Enjoying the Writing Process

I recently had a friend tell me that she wanted to make writing more a priority in her life, and asked me to help her find contests to submit to as that could make a good goal to work towards. I thought my answer would make a good blog post, and I don’t think she will mind using her question as inspiration for this post (edited for clarity): With contests/submissions, it depends on what kind…

Continue Reading...

It’s Been Awhile

Today is one of those days where I’m thinking, “Wow, I really need to take a look at my website again.” It’s been almost two years since I posted an update and even looking at the thing, I’ve got a weird flavor combination of study abroad posts, writing posts, and random thought posts. I’m not sure how I want to move forward with this, but I’ve heard ad nauseam that authors are supposed to have…

Continue Reading...

Today’s News in “Ugh”

Today, a UPS dude walked into the office. I made a comment about how people do not shop at the store as much anymore and wondered off-handedly about all the cardboard that packages require. He said to blame Al Gore who “invented the internet” and suddenly launched into a rant about how Al Gore “made millions off global warming” because of his energy company investments. “No one knows this,” he said, conspiratorially. I am reminded…

Continue Reading...

2016 #pitchwars #pimpmybio

I am pumped to enter #pitchwars this year. I have been looking forward to it ever since my friend did it last year and gushed about the experience. For those who don’t know, Pitch Wars is a contest held in August where those of us with finished novels enter for the chance to pair up with a published/agented author as a mentor – check out Brenda Drake’s website). Here is a little about myself and my…

Continue Reading...

Revising Your Sucky First Draft

When I finally finished my first draft of my novel, it felt like a huge accomplishment. 100,000 words written in seven months with at least four hours per day devoted to the task. I had proved to myself that I could do it – I had beaten back the critical voice in my thoughts (fear of failure), the ridiculous doubt of whether this is what I wanted to devote my life to (fear of success),…

Continue Reading...

“Critical” Reading: Wage Gap

Jennifer Lawrence recently penned a piece titled, “Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars?” She talked about capitulating early in negotiations for American Hustle for fear of seeming “difficult or spoiled,” but when the Sony hack came to light, she learned that she earned millions less than her male costars. Read the comments and you’ll see people arguing about whether she is on the same level as the other male costars, but even Jeremy Renner…

Continue Reading...

How To Adult: Existential Crisis

 Today is one of those “Have an existential crisis before breakfast days” #lifeofa20something #adulthood — Anastasia Taber (@anastasiataber) August 11, 2015 Before I get to dating apps (Return of the Dating Dalai? Just as soon as I finish up Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance), I thought a particularly relevant topic would be existential crises. As far as I know, you aren’t doing life right if you manage to bypass these. So if you’re currently experiencing one, perhaps I…

Continue Reading...

Pitching at a Writers’ Conference

Received great feedback @SCWriters and had the awesome opportunity to pitch to an agent. Still buzzing from everything I learned! #amwriting — Anastasia Taber (@anastasiataber) October 2, 2015 This past weekend I did a really cool thing and attended the Southern California Writers’ Conference-LA in Irvine, CA – about 60 miles south of me off the 405. The conference took place at the Wyndham Hotel across from the John Wayne Airport in Orange County. The…

Continue Reading...

“Critical” Reading: So Is China Really A Threat?

In today’s blog post, I am going to quote both Edward Snowden and Donald Trump in relation to China, and it’s going to make sense. This is the first installment of “Critical” Reading – a biweekly post in which I analyze and critique an article, a movie, an Internet comment, or something Donald Trump said. If you remember from the first Republican debate this year: Donald Trump stated, “This country is in big trouble. We…

Continue Reading...

When You Hit a Wall

Last week I mentioned feeling bummed about winning an award that was not as high as I had hoped it would be. Visualizing success is important because it primes your brain to take steps towards enacting that success. But it also makes you vulnerable. It opens you up to possible disappointment, and from such disappointment exists a narrow bridge that swings precariously over the murky waters of apathy. I have fallen in a few times,…

Continue Reading...

Premium WordPress Themes