Blog Archive
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2020 In Review: Books I Read and Things I Wrote
2020! Yikes! There’s a lot I could say about this year – taking an unexpected gap year due to a pandemic, political turmoil, multiple 1000 piece puzzles that I puzzled over, but “Yikes!” really does sum up most of it, right? And yet, 2020 was still a whole year, which meant that I had the…
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Here’s What Book You Should Read Next Based on Your Favorite Folklore Song
At the end of July, lyrical genius Taylor Swift dropped the ultimate quarantine gift: a new album! If you’ve now memorized every single word to folklore, but you’re in the search for some new words to read (or a Christmas gift for a beloved Swiftie friend), I’ve got you covered: here’s what book you should…
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20 Literary Things To Do in Fall (For Writers And Readers!)
Am I writing this post just so I can make a big list of things that I’m excited for in October? Yes! Why deny it! This year has been an objective train-wreck! I am taking an unexpected gap semester from college! But Autumn never lets us down! I am embracing cozy socks and pumpkin picking…
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How I Name My Characters: Remember That You’re Not Actually the One Naming Them
Hello! Today, I wanted to talk about character names. Literally a couple of weeks ago In my youth, I spent a lot of time of name websites, furiously looking up origins and meanings. A character’s name felt very important, and I wanted to cram as many metaphors and nudges into a couple of syllables as…
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10 of My Favorite Sapphic Reads (+ 10 Books On My Pride Month To-Read-List)
Hello and happy Pride Month! First, I wanted to link to some resources that I’ve been using: Antiracist Reading List by Ibram X. Kendi Black-owned bookstores that are open virtually Upcoming books by Black authors that you can preorder And speaking of Pride Month: Why we owe Pride to Black transgender women I also wanted…
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Books & Looks: April/May Wrap-Up
Hello, everybody! April and May flew by because time isn’t real anymore, so I’m doing a double month round-up. My time in quarantine has resulted in less looks but more books. (Turns out I was definitely not just “dressing for myself” because I’m writing this in a nightgown covered with penguins.) I’ve been reading a…
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Lessons From Costume Design: How Clothing Creates Character
Hello, everyone! My first year of college is officially over, which means I have spent the past two weeks “reflecting on my experience.” (Aka, basking in nostalgia as I weep and scroll through my camera roll.) I was lucky enough to take many incredible classes, but one of my favorites was costume design. I’ve always…
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Resources for Teen Writers: Submissions Masterlist, Online Classes, & More!
Hello, everybody! I hope everyone is doing well – we’re still social-distancing where I live (or at least, we should be…if anyone on the Jersey Shore is reading this, stay home! Do not go to your best friend’s birthday party! They will still be that age, for like, another 364 days! Have a weird Zoom…
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29 Creative Things For Readers & Writers To Do When You Feel Bored
Hello! I’ve been socially-distancing with my family for three weeks now – we’re healthy and safe here, and I hope you and your loved ones are too. The news is scary right now, and reality maybe even scarier than that – if I think about it for too long, I want to curl up crying…
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Books & Looks: March’s Monthly Wrap-Up
At the beginning of March, I thought it might be fun to start doing monthly wrap-ups: what I read, what I wore, what I wrote, and other tidbits from my life. Little did I know what kind of month I’d be recapping. At the beginning of March, I was sitting in my college dorm room,…
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2019 In Review: Reading, Writing, and Going to College
What! A! Year! I started college! Game of Thrones disappointed us all! I finished the third draft of my book! NASA revealed the first photo of a black hole! I read an absurd amount of magazines! Greta Gerwig’s Little Women was the Little Women we always deserved! (I laughed. I cried. Mostly cried. Might be my…
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How I Do Research For My Novels (ft. a NaNoWriMo Update)
Happy November! Or, as I like to call it, “No”-vember: this is the month I have to say no to all other obligations because I’m writing FIFTY THOUSAND WORDS. It’s NaNoWriMo season. Here’s my month so far in numbers: 16,797 words written 437 words deleted because I made the mistake of rereading my work 7…
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How to Create a DIY Writer’s Retreat
I have a confession: I haven’t been writing for the past two months. I’m afraid that writing slid to the bottom of my priority list as I graduated high school, committed to Smith College (GO SMITHIES), and visited Washington D.C. as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. To be completely honest, even when I do…
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Why You Need Details in Your Writing (Feat. Taylor Swift Lyrics)
Little known fact about me: I am a massive Taylor Swift fan. I like her style and her music, but above all, I like her writing: I could build a castle/ Out of all the bricks they threw at me You keep his shirt / He keeps his word She’s a lyrical genius. And these…
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How to Use Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to Develop Your Characters
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m a Ravenclaw. Or, if I were a dog breed, I’d be a Dachshund. Or, my personality type is INFJ. Maybe the one thing you should actually know is that I live for online quizzes. Let’s be honest. Writing? Hard. Opening up another tab…
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My Top Ten Favorite Book Titles (Spoiler Alert: They’re All Super Long. Like This Title Is. Whoops.)
