A Gleaming Shard of Glass by Sowon Kim1/30/2023 Review by Pei Fu
“Through the theme of appearance vs reality, author Sowon Kim conveys that the majority’s belief that something is for “the greater good” does not mean something is truly correct” A Gleaming Shard of Glass is a YA dystopian novel set in the futuristic city Nepenthe, where everything is perfect. 12-year-old Grecia Rivera is one of the most talented students of her age in the Artistic Sector. Despite the gap in her life—the unexplained death of her father before her birth—she is content with her friends and wonderfully loving mother. But she has a secret: she hates the Regulation Days. She hates Nepenthe’s treatment toward those who are “talentless”. Yet no one seems to share her feelings. Through the theme of appearance vs reality, author Sowon Kim conveys that the majority’s belief that something is for “the greater good” does not mean something is truly correct.
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Tales of love and hardship come in various mediums: novels, epics, movies, plays, games, podcasts, etc. But how do you know which one is the best fit for your story?
Normally when I start drafting my outline I have more or less an idea of which format I will use to tell it. Most of the time this comes hand in hand with where I get the idea from. A movie inspires me to write a movie, a podcast, a podcast and so on. However, there have been times that while I’m writing my story the format ends up changing. This transformation occurs as I grow as a creative and the resources I have at hand change. Editing Basics: What Is Line Editing?1/29/2023 Of all the types of editing, line editing is the murkiest and most exhausting because it develops phrasing and meaning simultaneously. Thankfully, it does not engage the same part of the brain you use for drafting, so line editing may be satisfying for detail-oriented writers. For those on the other side of the fence and newbies, line editing can feel like pulling teeth. This article will cover the basics of line editing including what it is, what to look out for, and how you can do it yourself.
Do you have to line edit? Yes, especially if you’re aiming for traditional publishers. Why? Due to increased demand and agent burnout, manuscripts that interest agents are those that are the most polished because they will be the most attractive to editors at publishing houses. PSA: do not try to query agents without thoroughly editing your book. I would hate for your book to be rejected because it wasn’t edited enough. As the world becomes more aware of other ethnicities, sexualities, and cultures outside the vastly homogenous mainstream, it’s only natural that books will start incorporating more and more of them, particularly YA novels that cater to a younger audience. This is - let us not mince words - a good thing. As an Asian-American girl who spent her childhood reading about magical white boys, I wholeheartedly approve of the surge in demand for representation. It is a good thing that kids of all colors can open a book and read about characters who look and talk like them. It is a good thing, because when we read about people like us, we feel less alone.
However, like all things, there is a danger of representation being mishandled, and let’s be honest, it frequently is. Let us segue into the rant portion of this blog post. Five Brainstorming Methods1/28/2023 So you have an idea for a story. It has been running laps around your thoughts, maybe you have a character, or perhaps you have a setting. But how can you turn this into your next piece? Brainstorming is step number one.
We often talk about outlining methods, but brainstorming is just as important. To find a method that suits you, all you need to do is choose one and start to experiment. A Eulogy to Z-Library1/28/2023 On November 5th 2022 the biggest electronic shadow library was seized by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Shadow libraries “are online databases of readily available content that is normally obscured or otherwise not readily accessible. Such content may be inaccessible for a number of reasons, including the use of paywalls, copyright controls, or other barriers to accessibility placed upon the content by its original owners” (wikipedia). In other words, “Piracy, baby.” 30 Writing Prompts for NaNoWriMo1/28/2023 Sometimes coming up with something to write about is the hardest part of the process! It can take a lot of time to come up with something you find interesting, something original, and something you’d think an audience would enjoy. While these things may seem like crucial criteria, occasionally it can be helpful to take a step back and return to the basics. Here are 30 writing prompts to inspire you this November!
Writer's Block and How to Eliminate It1/27/2023 It’s bone-chillingly cold outside. The wind is whistling and vibrating on the window. You sit on your desk with your thoughts aligned, ready to hit the paper/screen, but suddenly you stop after writing a few lines. You feel distressed for not portraying the same narrative as you had in mind. It’s hard to deal with, isn’t it? We all have been there and it rips us to shreds when it happens. It suffered through this for sometime; I was angry at myself for not giving my best and I cried a river about it but then eventually I searched a few methods and trust me folks. It helps. A LOT.
Finally it’s that time of the year where November sounds like “coffee’, ”snuggly outfits”, and above all WRITING. Since NaNoWriMo has just started, it’s really important to keep your creative juices flowing and throw away the worst enemy i-e the writer’s block as it’s the deadliest place one ever wishes to be in; even if it’s the last thing left on earth Most of us writers do not have the luxury of writing full time. We have commitments like school, jobs, relationships…Sometimes it can feel like we are being pulled in eight different directions. By the time we sit down to write, we feel exhausted, or guilty for putting it off to take care of ourselves.
This is a personal article, but one I hope resonates with all the forced-to-be-slow writers out there. Here are my eight directions: I am in graduate school, I have homework, I am employed, I try to get exercise, I have a relationship, I have to do adult things like get groceries, I have a YouTube channel to maintain. Oh yeah, and also there’s this book I want to write. Put the Spook in Your Writing1/27/2023 All Hallow’s Eve may have passed, but that doesn’t mean it’s not spooky season. As the winds pick up and the temperature chills, it’s easier than ever to imagine the world we know inhabited by ghosts and gremlins. And there’s nothing like a piece of fantastically spooky writing to luxuriate in on a cold, howling night.
Without further ado, here are five books/stories that’ll kickstart the spook in YOUR writing, plus some tips. Categories
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