Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Grace for the Socially Awkward

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The comfort of watching someone else get it wrong: Confession: I adore Jamie from the Progressive Insurance commercials. Jamie is so freaking enthusiastic but terribly socially miscalibrated. He over-explains, misreads the room, tries to hard and his jokes fall flat. Yet no one fires him or kicks him off the island. They just look at him and say, “Um, Jamie, that’s not how it works,” and … [Read more...]

The five-star question that divided my book club

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When an “unlikable” character cost a book two stars: I went to a book club discussion the other evening about Little One by Oliva Muenter, and I left with a question I can’t stop thinking about: How do we decide what makes a five-star book? Twelve readers gathered around tables in a bookstore that evening, all clearly invested. Before the discussion even began, they voiced strong and … [Read more...]

Writing the Weird: Finding Joy, Meaning, and Magic in Storytelling with Stephanie Campisi

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What: I write weird, whimsical things for all ages and across all sorts of categories. From picture books to romcoms to TV adaptations, I've done it all! That said, most of my work has some things in common: it's usually comedic, with a touch of the fantastical, and there's almost always a funny woman lead (if not two!)  My latest book is The Unfinished Business, a humorous middle grade … [Read more...]

What We Owe Each Other as Writers

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When personal biases get in the way of simple congratulations: My MFA association’s Facebook page is intended to be a place where, among other things, we share our joy and celebrate the rare, hard-won wins. So, it’s weird when you get a response that doesn’t celebrate with you but instead tells you why your joy doesn’t count. I recently shared my essay, published in Women Writers, Women’s … [Read more...]

I Deleted My Book Trailer Three Times — Here’s What I Learned

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What making a 50-second trailer taught me about revision: When I set out to make a book trailer for Love and Other Incurable Ailments, I didn’t expect the hardest part would be deciding when it was finished. A book trailer is a different kind of storytelling, since it’s built from images, rhythm, and music as much as words. For Love and Other Incurable Ailments, I worked on mine until I … [Read more...]