Tag: author

Welcome to the Void

By Ollie Shane

in a year after back to the future three made you scream “give me the future”

Said future gives you more unreal than reality, headlines the type the onion et al could dream of

will we be all right? will we survive the anthropocene/climate chaos

is it any wonder you’ve lost hours falling down rabbit holes?

is it any wonder you come away thinking the end of the world is nigh?

There is a place where the rabbit holes meet, where your pessimism finds a soft spot

it’s called the void, as dark as the darkest night

before or even during the dawn

the void hopes that the more time you spend, the more you find yourself (or the parts you do not want to think of when thinking of Self (and the other))

you’ll learn about yourself

but also the world

you’ll take notes in a nice journal, in pen scrawl

notes from the void coming soon.

About Ollie Shane

Ollie Shane is a poet, undergraduate English major, and the number one tote bag carrier and iced coffee sipper in the Tri-State Area (Delaware and Pennsylvania).He is Autistic and their special interest revolves around literature (currently on 20th century literature (such as W. Somerset Maugham, who they’re doing their thesis on) in conjunction with contemporary poets such as Danez Smith, sam sax, Franny Choi, Terrance Hayes, Mary Alice Daniel and others). Also, he is constantly looking for more poetry and prose recommendations.

On a writerly note, they are the author of the chapbook I Do It So It Feels Like Hell (Bottlecap Press, 2022), and their work has been published in Thirty West’s magazine AfterImages, Poetry As Promised, Palindrome Journal, and elsewhere. They also have a newsletter on Substack called Not Another Newsletter. To see more of their work, check him out on Instagram @aolshane and Chill Subs under olshane17.

Author Interview with Haddessah Anne Brice

We are so excited to meet with one of our wonderful children’s author’s Haddessah Anne Brice, or as we like to call her, Haddie. Her children book, Once Upon A Tower, about a young princess under the thumb of her cruel parents, is available now for purchase! It was artfully illustrated by Emily St. Marie and captures the whimsy and magic of a powerful fairytale that will teach children to gather the strength residing within their young souls and tear down barriers holding them back from their true calling.

Once Upon a Tower With Haddessah Anne Brice Cover

Haddie, thank you for meeting with us today! Can you tell us a little about yourself.

Ummm… I don’t know where to start, and don’t like talking much about myself. But I’ll brag on my friends and Godkids for hours! LoL

What type of material do you usually write?

That depends. I dabble in a lot of things, but mostly I write kid’s books and poetry in various genres.

What does your writing and revision process look like?

If the story isn’t working, I go back to the beginning and work my way through it until I figure out what the characters are trying to say that I missed. This typically happens every few chapters. So by the time I show it to Abby and Brittany, I have literally done everything I can with it and need another set or two of eyes to help me dig deeper into the story.

What is the hardest part about writing, in your opinion?

Getting what’s in my head, onto the page. I have two sayings that I use equally as often. 1. I wish I could run a patch cord from my brain to the computer, so then all I’d have to do is edit. 2. I can’t edit what isn’t on the page. Type ANYTHING!

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

I’ve been a story teller since I could talk and a writer since I learned to read and write. The written word and the images your particular set of word choices creates are my drug. I am addicted to stories.

What advice do you have for new/debut authors?

Read A LOT! Write fanfic and RP as practice for new techniques you want to try out. Don’t hold yourself to a higher standard than you would others. If you would be understanding of someone else’s gaff, be understanding toward yourself for the same gaff.

Do you have any links or resources you’d like to share about writing or for your own materials?

I tell anyone who’s interested in ANY kind of writing, that they need to read “Noble’s Book of Writing Blunders (and how to avoid them)” by William Noble.

I’ve read several books about writing but that one doesn’t read like a textbook and it changed my life (as far as my writing goes).

Do you have a favorite quote from a book?

“I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens!” Danielle De Barbarac ~ Ever After

6 Tips on Being an Author

What exactly is “being” an author? Well, we are all authors, believe it or not. When we write emails, texts, and make grocery lists, we are all authoring words. But, to be an author of a story, now that’s something else entirely. Or is it? We’re going to stop you there and say no. Being an author, simply means you are putting words on the page to say something of meaning, something valuable to your intended audience.

Every author gets into the business for different reasons. Most of us author types do it because we have characters swirling in our minds and want to put them on paper to share with others. Some of us do it because we love to teach and share ideas. And there’s a few who get into it for the money…

Pause for laughter.

So, none of us get into this for the money. And if we did, we are in the WRONG profession. Sure, there are authors who pay the bills with their words. But they are few and far between. Writers are artists. As the saying goes, something about starving artists, am I right?

But seriously, it is important to take your craft seriously.

So, check out S.E. Reed’s 6 Tips on Being an Author for the best ways to take your writing game to the next level.

Write

Okay, yeah, that makes sense. But, seriously. Every day you have to write something. Anything! Just write! You could write a letter. You could write a song. A poem. A short story. Or the first (or last) chapter of a murder mystery! It doesn’t matter, just pick a word count and commit to it for one week. Then another and another. I promise. You’ll find your voice and your style if you just keep writing.

Personally, I write anywhere from 2-10k words every day. Sometimes it’s cringe worthy hot garbage. And sometimes it’s so freaking good it makes me laugh and cry and get goosebumps.

Just write.

Tell People You’re Writing

Yes. Do it. Don’t be scared! I promise, it’s thrilling. Plus, it’s very helpful to start learning how to summarize what you are working on. Look at the back cover of your favorite book. A nice and tidy little summary that gives you a quick visual. It hooks you. Learn to do that.

Plus, once you have fans who are vested they will want to know how your story ends! And no one wants to disappoint the fans.

Read a Book

This might sound counterproductive– to put down the pencil and pick up a book. But, the more you read and understand what kind of books you are drawn to the easier it will be to determine what kind of writer you want to be.

Do you love reading #YAbooks or #Fantasy or #Romance? Or are you into magazines, journals, non-fiction stories about animals? The best writers love the worlds they live in. So what do you love? Not sure, head to the library for some inspiration.

Plus, who doesn’t love the smell of books?

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Every writer is on a different journey. Yours is special. Unique. Just like your writing! Just because I can write 10k words in one session doesn’t mean a damn thing.

You have a story to tell. So tell it!

Learn to block out the noise. Not every debut author is debuting their first book. It might be their tenth try that finally landed the big deal.

Just keep writing.

Find your Purpose

So you have an idea. A theme. A vision. But, you still aren’t really sure where to begin. It can help by developing a high-level view of what you are writing.

For example– let’s say you want to write a fiction story geared towards middle grades readers. Start by writing the back cover. The soundbite. Tell the reader who your main character is, what (mis)adventures he/she/they will go on and a couple of surprises they might find along the way.

From there, you can write the basic outline, you know– the roadmap of your story and how it ends. (When in doubt use the who, what, where, why and when method).

Ask for help

Most people love to give advice. “Writers” are no different! There are all kinds of online communities with aspiring authors, writers, bloggers, journalists, script writers, etc. Find your people. That place you feel safe to ask whatever!

Then ask away! Ask how to transition scenes. Ask about the character arch. Gather up some Beta Readers and find out if they think your heroes are heroic enough. Are your villain’s too scary? Is your work YA or New Adult? Should it be longer, shorter, does chapter five need a punchier twist?

When you ask for help, it makes you a better writer.

And remember… YOU are already a writer.

Cheers!