Ian McEwan wrote in Atonement that “in a story, you only had to wish, you only had to write it down and could have the world.” The quote has never been truer than in the case of E.P. Tuazon’s story collection. Tuazon turns even the most ordinary scenario into something surreal, if not magical.

Writing short stories offers many advantages to the budding novelist. It can help build your credentials as a fiction writer and establish a readership. For me, there was an unexpected benefit – experimentation that led to publication.

Are you an “information omnivore,” a “library lover,” or a “solid center”? If you love public libraries and technology both, you probably belong to one of those three groups. A study by the Pew Research Internet Project shows that Americans who use technology a lot also go to the libraries often.

What does it take to be a traditionally published author? Twenty years ago, I would have said talent and connections. Today, only one word comes to mind—grit. If your field is as cutthroat as publishing, here are four ways that helped me develop mental toughness, which could be the very thing you need.

Zora Neale Hurston. Harper Lee. Margaret Mitchell. They are three of my favorite novelists from the American South whose books are also set in the South.

If you’re wondering whether to pursue writing, we can go over some of the most common myths about publication to help you make your decision.

Organized political groups are driving the book-censorship movement in America, according to a new report by PEN America. Of the 1,648 titles censored over the 2021-2022 school year, the vast majority feature LGBTQ+ characters (41%) and characters of color (40%).

When it comes to describing the physical qualities of your characters, how much is too much? Elmore Leonard advised writers to “avoid detailed descriptions of characters.” He used Ernest Hemingway’s work as an example. While the minimalist style of Hemingway and Raymond Carver can be very effective, there are many writers whose works show that descriptive writing can be equally powerful.

I’ve always wanted to read Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” for their popularity and critical acclaim. When I finally caught up with my to-be-read list, I read them both at the same time. They taught me three important lessons in writing.

I met Bret Lott, the best-selling author of Jewel, during my first ever fiction-writing workshop. I chose his class because I loved Jewel. Guess who else loved it? Oprah. Lott is the first best-selling author I’ve interacted with.