Hey everybody! I’m officially back from Miami, where I was participating in National YoungArts week. I had the chance to take classes with INCREDIBLE master teachers and panel members. I also got to read a two minute excerpt from my short story, Locations. Once that video is posted, I’ll share it with all of you. ❤…
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2018 In Review: Things I Read, Wrote, and Blogged
Hello everybody! Long time no see. I had an unplanned hiatus, for possibly the best of reasons: I found out in November that I was a YoungArts finalist in Novel and Short Story, and I’ve been busy planning for YoungArts week ever since. I also rewrote my book for NanoWrimo. (Plus I finished all my…
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The Best Writing + Life Advice from The 2018 Dodge Poetry Festival
Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to attend the Dodge Poetry Festival this year, the largest poetry festival in North America. Unfortunately, the some of the festival’s events had to be cancelled this year because of a manhole fire and power outage, but no one was hurt, and I still was able to attend a…
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14 Literary Halloween Costumes for Readers and Writers
Hello everyone! And happy fall. My September and October were consumed whole by college applications and an awesome internship at publishing PR company (!) but I’m excited to dive back into writing and blogging now that the stress is winding down. A couple quick announcements about what’s happened in the two months I’ve been gone:…
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How To Use Pinterest As A Writer (+ Board Ideas!)
You may know Pinterest for its mason jar DIYs and wedding planning boards, but it can also be a great writing tool. But Vivian, you may protest, I mostly use Pinterest for outdated cat memes and looking at printables for teachers even though I am not a teacher and do not own a printer! It’s a distraction! I hear…
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Special Announcement! (Hint: It involves writing, organization, Etsy, and cute photos of my dog)
Hello everyone! I’m about a week away from starting my senior year of high school (AHHHH) which means I’m just about swimming in scholarship applications, college planning, senior classes, and a very exciting internship. I’ve spent the past couple of days making printable planners to organize my university search and to plan for my first…
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Literary Food: 20 Bookish Treats to Buy and Bake
Hello, everyone! We’re nearing the end of summer, but I’m having a last hurrah up in Maine, reading lots of books and writing lots of words (mostly college essays, but still, the effort’s there.) On my family’s road trip up to the great land of lobsters and secondhand bookstores, we stopped to have lunch in…
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How To Read Books If You’re Broke
In my humble opinion, the two most important words in the English language are “FREE BOOKS.” We all know books can be expensive. As a writer, I’m happy that authors are getting fairly compensated for their years of imagination and incredible hard work. When I can, I buy books from local indie bookstores. But since I’m…
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The Passive Voice Should Be Avoided
There is a plague in the writing community. It’s infected academic writing. It’s snuck into novels and short stories, into tales of cowboys and into tales of rocket-ships. Even if you’ve been immunized, it can still slip into your prose if you let your guard down. There is no mercy known by the passive voice. The…
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Writers Who Influence Me the Most
I have devoted an extremely large portion of my short life to taking online quizzes. I want to know my personality (INFJ) and my Hogwarts house (Ravenclaw.) I almost cried when Buzzfeed told me that The Office character that I was most like was Toby. (To quote Michael Scott, “NOOOO!”) But recently, my work and…
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How I Avoid Inconsistencies In My Writing (Plus a Free Printable!)
Hello, everyone! I’ve finally faced my fear and started editing the first draft of my book. Along the way, I realized that a character’s eyes might be green in chapter one but mysteriously hazel by chapter seven…Oops. As I’m editing, I’ll fix all the inconsistencies in my book, and avoid them in the future.…
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Writing With Style: Literary Tattoos (Temporary & Permanent!)
