July 21, 2020
A Simple Guide to Symbolism in Stories
By Jim Dempsey
A Simple Guide to Symbolism in Stories
By Jim Dempsey - Originally published by Writer Unboxed on April 14, 2020
It seems we cannot get enough of pandemics. Dean Koontz’s novel The Eyes of Darkness jumped to number three in Amazon’s charts, with a reported increase in sales of 3,000%. It’s about a virus, a biological weapon, developed by China, called Wuhan-400. Spooky, right? Especially since it…
July 14, 2020
Feeling Off-Kilter? Try Writing Shorter.
By Maggie Smith
I wrote my first short story in a day. Not that I planned it that way. I’d always wanted to try my hand at short fiction so I signed up for a week-long class at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, only to discover this wasn’t a series of lectures where…
July 7, 2020
The Best Writing Advice Ever
by Samantha Hoffman
I found this advice through my writer friend and author-extraordinaire, Karen Karbo, and it contains the best writing advice I think I've ever read. Writing advice, of course, is subjective, depending on what you're looking for at the time; maybe right now you need help with dialogue, or…
June 30, 2020
June 23, 2020
Writing a Book is Hard
By Barbara Linn Probst
Writing a book is hard. So is getting published, and so is achieving success as a writer. If that’s true, then why do we do it—especially now, when life is so overwhelming, distressing, and frightening? Why undertake an activity whose outcome is so uncertain—at a time when uncertainty is everywhere?
…June 18, 2020
Chicago Writers Association: Statement on Racism, Black Lives Matter, and Police Brutality
As an organization which believes in the power of words, we realize we haven’t said enough about the Black Lives Matter movement, racism, police brutality and in support of Black writers in our community and beyond. Within our organizing board, we have received feedback on how we can do better.…
June 16, 2020
Video Interview with NY Times Best Selling Author Elizabeth Wetmore
by Samantha Hoffman
I had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Wetmore, whose debut novel Valentine was recently released to critical acclaim, became an instant New York Times Bestseller and a Jenna Bush Today Show Book Club pick! How the heck does that happen?
I don't know about you but I'm always skeptical…
June 9, 2020
Am I a Failure?
by Carolyn Rahaman
“Mama. I have a question. Four plus six is ten.”
I stare at my four-year-old son for several beats before I say, “That’s right,” and then ask, “Was that a question?”
He trots off. I turn back to my Word document. What was I doing?
Right, I’m doing revisions on…
June 3, 2020
Don’t Let the Virus Get You Down
by Susan Reynolds
Writing as a Spiritual Practice Will Save You
I had lost all impetus to write, allowed myself to fall into a deep and dark cauldron of negativity. Is writing itself worth the effort? How about in a pandemic, when there’s a highly contagious, lethal virus circulating that could kill you…
May 31, 2020
Independent Bookstores Need Our Help
The success of independent bookstores over the past decade is now in peril, due to retail lockdowns. To raise awareness and funds--and because they are shut inside like everyone else--authors are now recording video tours of their personal writing spaces.
