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Little Darlings: Will your idea work as a picture book?
November 17, 2022
Nothing is off limits, so long as you check in with “little you” and ask, would I have liked this story? Would it have made sense to me? What would I have enjoyed about it, and would I have wanted to read it over and over?
- Little Darlings
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Everything I Know About Writing I Learned from the Rolling Stones
November 15, 2022

Mick Jagger probably never realized this, but he and his bandmates knew a lot about how to write a good novel.
- On the craft
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- 2 comments
Book Broker—an interview with Adria Goetz
November 13, 2022
It's easy to spot a manuscript that hasn't been reviewed by critique partners. Always get a second, third, fourth set of eyeballs on both your writing and your query letter/submission materials.
- Agent interviews
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Writer's Block—Myths & Realities
November 08, 2022
Good things take time. And writing, like any craft, involves an apprenticeship period. It’s not a block. It’s a learning curve. Embrace the mess.
- On the craft
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- 1 comment
Congrats to Vida Cruz-Borja!
October 31, 2022
A huge congrats to Darling Axe editor Vida Cruz-Borja on the upcoming release of Song of the Mango and Other New Myths.
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Book Broker—an interview with Joanna MacKenzie
October 18, 2022
I tend to think that when too much telling is happening, the manuscript simply isn’t ready to be submitted.
- Agent interviews
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Setup Is Not Stasis: How to Write a Gripping First Chapter
October 12, 2022
Context plays an important role in fiction and narrative nonfiction. It adds depth to the characters, the setting, and the conflict. Context is also your best tool for creating in readers a sense of participation. The trick lies in subtlety.
- On querying
- On the craft
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The First Page Challenge 2022—1st place
October 05, 2022
That summer they learnt that Dolly Aunty had a love marriage and their world tilted. Barbie dolls fell flat on their faces.
- Contest updates
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The First Page Challenge 2022—2nd place
October 05, 2022
If living means buying random vintage turquoise and La Mer face cream, I’ve nailed it. If it means showering every day and leaving the house more than once a week, I may have some progress to make.
- Contest updates
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- 1 comment
The First Page Challenge 2022—3rd place
October 05, 2022
The principality had scarcely evolved in her two-year absence. Its capital Megrina still lay coiled at the foot of the cliff, a weatherworn crone whose twisted limbs no longer functioned.
- Contest updates
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FPC 2022: The Shortlist
October 04, 2022
One element always shines bright in those that make the shortlist: voice.
- Contest updates
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The First Page Challenge is now closed
October 01, 2022
Thanks to everyone who submitted! Winners will be announced mid-October.
- Contest updates
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