Welcome to Writing With Style, a monthly feature that combines books with fashion. I recommend beauty products or clothing with a literary theme – consider it a style guide for librarians and writers. I don’t receive any money for recommendations I make. Check out other posts, like bookish sweaters or literary nail art, here. Today, we’re talking…
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The Best Books With Animal Main Characters
Happy slightly late Easter, everyone! Currently, my house is full of bunnies. Plastic Easter bunnies on the mantle, fluffy stuffed animal bunnies, and (best of all) chocolate candy bunnies. All these animals made me think about how I hardly read books with furry narrators anymore. After all, as a kid, many of my picture books…
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5 Movies That Are Actually Better Than The Book
As long as books have been made into movies, readers have been disappointed. Hollywood always manages to cut out your favorite part. What happened to Hermione’s iconic S.P.E.W. movement in the 4th Harry Potter book? And they always cast the wrong characters. Annabelle from Percy Jackson was supposed to be blonde, and Margot from Paper Towns was…
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How I Outline My Novels
It’s finally done! About a week ago, I finished up my rough draft. My work-in-progress is about 91,400 words and 30 chapters. I started writing this book in September. I wrote 10,000 words in September and October, and then 50,000 in November (Thanks, Nanowrimo!) The last 30,000 words were slower, because I had to finish up…
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A Definitive Rating Of Writing Tools (+ An Update & a Survey!)
Hello! You might have noticed that I’ve been absent from the blogosphere lately…that’s because I’m re-designing my blog! As a reader, your opinion really matters to me. You’re who I’m writing for, after all! Please take the survey below to tell me what kind of content you’re interested in seeing, and how/when you want to see…
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On the Fear of Rejection
I am a junior in high school, which basically means that I spend a lot of time sifting through college brochures and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. A lot of my classmates feel pressured to find a purpose. Even worse, a lot of my friends, who have been…
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Writing With Style: Bookish Sweaters
Once, I was at a book sale and spotted a book about knitting for chickens. Well, I’d thought, there must be someone out there who likes both chickens and knitting. This Christmas, I was that reader. No, I haven’t taken up knitting for chickens, though I may be learning how to knit, but I received…
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2017 In Review: Things I Read, Wrote, and Blogged
Here is perhaps an unpopular opinion: 2017 was one of the best years ever. Okay, let me rephrase that. 2017 was one of the best years for me. We all know some pretty bad thing happened in the world, from natural disasters to the not so natural evilness we’ve seen from men in power. But…
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8 Ways to Find Inspiration
Hello everyone! I can’t believe it’s already December. November was a whirlwind of a month because I participated in Nanowrimo. And yes: I won! I wrote 50,078 words in thirty days. My characters grew, my plot twisted, and, most importantly, I was writing every single day. Now that Nanowrimo is over, I was struggling to…
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11 Ways to Organize Your Books
My house has 18 bookshelves. And that’s not counting all the piles of books on the floor or the mass of paperbacks that accumulate on nearly every available surface. (And some that are not so available – when I went to the bathroom and found a stack of books on the closed toilet seat, I…
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The Best Books About Writing
You have to love two things to be an author: Books and writing. (I’m an advocate that writers should also love sleep deprivation and frustration, because you’ll be dealing with a lot of that too.) Whats the only thing better than books and writing? Books ABOUT writing! I’m pretty addicted to reading books that talk about…
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Introducing My Nanowrimo Project! (And My Favorite YA Books)
In my last blog post, I talked about what it was like to finish writing a book. Now, what should someone do after finishing such a huge project? Eat some chocolate?* Take a vacation? Focus on school? Don’t make me laugh. Obviously the best thing to do is immediately start a new book and…
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The Ten Stages of Finishing Your Book
For the past 756 days, I’ve been working on a novel. I wrote a first draft, and then I decided to completely rewrite it. This novel and I have been together through two birthdays and the first half of high school. We’ve survived physics together. We won Nanowrimo. It’s helped me make friends. I became…
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Why You Should Go To A Museum
Over the summer, I attended a writing program at a college near New York City. Besides it being the BEST EXPERIENCE EVER, (complete with angsty poetry, eating tons of Pocky, and watching an obscene amount of reality television with my new friends) there was also a really cool aspect to the camp: They took us…
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Writing With Style: 20 Bookish Pins You Should Get Immediately
Recently, I’ve been seeing pins everywhere! You can stick a pin on a bag, a jacket, a collar, or anywhere, really. (Note: Would not recommend pinning a button through a book, even if the novel is disappointing.) I’ve started collecting pins (thanks to my friends Charlotte and Lola for inspiring me!) and putting them on my…
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My Least Favorite Words
