ALISON MCBAIN
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Been a bit behind in listing my recent publications - will be updating this page soon!

Writing Articles

  • "Avoiding Bad Writing Advice" - How to spot bad writing advice and what to do with it (hint: rhymes with "car-badge").
  • "Legit Awards for Indie Books" - How to avoid scams and get great recognition for your writing.
  • "Why Do Writers Love Pain?" - How to get FEWER rejections and MORE publications.
  • "How I Jumped the Line & Got a Book Deal" - Thinking outside the box got my book traditionally published.
  • "Hit the Bullseye with Your Writing" - A simple guide for formatting submissions to avoid automatic rejections.
  • "What Happens After NaNoWriMo?" - Don't let your words go to waste! How to change your NaNo project into a finished manuscript.
  • "Should I Join a Writing Group?" - Why they're important, and how to find the perfect group for you.
  • "Searching for the Magic" - One author's insight into why writing a sequel is much harder than writing a first book.
  • "The Success of NaNoWriMo" - How I turned 50,000 words into a contest-winning book, and how you can win at NaNoWriMo, too.
  • "Write Toward the Fear" - Overcome what's holding you back by confronting it head-on.
  • "Budget-Friendly Book Marketing" - Innovative ways to get your work into readers' hands without the high price tag of direct advertising.
  • "Failure is the Key to Success" - Learning how to write the hard way, to make the lessons stick.
  • "Taking Writing Advice from Fortune Cookies" - A sweet treat of inspiration to overcome self-doubt.
  • "The Battle for Good Reading (and Good Writing)" - Trash can be treasure - it just depends on your perspective.
  • "Red Flags When Hiring an Editor" - A quick guide to tell if you've found a good editor for your project, or if you should think about going back to the drawing board.
  • "The Tao of Receiving Rejections" - Demystifying the agony of an essential part of being a writer.
  • "How to Give Your Kids the Writing Spark" - Why my 3 daughters love to write, and what I did to encourage them.
  • "Where Can You Submit Your Writing and Get Paid for It?" - 8 helpful databases that will get you started in the right direction.
  • ​"Behind the Scenes at Indie Fiction Magazines" - What happens to your story submission after you hit "send?" One editor's experience at three indie publications.​
  • "How to Submit Your Short Stories, Poems & Essays for Publication: Query Letters" - A breakdown of what to put and not put in query letters, including examples.

Recipe

  • "Scuffins" - Cursed Cooking anthology, Cat Eye Press, forthcoming. A vegan, sugar-free recipe for a baked dessert halfway between a scone and a muffin. So good that my kids scarf them up!

Personal Essays

  • "Fantasy Versus Reality" - Rom-com portrayals so bad they're good.
  • "How to Read More as a Working Parent" - How I juggle a job, kids, and my to-read list.
  • "What's the 'Perfect' Gift?" - Rediscover the joy of giving, not the stress.
  • "The Struggle of Being Creative" - Why it's okay to give yourself permission to just be "okay."
  • "Thank You to Our Writers & Readers!" - Heartfelt appreciation to the growing creative community of writers and artists at Morning Musings Magazine.
  • "Advice for Plagiarizers" - How to report plagiarizers on Medium, and why it's important to be a part of the solution.
  • "Great Advice from Great Authors" - Three inspiring quotes to start your day.
  • "Finding Your Creative Space" - Why creativity is essential for health and peace of mind.
  • "Fighting Procrastination" - How to stop shadowboxing against yourself and start accomplishing your goals.
  • "Individuality = Success" - How to focus on your individual experiences to achieve your goals.
  • " 'Hack' & 'Side Hustle' " - Why some slang phrases are puzzling and cringeworthy.
  • "Morning Musings Magazine" - I'm one of the editors for this new Medium publication, currently open for submissions.
  • "Help! My Reading List Has Over 300 Stories" - Why my addiction is having stacks of books and stacks of stories to read.
  • "What Day Is It Again?" - The genetics behind being forgetful.
  • "Fortune Cookies for Life" - Drawing inspiration from the sweetest of places.
  • ​"Why I Read Every Writer Who Follows Me" - Why I like to know a little bit about my fellow writers who also like my writing.
  • "The Accidental Teacher" - My adventures in homeschooling my three kids during the pandemic.
  • "What I Learned from Meeting Ray Bradbury" - A look at how meeting one's literary hero isn't always enough.
  • "I Apologize in Advance" - Where is the perfect balance between apologizing too much and not apologizing enough?
  • "Finding the Right Words" - An essay about why I became a writer.
  • "Return to a Golden State" - Looking back on my upbringing in California and how far I've come from where I grew up.
  • "Whiskey, Sushi & a Granddaughter's Hope" - Remembering how my grandmothers died, and what their deaths meant about how they lived.
  • "The In-Between" - A look at Japanese and English words, and how the crossover of meaning defines who I am today.​
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  • Blog
  • Books
  • Shorts
    • Shorts
    • Articles & Essays
    • Toddler Times
  • Book Covers
  • News
    • Readings & Events
    • Podcasts
    • Interviews & Other News
    • Awards
    • More Stuff >
      • Book Reviews
      • Random Art
      • Links
      • Privacy Policy
  • About Me