Novel Incubator alum Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne will launch her debut novel this Thursday, October 24th at 7pm at Harvard Book Store. Join her for discussion of her novel Holding On To Nothing, a present-day Appalachian story in the tradition of Lee Smith, Silas House, and Ron Rash, cast without sentiment or cliché, but with a genuine and profound understanding of the place and its people.

The October 2019 edition of "Writing Life Essentials," a monthly hand-curated list of contests, grants, scholarships, submissions calls, and awards, with a focus on opportunities that are at least one of the following: local, free to apply, and/or committed to celebrating and supporting writers from historically marginalized communities. We do the research, so you have more time for what matters: the writing. Or, slaying zombies. That matters too.

With the arrival of October, we're looking forward to jacket season, caramel apples, and all the discounted candy after Halloween. Don't miss out on these November 3-hour seminars and 6-hour weekend workshops: 
 

• The Hook & the Book: An Intensive Two-Day Workshop On The Query and The First Five Pages (11/1 & 11/2)
• Novel Essentials: Arcs and Endings (11/1)
• The Joke’s on You: The Serious Work Of Using Humor in Your Writing (11/1)
• Love Letters and Recipes: Sources for Setting Your Scene (11/1)
• Creating Community Projects  ...

Stick to a daily word count. Take more writing classes. Write twenty more queries. Yada Yada. What are the writing resolutions that are really important in terms of achieving success and having a reasonably satisfying work life?

Here are ten "rules" I try hard to live by when it comes to my writing. They don't all come naturally, but I strive to remember them, especially when I'm struggling.

The September 2019 edition of "Writing Life Essentials," a monthly hand-curated list of contests, grants, scholarships, submissions calls, and awards, with a focus on opportunities that are at least one of the following: local, free to apply, and/or committed to celebrating and supporting writers from historically marginalized communities. We do the research, so you have more time for what matters: the writing