A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog post about my favorite words. It was a post filled with cute gifs, soaring vowels, and inspiring definitions. But now, I thought it was about time I shared with you the dusty, dirty, dankest in the English Language. These are the words that make me want to…
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Here’s To The Books That’ve Changed Us
There are two kinds of revolutionary books: Books that form you and books that change you. I’ve read dozens of books that have formed me. The Harry Potter Series. Little Women. Artemis Fowl. These are books I reread often, because the characters, morals, and stories within their pages helped me become the person I am…
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What YA Gets Wrong About Teenagers (From A Teenager)
I have an extremely unpopular teenage bookworm reading opinion. I don’t like YA. This doesn’t mean that I’ve never read a YA book that I enjoyed. Some of my favorite books fall under the YA genre. But to be honest, I don’t typically like reading young adult novels. Let me just say, this is NOT because…
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50 Things To Do With A Journal
quick update: Hello, everyone! I have two quick updates about my blog: As some of you may have noticed, I have a new URL! My blog can now be found at https://vivianparkinderosa.com/. For those of you who read my last post, you’ve already seen this, but for any new visitors, please check out my survey! (It’s only one…
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Writing With Style: 5 Bookish Nail Art Ideas
Today, June 1st, is National Nail Polish Day! (It is also National Olive Day, National Go Barefoot Day, National Hazelnut Cake Day, National Heimlich Maneuver Day, National PenPal Day, and National Say Something Nice Day, because apparently, anything and everything can be a national day if you want it to be?? However, since I do not…
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How To Have A Productive Writing Day (Especially As A Slow Writer!)
I’m not going to lie: I’m not a very fast writer. I did win 2015 Nanowrimo, and it’s true that I finished the first draft of my book in less than a year, but most days I wrote very little. Now that I’m editing/rewriting my WIP, I average around 500 words a day. But every…
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10 Reasons You Should Visit The Strand Bookstore
Hello everyone! I am back from a (somewhat unplanned) month-long break. I was booked calendar-wise with events, and I was writing my book in my slim free time, but now I’ve carved out some time to blog again! Over my break, I went to NYC to visit The Strand. For those of you who don’t know,…
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Writing Friends: Why It’s Important to Have Them and Where to Find Them
Hello, everyone! As many of you know, Camp Nanowrimo is in full swing. For those of you who don’t know what CampNano is, allow me to explain. Formal Definition: Camp Nanowrimo is a an online competition where you try to complete a writing goal that you set for yourself. What it’s actually like: FIRE AND CHAOS.…
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How to Throw the Ultimate Harry Potter Party: Food, Decorations, Games, and More!
Hello everybody! Sorry for my mini Haitus, I was busy planning a huge party…My little sister just turned twelve, and so of course, a Harry Potter Party was in order. After creating a large Pinterest board, DIYing and buying decorations, creating a lot of food, and organizing some activities, I am positive we threw the…
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How to Find Time To Write (Even If You Think You’re Too Busy)
A little while ago, I received an ad for a writer’s conference. It had beautiful, glossy photos of a resort where writers gathered and dedicated a full weekend to nothing but scribbling words down onto paper. Even though there was no way I could go, I began to long for a weekend where all I had…
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My Favorite Part Of Blogging (Mass Collab)
I am so excited to be apart of a mass collab organized by Shania (a totally awesome blogger you should go read!) Thank you so much Shania, for bringing us all together. Here are the other amazing bloggers in the collab: Train Of Thought Evelynn Joce Elm Amethyst Flawed_Silence Closet Readers The Stylish Dreamer Emma…
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My Favorite Words (+ Read My Poem!)
Being an avid writer and reader, I have a deep friendship with words. However, I must admit it: I play favorites! Here are my ten favorite words, based on either their pronunciation, spelling, or meaning. (Also, click the link at the bottom of this post to read a poem I wrote!) 1. Subtle Because the ‘b’…
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Writing With Style: Literary Jewelry
Because I want to literally cover myself in books at all times, I’ve amassed a collection of literary jewelry. Bookish rings, necklaces, pins, and bracelets are a perfect subtle (or not so subtle, depending on exactly how large your trinkets are) way to show your love for writing and reading. So, welcome to my jewelry…
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My Writing Playlist: Songs to Listen To Before, During, and After Writing
I love listening to music about writing. Two awesome art forms come together to support each other and inspire us unworthy humans. It’s like having two adorable puppies give you a hug at the same time. I have two different playlists that are ‘writer inspired.’ The first is stocked with calming, beautiful music so I can…
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2016 In Review: Things I Read, Wrote, and Blogged
2016 is officially over. Thank goodness. This years had it ups and its downs (very oh-so-deep downs.) However, through it all, I kept reading and writing. Not to mention, this is the year I started blogging! So in this (longish because hey, it was a long year!) post, I’m going to focus on the positive:…
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Novel / Blogging Planners (Free Printables!)
