated in China in 2016, helps spot- books, he decided to offer short videos
light the creative work of an international cast of actors devoted to little-known Black history
and singers, artists and writers, scholars, activists, and, yes, and popular culture. “That’s what I write
dancers. While Gen Z and millennials make up much of its about a lot, and it seemed to work out
user base, plenty of older people use it as well. (See veteran well,” he explains. “My first video [about
actor Mandy Patinkin, @mandypatinktok, twerking to get Black suffragettes, Aug. 18, 2021] had
out the vote in October 2020.) over 3,000 views. Once I got that imme-
diate gratification, I was off to the races.”
#BookTok serves as both a hashtag enabling authors to
promote their work to readers on the platform and a landing Readers invest in authors, Gaines
place for book lovers to meet and get to know one another says, and TikTok has turned out to be an
in a casual atmosphere that feels less formal and less inflam- excellent way to reach people. “When
matory than, say, Twitter. The platform costs nothing to use, you’re talking to a camera for a minute,
and it’s done plenty to launch the literary careers of debut viewers get a sense of your personality.
authors, as well as boosting book sales for established writ- TikTok is personality-driven,” he ex-
ers. Below, three authors share their experiences and plenty plains. “The people who do the best are
of tips so that you can launch your own TikTok channel...no those who are interesting to watch.”
dancing required.
Since he joined the platform, he’s
WRITERMAG.COM noticed a discernible increase in sales,
particularly when he makes a video re-
lated to something he’s written about.
“For example, I did a minute-long Tik-
Tok on a little-known story about how
[the TV show] Pee-wee’s Playhouse led
to director John Singleton casting Lau-
rence Fishburne in Boyz n the Hood,”
he says. “It’s a story that’s also told in
a book I wrote called Inside Pee-wee’s
Playhouse, and when I saw all of these
comments from readers, I was able
to comment back and let them know

27

about the book.” To date, Gaines’ Tik- writing advice based on what she’s TikTok at the end of September 2020.
Tok titled “Boyz n the Playhouse” experienced as a professional author. She posts very short videos with titles
(Aug. 27, 2021) has 196K views. She’s filmed herself talking about including “How to Keep Monogamy
manuscript revision, posted a video in Hot Before You Get a Divorce” and
MIDDLE GRADE AND YOUNG ADULT which she sees her LGBTQIA anthol- “How I Get My Kids to Clean the
ogy for the first time, and offers her House.”
author Claribel Ortega stands in her thoughts on hybrid publishing. Once,
bathroom soberly adjusting the sleeves she documented an intense writing “The cool thing about TikTok is that
of her blue dress shirt while a popular deadline in a month’s worth of videos. it’s not a super-curated feed like you’d
audio clip from the film Mean Girls “I updated my followers every day, find on Instagram. It’s a little scrappier,”
plays in the background. “In girl world,” telling them how much I wrote and Renard says. “TikTok doesn’t have the
the narrator says, “Halloween is the one same filters you’d find on Instagram, so
night a year when a girl can dress like
a total slut, and no other girls can say “I know a lot of writers say that social media
anything about it.” doesn’t make a difference in book sales,
and I super don’t agree with that.
Ortega cuts to shots in which she We’re not powerless as authors.”
places a fuzzy brown wig on her head
and then pastes on a brown beard. what my process was like, and it was everything is a little more raw, a little
A final shot shows her standing in really cool because a lot of people got bit more uncut. You can just show up
front of a Bob Ross painting video on very involved,” she says. how you are and say something inter-
TV, dressed like the iconic artist and esting in a few seconds, and people will
“painting” a landscape canvas mounted TikTok invites fun and playful com- latch onto it.”
around her friend’s head. “I love edit- munity interaction – different from
ing videos and just making funny stuff Twitter, she notes. “Twitter had been Renard spent 23 years as a figure
related to my books,” she says. “Doing a really great place to foster commu- skating coach and choreographer, and
promo can be difficult as an author, nity. But in recent years, I feel like it’s she adores being on camera. She’s cog-
and I feel like you have to be having fun become a lot more contentious,” she nizant of the fact that the most popu-
with the stuff that you’re doing.” explains. “It’s hard to talk on there lar TikTok users grab viewers’ attention
without ruffling feathers, and TikTok in the first few seconds – similar, she
Ortega, the New York Times bestsell- gave me an outlet for talking about my observes, to the most successful figure
ing author of Ghost Squad and Witch- books and my writing in a fun way that skating routines. “From two decades
lings, started making TikTok videos out was a lot less scary.” of coaching adolescents, if you give
of boredom during the COVID-19 pan- me 30 seconds, I can disarm you and
demic. She already loved making videos Her followers include tween and tell you something with a slant that
on Twitter and Instagram. “I know a lot teen readers as well as parents and li- maybe you’ve never heard before, then
of writers say that social media doesn’t brarians and teachers. That last demo- motivate you to take the action that I
make a difference in book sales, and I graphic has embraced TikTok so whole- think would be good for you and may-
super don’t agree with that,” she says. heartedly that at press time, videos with be make you laugh,” she says.
“We’re not powerless as authors.” the hashtag #TeachersOf TikTok had
18.4 billion views. “A lot of teachers Her most popular videos offer
She counts herself lucky to have comment on my videos,” Ortega says. quick, pithy advice about intimate re-
grown up as a digital native; it’s second “Some tell me they’ve just discovered lationships and sex. “My book is about
nature to film herself doing the things my book, or their classes are reading my a failed attempt at non-monogamy,”
she enjoys, she explains. “But book pro- book right now and love it. It’s cool to she says, “and my first TikTok video
motion can feel like an additional job, be able to interact with them.” was about how to keep monogamy
so that’s why I always tried to have as hot.” She’s noticed a definite boost in
much fun as I can because I’m already ASHLEIGH RENARD, AUTHOR OF book sales since she joined the plat-
working so hard on writing,” she says. “I form, dependent on individual vid-
might as well have a good time during Swing: A Memoir of Doing It All, joined eos. “When I make a video that gets
the few moments in which I have some
sort of control in publishing.”

TikTok has allowed Ortega to con-
nect with younger readers, as well as
with teens and adults who read kidlit.
She often uses the platform to give

28 MARCH 2022

a lot of views and is shared a lot, that video manually so that viewers can than a minute, that requires – at least
bumps my sales numbers – including watch it without sound. for me – quite a bit of reshooting and
my ranking on Amazon – more than editing. I always want to put more in-
anything,” she says. Ortega also posts on TikTok sever- formation in, and I have to remind
al times a week. It takes her about 20 myself that it’s social media, and it’s
Renard compares the platform to minutes to film and edit a short video, meant to sort of be edutainment. It’s
a great house party. “When some- unless she’s staging a more involved just a little morsel.”
one finds your video, they go over to piece, as in the day that Barnes & No-
your corner of TikTok, and they poke ble declared Ghost Squad a Book of the One of the tips he gleaned from his
around and ask, ‘What’s this person Month, and she and a friend filmed a publisher’s webinar is that the TikTok
about? I like this person.’ And when humorous multi-scene video on loca- algorithm prefers videos between 30
they click your link in bio and visit your tion (Oct. 5, 2021). to 60 seconds. “Three-minute videos
website, they feel like you’re already are all well and good, but they don’t
friends. They say something like, ‘Oh, She tells writers to study what other necessarily help you to get in front of
yeah, I definitely want to get Ashley’s authors are doing and then post consis- more eyeballs,” he says. “As a writer, I’m
book. She’s like the cool new person I tently, interacting with people on the used to having a word count, and so it’s
just met at that house party.’” platform once or twice a week. “Don’t part of the exercise, in a sense. I should
try to be something that you’re not, and be able to give you something of value
RENARD ASSURES WRITERS THAT don’t try to be too salesy on there. Just in 60 seconds or less. That, to me, feels
have fun with it,” she says. “And tap into like a good challenge.”
they don’t need to be trained perform- your strengths. You don’t have to do a
ers to connect with people through vid- dance. If you’re good at cooking, do a Gaines uses carefully chosen hashtags
eo. Nor do they need a sexy topic. “If video series where you cook something like #BlackHistory and #PopCulture,
you can make a friend on an airplane, inspired by a book or a scene in your and – of course – #BookTok. He also
if you can make a connection with a book. Just be yourself.” suggests paying attention to trends on
stranger at a writers’ conference, you the platform. “Sometimes, there are cer-
can connect and find your audience on Gaines says it takes him up to three tain songs that are really popular, and if
TikTok,” she explains. “The platform hours to record and edit his Tik- a user clicks the song, they’ll see all of
doesn’t care if you’re popular. All they Tok videos. “Sometimes I try to be the videos that use the same music,” he
care about is if you made something very topical. Other times, I’m more explains. When he used Lukas Graham’s
that was entertaining.” free-flowing, but that also requires trending song Mama Said as the back-
a little bit of research,” he explains. ground music for a September 2021
She likens TikTok videos to writing “When you’re trying to teach some- slideshow of photos showcasing Black
flash nonfiction. “Every single word thing in an entertaining way in less Broadway performers in the 1920s, his
matters,” she says. “If you want people video received 2,360 likes and 40 com-
to watch all the way through, you have The Power of ments, many of which were thank-you
to give them this tiny little narrative arc notes to Gaines for his educational and
and drop them exactly where you want #BookTok inspiring video.
them at the end of a 30-second vid-
eo. Every step of the way, give people Think TikTok isn’t worth STILL AS SKEPTICAL OF TIKTOK AS I
something unexpected, something they your time? Think again.
didn’t know they wanted.” Videos from authors and used to be? Gaines suggests just trying
reader/reviewers alike – the platform out; after all, he notes, you
She makes a video almost daily, especially when they’re can always delete your video. “If you’re
and the process takes her about 15 tagged #BookTok – have a storyteller, this really is your medi-
minutes. She records multiple camera catapulted authors onto um,” he says. “Give it a go, and I think
angles in the natural light that streams bestseller lists for both you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how
into her home office on afternoons. new titles and backlisted welcoming people can be.”
“When the camera changes from an- work. The site has also
gle to angle, it triggers something in provide crucial to reaching Melissa Hart is the author, most
the brain to keep you interested,” she younger readers. Book- recently, of Better with Books: 500
says. “My first sentence is always the stores have taken note, Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy
title that appears in my cover image. too – Barnes & Noble and Encourage Self-Acceptance in
People think, ‘Oh, I want to know features regular displays of Tweens and Teens. Follow her on
more about that,’ and click on the books trending on TikTok.
video.” She captions each scene in her TikTok @melissamhart.

