If you've written short fiction, finding a place to publish it can be time-consuming. Here are four resources to help:

The Practicing Writer. One of the best free newsletters. Erika Dreifus curates markets monthly, focusing on those that are fee-free.
Authors Publish. Free newsletter that often offers round-ups of markets by theme.
Duotrope: One-month free trial, then subscription-based, $50/yr. Weekly newsletter plus database searchable by various categories.
Funds for Writers. Free weekly newsletter from C. Hope Clark. The contests, markets, and grants section is at the end. 

I hope you find these helpful! Mention your own favorite resources in the comments.

My first attempt at a novel was THE FLOOD. I was in 5th grade or 6th grade. The fictional water kept rising and rising, but I gave up after a chapter or two because I didn’t know anything about a river flooding, or how to tell such a big story.

In the decades that followed, I spent time learning how to research and write a novel. I didn't realize at first how winding the career path could be, but along the way I wrote freelance articles, two nonfiction books for kids (Publishing and Avril Lavigne), and two "in the drawer" novels that won't be published.

But the intrigue with a fictional disaster remained. Fast forward to 2014: My debut YA novel, Pandemic was published by Sky Pony Press. And since the actual pandemic occurred, they released a new edition in 2022. Black Flowers, White Lies and several short stories have followed.

Now, to help other young writers, I collect information on my Resources for Teen and Tween Writers page. Some of the info is helpful for adult writers, too. :) It's been recently updated, so please check it out.

​Pandemic and Black Flowers, White Lies were traditionally published by Sky Pony Press. I’ll use Pandemic's cover as an example of the process. First, my editor asked me to come up with a mood board of images, along with a mood board of covers. Here are the covers I chose:
​

We agreed early on that the cover should be blue, since the deadly fictional disease in the book is called the Blue Flu. Because there is a backstory element relating to sexual assault, a teal shade was chosen, which is a nod to the teal ribbon for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
​

​This week is my birthday, and it also happens to be my book's birthday: Sky Pony Press is publishing a new edition of Pandemic. My young adult debut novel was written pre-COVID, and although this version of the story is the same, I updated the resources and back matter to reflect current events. The cover design has been modified slightly--the words "A Novel" have been added, in case people were to confuse this with nonfiction. Is this more of a reincarnation than a birthday? I'll celebrate either way. :)

In honor of this happy week, I wanted to highlight the connection between productivity and joy, which also relates somewhat to this month's Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for creating IWSG and the hop, and to SE White, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguire, Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray for hosting. This month's optional question:

It's important to find (and remind ourselves!) about the joy of writing, especially during the tough patches. Here are ten tips to joyfully reach "The End" of a novel.

1. Map out your story with construction paper, a piece of oaktag, scented markers, glitter, crayons. Make it fun. :) This can be a map of the setting or plot, or even a collage reflecting your character's personality and interests. (For a tech version of the collage, use Pinterest.)
2. According to a recent article on Entrepreneur.com, Increased Productivity Will Increase Your Happiness, "You get a great sense of accomplishment when you cross out tasks or mark them as complete on a to-do list. . . . Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel light and happy, is released when we check off tasks." But writing a novel is a huge task, not easily crossed off the list. One technique I use is it to break "writing" into small chunks of time. (You can also use word count as a metric.) Since starting is often the hardest part, once I begin, I work much longer, and I get the happiness of checking the box.
3. Write haikus from your MC’s POV summarizing what will happen in the remaining chapters.
4. Consider taking a break. (But not for too long....)
5. Consider powering through. Reaching the end is a huge accomplishment! And you can't revise unwritten pages.
6. Do you have the right tools to finish? Maybe a binder to hold the work-in-progress would help, or a fun pen to use for editing? Or would a change in scenery be inspiring? Gretchen Rubin says in Better Than Before, ". . . attractive settings relieve drudgery, and well-made tools make work a joy--which helps to strengthen habits."
7. Create a schedule to finish, even if it's your best guess. Consider telling someone else your intended deadline, if that type of accountability works for you. Don't wait to be inspired to work. (ICYMI: My previous blog post is about Productivity and the Myth of the Creative Muse.)
8. Write with other people, setting up a common time (by Zoom, for example) when you work together even if you can't meet in person.
9. Make a list of a few scenes you can't wait to write, then work toward them. These are what Holly Lisle calls "candy bar" scenes, and she has an excellent article, How to Finish a Novel. I highly recommend giving it a read.
10. Imagine how great it will feel to finish! As Frank Norris originally said (and reiterated by many authors since then), "Don’t like to write, but like having written." 

