ALISON MCBAIN
Blog
Books
Book Covers
Shorts
Shorts
Articles & Essays
Toddler Times
News
Readings & Events
Interviews, Awards & Other News
More Stuff
>
Book Reviews
Random Art
Links
Privacy Policy
About Me
Writing Articles
"Avoiding Bad Writing Advice"
- How to spot bad writing advice and what to do with it (hint: rhymes with "car-badge").
"Legit Awards for Indie Books"
- How to avoid scams and get great recognition for your writing.
"Why Do Writers Love Pain?"
- How to get FEWER rejections and MORE publications.
"How I Jumped the Line & Got a Book Deal"
- Thinking outside the box got my book traditionally published.
"Hit the Bullseye with Your Writing"
- A simple guide for formatting submissions to avoid automatic rejections.
"What Happens After NaNoWriMo?"
- Don't let your words go to waste! How to change your NaNo project into a finished manuscript.
"Should I Join a Writing Group?"
- Why they're important, and how to find the perfect group for you.
"Searching for the Magic"
- One author's insight into why writing a sequel is much harder than writing a first book.
"The Success of NaNoWriMo"
- How I turned 50,000 words into a contest-winning book, and how you can win at NaNoWriMo, too.
"Write Toward the Fear"
- Overcome what's holding you back by confronting it head-on.
"Budget-Friendly Book Marketing"
- Innovative ways to get your work into readers' hands without the high price tag of direct advertising.
"Failure is the Key to Success"
- Learning how to write the hard way, to make the lessons stick.
"Taking Writing Advice from Fortune Cookies"
- A sweet treat of inspiration to overcome self-doubt.
"The Battle for Good Reading (and Good Writing)"
- Trash can be treasure - it just depends on your perspective.
"Red Flags When Hiring an Editor"
- A quick guide to tell if you've found a good editor for your project, or if you should think about going back to the drawing board.
"The Tao of Receiving Rejections"
- Demystifying the agony of an essential part of being a writer.
"How to Give Your Kids the Writing Spark"
- Why my 3 daughters love to write, and what I did to encourage them.
"Where Can You Submit Your Writing and Get Paid for It?"
- 8 helpful databases that will get you started in the right direction.
"Behind the Scenes at Indie Fiction Magazines"
- What happens to your story submission after you hit "send?" One editor's experience at three indie publications.
"How to Submit Your Short Stories, Poems & Essays for Publication: Query Letters"
- A breakdown of what to put and not put in query letters, including examples.
Personal Essays
"Fantasy Versus Reality"
- Rom-com portrayals so bad they're good.
"How to Read More as a Working Parent"
- How I juggle a job, kids, and my to-read list.
"What's the 'Perfect' Gift?"
- Rediscover the joy of giving, not the stress.
"The Struggle of Being Creative"
- Why it's okay to give yourself permission to just be "okay."
"Thank You to Our Writers & Readers!"
- Heartfelt appreciation to the growing creative community of writers and artists at
Morning Musings Magazine
.
"Advice for Plagiarizers"
- How to report plagiarizers on Medium, and why it's important to be a part of the solution.
"Great Advice from Great Authors"
- Three inspiring quotes to start your day.
"Finding Your Creative Space"
- Why creativity is essential for health and peace of mind.
"Fighting Procrastination"
- How to stop shadowboxing against yourself and start accomplishing your goals.
"Individuality = Success"
- How to focus on your individual experiences to achieve your goals.
" 'Hack' & 'Side Hustle' "
- Why some slang phrases are puzzling and cringeworthy.
"Morning Musings Magazine"
- I'm one of the editors for this new Medium publication, currently open for submissions.
"Help! My Reading List Has Over 300 Stories"
- Why my addiction is having stacks of books and stacks of stories to read.
"What Day Is It Again?"
- The genetics behind being forgetful.
"Fortune Cookies for Life"
- Drawing inspiration from the sweetest of places.
"Why I Read Every Writer Who Follows Me"
- Why I like to know a little bit about my fellow writers who also like my writing.
"The Accidental Teacher"
- My adventures in homeschooling my three kids during the pandemic.
"What I Learned from Meeting Ray Bradbury"
- A look at how meeting one's literary hero isn't always enough.
"I Apologize in Advance"
- Where is the perfect balance between apologizing too much and not apologizing enough?
"Finding the Right Words"
- An essay about why I became a writer.
"Return to a Golden State"
- Looking back on my upbringing in California and how far I've come from where I grew up.
"Whiskey, Sushi & a Granddaughter's Hope"
- Remembering how my grandmothers died, and what their deaths meant about how they lived.
"The In-Between"
- A look at Japanese and English words, and how the crossover of meaning defines who I am today.
Blog
Books
Book Covers
Shorts
Shorts
Articles & Essays
Toddler Times
News
Readings & Events
Interviews, Awards & Other News
More Stuff
>
Book Reviews
Random Art
Links
Privacy Policy
About Me