Deborah Adams's Blog, page 14

b.read.crumbs : Hermiting

hermit ~ noun -  her·​mit ˈhər-mət  : one that retires from society and lives in solitudeAbout the Hermit card

Posssible meaning of Key 9: The Hermit : A teacher or counselor or guide, someone who shines a light to lead you home; someone who aids you in self-study (not self-involvement) and the exploration of consciousness; the role that you play or should be playing in this world. Sometimes, though, a Hermit is just a Hermit, and you need to become one, at least for a little ...

Pro Tip: dissecting rejection

I’ve just finished sending notes to people whose work I declined. I do not like it, Sam. I am on the receiving end of rejections so often, and I know how those things can take the air right out of you. Being a sender of rejection gives me some insight into the process, but it doesn’t protect me from a dagger-through-the-heart reaction to rejection.

Have you wondered what goes on behind the scenes? Wondered what “not a good fit” means? Wondered what the heck editors want? Then please a...

Pro Tip: My secret submission success strategy

I’ve been an editor at a small press, where the most important part of my job was reading submitted book manuscripts. These days I read short prose submissions for a literary journal. I’m also an author, with a decent publication record. (You can find links to some of the most recent pieces on the Read page of this website.)

While I’m no expert on all things writing-related, I definitely know a little about some of those things. In this Pro Tips category, I’ll offer brief posts that attempt t...

b.read.crumbs: Might Energy Force Power?

This is a repost of Julie Herman‘s most recent b.read.crumbs post. I’ll be following her lead (as I so often do) in my b.read.crumbs post next week. We might have a theme running through the year. Let me know if you can spot it.

It’s a bit of an awkward title this month, and I put that down to one of my less-than-stellar strengths, word choice. I am great at feelings, and can usually convey them in written form fairly well, but I often dither endlessly about which word might be the st...

Writing Advice from Lauren Carr

Revisiting one of the most popular posts….

Lauren Carr has written over twenty-five novels in a multitude of genres, so you can be sure she knows something about what it takes to maintain a writing career. In addition to all the other hats she wears, Lauren took time to offer up some helpful advice to writers here. Thanks so much, Lauren!

What books do you recommend for an aspiring writer?

Stephen King’s On Writing. This book is a memoir. But the second half of the book is devoted t...

Places to submit your poetry — week 5 of National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. It’s a great time to write poetry, to read poetry, and to submit poetry to journals. To celebrate, I’ll post a list of seven literary journals every Monday in April. These are journals I especially enjoy reading, with links to their submission guidelines.

There are only two days left in the month, but poetry doesn’t care about the calendar. Here are seven more journals I recommend. Why not keep writing and submitting even after National Poetry Month ends?

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b.read.crumbs : Driving

Getting ahead in career, in life, in love has always been a struggle. They make aphorisms about it: Only the strong survive, it’s a dog eat dog world, victory belongs to the most persevering, quitters never win. We’ve been drilled in the importance of winning from our earliest days. Can’t never could. Striving is practically built into our DNA. I think I can, I think I can. We dare not allow ourselves the blasphemy of considering What if I just stop?

We old hippies retain a trace of t...

Places to submit your poetry — week 4 of National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. It’s a great time to write poetry, to read poetry, and to submit poetry to journals. To celebrate, I’ll post a list of seven literary journals every Monday in April. These are journals I especially enjoy reading, with links to their submission guidelines.

Eunoia Review Quadrant Enchanted Living Gleam (publishes the cadralor exclusively)Pegasus (you don’t have to be in Kentucky to submit)Ghost City Review The Light Ekphrastic

Grab your pencil and g...

Places to submit your poetry — week 3 of National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. It’s a great time to write poetry, to read poetry, and to submit poetry to journals. To celebrate, I’ll post a list of seven literary journals every Monday in April. These are journals I especially enjoy reading, with links to their submission guidelines.

Black Moon MagazineDissident Voice Poem Alone Sheila-Na-Gig Scapegoat Review Alabama Literary Review Apple Valley Review

Grab your pencil and go write a poem!

Clicking here will show you...

Miranda James – 3 Questions & a Cover

A short interview wherein one of my favorite authors answers three questions about the writing life.

Question 1

Do you create elaborate outlines for your books? If so, can you explain the process (briefly)? Or do you fly  by the seat of your pants? If so, do you have any tricks you use to keep yourself from crashing?

I don’t create outlines. I start with a basic premise in mind, like finding a skeleton in an old wardrobe in the attic, as in What the Cat Dragged In or writing about a...