September is National Preparedness Month! In my young adult novel, Pandemic, the main character is faced with an emergency situation when a deadly contagious disease strikes. (Sound familiar?) During the writing of Pandemic, I researched “sheltering in place” (also known as staying at home during a quarantine -- an experience we all know about now) and experienced a hurricane. It’s important to know what type of disasters could strike your geographical area and to be prepared for them. For more information, visit Ready.Gov, the American Red Cross, or the CDC's post about coping with trauma-related stress. And don't forget about pet care during emergencies! Visit the ASPCA site for more details.

​IWSG Blog Hop:
Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG, and to this month’s helpful blog hop co-hosts: Erika Beebe, Pat Garcia, Tonja Drecker, Sadira Stone, and Cathrina Constantine.

This month is the anniversary of Pandemic's publication in 2014! One surprise, I suppose, is that people have continued to enjoy reading about a fictional pandemic even as we actually lived through one.

In honor of my debut novel's anniversary, I'm sharing a deleted scene. ​At one point in my writing process, this was Pandemic’s opening. It shows a glimpse of Lil’s friendships before the outbreak.

Five months earlier:
Lockers slammed as the usual Friday afternoon joy filled the school. Kayla and Megs walked down the hallway in front of me. I caught up, slipped between them, and linked my arms through theirs.
“Hey, Lil,” Kayla said.
The loudspeaker interrupted with Mr. Fryman’s last announcements of the week. “Don’t forget that Monday is Spirit Day, so please show your school pride by wearing red and white,” he said. “Congratulations on donating over 200 pounds of non-perishable food for the Thanksgiving drive! This season, I’m thankful for all of you! Don’t forget, charity begins at home. And success is a journey, not a destination!”
“Principal Cliché is at it again,” Megs said. “Will he ever stop?”
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” I said.
Megs laughed, but Kayla moved away from us and stood straighter, head up, chest out. At first I thought we’d annoyed her again. Then she did the head tilt, which meant an attractive guy had entered her orbit. As I glanced around for the usual suspects, I almost walked straight into the English teacher who helped me coordinate the food drive in between his debate team coaching.
“Hey, Mr. B,” Kayla said, all white-teeth smile.
“Happy Friday, ladies,” he said. “Liliana, let’s meet in the parking lot in five minutes. I have directions to the food pantry and—”
“Debate team practice on Tuesday?” Kayla interrupted. “I’ve been working on a new speech for Original Oratory, Myths about Love.”
“Sounds good. I can’t wait to hear it.”
She beamed after him as he continued toward his classroom, greeting students and making small talk as he went. Mr. B had convinced the other English teachers to exchange homework passes for food donations, which greatly increased our collection size.
“He’s like the school mayor,” I said.
“The mayor of hotness,” Kayla said. “That dark wavy hair, those brown eyes. Mr. B is bee-you-ti-ful.”
“Oh stop,” I said. “He’s at least thirty.”
“So?” Kayla said. “I’m mature for my age.” She’d spent all of last year crushing on him. It looked like our sophomore year would be more of the same.
“Gross.” Megs scowled. “And illegal.”
Kayla flipped her hair back, ready to argue. 
“Are you nervous about the next debate?” I asked, hoping to derail their fight.
“No,” Kayla said. “I just envision people naked. I have a vivid imagination.”
I shook my head, leaving Megs to deal with her as I left to meet Mr. B.
Later, I would face evil in the form of a deadly virus. But I didn’t know then that evil could come in many forms. It could even masquerade as a caring teacher.
That afternoon would change everything.

This week's links:

An older post, but a good one about writer's envy. The Writer's Poison by Joelle Fraser. 

