TONIGHT at 8!!

Today is publishing day for Tolani Akinola’s debut novel, “Leave Your Mess At Home”! In case you missed her talk last month about publishing a debut novel, here are some highlights– now, go check out her book!

so… “everyday me just want to eat a big bowl of beans” 🫘

Join us tomorrow at 9 am for our free/public writing studio!!

“The volta, the "turn" in a poem, is a central moment of bewilderment—moving the reader in a new direction. What kinds of voltas are possible in a poem? Leading toward a conversation about how to end our poems, we will draw upon voltas from poets like Lucille Clifton and Marie Howe.” - Jane Wong

Next Sunday, April 19, at 8 pm ET, join us for a free generative craft workshop by superstar poet Jane Wong! We’ll get into what a volta can actually be and do, as well as what Wong calls “the ending after the ending.” Join our Discord at discord.gg/cxSdvE2EfN and bring some friends!!

reader: wow this seems effortless.
writer: it took me ten years & 400 drafts to complete this story

LIT MATCH COLLECTIVE Discord OPEN to everyone! Not a member yet? No problem! You can still hang with us!

Some of you may have picked up on this, but *cue the confetti* the LMC Discord is now open to everyone!!!🎊🎊🎊 Hang with us at discord.gg/cxSdvE2EfN, where you’ll hear about public events before they’re announced and can chat all day long with fellow writers!

LIT MATCH COLLECTIVE POETRY PROMPT #2: Choose a block of text & black out or erase words to create something new.

This week, we’re diving into found poetry! For this prompt, choose a piece of text and black out or erase words to create something new. OR: choose lines from your favorite pieces of text (poems, songs, conversations, etc.) and rearrange them to create something new.

Guided Writing Studio is back, but with a twist– It's FREE! Join us on April 14 at 9 am or on April 15 at 8 pm for one of our monthly, guided writing sessions, led by Editor Autumn Watts @autumnwatts.bsky.social. Use this link to join our public Discord & register for events: discord.gg/cxSdvE2EfN

4/01 7 pm ET: Mentored Milestones Check-In. Convert your writing goals into plans ft. milestones journals & trackers 4/14 9 am ET and 4/15 8 pm ET: Guided Writing Studio. Generative group writing sessions, now available in the AM and PM. Open to everyone! 4/19 8 pm ET: Poetry Masterclass with Jane Wong. Generative craft workshop on the volta & "the ending after the ending." Open to everyone! 4/26 8 pm ET: Firelight Readaround, Poets+. An online community reading series-- share your poetry (+other genres welcome!) Open to everyone!

The full visual calendar for Lit Match Collective's April events.

Happy National Poetry Month! To celebrate, we’ll be publishing two prompts each week on Discord & one a week on our socials! And, poet Jane Wong will host a FREE, public poetry workshop all about the volta!

Check out the full list of April events at litmatchcollective.beehiiv.com/p/april-plans

Poetry Prompt #1: Write a prose poem about one of the following: 1. An inherited truth, myth, or ghost story 2. An oncoming apocalypse 3. A “study” of something (whether that’s an inanimate object, a landscape, a pop culture moment, etc.)

Your first poetry prompt of the month: Write a poem that is hard to differentiate from standard prose. These often follow a narrative/scene and read like flash or your very own “failed essay.” No line breaks needed! If you need a place to start, choose a seed of inspiration from the image below.

Emma Bolden - Three Poems The Path of Needles I lay down in bed a little damsel and woke a grandmother.In between: the damp flash of a life I could not wish foror remember. My body soured, a stone fruit sucked clean to the pit...

Day 1: “I-16 W” by @emmabolden.bsky.social in the inaugural(!!!) issue of @nervetowrite.bsky.social (which I’ve been eagerly awaiting!). I’m so excited to see what’s next for this new magazine.

www.nervetowrite.com/post/emma-bo...

that's alan j submittable, heir to the submittable fortune

This image has a colored-pencil on canvas style background, complete with blue-tinted clouds and a doe with a butterfly in front of its nose, situated behind a white picket fence with pink and yellow flowers in front of it.

TONIGHT at 7 pm ET on Discord… our ✨ Mentored Milestones ✨program!

Each month, members will:

• Meet on the 1st to convert goals into plans
• Leave session with scheduled action items
• Attend weekly Progress Studios (Sassy & Fancy members)
• Work at their own pace

See you soon!

🔥LAST DAY🔥 to claim your free month!

Don’t miss this masterclass TONIGHT at 8!

