Hello, all, fresh off the press! I was recently interviewed by a Dutch emag, Fantasize. Fantasize Special – De rol van de vrouw: interview with Carolyn Chang (English) Don’t worry, it’s in English. I had a lot of fun answering Ninja Paap-Luijten’s questions. In the interview you’ll read about some of my thoughts behind the…
Category: Writing
Dear C. M. Chang #4: Oh, you’re a writer? I’ve always wanted to write a book.
Dear C.M. Chang, Whenever I mention I’m a writer, I can’t tell you how many times the person replied with: “Oh, you’re a writer? You know, I’ve always wanted to write a book too.” The way they say it makes it sound so trivial, as if it’s like deciding on a whim to buy a…
Dear C. M. Chang #3: Why is that writer successful?
Dear C. M. Chang I cannot believe this jack-ass of a writer I know is so successful. The metaphors he uses are as cliché as you can get, the plot lines are holy as Swiss cheese, and his story is as predictable as when my dog needs to poop. Yet he’s got an agent(s!), his…
Dear C. M. Chang #2: Waiting for my muse
Dear C. M. Chang, I cannot write unless my creative muse is with me. So many times I’m waiting and waiting until I feel inspired. What am I doing wrong? Inspirationless, O. G. Dear O. G., Are you living in Ancient Greece? The muses are a myth! What you need to do is simple. Sit…
Dear C. M. Chang #1: No time to read
Dear C. M. Chang, I’m a writer, but I have no time to read books. Work, writing, my attention-starved spouse, and my annoying little dog take up all my time. They say that writers should read, but who has the time? I don’t. Sincerely, I. Toobusy Dear I. Toobusy, This has gotta be one of…
Book: The Deep — Mermaids descended from slaves
I was excited to discover this novella concerning mermaids – THE DEEP by Rivers Solomon – that descended from pregnant slaves thrown overboard. The creatures fascinated me and at the end of the book the author provides an explanation as to what triggered this world. I devoured this, actually more literary feeling, work in a…
A fish with 2 mouths
Check out this crazy catch! As soon as I saw the title I had to look. I was not disappointed. I need to think of a way to add this a freaky creature like this into my FISH novel. I even made up a name for it: Dooliep.
Badass women: a pictorial history
I have a Pinterest account for my Scriabin and sewing obsessions. Occasionally something from another theme pops up that catches my eye and this one totally did. My new Fish series is a feminist story too, where I am having fun reversing the stereotypical gender roles. The woman running the Boston Marathon I found particularly…
Seeking fiction writers for the American Writing Community critique group
We’re a supportive group of fiction writers writing in English. Most of us have been published, but that isn’t a prerequisite. We meet monthly in the Amsterdam Zuid area to share our work and give constructive feedback. Fiction for ages YA and up are welcome. Interested? Send us a message via our Facebook group or…
Goddess Oya – The Black God’s Drums
What drew me to this book, was, of course, a goddess — African goddess Oya of storms from West Africa. Check out the below image of her I found along with some great info at this site. In my fantasy series project, FISH, goddesses play an essential and active role in the world. I actually…