Published inThe Writing Cooperative·PinnedMember-only8 Important Lessons for Aspiring WritersWhat I wished I knew at the beginning of my writing career — I started writing fiction for fun. But after a few years, I decided to take it seriously. This meant becoming an avid reader in my preferred genres, and learning from all the writing books I could. …Learning7 min readLearning7 min read
PinnedMember-onlyCelebrating 1K Followers on MediumA thank you and retrospective of my favorite articles — Before I started writing on Medium, I’d mostly written fiction and had gotten burned out from trying to get my stories published. So I didn’t have any big expectations when I signed up on Medium in mid-January of 2021 with the hope of making a little extra income. …Followers4 min readFollowers4 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·PinnedMember-onlyWhy You Shouldn’t Write What You Know6 reasons to ignore the common advice: write what you know — We’ve all heard the advice: write what you know. It’s a great starting point and acknowledges how everyone has a unique perspective to offer given their interests and life experiences. However, this advice can be self-limiting. If followed as a rule, we’d rehash what’s been written before. And if taken…Knowledge6 min readKnowledge6 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·PinnedMember-onlyWhy You Shouldn’t Participate in NaNoWriMoWriting 1,667 words a day for 30 days doesn’t work for everyone — You want to write a novel, but haven’t gotten around to it for months or perhaps years. You might’ve heard about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The goal is to spend the month of November writing a novel, amounting to 1,667 words a day for a total of 50,000 words…Writing6 min readWriting6 min read
Published inThe Book Cafe·PinnedMember-onlyMy Most Anticipated Reads for Fall 20235 new fiction books to check out this fall season — Summer isn’t over yet, but fall is around the corner. I don’t usually keep up to date with new releases thanks to an endless TBR pile on my Goodreads. However, I occasionally keep any eye out for upcoming books, especially horror ones from my favorite authors. …Books5 min readBooks5 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Just nowMember-only5 Lessons Learned From Writing AloneThe benefits of writing for yourself — When I started writing, I only wrote for myself and couldn’t imagine sharing my work with anyone. But in order to improve, I needed to connect with other writers. As scary and vulnerable as it was, critique groups were a crucial step in my writing journey. After several years, the…Writers On Writing5 min readWriters On Writing5 min read
Published inThe Book Cafe·Nov 22Member-onlyGrady Hendrix Returns To Form in “How to Sell a Haunted House”A review of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee in horror — Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite horror authors. While I often look forward to his books, his last novel, The Final Girl Support Group felt underwhelming compared to his previous work. Nonetheless, his unique and quirky blend of horror and comedy make for entertaining and compelling reads. After exploring…Book Review4 min readBook Review4 min read
Published inBooks Are Our Superpower·Nov 15Member-only7 Life Lessons From “Missing Witches”Reflections about healing, mental health, and more from Risa Dickens and Amy Torok’s 2021 nonfiction book — While reading books about witches this year, I discovered Missing Witches: Recovering True Histories of Feminist Magic. This collection of essays features the untold stories of influential women along with meditations, perspectives, and practices viewed through an intersectional, feminist, and contemporary lens.Books8 min readBooks8 min read
Published inThe Book Cafe·Nov 13Member-onlyThe Longest Novels I’ve Ever Read8 fiction doorstoppers to consider reading — I prefer shorter books and don’t typically read ones more than 400 pages. After all, the longer the book, the more time you have to invest. And since I generally like to read a variety of titles throughout the year, a 250 to 300 page story is my sweet spot…Books9 min readBooks9 min read
Published inWriting101·Nov 4Member-only5 Prompts To Kick-Start Your MemoirGet ideas and inspiration for your life stories — Your life holds many stories. But if you’re trying to write a memoir, pinning down what to write about can feel daunting when there are so many options. Unlike an autobiography which details one’s entire life, memoirs focus on significant events, usually centered around a theme. If you’re having trouble…Memoir5 min readMemoir5 min read
