Suspend Your Disbelief

Shop Talk

Bookish Gift Idea #17: Minimalist Book Ring

by Celeste Ng

Jeweler Metalnat offers this minimalist interpretation of a book, in sterling silver. I love that the “pages” are open—full of possibilities: It’s intended as a ring, but it would also be beautiful as a pendant on a chain, or as a mini-work of art on your writing desk. Actually, it reminds me of Anne Lamott’s one-inch picture frame—a useful reminder for any writer to keep in mind. Available on Etsy. Check back here at the FWR blog every day in December for another bookish gift idea!


Naming Names

by Celeste Ng

I was once in a workshop where a fellow student had written an entire story with no proper names–the main characters were referred to just as “she” and “he” for fifteen or so pages. Most of the class felt the characters needed handles: to make things clearer to the reader, to make dialogue less awkward, to make the characters feel like real people rather than abstractions. All of these things were true, but I sympathized with the author. I hate naming things too. In the internet era, at least, you can find help. Long common among writers of sci-fi and […]


Bookish Gift Idea #16: Mental Floss T-shirts

by Celeste Ng

For the delightfully dorky ones in your life, may we suggest these punny T-shirts from Mental Floss? Celebrate your love of hyperbole, homonyms, punctuation, cliches, or idioms. And for the younger set, there’s this onesie: All shirts are available at Mental Floss. Wear. See who laughs. Find kindred (dorky) spirits.


Bookish Gift Idea #15: Portable laser keyboard

by Celeste Ng

In case you doubted it: we live in the future. I think this dawned on me when I got a smartphone shortly after my son was born. Suddenly, despite having a babe (literally) in arms, I could still read my favorite blogs and newspapers. I could still get my email. I could even read books and spent an entire month working my way through the complete Sherlock Holmes—in fifteen-minute segments, during my son’s naps. But the one thing a smartphone isn’t very good for is actually writing. Sure, you can take notes or jot down a sentence when a great […]


Books in distress. Holiday shopping to the rescue.

by Celeste Ng

Are publishers just eternal optimists? Continually self-deluded? Or–could print be alive and well after all? Apparently, sales of books—actual books, those things printed on paper, bound with glue, and sold in stores—have been up this holiday season. U. P. UP. Reports the New York Times: Barnes & Noble, the nation’s largest bookstore chain, said that comparable store sales this Thanksgiving weekend increased 10.9 percent from that period last year. The American Booksellers Association, a trade group for independents, said last week that members saw a sales jump of 16 percent in the week including Thanksgiving, compared with the same period […]


Bookish Gift Idea #14: Cigarette-pack books

by Celeste Ng

For the manly-man reader on your list, what about these books packaged in cigarette packs? Each is unabridged and wrapped in cellophane for… freshness. Available from Tank Books, the packs offer titles by appropriately macho authors: Tolstoy, Kipling, Conrad, Stevenson, Kafka, and, of course, Hemingway. U.S. customers can also order from Ten Over Six. Check back at FWR every day in December for another bookish gift!


Written? Kitten!

by Celeste Ng

We’ve talked before about ways to get yourself to write. There are tools to help minimize distractions, and even tools like Write or Die that dole out punishment if you don’t keep the words flowing. But what is all you need is some positive motivation? That’s where Written? Kitten! enters the picture. Written? Kitten! is a free web-based writing tool. And yeah, the punctuation there is correct. As you type, the site periodically rewards you with… wait for it… a picture of a cute kitten. You choose your level of feline reward—every 100, 200, 500, or 1000 words. Perfect for […]


Book-of-the-Week Winners: The Angel Makers

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

Last week we featured The Angel Makers, by Jessica Gregson, as our Book-of-the-Week title, and we’re pleased to announce the winners. Congratulations to: Pamela Cook (@justwritetoday) Amanda DeMarco (@Readuxreads) Wendy Chen (@wendywchen) To claim your free copy, please email us at the following address: winners [at] fictionwritersreview.com If you’d like to be eligible for future giveaways, please visit our Twitter Page and “follow” us!


Bookish Gift Idea #13: "Storytellers" Tee

by Celeste Ng

This T-shirt is like a book-lover’s visual quiz: it features cartoon representations of 25 famous stories. (Click the right-hand image above to view larger—how many can you name?) It’s available in men’s, women’s, kids’, and infant sizes from Threadless. And check back here at FWR every day in December for more bookish gifts for everyone on your list.


Faulkner meets HBO

by Celeste Ng

David Milch, the creator of NYPD Blue and Deadwood, will be bringing Faulker’s literary works to HBO. Yup, you read that right. Reports the New York Times: “I’m not, probably, the first person they would have thought of approaching them,” Mr. Milch said in a phone interview, referring to his months-long discussions with the William Faulkner Literary Estate. “But a number of conversations were fruitful and here we are.” But the Times points out Milch isn’t as far-fetched a choice as you might think: But before he started putting colorful words in the mouths of Andy Sipowicz and Al Swearengen, […]


Bookish Gift Idea #12: The Storymatic

by Celeste Ng

Here’s a great gift for a young writer, a game buff, or a teacher. The Storymatic provides 500 cards suggesting characters, images, and events to lead players into a story: First, draw two gold cards. Combine the information on the two cards to create your main character. For example, if you draw “surgeon” and “amateur boxer,” your character is a surgeon who is also a boxer. Next, draw one or two copper cards. Let the information on the cards lead you into a story. Wild cards are interspersed throughout, and they prompt you to go in directions you might not […]




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