Equine Inspiration When I was growing up I was aware of two distinct sides of my personality developing at the same time. On one side, there was an avid reader and aspiring writer who dreamed of bestselling novels and signing…
A Conversation with Rob Mosca
Interview by Alicia Cole Before being gainfully employed as a mild mannered bureaucrat toiling mindlessly in the bowels of one of Corporate America’s numerous cube farms, Rob Mosca was haunted by dreams of becoming an author. Envisioning a lush life…
Selfies vs. Traditional Publishing – Which Style Fits You Best?
Self-publishing outstripped the traditional publishing market in terms of titles produced around 2010. Yes, you might agree, but how many of those titles are complete rubbish? Furthermore, selfies are the ones who got rejected from real publishers so what could…
A Conversation with Sofia Samatar
Interview by Alicia Cole Sofia Samatar is the author of the novel A Stranger in Olondria, the Hugo and Nebula nominated short story “Selkie Stories Are for Losers,” and other works. She is the winner of the John W. Campbell Award,…
A Conversation with Lucy Hounsom
Interview by Alicia Cole In between writing fantasy novels, Lucy Hounsom works as a bookseller for Waterstones. She has a BA in English & Creative Writing from the University of London and went on to complete the MA in Creative…
How to Really Write That Book (The Finishing Touch) – Part 3
The Finale You’ve put words on a page. Thousands of them and hundreds of lines. Take a minute to look at the word count at the bottom of your screen. Yes. You did this. And just like standing on top…
How to Really Write That Book – Part 1
Yes, there are parts and I’ll tell you why. It takes more than a good idea to make it onto the NYT best-seller list. There is an old saying that goes, “If you’re going to eat an elephant, do it…
You Are a Writer: Dress the Part
Some say you are what you eat, while for others it’s all about what you wear. We can achieve a lot in our fiction by how we dress our characters: clothes can indicate setting, either geographical or historical; can reflect…
Rejection Equals Success
This week I received my first rejection of 2014. This may sound odd, but I hope it’s the first of many. You see, receiving rejections means two very good things. First, my work is out there in the world being…
The Writer’s Slow Sprint
Last week I wrote about how sleeping better can help to eke out a little more writing time per day. This week, I’ve been thinking about slowing down. I struggle with being realistic sometimes. I want to write a novel…
The Summer Issue (#8) is Here!
Issue #8 (Summer 2013) is now available! Features work by: Elizabeth Whittington, Chelsea Reeser, Stephen Williams, Danielle Bordelon, Juliet Niehaus, Michael Badger, Kara Harte, Jack Coey, Arthur Davis, Donna Compton, Ricky Tyrer, Francis Fiordalisi, Gordon Bourgon, Christen Gresham,…
The 2013 Black Fox Contest
Black Fox Contest Announcement: Black Fox is pleased to announce its second annual contest. The theme is: Home. We will be choosing one short story, creative non-fiction piece or poem that interprets the theme best. The winner will receive a…