WRITERMAG.COM 29

A brand-
new

Read the ending SPRINTER81/SHUTTERSTOCK
grand-prize
winner of our MARCH 2022
annual essay
contest.

By Virginia DeLuca

30

Sexy. Whenever I think of Perry and how it was, I
think sexy. The thought makes me smile. A buoyant
inner smile, almost smug. Falling in love at 47 and
marrying at 52 is both miraculous and terrifying.

But, then, falling in love is always on who I became while with him. Sen- broiled chicken, both relishing and
miraculous and terrifying. In your 50s, sual. Adventurous. Brave. feeling virtuous in our healthful sim-
it just comes with an end date built-in. plicity. Occasionally, we ate popcorn
When we first met, Perry was tan for dinner as we read books by the fire.
Oh, some people claim that 50 is from playing tennis. Dark forearms and
the new 30 and all that. But, for me, neck. He had pale blue eyes with deep We took care of each other, incon-
when Perry and I married, I was keenly laugh lines. Barrel chested with thighs sequential things: me, placing a water
aware that one of us was going to have like tree trunks, he was 5-foot-10 to my glass on his bedside table; him, refilling
to usher the other out. Maybe not for 5-foot-5. We fit well together. my coffee as I wrote in the morning.
another 30 years or so, knock on wood,
but Perry’s parents both died in their Perry taught English as a Second We touched each other often, like
early 60s. I’d buried many loved ones Language in New Hampshire. Kids in shorthand. I’m here. I’m here.
already. I just wanted it to be Perry their early teens arrived from all parts
ushering me out. of the world speaking no English. Perry FOURTEEN YEARS ALMOST TO THE
exuded calm. Complemented by kind
I should have remembered: Be care- eyes, his smile said everything will be OK. day we met, Perry sits across from me
ful what you wish for. on the couch as he delivers my morning
I was a psychotherapist, and, like coffee. He leans forward as if he’s about
Before meeting Perry, I’d go about Perry, I was skilled at soothing people to say something, but instead, he sinks
my day, striding between work meet- in crisis, helping them recognize they back and remains silent. “What’s up?”
ings and appointments, feeling dumpy. had the strength to deal with whatever I invite.
In flats with knee-length skirts and suit life hurled at them.
jackets, I felt…well, old. After meeting He breathes in. “I want a divorce;
Perry, I strode in those same flat shoes Over the years, Perry and I devel- I’m not attracted to you anymore; I
with my soft belly, my fleshy hips, and oped an easy rhythm. Our routines want children of my own.” His words
my upper arms jiggling, and I felt, well… were not uncommon. We spent entire whoosh out, as though he’s practiced
sexy. Even my brown curls bounced. weekend afternoons exploring the lo- them and must speak fast, afraid he’ll
cal library and drinking coffee at our forget one.
Of course, nothing about my body local café, Breaking New Grounds.
had changed, but I felt altogether dif- We walked the beaches of Maine and “What?” Dread, immediate and
ferent. The openness of our desire, the sketched the rocks at low tide. We physical, lands in my solar plexus. My
undeniable fact of it, was a gift. I wasn’t cooked together, nothing fancy. We mind skitters, like a rock skimmed over
just enamored with Perry; I was hooked ate copious amounts of broccoli and tranquil water. I can’t make sense of his

WRITERMAG.COM 31

sounds. It’s as though he’s speaking in “Could he have a urinary tract in- and hold your hand over the rough
a foreign language. I wonder if this is fection? Old people get psychotic patches. They feed you soup and tell
how his students feel – shocked by the from them.” (This, from a younger you it will be OK. You’ll be OK.
words coming at them too quickly. friend, who thought of 60 as elderly.
I forgave her.) Everyone’s dragged into Grief-
He continues to talk. I catch snip- land at some point, but no one enters
pets: just realized…last chance... He’s “He’s an asshole,” Ricky, my best willingly.
babbling. friend, tells me.
By the time we’re in our 60s, most of
When faced with disaster, I become But Perry was never an asshole. us have spent time in Grief-land.
hyper-focused, with excellent diction. He’s the most gentle, caring man I’ve
In times of crisis, I exhibit supernatural ever known. I have. So, I trust that the sunny
composure. I’m the person you want place over the rise is truly there and all I
around when a kid cracks his head SIXT Y IS THE AGE OF LEAVING THE have to do is keep walking.
on the radiator and blood spurts ev-
erywhere. It’s the skill of dissociation, house and returning for the car keys, But I haven’t even entered Grief-
learned early in childhood, and, if em- the age of have you seen my glasses? The land yet. I’m in some anteroom, I name
ployed judiciously, very handy. age of sudden, unwanted diagnoses. Howl-land. A long wail of repeated
Who leaves a marriage at this point? questions. What did I miss? What did
“Is there a mother for these chil- Accepting old age is considered sinful. I do wrong?
dren?” I ask, reaching for my coffee as We exercise, eat organic, and pretend
if this is a casual conversation. we can make youth last. I’d imagined us As we move through the divorce,
together till the end, laughing and com- as he waffles about coming back, as his
“No,” he says. “But I want to be free miserating as we handled the shifts and narrative shifts, I reconstruct my un-
to pursue someone.” tweaks aging requires. derstanding of our past and unearth a
revised future.
I grip my mug, feeling light-headed. Some, hoping to postpone death,
Is Perry leaving after 14 years to topple their lives. There are names for When I stomp around, bitter about
make babies? this group: gray divorce, silver split- the raw deal he dealt, anger and defeat
This can’t be. He’s 60 years old. ters. Heartbreak hurtles me back into own me. When I face how life is a wild
“Can I grab a few things?” he asks. shaky adolescence – not the youth I ride – and appreciate the love in my
“I just…need some stuff…for the ho- want to revisit. life, then and now – I grow expansive
tel.” He looks visibly relieved there isn’t and walk straight.
more of a scene. During one sloppy call, both of us
Five minutes later, he walks out with weeping over what a wonderful life Starting with small actions, I build
his gym duffle. we’d had together, I ask him in desper- back my life. Nothing earth-shatter-
I begin calling everyone I know. ation, “Why can’t you try to get what ing. Planting daisies. Going out with
“Perry asked for a divorce because you want here? With me?” friends. Finishing my novel. Getting a
he wants babies,” I announce. “I’m so promotion at work. Hunting dinosaurs
disoriented,” I repeat this over and over. “You can’t give me babies.” with grandchildren.
I thought I was someone who could No, that I can’t do.
read people, who understood peo- Grief-land is its own territory. It’s When my youngest son gets en-
ple. I’m a goddamn therapist. Just two lonely and filled with steep, treacher- gaged, he asks, “So, Mom, do you still
weeks ago, we celebrated our 14 years ous, rocky paths and lots of mosqui- believe in love and marriage?”
together. We held hands on the beach, toes. It rains often.
laughing as the frigid water caught There are no caves to crawl into and I want to take my time here. Each per-
our feet, talking about our future. Just get dry. There’s no place to sleep. One son we love takes a little piece of us and
yesterday morning, he suggested we must keep trudging and trudging. Oc- then they’re careless, forget to look both
change our cable package so we could casionally, one meets another person in ways, drink too much, climb mountain
watch the Red Sox this summer. this land, but often they’re not in the cliffs, or are otherwise negligent.
“Maybe he has a brain tumor,” says mood to talk. Our heads face down,
one friend. watching our feet, plodding. People die. They fall out of love.
“He’s having an affair,” announces Because, over there, just over the They leave.
another. next rise, or possibly the next, it’s sun-
“Clearly, it’s a nervous breakdown.” ny with cool breezes that blow away the We grieve.
“He already knocked someone up,” mosquitoes. There are hot boulders to The only way to avoid this pain is to
one decides. lean against for warmth. People smile avoid love. That is too hard a way to live.
“Yes,” I say. “I do. It didn’t work
out for me, but I still think getting to
know a person till the end of days is a
superb endeavor.” I pause and then say,
“Love, alone, isn’t enough. You need
to be fearless.”

