Author: Cathryn Free
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10 Reasons to Keep a Reading Journal
These 10 reasons to keep a reading journal will help you get focused, stay organized, and hit your reading goals! I’m obsessed with journals. I think most writers are because we are constantly having ideas we want to write down, feelings we need to process, or lists of things to organize. I’m a recent convert…
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“Sink or Swim” Published in Cricket Magazine
My short fiction piece, “Sink or Swim”, was published in the July/August 2022 issue of Cricket magazine. When I first started pursuing publication, I decided that I would start with magazines. I wanted the practice, the resume, and frankly, the income. Magazines have a greater need for short pieces since many put out an issue…
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How to Brainstorm
How to Brainstorm to find you next novel idea. “Where do your ideas come from?” “How do you know what to write about?” People ask authors these kinds of questions all this time, and I don’t know if there’s a good answer. A great idea isn’t something that authors are blessed with and nobody else…
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“Light in the Dark” Published in Keys for Kids Magazine
My latest devotion is in Keys for Kids magazine! As a teacher for many years and a mom of four, I know my way around a children’s devotion or two. Often times, I can find them a bit didactic, or even, well… lame. Let’s be real, devotions in general can often fall into two categories:…
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Querying: What I’m Doing Differently the Second Time Around
The things I’m doing differently the second time I’m querying. I’m about to start another round of querying a new novel I’ve finished. I still have a few things to wrap up and work on before I start sending out queries and first pages, but I’m beginning to put together the different parts of a…
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Stop Comparing Your Writing Journey!
It’s time to stop comparing your writing journey to others’ and find the joy in writing again! How many writers do you follow on social media? I’m curious, because I follow quite a few. Mostly for inspiration but also because I want to connect with other people who do what I do. And it’s a…
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“The Fifth Taste” Published in Muse Magazine
My nonfiction article “The Fifth Taste” was published in Muse Magazine! I love food. And research. And research about food. And making food taste good. And writing. And I got to combine all of those loves into one fun article for Muse magazine! Muse magazine is science and discovery magazine for ages 9-14 and is…
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5 Common Mistakes of New Writers
Avoid these common mistakes made by new writers! I’ve been writing for a long time. A LONG time. Years. Over a decade. And while I still have plenty of writing goals I want to hit, I can say with full certainty, that I have learned a LOT along the way. And like most lessons learned…
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“The Three Brujas” Published in Touchdown Magazine
My story, “The Three Brujas” is published in Touchdown magazine! I read the book Born to Run years ago, and to this day it is one of my favorite running books. The book explores distance running by looking at several different cultures where running is part of the lifestyle. And no culture has a bigger…
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The Magic of Revision: Why you need to revise
The magic happens in revision. Finishing a draft of a novel is like finishing your last training run for a marathon. Its a a huge accomplishment! You’ve dedicated months, (or maybe even years!) to show up daily, put in the work, and make the choice every agonizing day to get it done. It can feel…
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