The Recurring Theme In Many Hotel Ads
Shi Min Xie I have had the privilege of being a travel writer for a luxury magazine, and there is a recurring issue that I encounter every time I put the magazine together.…
2015
Lots Of Writing Advice Is Bullshit
When I was pitching my book to agents, I came across an article that said something like, “Why Prologues are not a Good Idea.” It detailed the ways in which…
My Editor & I Scrutinise Women’s Magazines
Yesterday, my editor and I went to a certain printing company to do a press check. When we were sitting in the room, we started reading and making fun of…
The One Safe Place By Tania Unsworth — A Review
One of the things I don’t like about some books is how they don’t have a synopsis on the cover — my borrowed copy of The One Safe Place didn’t,…
How To Write Better & Have Fun At The Same Time
One of the fairly common questions I get in real life from my friends (who are not English majors) is, “How to write better?” When I was asked this question,…
The Red Pyramid — A Review
While I was at the library, I came across the first book of The Red Pyramid series — lucky me. It’s actually quite hard to grab ahold of anything that…
Power Rangers
One at work, my editor and I had this conversation. Me: My boyfriend says I should get an English name since no one can pronounce my Chinese name for shit.…
No Job? What Next?
Yesterday, my boss told me that I may not have a job by the end of July. The magazine I work for isn’t making money, we’re not generating online traffic…
Firefight by Brandon Sanderson — A Review
The problem with reviewing sequels is the one has to allude to the first book — in this case, it’s Steelheart. One of my favourite fantasy authors imagines a world…
There Are Lots Of Fake Blogs Making Money By Spamming Keywords. Here’s How They Do It
Three weeks ago, at work, one of my superiors from the neighbouring company shared his secrets to creating a successful website. S/he’d looked over my shoulder, and wondered why the…