32 MARCH 2022

Loss is such a constant, and yet such Interview: Virginia DeLuca
a mammoth concern. We protect against
it. We put in smoke detectors and immu- What was your writing When I hesitate to write,
nize our children. We try to be careful process like for this when I avoid writing and
with money and don’t curse out our boss. essay? What was your clean the kitchen or make
revision process like? extremely urgent appoint-
So, when loss comes anyway, as it With any writing I do, I ments to have my teeth
will, we blame. We judge. Why weren’t borrow from Anne Lam- cleaned, it is because I’m
you more careful? Why did you walk ott’s Bird by Bird and title afraid. I’m afraid what I
alone at night? Why didn’t you recog- my initial attempt “shitty have to say is irrelevant
nize he was flawed? first draft.” This allows and self-indulgent. It’s
me to grapple with half- important to write through
These judgments aren’t evil. They’re formed thoughts and frees that fear. Being honest and
our hope that if we do all things right, me from that inner critic. telling stories through any
we’ll be immune to devastating loss. This essay was revised a art form means connection.
lot. I couldn’t begin to say And connecting with others
As time passes, people begin to ask if how many drafts. Eventu- is most important.
I’m seeing anyone – dating. ally, to end the tinkering,
I set a deadline and gave What’s your best advice
I understand the motivation. It’s it to my first readers. My for fellow essayists and
some version of getting back on the wish for every writer is to memoirists?
horse. A satisfying conclusion to this have a few trusted peo- Be fearless. Believe your
saga of lost love involves me meeting ple who will give honest stories have value and are
another love. It isn’t a terrible notion. feedback without being worth telling. Don’t hesitate
discouraging. to join writing classes and
Friends and family would relax. find your group of trust-
They’d stop worrying and cease imagin- What’s the most important ed readers who can both
ing bleak, long, empty evenings for me. thing you’ve learned about encourage and be honest
writing? about early drafts.
Probably the only people who don’t
care if I am in a relationship or not are has begun. At 66, his hair, like mine, is “Do you remember,” I ask, “while we
my grandchildren. I appreciate this. mostly gray. He appears tired. It’s near- were married, I told you the next book
ing the end of the school year, and I’m I intended to write was about the gifts
Because a funny thing happened sure he is exhausted. of later-in-life love?”
during my grief over Perry. I discov-
ered I really like living alone. I found He tells me he and his new wife are He nods.
my way back to myself. Of course, it’s expecting twins. Perry will be a first- “I still plan to write that book,” I
difficult to describe being alone and time father at 66. He’ll unquestion- tell him. “Only now it has a different
happy without sounding like I’m trying ably be way too busy to obsess about ending.”
to convince myself that low-fat yogurt old age and dying. I hope he’s bought
tastes as delicious as ice cream. But I good life insurance. Virginia DeLuca is the author of the novel
think there can be a gratifying ending As If Women Mattered and is working
with being in alliance with myself, my “Congratulations,” I say. on a memoir about divorcing in her 60s.
own desires, and the people I cherish. The waiter clears our plates.

I’ve taken to watching couples in
their 60s walking and wishing them
luck. I miss having our shared histo-
ry, our private jokes, the look across a
roomful of people that said, I’ve got you.

What I have instead – what I have
created – is a life of connection with love.
Not a love. Not one person. But a life of
love, nonetheless. So many stories end
with finding the right person; I want to
end with luxuriating in the right me.

Six years after our divorce, I meet
Perry for lunch. We eat lobster rolls,
watching the gulls follow the tugboats
on the river. It’s May, and his tennis tan

WRITERMAG.COM 33

A YEAR’S HILARYANTEDESIGN/SHUTTERSTOCK
WORTH OF

inspiration

Everything has its season – including writing prompts.
No matter if you’re craving more time for personal

reflection in your nonfiction, story-starting launchpads for
your fiction, or professional organization in your writing
life, this seasonal-driven selection of exercises will keep

your creative wells filled all year long.

34 MARCH 2022

second? Then ask: What SEASONAL READS
would you like to accom-
plish and when? What tools In the Midst of Winter
and resources would help by Isabel Allende
you hit your targets? What The Snow Child
steps can you take in winter by Eowyn Ivey
that will set you up for suc-
cess all year long?

Winter 2. The start of a new year is
a good time to establish any
“Winter is a season of new boundaries you need
recovery and preparation.” to enforce, whether they’re
with clients, editors, or fami-
—PAUL THEROUX ly members. Are you chang-
ing your professional policies
PERSONAL what does it mean to you or expected response times? out a documentary or pod-
now? Write about a particu- Is now finally the time to es- cast series that will inform
1. Write about a memory larly memorable Valentine’s tablish how much you abhor your work. Make a list of un-
that epitomizes cozy for you. Day you experienced; alter- phone calls instead of emails answered questions in your
What makes this memory natively, write about your (or vice versa)? Do you need current writing project and
feel so warm and snug? What relationship (or lack there- to claim more uninterrupted identify the sources that will
concrete details can you add of ) with the controversial no-matter-what writing time help you resolve them.
to make the scene feel lushly holiday. for yourself ? Tell the people
atmospheric on the page? in your writing life what you JUMP-STARTS
5. What metaphorical need to thrive – remember,
2. The dark and cold of win- stores do you find running they’ll never know unless 1. Snow isn’t just pretty to
ter can make it a hated season low this time of year? Do you tell them. look at: It can be a powerful
for many. If winter is some- you notice a lack of inspira- fuel for a plot engine, too.
thing you tolerate instead of tion, motivation, ambition, 3. New year, new author Imagine a character who
celebrate, what makes it pass or cheer? Which tanks start website – or at least a newly wants something desper-
easier for you? What helps to feel depleted as the dark refreshed one. Update the ately, but a sudden snow-
spring come a little more days drag on? Making note copyright year, add any storm throws a wrench in
quickly? If you were giving of them now, in the dead of new clips, re-evaluate your their plans. Are they head-
advice to someone endur- winter, will help you better rates, post any upcoming ed to accept a stunning,
ing their first winter in your prepare for next year when professional events and career-changing award,
climate, what insights would autumn rolls around. appearances, and make sure and a blizzard cancels their
you offer them? everything’s in good work- flight? Is a trip to Labor
ing order for the year ahead. and Delivery periled by an
3. What is your favorite win- PROFESSIONAL unexpected whiteout? Is
ter activity? How would you 4. You hate it. We know.
describe it to someone who 1. Take some time in the But don’t let those unpaid
had never encountered it first quarter of the year to invoices from 2021 languish
before? How could you de- sort out your goals for 2022. for too long in the new year;
scribe the joy it brings you? How would you like to or- now’s the time to follow up
ganize the year’s intentions on them.
4. What did Valentine’s Day and deadlines: By month,
mean to you as a child, and by season, by first half and 5. The peace of post-holiday
winter offers ideal condi-
tions for research deep dives
that demand quiet and
focus. Go ahead, check out
that nonfiction book you’ve
been meaning to read. Pore
over historical archives. Seek

WRITERMAG.COM 35

your protagonist suddenly snowbound Spring
with their worst enemy? The choice is
yours – just make sure the stakes feel “In the spring I have counted
high and crystal-clear to both reader one hundred and thirty-six
and characters. kinds of weather inside of four

