The Writer June 2022

I AM A WRITER WHO WILL GO TO great lengths to avoid facing the blank page. I’ll roll up my sleeves to begin a draft and suddenly remember my kitchen needs cleaned, my pantry alphabetized, my sock drawer reorganized. Or I’ll become suddenly, inexplicably obsessed with a research trail that has nothing to do with my current project. Now is the perfect time for a deep dive into theater lighting in the 18th century, my brain informs me. Or: These disturbing 1970s microwave cookbooks won’t read themselves! By the time I’m on my third microwaved lobster recipe, I’ve generally exhausted myself enough to face that the words won’t write themselves, either. I shut the book with a twang of dread in my belly and resume my staring contest with the blank…

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1098021776/unreliable-narrator-bookish-tee-for 1. Unreliable narrator tee This unisex tee from Mile Long TBR Boutique will leave readers guessing as to who’s driving this narrative. Starting at $21.99 in sizes XS to 3XL, etsy.com/shop/milelongtbrboutique https://www.etsy.com/listing/1101674319/ruth-ware-thriller-reader-bookstack 2. Ruth Ware stack The same shop sells this stack of iconic Ruth Ware novels in sticker form, from In a Dark, Dark Wood to The Woman in Cabin 10. $3.99, etsy.com/shop/milelongtbrboutique https://www.etsy.com/listing/1189657410/knife-bookmark 3. Spine-tingling bookmarks Bookmark your latest chiller with handmade bookmarks shaped like knives, horror characters, or vintage keys and locks. $5, etsy.com/shop/BibliobibuliGhoulie http://dearholmes.com/ 4. Dear Holmes mysteries Solve fictional Sherlockian cases in this mailed mystery series, in which amateur sleuths receive clues in the form of mysterious letters that the New York Times praises as “engaging and well-written.” Subscriptions start at $59.99 for three months, dearholmes.com https://www.etsy.com/listing/201743389/mystery-literary-genre-literary-art 5. Mystery art This striking poster offers a minimalist design alongside the definition of the…

WRITING AND PUBLISHING A NONfiction book can be a daunting task – never mind the challenge of finding the perfect audience for your work. Many nonfiction authors have day jobs that have little to do with creative writing or marketing; however, both are crucial skills when you’re trying to get your book into the hands of those readers who will love it the most. Enter the Nonfiction Authors Association (NFAA). Established in 2010 by author and CEO Stephanie Chandler, the organization provides educational resources and community for those who write nonfiction books. Authors longing for smart, upbeat advice delivered in a supportive manner will appreciate the NFAA’s free and paid short webinars, podcasts, handouts, and multiweek courses. The Association also hosts the Nonfiction Book Awards and maintains a roster of NFAA members…

Troublemaker Firestarter: Poetry Send up to five pages of poetry to this biannual poetry chapbook, which specializes in LGBT+ and feminist topics. “Potential poems should be weird and uncomfortable,” editors say. “Don’t worry if you think you won’t fit. Submit anyway!” Send poems by June 1. troublemakerfirestarter.com Archer Publishing: Horror stories and novellas Paging all horror authors: Archer Publishing seeks scary short fiction and novellas for its 2022 anthology, Dark Mirrors. Short stories should be less than 9,000 words, while novellas should be less than 13,000 words. Payment is two hard copies of the anthology and one digital copy of your work. “Imagine this story is going to be read for Halloween,” explain the publishers. “Push boundaries of imagination. Horrify, gall, astonish, provoke.” Submit by June 1. archerpublish.com/call-for-submissions Gold Man Review: Work from West Coast writers Authors…

“AN OPEN LETTER TO WHOEVER KEEPS Hacking My Grandma’s Facebook.” “Fact about Toddlers or Fact About Tornadoes.” “All the Flights are Cancelled, Including the One You’re Currently On.” These are some of the titles you’ll find on the website for Points in Case, a daily digital humor publication founded by editor-in-chief and comedian/producer Court Sullivan. Fellow comedian James Folta is managing editor; together, they publish smart concept writing, entertaining literary humor, funny essays and articles, lists, and humorous one-liners. “We want things that are really, really funny,” Folta says. “That’s our raison d’etre.” Tone, editorial content Save your satirical news stories for The Onion and similar publications. “We’re less interested in quick-twitch, fast-response, newsy, topical stuff,” Folta says. “We want to be a place that runs more evergreen stuff that’s even weirder and funnier.” He…

This month’s The Nightstand picks from Priya A. Desai Getting to know Desi literature Somewhat fantastically, I always thought of the Indian culture as being akin to my own East Asian culture. Something about the way any older woman was an “auntie,” something about the fragrance of the food I thought I knew so well, maybe. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have Indian friends in my life or when I didn’t experience Indian spices and flavors as familiar. I viewed it as so familiar that I never bothered to look at Desi literature as a subject to be studied all on its own – or maybe it’s more accurate to say that I never looked at it as needing to be appreciated on its own. I assumed that the Desi…