Why I Believe Writer’s Block Is a Lie — and 7 Ways to Break Through It for Good
Have you ever told yourself you can’t write? Not “don’t feel like it today,” but something deeper — like the words have actually disappeared, like your creative mind has gone silent and nothing will ever come back. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Every writer hits that wall at some point. The difference is […]
Powerful Personification Examples That Bring Stories to Life
Personification is one of the simplest, yet most powerful tools in writing. It means giving human qualities — like thoughts, emotions, intentions, or even personality — to things that aren’t human. Through it, the non-human world suddenly feels alive: the wind whispers secrets, the sun smiles down, time refuses to wait, and shadows seem to […]
Sweet Spots: An Interview with Kim Magowan
Kim Magowan lives in San Francisco and teaches in the English Department of Mills College at Northeastern University. She is the author of several works of fiction, including the short story collection The Last Day (2026), the co-authored collection Don’t Take This the Wrong Way (2025), How Far I’ve Come (2022), the novel The Light […]
Have a Blessed Day, Sweetheart
“I’m there, God. It’s me, Iris,” I whisper, standing in front of the bedroom mirror like I’m practicing something I don’t fully understand yet. My reflection looks back at me like it knows more than it’s telling. “Iris! If you don’t get your butt downstairs right now, that bus is gonna leave without you!” Grandma’s […]
Writer’s Block: What Causes It and How to Overcome It
Writer’s block can appear at any stage of a writing career. Even experienced authors struggle with it—George R.R. Martin’s long pause on A Song of Ice and Fire is a famous example of how even highly successful writers can get stuck. The important thing to understand is that writer’s block is rarely one single problem. […]
Dancing With Myself: A Conversation with Janine Kovac
Janine Kovac is a former professional ballet dancer who writes about power dynamics and women’s bodies. She is the author of Brain Changer: A Mother’s Guide to Cognitive Science, Spinning: Choreography for Coming Home, and most recently The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir. Her distinctions include fellowships from Hedgebrook, MacDowell, and the San Francisco Foundation/Nomadic […]
Juggling Life and Writing: 9 Practical Tips for Staying Creatively Focused
Balancing writing with everyday life is rarely simple. For most writers, the challenge isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s a lack of uninterrupted time, energy, and mental space to actually write. Between work responsibilities, family obligations, emotional load, and constant digital distractions, creative focus often gets pushed to the margins. Even full-time writers aren’t immune. Writing […]
Choosing Life
A woman stands in front of the bathroom mirror and takes a sharp breath. A thin bead of sweat slides down the curve of her right armpit. The room feels too bright, the lights too close, as if the walls themselves have leaned in to watch. In the mirror, everything doubles: her face, the sink, […]
9 Tips for Writing Dark Stories Responsibly (And Making Hope Feel Earned)
Why do some dark stories feel meaningful, even transformative, while others feel hollow, exploitative, or emotionally draining? And why do some hopeful stories feel deeply moving, while others feel artificial or sentimental? The difference is rarely about how “dark” or “light” a story is. It comes down to whether the story has earned its emotional […]
Historical Notes: An Interview with Martha Conway
Martha Conway’s novel We Meet Apart combines historical fiction with elements of magical realism and is set in Ireland during World War II. Her earlier books include The Underground River, a New York Times Book Editor’s Choice, and Thieving Forest, which won the North American Book Award for Historical Fiction. Her short fiction has appeared […]