2. Imagine someone who cannot abide and twenty hours.”
the cold being forced to journey to the
iciest of climates. What is their reac- —MARK TWAIN
tion to the weather? How does it feel?
How does the temperature inform their PERSONAL wearing? What conversa-
actions? How can you describe the tions did you have? What
sensation of cold for someone who is 1. What specific sensory was the prevailing emotion
unfamiliar or uncomfortable with it? detail outside your window of the day?
tells you that spring has
3. Alternatively, imagine a tradi- arrived? Is it the first wave of 3. April showers may bring
tionally frigid landscape enduring a bright green grass, the smell May flowers, but neither can
bizarre hot spell in winter, whether as of budding flowers, the song come without the thaw-
a freak one-time event or a harbinger of the birds returning from ing mud of March. What
of a forever-changed climate. How winter? Write about the sen- metaphorical mud do you
does this change affect its residents? sations that tell you spring need to slog through in your
How do they cope? What changes are has arrived as well as their writing life to reach spring
in store for this community? impact on your emotions. this year? What needs to
be treated and tilled so new
4. Humans have recently developed 2. Write about a partic- creative life can grow?
the ability to hibernate. The mechanics ularly memorable spring
of this discovery – the seasons that can holiday, whether it’s Easter, 4. After a long season of
be skipped, the reasoning behind it, Passover, Nowruz, Mother’s stark white and brittle
the consequences of hibernation – are Day, etc. What about this brown, many of us hunger
up to you. How does this discovery af- day stands out in your mem- for any sign of green in the
fect your character and the world they ories now? Can you recall window. If you had to pick
inhabit? Does your character decide to what the weather was like, a favorite, which would you
take advantage of it? Why or why not? what you ate, what you were say is your favorite shade of

5. The Super Bowl may dominate MARCH 2022
wintertime sports sections, but it's far
from the only athletic pursuit to be
enjoyed in the colder months. Write
about a character who participates in
a lesser-known wintertime sport, be it
luge, bobsledding, biathlon, or speed
skating. Why do they feel drawn to this
sport? What does it mean to them?
What challenges must they overcome
to achieve their athletic dreams?

36

A YEAR’S WORTH OF inspiration

spring green? Is it the yel- SEASONAL READS readily available. What turn your attention to your
low-green color of tiny buds has you frantically pag- physical ones. Wait until
on the trees, the vivid shade Spring Snow ing through your emails the first sunny day where
of just-blanched asparagus, by Yukio Mishima or credit card statements? it’s warm enough to open
the rich emerald of clover? Where can you keep better all the windows and then
How would you describe Plant Dreaming Deep records for 2022? Mak- clean your favorite writing
that green and what it by May Sarton ing note of these trouble and reading spaces while
represents to someone who spots now will help prevent enjoying the fresh spring
had never experienced it? The Great Spring: Writing, future struggles. Consider air. Fill your lungs with the
Write a poem or a piece of Zen, and This Zigzag Life recording what you did in crisp breeze of a new season
flash nonfiction dedicated order this season to serve as and free yourself from all
to this particular shade of by Natalie Goldberg a step-by-step instruction the clutter you’ve accumu-
spring green. manual to soften the learn- lated over the long, dark
ing curve for next time. winter. (We know you’ve
5. For many, the end of done a lot of organization
winter marks the return 2. After you file, take a small already this season, but
of baseball, often fondly moment to celebrate – and trust us and do your declut-
called America’s Favorite then create templates for tering in spring – this isn’t
Pastime. Do you think the your 2022 finances based on a task you’ll want to do in
phrase still accurately suits the documents you used for the dead of winter or the
the sport today? If so, de- your 2021 filing. Taking the wilting heat of July.)
fend your case; if not, pen time now will prevent the
an argument for what you last-minute scramble next 5. Spring marks the start of
think could more accurately year. writing conference sea-
be called America’s Favorite son – have you filled your
Pastime in 2022. 3. The post-tax season is the calendar with events yet?
perfect time to straighten Many of the gatherings
PROFESSIONAL out your hard drive. Comb this season will proba-
through your documents bly be hybrid or virtual
1. Hear the collective and organize them. Create events, so don’t sweat it too
groan of new freelancers a naming convention for much if you haven’t start-
everywhere? That’s right – your drafts and files if you ed researching them until
it’s tax season. Take deep don’t have one yet. Clean up now. Start with events
breaths, stay hydrated, and that chaotic desktop. Empty near you and in your state,
don’t wait until the last your trash can. And for then branch out to specif-
minute (even if you pay heaven’s sake, name all those ic nationwide events with
quarterly). This year, pay untitled folders already. an emphasis in your genre.
careful attention to what Check your local universi-
information you don’t have 4. Your digital spaces are ties for festivals or read-
in order. Now it’s time to ings, too.

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.”

—PABLO NERUDA

WRITERMAG.COM 37

JUMP-STARTS Summer

1. This is the time of year when bees “Summer has a flavor like
emerge from their hives, eager to find no other. Always fresh and
pollen and replenish depleted rations.
If you were to imagine a colony of simmered in sunshine.”
humans inspired by a beehive, what
would it look like? Who would live —OPRAH WINFREY
there? What would be at stake for
these characters? What would threaten PERSONAL remained constant? What
its existence? has changed? What do you
1. Are you the type to miss, and what newfound
2. A protagonist witnesses their neigh- make “Summer Bucket sensations do you treasure?
bor growing – or burying – something Lists,” highlighting all the
highly unusual in their garden. What things you hope to achieve 3. Many summers can be
is it? And, more importantly, what is and experience this sum- defined by the one song that
your character going to do about it? mer? Consider making one seems to be on constant
especially for your creative repeat; more recent examples
3. Alternatively, imagine your protag- life. Do you want to take include 2021’s “good 4 u”
onist has become determined to plant more pictures, cook more by Olivia Rodrigo or 2012’s
something seemingly impossible to (or cook less), practice “Call Me Maybe” by Carly
grow. What obstacles stand in their freewriting each day, go on Rae Jepsen, while TLC’s
way, and do they ultimately succeed in a retreat, spend more time “Waterfalls” dominated Bill-
their goal? in nature? How can your board charts in 1995, just as
creativity best flourish in Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”
4. Graduation ceremonies are rife this warmest and brightest did in 1982. Make a playlist
with pomp, circumstance, and plenty season? What does it need of the top-charting songs of
of high-stakes emotion. Imagine an to thrive? the summer during a critical
argument that takes place at one such period in your life. Where do
ceremony. What sparks the conflict? 2. Make a list of 13 senso- you remember hearing these
What does each party want? How ry details – smells, sounds, songs most often? What
will it be resolved? (For extra credit, etc. – you associated with memories do they evoke?
write the same argument scene from your childhood summers;
another character’s viewpoint after compare them to details you 4. Let’s play a summer
you’ve finished.) experience in the summers edition of “I remember.”
you enjoy today. What has Grab a pen and start a
5. Spring is a season of new begin-
nings. Take a character from a story MARCH 2022
you’ve been working on and imagine
they’re offered a fresh start from what-
ever’s been holding them back – but
it comes at a cost. Would they accept
the offer? How can you best render
their internal conflict on the page for
the reader?

38

A YEAR’S WORTH OF inspiration

blank piece of paper with landscape when it’s time to SEASONAL READS need, mark your calendar
the sentence “I remember query.) Make a reading list and make it happen.
one summer…” and see in order of priority at the Dandelion Wine
what comes to mind. If you beginning of the summer by Ray Bradbury 4. If an organized start-
need more specificity, try and chip away at these titles of-summer writing sprint
“I remember one summer all season long at the pool, Salvage the Bones sounds more up your alley,
vacation…” or “I’ll never in your sunny hammock, or by Jesmyn Ward consider participating in
forget one particular sum- out on the balcony with an Jami Attenberg’s popular
mer because…” iced coffee. Beach Read #1000wordsofsummer series,
by Emily Henry where participants write
1,000 words each day for
5. Write about your most 2. One of the best things a two weeks. Stay in the know
memorable summer ro- writer can do for other au- at 1000wordsofsummer.
mance. But don’t limit your- thors? Leave reviews! Even substack.com (and subscribe
self to notions of traditional the briefest of reviews post- to Attenberg’s excellent Craft
“love:” Your most memora- ed on Amazon, Goodreads, Talk newsletter while you’re
ble summer fling may not or other sites can do a world there).
have been with a person at of good for your fellow
all but rather with a comic wordsmiths. It’s easy to fire 5. While the rest of the
book series, a sport, a writ- off a few starred reviews Northern Hemisphere has
ing genre, etc. Be creative from your lounge chair, beaches and barbecues on
in your definition of “ro- making this a great work- the brain, savvy freelanc-
mance” and write about the from-backyard activity. ers know it’s time to start
strongest infatuation that dreaming of snowballs
comes to mind. 3. ‘Tis the season to take and sugarplums – at least
a writing retreat, whether for outlets with long lead
PROFESSIONAL it’s organized by others or a times. Start honing your
do-it-yourself affair. Make holiday pitches now in the
1. If ever there was a perfect a mood board of what hopes of landing a festive
time to catch up on your your ideal writing-fueled byline – and paycheck –
TBR pile, it’s summer. Take weekend would look like. come the end of the year.
stock of the books that Are you in the woods, by
have come out recently in the water, in a metropoli- JUMP-STARTS
your genre. (Even if you’re tan hotel? Are your meals
unpublished as of yet, it’s provided, or does cooking 1. Take inspiration from
still important to keep stock spark your creativity? How “The Year Without a Sum-
of recent publishing suc- can you create the opti- mer” of 1816, when (due to
cesses in your field – you’ll mal conditions for a burst a massive volcanic eruption
need to be familiar with this of writing productivity? at Indonesia’s Mount Tam-
When you know what you bora) the Northern Hemi-
sphere experienced highly
“In summer, the song sings itself.” unusual cold temperatures
that ultimately led to an
—WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS agricultural crisis. Either
write from the perspective
WRITERMAG.COM of someone in 1816 expe-
riencing the strange phe-
nomenon or imagine a “year
without a summer” set in
the near future. How does
the weather impact your

