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advice, short stories, Writing advcie

How to submit to Literary Magazines

This article was originally written and published to Pigeon Review, a literary and art magazine. This article is designed and written for new writers looking for publication, but it’s open to everyone. (My article for artists is on the way!) This article is also focused on fiction-based writing, not articles, book reviews, etc. Finishing a short story is a fantastic moment, one filled with pride … Continue reading How to submit to Literary Magazines

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short stories, Uncategorized

Pigeon Review now open for submissions

Hey everyone! I’m the fiction editor for an online art and writing publication called Pigeon Review. We are now open for submissions! What are we looking for? Well, the full submissions guidelines are here. But, for a little idea, we want writing that flows from place to place. Stories that make us question whether it’s fiction or reality. For art, we love the idea of … Continue reading Pigeon Review now open for submissions

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advice

Is writing a real job?

Writing is a real job! Just a little validation for everyone. If you’re like me, then you’ve heard, “Writing isn’t a real job.” something like two hundred and forty-three times in your life. On a certain level, it’s true. Writing is not often a financially stable way to move through life. However, that isn’t what I mean by writing is a real job. Without disparaging … Continue reading Is writing a real job?

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advice

How to return to writing after a break

Taking a break from writing is easy. Returning to writing afterwards is difficult. Like anything else that requires commitment, patience, and dedication, stepping away from writing can feel like sliding down some unseen totem pole (or up, since the best are at the bottom?). How do you get back into it? Easy. Give yourself a break. A different kind of break. If it’s only been … Continue reading How to return to writing after a break

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advice

Using Movement or Conflict instead of a Plot

Even if you’ve never written a single word, at some point in your life someone has told you how important a plot is to a story. If you have nothing else, you need a plot. For architect writers, the writer that meticulously plots out the story down to the very intricate detail, creating a plot is easy. It’s the first brick in a towering foundation. … Continue reading Using Movement or Conflict instead of a Plot

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advice

Why it’s important to remove the ‘fluff’ writing

As an editor, I often tell my clients to add more to their story. Most of it are the “how” and “why”s of a story. “How did they get from Point A to Point B?” “Why did they go into that room without any reason?” “Why are they spending hundreds of dollars in this scene when in the last scene they lamented having money troubles. … Continue reading Why it’s important to remove the ‘fluff’ writing

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magical realism, Novel

Chapter 2 of We Fall and We Fly [Fantasy/New Adult Novel]

The train’s brakes jerked me awake. I took a second to remind myself of where I was headed. Looking out the window, I remembered. Germany. Checking the map on my phone I saw that we passed into the border half an hour ago. “Huh. Not bad.” I muttered to myself. “Still time to sleep.” Before returning to sleep I looked at the other people around … Continue reading Chapter 2 of We Fall and We Fly [Fantasy/New Adult Novel]

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Novel

Chapter 1 of We Fall and We Fly [A Novel]

When winter came to Paris, it dragged with it a sky full of clouds. Damp chill crawled along streets, eating through thick wool and thin cotton without discrimination. A week ago, snow raced through the skies, turning cars and trees into mysterious masses, a treasure for discovery.  On this particular morning winter sleeps in so the snow melts, the chill slinks away down into the … Continue reading Chapter 1 of We Fall and We Fly [A Novel]

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travel

How can we learn to live in the moment?

While still traveling the world Living in the moment is damn-near impossible. At some point, while growing up, we all forgot how to enjoy the moment we’re in. We start looking forward to the future, start imagining all the ‘what-if’s and ‘what will be’s, and forget to enjoy what we’re doing.  Do you play a sport? Instrument? Video game? Do you cook? Do you have … Continue reading How can we learn to live in the moment?

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short stories

Lost in Thought

James stared out the car window, drawing shapes on the condensation collecting inside. “Doin’ okay there, sport?” his father, in the driver’s seat next to him, asked. He liked to call James “sport” or “pal.” Even “kiddo.” It didn’t matter that James was twenty-seven and had lived alone for the better part of ten years. “Yeah, Dad. Doing okay,” James said, hovering between sarcasm and … Continue reading Lost in Thought

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