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Focus! Keeping Writing Focused
By Zoha Arif I have some exotic, discombobulating thoughts when I’m brushing my teeth. Some mornings, I’ll be applying a generous swab of...
Jun 29, 20207 min read


Q&A - What's your favorite line you've ever written?
By Giancarlo Riccobon, Daniel Boyko, and Yong-Yu Huang Giancarlo Riccobon My favorite line comes from the first draft of a short story...
Jun 29, 20204 min read


Editing a Piece You Hate
By Daniel Boyko and Zoha Arif So, you’re in the mood for something spicy. Something extravagant, a piece in which the English language...
Jun 9, 20207 min read


Pieces That Excel in Some Areas But Not Others
By Daniel Boyko, Sally Park, and Nishka Dalmia So, a submission magically appears on your Submission Manager, and you’re prepared for the...
Jun 9, 20206 min read


Poet Submits Piece Containing Every Literary Device
By Zoha Arif They say that Einstein birthed the theory of relativity in the mystic dungeon of a Swiss Patent Office. They say that Isaac...
Jun 9, 20205 min read


Tell, Don’t Show (That’s Right, You Heard Me)
By Giancarlo Riccobon Okay, maybe a more accurate title would be, “Show, Don’t Tell, Except for When You Need To Tell.” But that’s not as...
Jun 9, 20206 min read


What it Takes to Move a Reader to Tears Without Chopping Onions
By Zoha Arif Kids, behold Master Sensei, the CEO and Founder of the Fortune 500 Onion Ninja Industries. Master Sensei has been prosperous...
Apr 28, 20207 min read


Avoiding Clichés
By Daniel Boyko and Maya Nalawade Ignorance is bliss. Better safe than sorry. Play your cards right. A fish out of water. What do all of...
Apr 28, 20205 min read


Q&A - How important is understanding a piece's meaning to you?
By Hannah Ramsey and Daniel Boyko Hannah Ramsey: I know that whenever I’m editing a submission, whether it be a very personal nonfiction...
Apr 28, 20204 min read


Writing Natural Dialogue
By Daniel Boyko and Zoha Arif It is a universal consensus that writing dialogue is a trial—a detestation on its own—and one of those...
Mar 7, 20204 min read


Finding Positive Qualities in a Piece You Dislike
By Jessica Kim [In conjunction with “Editing a Piece That Frustrates You”.] Grammarly is indeed a lifesaver. It corrects “response for”...
Mar 7, 20203 min read


Poetry vs Prose: Battle of the Genres
By Daniel Boyko, Jennifer Wang, and Zoha Arif Some people eat paper. Some prefer poetry, others eat prose, and some are on a more diverse...
Jan 4, 20206 min read


Editing Fiction (For the Anxious Poet, the Lazy Editor, & People Who Happen to Be Both)
For some editors, opening Submission Manager and seeing the genre listed as “fiction” strikes fear deep into their hearts. Maybe it’s...
Oct 31, 20196 min read


Justifying your commentary
Prior to the thrill of receiving their Submission Manager account and their very first submission, all Polyphony Lit editors undergo a...
Dec 31, 20186 min read


Avoiding Intimidating Yourself
By Grace Yue Editing others’ work can be a humbling experience. You look at his or her writing and think, I could never write anything as...
Nov 4, 20183 min read
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