39

world’s inhabitants? How do they cope Fall
and change as a result?
“Of all the seasons, autumn
2. Your character has been planning offers the most to man and
an epic summer road trip for months – requires the least of him.”
only to have it go horribly, terribly awry
at the last minute. What’s gone wrong? —HAL BORLAND
How does this impact your character?
What will they do about it? PERSONAL or external – can be fertile
fields for essay ideas.
3. There’s a reason why so many ro- 1. What was the back-to-
mance books have other people’s wed- school season like for you 3. It’s harvest season, when
dings at their core: Weddings are rife as a child? Was it a source we retire our gardens and
with drama, expectations, high stakes, of dread or anticipation? preserve their riches as best
and an abundance of strong emotions. What emotions did you we can for winter. Imagine
Your character is about to attend a feel during this time? How the fall is your own creative
summer wedding they aren’t looking would you describe this harvest season. What can
forward to. What does this event mean time of year to someone you do now to prepare for
for your character? Why are they expe- who goes to school year- winter? What stores did you
riencing dread? How do you think the round? Do you feel any find depleted last winter?
eventual wedding will (or won’t) change echoes of the back-to-school What habits, systems, or
your protagonist and their expectations? season in your adult life? mindsets can you build now
and reap rewards from later?
4. Summer jobs offer many teens and 2. Autumn is a season of dra-
young adults their first taste of em- matic change: While spring 4. Write about your most
ployment. Write about a conflict that seems like a slow, creeping memorable costume – Hal-
occurs at a character’s first summer job. battle with winter, it can of- loween or otherwise. Where
What’s at stake for your protagonist? ten feel like summer changes did it come from? How was
How will the dispute ultimately be drastically to fall overnight. it chosen? How did you feel
resolved, and how will your character Take the time now to reflect when you wore it?
change as a result? on the changes you’ve under-
gone this year. Which have 5. For many of us, fall marks
5. Choose one of the following summer- been positive or negative? a return to our kitchens,
time settings and let a story grow from How have you shifted or filling our homes with smells
there, taking care to capture the time and transformed this year? Any of apples, pumpkins, and
place fully and richly on the page: of these changes – internal warm spices. What flavors

a. A beach at high noon MARCH 2022
b. An amusement park in the future
c. An ice-cream parlor just before

closing
d. A struggling modern drive-in mov-

ie theater
e. A swimming pool in the 1960s
f. A kitchen sometime before the

year 1915

40

A YEAR’S WORTH OF inspiration

signify fall to you (versus the SEASONAL READS planning to participate in story with a member of the
flavors of spring, summer, National Novel Writing undead as your protagonist –
and winter)? What foods do Autumn Month (NaNoWriMo), you a ghost, a zombie, a vampire,
you eat to mark the turning by Ali Smith might like to spend Septem- etc. Give us a glimpse of their
of each season? What strong ber and October researching daily, ordinary routine be-
memories do you have at- Cemetery Boys and outlining so you’ll hit fore something happens that
tached to each period of the by Aiden Thomas the page running on Nov. 1. will change them forever.
year? If you were to assign a
signature dish to each season, Still Life
what would it be? by Louise Penny

PROFESSIONAL 4. As people return to their 3. Inspired by Daylight
desks, they’re increasingly Saving Time, write about a
1. Look back at the pro- online – and on social me- world in which time sud-
fessional goals you set for dia. Take a look at your own denly starts moving dif-
yourself at the beginning social presence. Could you ferently. Who first notices
of the year. There’s still a be posting more to promote it? Does time move the
full quarter of a year left to your work, or do you think same way for everyone, or
achieve them if any still feel you should take a step back is it only different for one
untouched or unresolved. from social media to write person or a few individuals?
It’s also a good time to more? Which platforms What are the consequences
pare them down with zero have you grown in the last of this new shift?
self-judgment. With only a year, and which have stag-
few months left in the year, nated? Which spaces seem 4. With much of the nat-
what do you feel is most to provide more return for ural world awash in reds,
important for you to ac- your investments? oranges, and golds, it’s time
complish, and what can be to practice your descriptive
rolled over to next year? 5. Like it or not, much of writing skills. Write a short
the publishing world shuts piece of description that
2. Autumn is a busy, busy down between Dec. 24 and strongly features an autum-
season for publishing, with Jan. 2 – which also means nal tree of your choosing.
authors seemingly releas- the pre-holiday season is Your prose should not
ing books left and right. a chaotic, deadline-filled only describe the tree using
Take note of their launch period. Take the time at the plenty of sensory details but
strategies: What are you end of fall to get any edito- should also evoke an overall
seeing authors do most? rial ducks in a row before mood. The reader should
What seems to be work- the holiday seasons descend. have some small idea of this
ing? What outside-the-box Can you get a jump on any story’s genre, time period,
promotional strategies of your deadlines? Send any location, and the overarch-
caught your eye? admin-related emails before ing mood or emotion that
the crunch time? Deploy will permeate the narrative
3. Many of us prefer a any invoices before the holi- based solely on this one
free-flowing creative sum- day rush begins? piece of description.
mer, but autumn is a perfect
time to reintroduce structure JUMP-STARTS 5. There’s a reason why
to our writing habits before so many mysteries are set
the dark of winter sets in 1. Write a story that begins during the cozy season of
again. Try a daily morning with the following sentence: fall. Take a stab at writing
exercise, sign up for a writing “It was already shaping up your own autumnal story
class, or research writing to be the worst first day of featuring an element of mys-
groups in your area. If you’re school ever.” tery. How will your protago-
nist solve the mystery? What
WRITERMAG.COM 2. In honor of the impend- do they need to solve it?
ing spooky season, write a What’s at stake if the mystery
doesn’t get solved?

41

PUBLISHING

PostscriptRESOURCES

When it comes to getting published, there are many spinning cogs.
Here are some of the resources you’ll need to take your work from
inside your brain to in front of the eyes of readers. The following
listings are a sampling of what the industry has to offer. For a com-
plete guide, visit writermag.com.

THE MONTH AHEAD

March 1 March 3 March 8 March 12

It’s National Women’s History It’s the 25th annual World Book The longlist for the 2022 Jack Kerouac,
Month; why not put in an order Day. Hug a book to celebrate – or Women’s Prize for Fiction is best known for
of books by women writers at a donate some to young readers announced. It’s also National his novel On the
feminist bookshop, such as Café in need at booksforkids.org or Proofreading Day, so send a Road, was born
con Libros in Brooklyn? firstbook.org. (properly spelled) thank you note 100 years ago
cafeconlibrosbooks.indielite.org to your favorite grammarian. on this day.
SOFIAV/SHUTTERSTOCK