With 2016 coming to an end, I’ve started looking into new planners. And while there were many beautiful options for normal planners, I found that there weren’t many specialized organizers for literary projects that I wanted to work on. So, I created both a novel planner and a blogging planner to share with you…
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8 DIY Mason Jars for Readers & Writers
Hello everyone! With the holidays being so close, I decided to do a DIY post on a gift you could make for a reader/writer friend. (Or for yourself, because hey, that’s what I did!) Now, you ask, will these crafts be easy, quick, cute, useful, and literary-themed? The answer is: Let’s get started! Here’s what…
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Writing With Style: Long Skirts
Okay, to start off with, you don’t have to be tall to pull long skirts off. Trust me. I’m 5″3. And here’s another disclaimer: When you look up ‘long tweed skirt’ on Google, you’ll get a lot of articles telling you how to wear one without looking like a librarian. However, my main strategy is to…
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The Sunshine Blogger Award, Mystery Blogger Award, and Black Cat Blue Sea Award (Oh My!)
I’m ecstatic to say I’ve been nominated for three new awards! To save your inbox from becoming too crowded, I’m combining them into one post. Thank you very much Ava from Reads, Rhythms, and Ruminations and Not-So-Modern-Girl for nominating me for the Sunshine Award, The Passionist for nominating me for the Mystery Blogger Award, and Train of Thought from…
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A Letter To The Heartbroken Kids
I’ve just published a blog post on the Huffington Post Contributor Site on how we must deal with difficult and hateful times with writing, art, and love. Please check it out by clicking here, and share it with someone who needs a little extra love after these past few days. Also, here is a photo of my…
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The Best Writing Advice From The 2016 Dodge Poetry Festival
Two weekends ago, the 2016 Dodge Poetry Festival was held. For those of you who might not know, the Dodge Poetry Festival is the largest poetry event in North America! I was lucky enough to get to attend three out of the four days, and saw accomplished and inspiring poets read their work and discuss literature. I collected…
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Bookish Pumpkin DIYs!
The thesaurus may not agree with me, but I’m 99% sure that “Halloween” and “Edgar Allen Poe” are synonymous. After all, the best time to read the Tell Tale Heart is obviously in chilly October, and the Raven is always spookiest when leaves are coming down. So it only made sense to go Poe in my pumpkin…
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Versatile Blogger Award
I am thrilled to say that I’ve been nominated for my first blogger award by Avani at Reads, Rhythms AND Ruminations. Please check out her wonderful blog. Although I posted my first blog post in July, I began seriously blogging this month, and I have received such a warm welcome to the WordPress/Blog community. In just this…
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NanoWrimo Survival Kit (+ Free Printable Calendar!)
Here we go again. NanoWrimo season is creeping upon us. Last year, I won NanoWrimo by writing 50,000 words in one month. If that sounds insane, it’s because it was. And just to prove to you all I have remained crazy, I’m going to do it again this year. Last year, I did a fairly traditional…
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Writing With Style: Po(e)lka Dots
There are three universally acknowledged truths in the world: You will get your best writing ideas when you don’t have anything to write them down with. Dolores Umbridge is the absolute worst character in the Harry Potter series. Polka dots are seriously adorable. I love polka dots. Sometimes they’re painted as a print for little…
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How to Write With Style
You shouldn’t be wearing PJs when you write. I know. You have decided based off that sentence that I am wrong and probably one of those people who asks for Caesar salads without the dressing. (What can I say? I really like plain lettuce.) After all, isn’t writing in pajamas the ultimate freelancing dream? I too,…
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How To Create A Writing Workspace
When I write, I usually try to get out of the house. Most days, I’ll bike over to my local library, where I’ll stare at a screen for a solid two hours and then write a hurried frenzy of inspired words in the last 15 minutes before the library closes. I like going to…
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Literary Life
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Fashion
Writing With Style 