Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA
Bio
Writer, bookworm, sci-fi space cadet, and coffee+tea fanatic living in Brooklyn. I have an MS in Integrated Design & Media and an MFA in Fiction from NYU. I share poetry on Instagram as @SleeplessAuthoress.
Achievements (7)
Stories (166)
Filter by community
My Mental Health Journey in Map Pins. Runner-Up in Maps of the Self Challenge. Top Story - November 2025.
I’m getting on an airplane tomorrow to go to Thailand. It’s my first time going to a destination wedding. I’m tremendously excited, but the act of undertaking a long journey makes me introspective.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA2 months ago in Humans
Don’t Give In to These 6 Writing Doubts
“A word after a word after a word is power.” ― Margaret Atwood There’s power in the written word, but if you’re early in your journey, it’s hard to believe. If you write and write but no one seems to read, it’s hard to keep your confidence. You might even start to lose sight of what makes writing so wonderful and just how much power you have in your hands as a writer.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA2 months ago in Writers
Her Hopes Up in Smoke. Runner-Up in Through the Keyhole Challenge.
We don’t have keyholes. We have warped sheets of plywood as doors. We’ve painted them to make them less utilitarian. A hook and eye fastens the door shut. But my parents’ door has suffered the loss of a few eyes over the years of slammed plywood on the heels of their fights.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA2 months ago in Fiction
When a Tie Becomes a Symbol of Love
She met him at a Christmas party. She was attending with several of her friends, fellow young career women. The party was “all the way out in Long Island,” which made it a bit of a trek for these Manhattanites. Regardless, all the girls from the office were going, so it seemed like a necessary excursion, both personally and professionally. This sounds quite ordinary to our ears today, but back in the 1930s and 1940s, this was a bit more unique for a young woman.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA2 months ago in Humans
9 Reasons to Keep Writing When You Feel Stuck. Top Story - November 2025.
“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” ― Thomas Mann Our reasons for writing are never exactly the same, but there are common threads we can connect over. Many writers have complicated feelings toward their craft. In one sense, it’s your lifeline in getting your voice out to the world. In another, it’s also the thing that drives you to keep writing more and more.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA2 months ago in Writers
How to Write About Your Opinion When Terrified of Conflict
One of the most common pieces of advice I read is to write about what makes you angry. I always cringe a little when I read this; I am notorious for picking harmless topics that no one can get offended over. I’m so afraid of conflict that I avoid controversial topics like they’re medieval plague doctors. I avoid subjects that I want to write about because I’m afraid of the reaction I’ll get.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA3 months ago in Writers
5 Quotes from Joyce Carol Oates’ “Faith of a Writer”
Joyce Carol Oates is an incredible writer of literary fiction. She’s written 58 novels so far, she’s won piles of awards, and she’s active on X. I’m currently working my way through her impressively lengthy novel Blonde about Marilyn Monroe. Amid the many hats she wears, she’s been an Artist-in-Residence at NYU, and has given many readings at the Lilian Vernon House over the years.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA3 months ago in Writers
