Melanie is a New Mexico-based writer of short stories, YA novels, and creative nonfiction. Her work has appeared in The Boiler, Cutthroat, Sixfold, Post Road, New Ohio Review, and Philadelphia Stories, among others. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and received notable mention in Best American Essays. When she's not teaching or writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, traveling, and drinking a good cup of chai. Her favorite writers include Claire Vaye Watkins, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, Aimee Bender, Karen Russell, Lorrie Moore, Tana French, David Sedaris, George R.R. Martin, and Alison Bechdel.
Hello, Plumers! Our August/September edition has just shipped, which means we’re hard at work on October’s offerings! Plume’s next featured creative writer is Tanaya Winder, a writer, educator, motivational speaker, and performance poet from the Southern Ute, Duckwater Shoshone, and Pyramid Lake Paiute Nations. Tanaya is a literary force to be reckoned with, and we’re so … Read more
Bouquets of Sharpened Pencils It’s that time of year when people, young and old, return to school. Maybe you’re not a teacher or involved in academia. Maybe you don’t have kids or they’re grown and well past this stage of life. Regardless, this back to school time creates a very specific atmosphere, one that I … Read more
Hello, fellow book lovers! You may recall that way back in January I posted about a self-imposed book challenge I set for myself this year. I’ve mentioned it occasionally since then, but now that there are only four full months left in the year (when did that happen?!), I thought it was time to give … Read more
Plume’s upcoming August/September mailing will feature Judy Reeves, a dynamic writer, teacher, and writing practice provocateur. Judy has been a delight to work with, and we’re so excited to share her writing with you! Check out our interview with her to find out why she’s a writer you don’t want to miss! Plume: When did … Read more
Introducing Cushy There are many strong, creative, empowered women out there. I don’t know about you, but I think the more we support and encourage one another, the more women tend to thrive. With that in mind, we here at Plume would like to take a moment to introduce you to another female-helmed business that … Read more
I still remember the first time I submitted work to a literary magazine. My favorite undergraduate writing professor made everyone in the class submit work to a small, local journal for the experience. I think she was pretty aware none of us were ready yet, but I appreciated the push. It led to my very first rejection letter and to a copy of the journal that declined to publish me!
Fast forward many years, and while I wouldn’t say I have the submission process down to a science, I have definitely put my work out there enough times that I feel, if not comfortable, competent at it.
Where to Begin?
What if you’ve never submitted anything in your life? Or the last time you submitted, everything was done with printed materials? (Some places still do accept hard copies; in fact, some still only accept physical drafts in the mail).
We all carry lots of titles–teacher, reader, swimmer, carpooler, weightlifter, daughter, mother, stepmother, grandmother, scientist, philosopher, feminist, cat person, dog person, linguist, foodie, show-binger, traveler, entrepreneur, spouse, counselor, fan, and so many more, but there’s one title that we creative types often struggle with: writer.
What is it about this particular title that gives so many of us pause? Does it feel too sacred, too intimidating, too unearned? It is an important title, to be sure, but it doesn’t need to be something shiny on a high shelf that only the greats can use when referring to themselves.
I’ve found some pretty weird and beautiful places to write in and about in New Mexico.
Here’s one from the archives that feels evergreen. Enjoy, Plumesters!
Setting as Character
We’ve all read something, whether it’s a story, essay, poem, or any other form of literature, where the setting seems to leap off the page in a way that feels visceral and singular. I have always been drawn to stories with a memorable setting, and lately have come across two that have been particularly vivid. A few weeks ago I finished Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, a novel set in Wind Gap, a small, fictional town in Missouri’s Bootheel. The town is mostly poor, but dotted with gentry who exploit the work of their more desperate peers. It’s a murder mystery, and while I won’t spoil anything beyond that, just know that this town is the perfect setting for a southern gothic intrigue, disfunction, and horror. If you’re interested in watching the HBO adaptation, it’s great so far, but as always, I recommend reading the book first.
Once I finished Flynn’s book (which she penned 12 years ago, even before her breakout hit Gone Girl), I moved on to The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Usually, I try to balance something light after reading such dark fare, but I’ve joined a book club through a podcast, so I just might end up derailing some of my own reading challenge picks as I pursue these other narratives. I’m about 100 pages into TLS now, so I’m a fifth of the way through this fairly hefty book, which I believe is going to become a ghost story very soon. This is not my usual fair, but I’m riveted by the descriptions of The Hundreds, a country British estate that was once prosperous and well-kept, but at the time of the narrative (just after WWII), it’s fallen into great disrepair, and general, well, creepiness. The structure looms large physically with it’s motley assortment of crumbling facades and empty rooms; emotionally, you can also sense that there’s something not quite right about it or its current inhabitants (again, no spoilers–just a general unease I’m getting as I read). A film adaptation is coming to theaters at the end of August (Remember, adaptations are my jam–as long as I read the book first!).
Many of you contributed to our GoFundMe, and we can’t thank you enough for your generosity. We haven’t quite reached our goal yet (We’ve raised just over $1800 at this point), and have found that GoFundMe is not the best platform for us moving forward (It’s a long story, but the TL/DR answer is that we don’t recommend GoFundMe if you want helpful, expedient customer service and easy access to the information you’ve gathered via your fundraiser), so for the final leg of our fundraising efforts, we are switching over to Kickstarter.
Me, writing beside the “mascot” at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop
A Change of Venue
Do you ever feel like you need to get out of the house and/or office to write? Though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I love writing in cafés. I try to squeeze in as much writing as I can, but I almost always spend my one dedicated writing hour a week at my favorite neighborhood café.
Maybe you enjoy these types of venues for writing already, or you might be asking, What’s the appeal? I have a quiet room with a desk and a view at home; I think I’m good. Perhaps you have the perfect set-up already, but to me, there’s something so delicious about writing in public. I enjoy a little hustle and bustle around me. I love a well-made cup of chai. I delight in the feeling that no one, not even the guy sitting two feet away from me, has any idea what I’m writing about.
I’m not saying that writing at a café lacks for challenges, of course. It can take a little planning to have an enjoyable café writing session. Here are some tips for getting the most out of an hour (or an afternoon!) writing at a coffee shop.
