Musings In The Third Dimension | by Amira K Makansi
Two years ago, I quit my job as a winemaker to become a full-time writer. I had plans to stay in the wine industry intermittently, particularly during the busy harvest season, but my goal was to dedicate myself to writing full-time during the off-season. I can say with confidence that I’ve done that. In the…
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Sometimes when I run into acquaintances or old friends, people I’ve stayed in touch with via social media, one of the first things I hear is “I’m sorry I haven’t read your books yet!” My response is usually something like, “Why are you sorry? It’s not your job to read my books.” I’m constantly surprised…
Read MoreCheck it out! The newest episode of the Literary Libations video series is out today. You’ll find out what to drink when you sit down with Ernest Hemingway’s FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, and you might even learn something about Hemingway himself. Enjoy!
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It is my great pleasure to announce that my forthcoming LITERARY LIBATIONS: WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU READ has been contracted for publication by Skyhorse Press in Fall of 2018!
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“In this post, I’ve included a few words that most professional writers and editors will cut as often as possible. You can use this post as a guide to identify overused words in your own writing and cut them out to make your work clearer and more concise.”
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When was the last time someone told you to “do more with less”? How about “think less, live more”? Or, “reduce, reuse, recycle”? When was the last time you saw an article about the tiny home trend? Minimalist design? Or a DIY Pinterest post about reducing consumption via, well, doing it yourself? Minimalism as a trend…
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In December of 2015, I was being terribly impolite by checking my phone at Christmas dinner with my family. I glanced through my emails to find an unexpected missive from a man named Josh Tickell. I skimmed it and then sat back, stunned and suddenly incapable of participating in the banter around the table. I…
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As a writer and a winemaker, I think a lot about branding. Branding is critical for selling wine, because it’s impossible to know what’s in the bottle until you buy it and open it. Branding builds a relationship of trust between the buyer and the winemaker: when the buyer knows the brand, he knows the…
Read MoreSo you’re a writer. You’re creative, right? You’re multitalented, right? You’ve got loads of ideas spinning around that ol’ brain of yours, and you want to bring them all to fruition. Whether as short stories, poems, novels, or creative non-fiction, you’re a writer with a lot to offer, and it’s time to turn all those…
Read MoreIt’s Friday! A few weeks ago, that would have meant a lot more to me than it does today. (Spoiler alert: one of the things on this list is that the days of the week don’t matter that much anymore.) But Friday means that I’ve officially had two weeks as a full-time member of the…
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