A Word tech hack that I love: Create your own Text Expander. 

Productivity and the art of doing nothing but thinking: How to boost your creativity with a 'non-time' secret used by Steve Jobs, Einstein, and other neuroscientists

 According to Francine Jay, "Surfaces are not for storage. Rather, surfaces are for activity, and should be kept clear at all other times."
​What do you think?

During research for my YA novel Pandemic, I learned about emerging infectious diseases and the concept of sheltering in place. The more I read, the more I became convinced that my family should have decent emergency supplies in the house, just in case of a disaster. You know how right before a hurricane, grocery and hardware stores will run out of flashlight batteries? I wanted to be prepared ahead of time.
 
I made lists of what we needed, bought supplies, then neatly stored everything. I thought we were ready.
 
That October, our town and the surrounding areas were hit with a freakish ice storm. The ice broke many large tree limbs, causing widespread power outages. And—surprise--I realized that we weren’t that prepared after all. I only lasted three days before packing up the kids, their Halloween costumes, and our dog to stay with family who still had electricity. 

Here are a few lessons learned:
 

1. Pretend you don’t have electricity for an evening and analyze your situation. Can you find the flashlights in the dark? Do you have a way to prepare food without power? Can you easily access vital records if you need to leave? Also, test any new gadgets ahead of time. I wanted to throw our inexpensive hand-crank phone charger across the room, because one hour of tiresome cranking resulted in a miniscule battery charge.
2. Keep supplies on hand for pets. Make sure you have extra food available as well as pet medicines. If your dog frequently throws up, for example, having some extra anti-vomiting tablets is a good idea. Driving to the vet during a disaster is best avoided, if possible. (I learned this the hard way.)
3. Stock up on over-the-counter pain relievers, rehydration drinks, broth, and crackers.  It doesn’t require a pandemic to be grateful for these. A bout of stomach virus or food poisoning will do the trick. (Also, if you’ve written a novel about contagious diseases and don’t keep these items in the house, your family will be understandably bitter.)
4. If there is a possibility of losing power, hold off on using the washing machine. If the spin cycle can’t complete, you will need to wring out all of the laundry manually and find a place to let it air out (like in the shower or bathtub). Otherwise, you will end up with moldy, smelly clothes.
5. Books make everything better. Stock up on easy reads, suspenseful novels, funny ones. Have books on hand that the whole family can enjoy. You’ll want something to keep you distracted from the puking dog, the stomach ache, or the laundry stench. And don’t forget to buy extra flashlights batteries to read after dark. 

I hope my "lessons learned" help with your own disaster preparedness. (If you're looking for more National Preparedness Month information, FEMA provides some checklists.)

If you're interested in the award-winning YA novel that inspired my own disaster planning, here's a brief description:

In PANDEMIC, only a few people know what caused Lilianna Snyder's sudden change from a model student to a withdrawn pessimist who worries about all kinds of disasters. After her parents are called away on business, Lil’s town is hit by what soon becomes a widespread fatal illness. With her worst fears realized, Lil must find a way to survive not only the outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.

Pandemic links: Indiebound | Amazon | B&N | Books A Million | Book Depository | AmazonUK | Goodreads

My debut young adult novel, Pandemic, is coming out in paperback! To celebrate, my editor at Sky Pony Press is hosting a Goodreads giveaway of 5 paperback copies. This new version incorporates the Crystal Kite Award seal on the cover, and features bonus content: an educator's guide, some information about my research, and a fun "Pantry Cuisine" recipe. 

If you win (or buy) a copy, you can be one of the first to start reading my next YA novel, a psychological thriller called Black Flowers, White Lies, since the opening chapters are included at the end of the paperback. I hope if you're in the the US, you'll enter the Goodreads giveaway. 

Stay tuned for other giveaway opportunities in July!

Obsession: Staying safe. She follows news alerts on anything potentially dangerous and stockpiles emergency supplies, but that won’t be enough.

BFF: Megs Salerno. She’s smart and loyal. In truth or dare, a definite dare girl.

Secret: Lil won’t talk about it with anyone except Megs.

Her neighbor: Jay, the new boy in town with a secret of his own.