42 MARCH 2022

Agents Classifieds

Information in this section is provided to The Writer by the individual markets and READERS: Use caution when entering into any
events; for more information, contact those entities directly. legal contract with a literary service offering
agenting-type assistance or publishers who
F = Fiction N = Nonfiction P = Poetry C = Children’s Y = Young adult charge for publication. If you have any con-
O = Other $ = Offers payment cerns regarding the advertiser’s commitment or
claims, please contact the advertiser directly.
C Y ADAMS LITERARY Contact: The Cooke Agency. ADVERTISERS: We do not accept ads from
Represents children’s and YA authors (647) 788-4010. agents or businesses that charge a reading or
and artists with picture books, middle [email protected] marketing fee. For our private records, please
grade, and YA fiction. Submit via online cookemcdermid.com provide us with a street address and contact
submission form only. telephone number. The Writer reserves the
Contact: Adams Literary, 7845 Colony F N DON CONGDON ASSOCIATES right to reject or cancel any advertising which
Road, C4 #215, Charlotte, NC 28226. Represents authors of fiction and nonfic- at its discretion is deemed objectionable, mis-
704-542-1440. tion. Check website for individual agents’ leading, or not in the best interest of the reader.
[email protected] interests. SEND YOUR AD TO: The Writer, Sales Account
adamsliterary.com Contact: Don Congdon Associates, 110 Manager, 35 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite
William St., Suite. 2202, New York, NY 101, Braintree, MA 02184 or call (617) 706-
F N Y ANDY ROSS AGENCY 10038. 9089. Email: [email protected]. Major
Narrative nonfiction, current events, 212-645-1229. credit cards accepted.
history, journalism, science, literary and [email protected]
commercial fiction, and YA fiction. Submit doncongdon.com CONFERENCES
via email.
Contact: Andy Ross Agency, 767 Santa F N DOUG GRAD LITERARY AGENCY CONTESTS
Ray Ave., Oakland, CA 94610. Represents fiction and narrative nonfic-
[email protected] tion. Query via email before submitting. Call for entries: 2022 Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction.
andyrossagency.com Contact: Doug Grad Literary Agency. $2,500 awarded to author of winning story, plus pub-
718-788-6067. lication in Fall 2022 issue of Colorado Review. Dead-
F N BETSY AMSTER LITERARY [email protected] line is March 14, 2022. $15 entry fee. Send SASE or
ENTERPRISES dgliterary.com visit website for complete guidelines. Nelligan Prize,
Literary, upscale commercial and Colorado Review, 9105 Campus Delivery, Colorado
women’s fiction, voice-driven myster- F N EMILIE STEWART State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-9105.
ies, narrative nonfiction, travelogues, LITERARY AGENCY https://nelliganprize.colostate.edu
memoirs, social issues and trends, Specializes in literary and commercial
psychology, self-help, pop culture, fiction and nonfiction. Query by email EDITING/CRITIQUING
women’s issues, history, biography, only.
lifestyle, careers, health, parenting, Contact: Emilie Stewart Literary Agency. Unlock the potential of your manuscript!
cooking, gardening, and gift books. 646-559-2702. Want to write a good book? I can help.
Submit online only. [email protected]
Contact: Betsy Amster Literary Enterpris- emiliestewartagency.com Helga Schier, PhD.
es, 607 Foothill Blvd. #1061, La Canada Publishing executive,
Flintridge, CA 91012. F N Y THE FRIEDRICH AGENCY published author and
[email protected] Representing writers in the categories of experienced editor offers
amsterlit.com literary and commercial fiction for adults powerful, comprehensive
and young adults, as well as narrative and effective editorial
F N B.J. ROBBINS LITERARY AGENCY nonfiction and memoir. Submit via email services.
Literary and commercial fiction and gen- only. No attachments. “When Helga entered the picture, my manuscript
eral nonfiction, with a particular inter- Contact: The Friedrich Agency. went from promising to a published and critically
est in memoir, biography, history, pop [email protected], acclaimed book.”
culture, sports, travel, African-American, [email protected],
science, and health. [email protected], – Ed Driscoll, award-winning comedian and writer
Contact: B.J. Robbins Literary Agency. [email protected] withpenandpaper.com 310.828.8421
818-760-6602. friedrichagency.com
[email protected] [email protected]
bjrobbinsliterary.com F N C Y HG LITERARY
Represents authors of fiction, nonfic- CONTINUED →
F N Y COOKE MCDERMID LITERARY tion, and all levels of children’s and YA
MANAGEMENT literature. No romance, science fiction,
Represents literary fiction, commercial religious fiction, or screenplays. Check
fiction (thrillers, horror, and upmarket website for agents’ interests. Email sub-
women’s fiction), research- and narra- missions only.
tive-driven nonfiction, and middle grade Contact: HG Literary.
and YA books. Email query only. No Emails for agents on website.
attachments. hsgagency.com

WRITERMAG.COM

Classifieds F N HORNFISCHER LITERARY Prefers email submissions.
Contact: Sarah Jane Freymann Literary
EDITING/CRITIQUING MANAGEMENT Agency.
Specializes in serious and commercial 212-362-9277.
PROFESSIONAL EDITOR, Award-winning Author nonfiction and select fiction. [email protected]
(Bantam, Berkley/Ace, others) offers extensive Contact: Hornfischer Literary sarahjanefreymann.com
critiques, respectful in-depth editing. Fiction, Management.
non-fiction, juvenile/YA. Carol Gaskin 941-377-7640. [email protected] F N TALBOT FORTUNE AGENCY
Email: [email protected] or website: hornfischerlit.com
www.EditorialAlchemy.com Represents authors of romance, wom-
F N Y IGLA en’s fiction, thrillers, mysteries, literary
RETREATS Commercial and literary fiction, topical fiction, and narrative nonfiction, including
nonfiction, and middle grade and YA fic- history, immersive journalism, and cur-
GET AWAY TO WRITE - FLORIDA. March 8-13, 2022. tion. No screenplays or children’s picture rent events. No children’s books, West-
Escape the cold to write in Florida. Spend an inspiring books. See website for agents’ interests erns, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, or
week working on your memoir with Peter E. Murphy and email addresses. Email queries only. screenplays. Submit queries by email
or poetry with Emari DiGiorgio. Enjoy plentiful writing Contact: Irene Goodman Literary Agency, with the first five pages of manuscript.
time, insightful feedback, homemade meals and time 27 West 24th St., Suite 804, New York, No attachments.
to relax. Learn more and register: www.stockton.edu/ NY 10010. Contact: Talbot Fortune Agency, 180 E.
murphywriting Email via website. Prospect Ave. #188, Mamaroneck, NY
irenegoodman.com 10543.
WRITING RESOURCES [email protected]
F N Y JANE ROTROSEN AGENCY talbotfortuneagency.com
It’s possible to learn to be funnier. Seeks commercial fiction and YA. Also
Visit www.ThinkingFunny.com humor-writing resources, considers memoirs and narrative and C WENDY SCHMALZ AGENCY
workshops, free contests. [email protected] prescriptive nonfiction. Submit via email;
no attachments. Represents authors of children’s fiction
1 Contact: Jane Rotrosen Agency, Attn: and nonfiction; no picture books. Email
Submissions, 318 East 51st St., New queries only.
BUT WAIT, York, NY 10022. 212-593-4330. Contact: Wendy Schmalz Agency. 402
THERE’S [email protected] Union St. #831, Hudson, NY 12534.
janerotrosen.com [email protected]
MORE schmalzagency.com

For bonus articles, contest F N MCCORMICK LITERARY C Y WERNICK & PRATT AGENCY
alerts, writing prompts,
Represents authors of literary and com- Represents authors and illustrators of
& industry news, subscribe mercial fiction and nonfiction, including children’s fiction and nonfiction books,
to our free newsletter! memoir, history, narrative, biography, life- picture books, novelty books, early read-
style, sports, self-help, and pop culture. ers, middle grade, and YA. Submissions
Bit.ly/thewriternl Contact: McCormick Literary, 150 West via email only.
28th St., Suite 903, New York, NY 10001. Contact: Wernick & Pratt Agency.
212-691-9726. [email protected]
[email protected] wernickpratt.com
mccormickwilliams.com
F N WILLIAM CLARK ASSOCIATES
F N C PHILIP G. SPITZER LITERARY
Represents authors of literary fiction,
AGENCY narrative nonfiction, and translations.
Submit queries using online submission
Specializes in literary and juvenile fiction, form. No screenplays.
mystery, thriller and suspense, biography, Contact: William Clark Associates, 54
sports, politics, and African-American. West 21st St., Suite 809, New York, New
Contact: Philip G. Spitzer Literary Agen- York 10010.
cy, 50 Talmage Farm Ln., East Hampton, 212-675-2784.
NY 11937. Email from website.
[email protected] wmclark.com
spitzeragency.com

F N Y SARAH JANE FREYMANN F N C Y WRITERS HOUSE

LITERARY AGENCY Literary and commercial fiction, women’s
fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, narrative nonfiction,
Seeking nonfiction: world and nation- history, memoir, biography, psychology,
al affairs, business, humor, sports, science, parenting, cookbooks, how-to,
spiritual, psychology, self-help, wom- self-help, business, finance, YA, and
en/men’s issues, books by health picture books.
experts, cookbooks, narrative non-fic- Contact: Writers House, 120 Broadway,
tion, natural science, nature, memoir, 22nd floor, New York, NY 10271.
cutting-edge journalism, travel, multi- 212-685-2400.
cultural issues, parenting, and lifestyle. See website for agents’ emails.
Also seeks sophisticated mainstream writershouse.com
and literary fiction and edgy YA fiction.