Joy published an interview with Chloe N. Clark, author of Every Galaxy A Circle David E has poems featured in In a Nutshell, underscore_magazine, and Stone Circle Review (and a poem coming out in Stanchion Magazine Issue 21) Eleanor Ball began Backlist Lit, a blog dedicated to reviewing independently published books after the release hype has died down

Eleanor Ball has a poem in Haven Speculative. She has also been accepted to a two week residency at the Sundress Academy for the Arts. Steve shared craft advice in The Forever Workshop Heidi Marjamäki received her first fan mail for her story in the ENCOUNTERS with cryptids anthology Eleanor Ball is also co-editing an anthology with fifth wheel press celebrating long prose

March has come and gone, and with that comes more achievements by our members! Five (5) of our members’ pieces were published in journals, one member published an interview, another began a literary blog (!!), and two are editing (or part of) an anthology. We’re so proud of y’all! 🔥

yay for Catherine!!🔥

Tonight!! 8 pm ET!!!! 👽

Amazing testimonial: “This was really great (now feeling bad I missed the first two)” hahahah

Starting very soon!! Register to get the meeting link.

USE CODE LUCKY FOR A FREE MONTH OF LIT MATCH COLLECTIVE - 4 days left! USE CODE AT CHECKOUT FOR ONE FREE MONTH OF MEMBERSHIP AT LITMATCHCOLLECTIVE.COM

Only four days left to redeem your FREE month of membership! Your membership gives you access to Guided Writing Studios, workshops, mentorship, Firelight Readarounds, events, and our Discord, where all of this takes place! Plus, we now have a Discord tutorial video on our website. See you there!

Stop worrying about what YA books to let your kids read and let them sort it out with V C Andrews and cocaine era Stephen King as God intended

This image shows a cork board of "evidence," complete with round push pins, red string and marker, post-it notes, and the questions, "What? When? Where?"

We’re back with the next installment of the Crooks + Detectives Masterclass next Tuesday, March 31, at 8 pm ET on Discord. We’ll wrap up this month’s discussion of The Detective 🕵️ and leave with new perspectives and concepts on the fundamentals of storytelling.

Tonight at 8!

Prompt 1: Of his novel Ulysses, James Joyce said, “I want to give a picture of Dublin so complete that if the city suddenly disappeared from the earth it could be reconstructed out of my book." Write a reconstruction of your own: Your childhood home, a memory, a feeling, a person. Prompt 2: You begin your day by spotting a magpie on your garden gate. What do you do, and how does the interaction with the bird affect your day, good or bad?

Did you know that March is Irish American Heritage Month? From the ancient Celtic bards to James Joyce to Sally Rooney, Ireland has always had a rich history of storytelling. Channel your inner grá (the Irish for "love") for place and culture wherever you are with these prompts from LMC!

So proud to be nominated for Best Small Fictions 🥺💜

@litmatchcollective.com Lit Match Collective Presents FIRELIGHT READAROUND March 29th, 8 PM ET

Gather around the fire 🔥 next Sunday, Mar. 29, at 8 pm ET on Discord and share your work in a warm, supportive circle of writers. Firelight Readarounds are a great way for you to grow your confidence & stagecraft! Check Discord for sign-up details.

Every last Sunday of the month.

REVISE WITH PURPOSE workshops on resolving common issues in drafts w/ your fave editors submit your work + 1 question! live edits! mini craft chats! Register for the Meet link! litmatchcollective.com

Don’t miss our last, FREE “Revise With Purpose” workshop led by Steve and Autumn in collaboration with Kathy Fish’s 3-in-90 workshops! Join us on Mar. 28 at 1 pm ET after registering at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

How to Write & Sell Your First Novel A chat with debut author, Tolani Akinola

What helped the drafting process? - Create a form of structure for yourself: spreadsheets with attainable goals like writing 1,000 words a day, short scheduled blocks of writing time, etc. - Engage in other creative forms: baking, taking walks, consuming different forms of art & media, etc. - Keep your first draft private: feedback is important, but so is writing for & trusting yourself!

So, after writing... how do books get sold? - Find an agent: send query letters and samples to agents who work in a similar genre, are enthusiastic about your writing, and understand your vision - Once signed, an agent will approach editors and publishing houses with the manuscript - Once the book is bought, then the revision & marketing processes begin...

Any tips for the revision process? - The revision process is where a book truly gets made - Keep the cringe: what might feel cringey or vulnerable to writers is what often makes characters and stories relatable to readers - Cherish collaboration with agents and editors; listen to their feedback but also trust your vision - Pace yourself: when working on edits, start small with a single page or scene

If you couldn’t make our chat with Tolani Akinola @tolani-akinola.bsky.social on Sunday, we’ve synthesized her advice on writing and selling your first novel into a few main points! Read on to learn about the drafting process, how books get sold, and how to approach revision.