Jessica Strawser

Cincinnati

Ed-at-large @WritersDigest | novelist #AlmostMissedYou, #NotThatICouldTell, #AMillionReasonsWhy, #TheNextThingYouKnow, #TheLastCaretaker (12/23) | rep @bpoelle

Articles

Bird's Eye View • Career Authors

1 week ago | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Writing prompt: Write about the gifts of a bird’s eye view.
10 Themes for Fiction Set in Spring

2 weeks ago | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

We talk a lot about time and place when it comes to fictional settings. But I find that seasons can be just as important. And perhaps none more meaningful than spring. I have set two of my seven novels entirely in the springtime, and both times the season deepened my themes—sometimes intentionally, and sometimes with unplanned but elegant subtlety. In The Next Thing You Know, the story begins in a Midwestern town’s barren late winter, and the opening finds the characters feeling desolate, too.
You're Invited to the 2025 Career Authors Retreat • Career Authors

2 weeks ago | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Every spring, we extend an open invitation for the writing community to join us at our annual Career Authors Writer’s Retreat: We truly believe it is a weekend that can change your writing life, quite simply because it has changed ours, too. But this year, it feels even more important. The world is louder; the news more chaotic; AI copyright concerns crowd our social media feeds.
Sweet Surprise • Career Authors

1 month ago | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Get Updates in Your Inbox Once a Month!Ensure you don't miss a single post, tip, or discussion by signing up for our monthly email digest. We'll also send out the occasional notice about book sales, releases, or events we're excited about. No spam and no selling your personal information. We promise!
One Step at a Time • Career Authors

2 months ago | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Writing prompt: Write about taking one step at a time.
Creating Illusions for Your Readers

2 months ago | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Recently, my family took a quick trip for my daughter’s 11th birthday to see the Broadway in Chicago production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (11 is when you get your letter from Hogwarts, after all!). We’d heard the special effects would steal the show, so we came prepared to be amazed by wands casting real “spells”… but what we experienced was so much more.
5 Ways to Winterize Your Writing Life

2 months ago | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Seasons are important for many cyclical things in life—creativity included. For a garden, winterizing might mean insulating with mulch and cleaning away debris for a restful dormant period in preparation of future growth. For a summer home, winterizing might mean shoring up protection for harsh conditions, turning off water and shuttering windows. And in the animal kingdom, winterizing can mean a natural period of hibernation to be the first to awaken and welcome spring.
Believing in Magic • Career Authors

Dec 27, 2024 | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Get Updates in Your Inbox Once a Month!Ensure you don't miss a single post, tip, or discussion by signing up for our monthly email digest. We'll also send out the occasional notice about book sales, releases, or events we're excited about. No spam and no selling your personal information. We promise!
5 Holly Jolly Hacks for Meeting Your Writing Goals Over the Holidays

Dec 23, 2024 | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

For writers, the cheer of the holidays can come with a shadow of guilt. Maybe you finally have time off work to spend on your manuscript … but you’re due for quality time with your family, too. Or maybe you promised your kids a week away from the computer, but you’re afraid of losing the thread of the story you’ve been working so hard on. Over the years, I’ve found the trick to navigating these bustling times is to find ways to stay connected to your writing even when it’s not open in front of you.
Last to Let Go • Career Authors

Nov 22, 2024 | careerauthors.com | Jessica Strawser

Writing Prompt: Write about being the last to let go.