MARCH 2022

Contests

O AURAND HARRIS MEMORIAL PLAY- Entry Fee: $99 for most entries. [email protected]
WRITING AWARD Prizes: First-place winners receive a prize wilkes.edu
Seeks new, unpublished, and unpro- package and marketing package, 15
duced full-length plays for young audienc- grand prize genre winners recognized, F SATURDAY EVENING POST GREAT
es. Open to all playwrights. Only submit one overall grand prize winner receives AMERICAN FICTION CONTEST
one manuscript per year. Submit by email $1,000. Grand prize winners announced In its nearly two centuries of existence,
only. at Chanticleer Awards Gala. The Saturday Evening Post has published
Deadline: May 1. Contact: Chanticleer Book Reviews, short fiction by a who’s who of American
Prizes: First place $1,000, second $500. 1050 Larrabee Ave., Suite 104 #334, authors – ultimately helping to define
Contact: The New England Theatre Con- Bellingham, WA, 98225. what it means to be an American. Submit
ference, Inc., Aurand Harris Playwriting [email protected] any genre of fiction between 1,500 and
Award. chantireviews.com 5,000 words. All stories must be previ-
[email protected] ously unpublished. Electronic submis-
netconline.org F N IMPRESS PRIZE FOR NEW WRITERS sions only.
Looking to discover and publish new writ- Deadline: July 1.
F BRISTOL SHORT STORY PRIZE ing talent. Entries are assessed by the Entry Fee: $10.
International short story competition Impress team and produce a shortlist Prizes: Winning story will be published
open to all writers over the age of 16. from which a panel chooses the winner. in the January/February 2023 edition of
Maximum 4,000 words. Stories can be The panel is comprised of representa- The Saturday Evening Post, and the au-
on any theme or subject and are wel- tives from the publishing industry and thor will receive $1,000. Five runners-up
come in any style, including graphic, the writing community. will each receive $200 and will also have
verse, or genre-based. Enter via online Deadline: Aug. 31. their stories published online.
form or regular mail. Entry fee: £25. Contact: Editorial, The Saturday Evening
Deadline: April 30. Prizes: Winner gets a publishing contract Post, 3520 Guion Rd., Indianapolis, IN
Entry Fee: £9 per story. and book published in paperback and eB- 46222.
Prizes: First place: £1,000; Second ook forms. Runners-up also considered 317-634-1100.
place: £500; Third place: £250. 17 for publishing potential. [email protected]
shortlisted writers will receive £100. All Contact: Impress Books Limited. saturdayeveningpost.com/
winners will be published in the an- [email protected] fiction-contest
thology and will receive two paperback impress-books.co.uk/impress-prize
copies. F N TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID
Contact: Bristol Short Story Prize, Unit F JAMES JONES FIRST NOVEL FICTION & ESSAY CONTEST
5.16, Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 FELLOWSHIP Enter any original short story, essay, or
3EH, UK. Awarded annually to an American author other work of prose up to 6,000 words.
[email protected] of a first novel-in-progress. Submit via Submit through website.
bristolprize.co.uk online submission form. Submit a two- Deadline: April 30.
page (maximum) outline and the first 50 Entry Fee: $20 per entry.
F C Y CHANTICLEER BOOK pages. Prizes: $3,000 award in each category.
REVIEWS AWARDS Deadline: March 15. Ten honorable mentions (any category)
Fifteen genre writing competitions for Entry Fee: $30 hardcopy; $33 online. will receive gift certificates from Duo-
books featuring contemporary stories, ro- Prizes: $10,000 first place, $1,000 for trope. All winners published online.
mance, middle grade, historical, paranor- runner-up. Contact: Winning Writers, 351 Pleasant
mal, fantasy, and other themes. Books Contact: James Jones First Novel Fel- St., PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060.
may be published, unpublished, indie, or lowship, c/o MA/MFA in Creative Writing, Adam Cohen, President.
traditional. Wilkes University, 84 W. South St., Wil- [email protected]
Deadline: Varies depending on award. kes-Barre, PA 18766. winningwriters.com

THE MONTH AHEAD

GOURAUD STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK; SOFIAV/SHUTTERSTOCK March 14 March 17 March 23-26

It’s National Write Down Your Story Want a St. Patrick’s-themed It’s time for #AWP22, aka the
Day! Use #WriteYourStoryDay to writing prompt? Describe a day Association of Writers & Writing
share your work with others on in the life of a regular, ordinary, Programs’ massive annual
social media. run-of-the-mill leprechaun. conference. Several events will be
live-streamed or pre-recorded if
you can’t make it to the in-person
event in Philadelphia. awpwriter.
org/awp_conference

WRITERMAG.COM 45

Publishers

QUICK F N P C FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX with an emphasis on body, mind, and
QUERYING TIPS Publishes a wide variety of fiction and spirit, including magic, wicca, pagan-
nonfiction, plus poetry and children’s ism, witchcraft, ghost hunting, spirit
1. Querying is often a long, books. Unsolicited material accepted via guides, tarot card decks, tarot books,
long road for many writers. regular mail only. reincarnation, astrology, alternative
It’s an exciting time, but it Contact: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 120 health, angels, and more.
can also be an exhausting Broadway, New York, NY 10271. Contact: Llewellyn Worldwide, Acquisi-
one. It’s important to man- 212-741-6900. tions Department, 2143 Wooddale Dr.,
age your expectations be- fsgbooks.com Woodbury, MN 55125.
fore diving in: This process 651-291-1970.
will probably not be quick or N O HARVARD COMMON PRESS [email protected]
easy, but what professional Specializes in cookbooks and parenting/ llewellyn.com
journey is? childcare books. Submit proposals by
regular mail or email. Check website for N NEW WORLD LIBRARY
2. To avoid burnout – and genre email addresses. Focused on nonfiction books about
to better tailor your query Contact: The Harvard Common Press, spirituality, personal growth, women’s
to its recipient – it’s a good Attn: Submissions, 100 Cummings Cen- interest, religion, sustainable business,
idea not to fire off as many ter, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915. the human-animal relationship, Native
queries as humanly possible 978-282-9590. American interest, and the environment.
in one weekend. Feel free to quartoknows.com/Harvard-Common-Press No children’s books submissions. Prefers
work in batches, but em- email submissions.
brace strategic, small-batch F N KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP Contact: New World Library, 14 Pamaron
sessions instead of mas- Publishes a wide variety of genre fiction Way, Novato, CA 94949.
sive ones. Going slowly will and nonfiction under various imprints. No 415-884-2100.
also help you avoid making children’s, YA, poetry, science fiction, or [email protected]
messy mistakes, too. fantasy. Check website for specific editor newworldlibrary.com
interests and email addresses. Submit
3. It’s OK to stop and re- query only (no manuscripts) by email. N C SASQUATCH BOOKS
group at any point. If you’ve Check website for genre email addresses. Publishes regional books covering the
garnered many rejections, Contact: Kensington Publishing Corp., West Coast of the U.S. only, mostly non-
it may be worth asking a 119 W. 40th St., New York, NY 10018. fiction titles focusing on food and wine,
professional to take a look 800-221-2647. travel, and gardening. Publishes some
at your sample pages, kensingtonbooks.com children’s titles. Currently revising submis-
proposal, or query letter. sion guidelines; check website for details.
It’s hard to see where we’re N KENT STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS Contact: The Editors, Sasquatch Books,
being vague or unclear Publishes in the following areas: Ohio 1904 Third Ave., Suite 710, Seattle, WA
when we’re so close to our and the surrounding region, sports, 98101.
manuscripts – a third party history (Civil War, abolitionism, military, 206-467-4300.
can help you identify any true crime), and literary studies (Hem- sasquatchbooks.com
potential missteps along ingway, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and
the road. the Inklings). N SQUARE ONE PUBLISHERS
Contact: The Kent State University Adult nonfiction books on alternative
4. Querying can some- Press, 1118 University Library, P.O. Box health, collectibles, cooking, gambling,
times feel like a race to 5190, Kent, OH 44242. health, how to, parenting, personal fi-
get published. But if your 330-672-7913. nance, postcards, self-help, and writing.
material isn’t particularly [email protected] Submit via regular mail only.
time-sensitive, don’t give kentstateuniversitypress.com Contact: Acquisitions Editor, Square One
in to self-imposed pres- Publishers, Inc., 115 Herricks Rd., Gar-
sure, especially when you N LLEWELLYN den City Park, NY 11040.
see other authors’ book Publishes practical nonfiction books squareonepublishers.com
deals popping up on your
social media feeds. Your Self-Publishers
manuscript does not have
an expiration date. Neither 48 HOUR BOOKS 800-231-0521.
does your career. Throw Offers quick publishing turnaround [email protected]
out the yardstick you’re time: 48 hours for production of per- 48hrbooks.com
using to compare yourself fect-bound books, five days for hardcov-
to others – remember, er and coil-bound books. Includes free INSPIRING VOICES
you have no idea how long book templates. Offers editorial, design, production, mar-
they spent on the querying Contact: 48 Hour Books, 2249 14th St. keting, and bookselling services for au-
road, either. SW, Akron, OH 44314. thors with an inspirational or faith-based

