Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Journal.

Becoming a Writer
Every since I was in fourth grade, after reading Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire, I was inspired to become a writer myself. With an overactive imagination and the will to create I began writing all sorts of stories.
By Melinda Dawson7 years ago in Journal
What Happens When the Bottom Drops Out?
In 2001, I went back to school to be a paralegal. I won’t bore you about how old I was then, but I had had Latin in high school around the time of the dinosaurs so I was one-up on the other students. Actually, I was two-up; most of them were fresh out of high school and still floundering. The school was interesting, to say the least. My teacher, a recently disbarred attorney (whose idea was that?), kept telling the others they could go on and be an attorney, but not me; she said that I was too old for that.
By Carol Tietsworth7 years ago in Journal
Journey into Fantasy
Of all my current series, Araviel, was the most difficult to finally start. Before starting the book I worked tirelessly for three years to create the world, all the species, the religion, and several languages to bring it all to life.
By Melinda Dawson7 years ago in Journal
Beginner's Guide: Deepening Creativity and Skill - Part 3
Between here and on Twitter, I've become this broken record of saying to believe in yourself as an artist, letting yourself have ups and downs, and finding creativity. But, I'm creating very little finished work at the moment. Looking at my Instagram, you might just see some tumbleweed. I even hit a point of genuinely worrying I am not an artist anymore, and if I will actually continue to draw. *Oh so dramatic Toto, you know that isn't true.* Except, I actually believed it. As I preached how to be a creative, the more I championed creativity, the less creative I felt. And, to top off my insecurities, I started to realize how self absorbed I've been.
By 'Toto' (Aleksina Teto)7 years ago in Journal
Ring!!! Your Side Hustle Is Calling
Go and get your hustle on! 37% of Americans are currently engaged in a side hustle, and 51% of millennials have an occasional side hustle, according to a study by Bankrate. Looks like I am not the only person who believes in the need to get your hustle on. This year many people took the risk and dove deeper into something they are passionate about, decided to no longer wait, and are using their 9 to 5 gigs as a launching pad. What about you? Many of us have or are still doing that one thing we saw our parents do. You get up every day, grab your coffee, take your commute and end up in a cubicle or office (if you are lucky), for the traditional job—but you find yourself daydreaming about the thing you prefer to be doing. What about that one hobby that consumes you? Yep…that thing; many of us call that a “side hustle.” Side hustles make life interesting, they keep you energized, and one day we hope to make them our daily destiny, but how?
By TJ Neal7 years ago in Journal
8 Reasons Why You Should Write a Novel This November, Even If You're Not a Writer
November is National Novel Writing Month, and it's coming fast. 'Tis the season to coerce your creativity out of hiding and onto the page in the form of words, preferably sentences, hopefully paragraphs, and maybe even chapters that culminate with the creation of an actual, coherent story. Every year on November 1st, thousands of writers—ranging from published authors to hobbyists to ink-and-paper virgins—commence a common journey to write 50,000 words over the course of 30 days. The deadline is 11:59 PM on November 30th.
By Quinn N7 years ago in Journal
The Untold Truth of a Wattpad Writer
When your head is filled with many crazy stories full of castles, dragons, the end of the world etc., it gets extremely hard to hold it in and have no way of letting it spill out. This is how I felt for a big portion of my life. As my creativity began to expand and grow as I got older, the capacity I had in my brain became smaller. My math equations became formulas for a love potion. My knowledge on the early American settlers became the history of the early magical kings. The mental image I had of the table of elements became a collection of elemental staffs in the hall of mages. I wanted so badly to be able to create a story out of my thoughts, but I had no way of doing it until I found my outlet.
By Savannah Buckner7 years ago in Journal
10 Things HR Won't Tell You (But Should)
The human resources department is one of the most misunderstood parts in the any corporate setting. It's a work role that people never quite understand, simply because HR reps do so much for a typical company.
By Cato Conroy7 years ago in Journal
Worst Résumé Mistakes You've Probably Made
Job hunting sucks. No matter how qualified you are, it can feel like an endless slew of rejections. I find one of the best ways to combat this feeling of dejection is to constantly be reworking your résumé in order to make it as close to perfect as it can be. If you are noticing signs your résumé isn't working, here are some of easily avoidable, yet common résumé mistakes. Take the extra time to read through and make sure there are no mistakes on your résumé before you send it out to potential employers.
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick7 years ago in Journal
It Pays to be Nice to Your Cashier
I have quite a few years of experience in retail. From that experience I can guarantee you that if you are kind to your cashier, they will be kind back. While having kind exchanges with others should be rewarding it can also help your wallet as well when it involves those in charge of the register.
By Claire7 years ago in Journal
Top 10 Grammar Checker Software Solutions for Writers
The demand for valuable and freshly written articles is on the rise nowadays. Now that content marketing and all sorts of blog articles are becoming a need for online business owners, companies, and organizations, creating high quality and informative content is now a must. Plus, many students are also facing challenges in improving their writing skills.
By Sam Jose7 years ago in Journal
What I've Learned from a Month of Blacksmithing
There aren't as many sparks as the movies might have you believe. Also, much fewer swords, because swords are incredibly arduous to make, not to mention useless if you're a beginner blacksmith, because it will not turn out right.
By D.C. Perry7 years ago in Journal