Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2021 i The Writer

Each year, when temperatures dip and the days start getting shorter, a primal urge to start stocking up for winter hits like clockwork. My pantry fills with dried beans, cellar vegetables, herbal tea, and hearty grains. Closing the freezer door soon becomes a daily struggle, what with all the squirreled-away summer produce I’ve stashed there. Brand-new yarn and puzzles and games arrive to ward off boredom in the months ahead. I’ve long suspected these purchases are more about making myself believe I’m ready to face a long winter versus actual preparedness, but each year I look forward to the ritual nonetheless. This year, of course, feels very different. We’ve already learned how to weather a pandemic in spring, summer, and fall, when at least the outdoors provided a brief and…

In 2020, Asian-American teen Miriam Awan attended the Glendale March for Black Lives in Southern California and then published “Hope in the Time of Covid-19: a Student Perspective” in the September-December issue of Skipping Stones Multicultural Magazine. She writes: “Despite the tragedy of everything happening in our country, I felt hopeful for the first time in a while, because the fight for justice and equity was ultimately a fight for the side of our common humanity.” Skipping Stones, a monthly magazine now in its 32nd year, offers children ages 7-18 worldwide the opportunity to publish their most candid and creative reflections on society, politics, culture, and what it feels like to be a young person growing up today. Editor Arun Toké bumped his own editor’s note in the final issue…

1. WORKSTATION ON WHEELS Tiny apartment? You still deserve a proper workspace. This affordable, mobile option is both sleek and space-efficient, allowing you to stow it away out of sight when your workday ends. $124, wayfair.com 2. LAPTOP STAND-TURNED-MOUSEPAD Free up limited desk space for your monitor with this vertical laptop docking stand. When not in use, it folds flat into a mousepad. $24.99, moft.us 3. UNDER-DESK BICYCLE Craving more movement than a standing desk allows? Try an under-desk exercise bicycle, which allows you to pedal off some calories while you power through your manuscript. $79.99, target.com 4. STYLISH FILING CABINET Papers piling up now that you work from home? Keep things organized without feeling too corporate with this modern-looking filing cabinet from Poppin. $269, poppin.com 5. EYESTRAIN-PREVENTING GLASSES Spending…

One of the best pieces of fan mail Alexandra Diaz ever received came in the form of a thank you note from a young reader to his grandmother, which the woman then forwarded to her. “The child had written something along the lines of, ‘I really enjoyed this book, Grandma. It’s not a book I would have picked out for myself, but I’m telling all my teachers we should read it as a class.’” The book was Diaz’s award-winning novel The Only Road (Simon & Schuster, 2016), the story of several young children forced, under threat of gang violence and death, to leave their families in Guatemala and make their way to the United States. It’s a book that School Library Journal called “an important, must-have addition to the growing…

Long before COVID-19 forced writing conference directors to move their gatherings online, there was WriteOnCon – a three-day remote conference for writers and illustrators of children’s and young adult books. The 11-year-old event takes place in 2021 from Feb. 19 to 21 and features critique forums, blogs and vlogs (short videos), Q&A and pitch sessions with agents and editors and professional authors, and the opportunity to meet potential critique partners working in your same genre. Author and conference director Seabrooke Leckie first attended WriteOnCon as an author. “I loved all of it but loved the forums especially,” she says. “I met many of my oldest writer friends there and got great feedback on my query and pages every year.” As director, she and her staff run 115 to 120 events…

What’s in a fellowship? Sad but true: Money often stands in the way of a writer finishing the next bestseller. And it shouldn’t. There are many opportunities, including awards and grants, to get extra cash in order to quit your third job and devote more time to writing. Another option, a fellowship, is a bit more unique and intense. Here are some fellowship fast facts: What is it? A fellowship is a short-term opportunity to develop a work-in-progress while being provided a financial stipend and, typically, a workspace. How long? Depending on the program, fellowships can last for a few weeks, a semester, or an entire year. How much? Relative to the duration of the fellowship, a stipend can be delivered monthly or in full. While living the high life…

I had an agent contact me for representation in April 2019. Per her request, I emailed her my manuscript and proposal. She really liked my story, a memoir, and was complimentary of my writing. In our first phone call, I asked her if she had read my entire manuscript. She said she only reads the first three chapters of nonfiction manuscripts. Is this typical? She was enthusiastic about my story and was happy with my proposal. She emailed me a sample of her contract to review, but it had not been customized. I suspect she was waiting to see the results of her appointments at the Book Fair in NY in May 2019. She presented my project at the Book Fair to a number of editors. She was so excited…