46 MARCH 2022

story or topic. Book formats include print- available on mobile phones and eReaders. [email protected]
on-demand options for hardcover and Contact: Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. sleepytownpress.com
paperback books as well as eBooks and Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134.
books for children. 888-672-6657. STONESONG
Contact: Inspiring Voices. [email protected] Offers traditional or eBook publishing
833-262-8899. outskirtspress.com with line editing, fact checking, proof-
Email via online form. reading, illustration, image research,
inspiringvoices.com SLEEPYTOWN PRESS indexing, design, and typesetting. Print-
Publisher of children’s books, adult, YA, on-demand available.
OUTSKIRTS PRESS poetry, memoirs, devotionals, cook- Contact: Stonesong, 270 W. 39th St.
Offers several publishing packages plus books, and more. Offers text formatting #201, New York, NY 10018.
writing services, copy editing, color illustra- and cover design. Books are also format- 212-929-4600.
tion, ghostwriting, and marketing guidance. ted for Amazon Kindle. [email protected]
Also provides an option for making books Contact: Sleepytown Press. stonesong.com

Magazines

PERFORMING ARTS Contact: Kitty March, Opera News, 70 coverage, social movement pieces, for-
N $ AMERICAN THEATRE Lincoln Center Plaza, 6th Floor, New eign policy pieces, interviews, activism,
Covers trends and events in all types York, NY 10023. and poetry. No editorials or satire.
of theater, as well as economic and [email protected] Contact: The Progressive, 931 E. Main
legislative developments affecting the operanews.com Street, Suite 10, Madison, WI 53703.
arts, with a particular focus on profes- 608-257-4626.
sional, not-for-profit theater. Mail or SOCIAL JUSTICE/EQUALITY [email protected]
email query. N $ BRIARPATCH progressive.org
Contact: Rob Weinert-Kendt, Editor-in- Publishes on a wide range of topics: cur-
Chief, American Theatre, 520 8th Ave., rent events, grassroots activism, elec- TRADE/TECHNICAL
24th Floor, New York, NY 10018. toral politics, economic justice, ecology, N $ DIGITAL ENGINEERING
212-609-5900 ext. 370. labor, food security, gender equality, Magazine for design engineers who
[email protected] indigenous struggles, international soli- purchase or use computer hardware
americantheatre.org darity, and other issues of political impor- and software for the design-for-man-
tance. See website for editorial schedule ufacture industry. Publishes tutorials,
N O $ DRAMATICS deadlines and guidelines. Submit query application stories, product reviews, and
Monthly magazine for high school theater by email. commentary.
students and teachers with practical Contact: Briarpatch Magazine, 2138 Contact: Kenneth Wong, senior editor,
articles about acting, directing, design, McIntyre St., Regina, SK S4P 2R7, Desktop Engineering, 50 Speen St.,
production, and career-oriented profiles Canada. Suite 302, Framingham MA 01701.
of working theater professionals. Also 866-431-5777. 508-663-1500.
publishes one-act and full-length plays. [email protected] [email protected]
Plays should be performable in high briarpatchmagazine.com digitalengineering247.com
schools.
Contact: Dramatics Magazine. Submit N $ IN THESE TIMES N $ FIREHOUSE
ideas through form on website. Publishes articles that fit the maga- Published for firefighters. Covers specific
dramatics.org zine’s mission of advancing democracy incidents, innovations, controversies,
and economic justice, promoting social and trends affecting the fire-service in-
N $ EMMY movements, and discussing politics dustry. Also publishes photo stories.
Bimonthly television industry magazine and culture. Submit query using online Contact: Firehouse Magazine. Email us-
for TV professionals and enthusiasts. Of- form. See website for department ing online form.
ficial publication of the Academy of Televi- guidelines. firehouse.com
sion Arts & Sciences. No highly technical Contact: In These Times.
articles or academic/fan-magazine type [email protected] N $ YOUR WORKPLACE
articles. Best section for newcomers is inthesetimes.com Canadian publication about workplace
“Labors of Love,” the 500-word, front-of- health. Looking for articles about the
the-book profiles of TV people. F N $ LEARNING FOR JUSTICE experience of work life in Canada and
Contact: Editor, Emmy, 5220 Lankershim A publication of the Southern Poverty abroad. Topics include best practic-
Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. Law Center. Publishes features related to es, case studies, profound thoughts,
emmys.com/emmymag anti-bias education, diversity, multicultur- experiences “in the trenches,” lessons
alism, and social justice topics. learned, and new ways of thinking. Email
N $ OPERA NEWS Contact: Teaching Tolerance. submissions preferred.
Publishes articles of interest for the [email protected] Contact: Your Workplace, 245 Menten
opera professional and the opera buff. learningforjustice.org Place #301, Ottawa, ON, K2H9E8.
No fiction, poetry, or personal remem- 613-549-1222.
brances. Submit query or manuscript and N P $ THE PROGRESSIVE Email from website.
published writing samples via email. Seeks investigative reporting, electoral yourworkplace.ca

WRITERMAG.COM 47

Gigi There are a lot of things that
have to happen in order for your
Will Know
book to get any pre-orders.
Have a query about craft?
Need some clarification on Dear Gigi,
an aspect of the publishing The last book in my series will go live soon, so for the past few weeks,
industry? Looking for career I’ve promoted it at $.99 for pre-order with fabulous graphics in my
advice? Email your queries newsletter, on Facebook and Twitter, on my large writers’ group, and in
to [email protected] my personal email group…but with disappointing results. The informa-
with the subject line “Advice tion has gone out to hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, but I only have
Column.” We can’t wait to read eight pre-orders. In your opinion, are launches and pre-orders worth the
your questions! time, effort, and expense?
48
—BAFFLED BONNIE

Dear Bonnie, the people who are signed up to your ILLUSTRATION BY YI SHUN LAI
Hey, remember that thing people actual newsletter. These folks, she said,
are likely the ones who are “waiting for
used to say about party planning? Invite the next book – period. That’s why the
all you want, but only assume 30% of best success should come from an au-
the folks will say yes? That’s what I was thor’s newsletter subscribers, who are
thinking about when I read your details, presumably the interested ones here. The
so in general, I think you’re probably in newsletter needs to mention the pre-or-
about the right place. The sales funnel is der and/or launch a few times at least.” (I
never very turnkey: folks have to see the assume you did this, rather than depend-
Facebook post on their feed or check the ing on a one-off note.)
page, or they have to see your tweet as it
goes zipping by like one of my deadlines. She went on to note that Facebook
For your newsletter, your recipients have and Twitter aren’t likely to have much ef-
to see it in their mailboxes first – and it fect, with one other caveat: If you really
might even end up in that “Promotions” sense that you should have more pre-or-
file that Gmail has set up for everyone ders (social media has been known to
now. Then the folks who get your news- sell a few copies here and there, after all),
letter have to be in a mood to open it, then you should take a hard look at your
click the link, and pre-order your book. graphics. You mentioned you’re happy
(Clicking that link to spend money is with them, but Friedman suggested that
pretty hard, too. That’s not a judgment you engage in some A/B split testing,
on you or your work, it’s just a fact.) and I agree with her. (That’s where you
test out one graphic or creative treat-
There are a lot of things that have ment with one part of your mailing list
to happen in order for your book to and another style with the other part of
get any pre-orders. But you specifically your list.) This can be a really valuable
addressed numbers, so I asked another way to see what’s working and what isn’t
expert, just to cover our bases. with your readership.

Jane Friedman, an absolute goldmine I like the whole launch and pre-or-
of information in the self-publishing der exercise, by the way. It gives us a
book world, said, “You can calculate an good ego boost to see folks liking our
expected number of pre-orders based on posts – and even if it doesn’t result in
earlier sales figures as well as the size of a sales, writers get good practice talking
writer’s platform (primarily the number about their work. Win-win.
of newsletter subscribers in this case).”
What she’s saying is that the only num- Promote on,
bers you can really depend on here are —Gigi

MARCH 2022