Search

by Alin To all the writers: those who write every day, those who have written a novel, those who are still working on their book, those who haven’t written anything in a week/a month/a year, those who write but are afraid to call themselves writers, and those who are young and learning. Let me tell you about my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) journey, in which you write a full-on novel within one month. Usually, the planning happens during October, called ‘Preptober.’ Instead of working on a novel, I was writing a novella, partially because I’m too scared to commit to a long project. I dedicated one week of November to outlining the story; however, I didn’t do a scene-by-scene plan and now I suffer the curses of I-don’t-know-what-happens-next and what-is-the-plot-again. So far, on the 16th of November, I’ve written 3.3k words out of my 15k-word goal. Did I mention that this is the first draft? And that I’m submitting this to a competition with a deadline? While juggling university applications?  When life throws rocks at you and breaks your hands, what do we, as writers, do?  When They Laugh at You, Laugh With Them. You can hear the words mocking you when you read your WIP(s). Why can’t you be like Mary Shelly who published Frankenstein when she was only TWENTY? Why can’t your prose be like Fyodor Dostoevsky? Why can’t you just write properly?  You’d cower in fear and close Google Docs, promising yourself to never write again. Like a kid who got called cringe by a bully after being discovered to unironically enjoy fanfictions.  They say bullies bully because they enjoy putting others down. So if you take all the power away, making yourself seem unaffected, then you win. Laugh at yourself, accept the truth, and move on. No one’s first story is perfect, nor does it have to be. Or imagine this: You embarrassed yourself on a big stage while rehearsing the show you’ve been looking forward to your whole life. The stage manager tried to hide their cackle, but you heard it loud and clear. Would you just leave the stage and abandon your dreams behind? When this is your first day  practicing? That’s right. You laugh along with them and try again.  But sometimes it does hurt, so take a breather and give yourself a healing period: Step outside, listen to music, socialize – anything but write. But afterward, you must go home and retrieve that deleted file. Whether you need a 1-day or 2-month break, as long as you return with a fresh mind, you’ll have the last laugh. When They Want a Divorce, Buy Them a Bouquet of Books In the middle of your first draft, not only do you have self-doubts, but you may have the same curse as me - not knowing what to write next. Any writer here who still doesn’t know if they’re a planner or a pantser? Or a planner-pantser or panster-planner? Or a planner-pantser-planner-planner-pantser? No matter how much you’ve experimented with the outline, the story never finishes. You then give up before writing a scene you’ve daydreamed about too many times – the very reason you started this project in the first place. Guilty as charged!  Now, this may seem hopeless seeing that I, the person who’s supposed to give you the ultimate cure to every writing problem, am also going through this. Trust me there is one single trick: Reading.  Subscribe to newsletters. Read literary magazines. Download Substack. Go to a bookstore. Borrow from libraries.  Ah, no, but what if I’m on a deadline? Make time for it. You know how in the morning, all you do is laze around in bed? Yeah, pick up a book instead. Remember how you spend 20 minutes trying to pick a YouTube video to watch while eating lunch? Why not just read while eating? Or on long car rides where you look out the window and daydream to edgy songs? Read. Motion sickness? Audiobooks.  You never never have enough time.  When you read, you may find something you love and hence, inspire your WIP(s). Don’t just read books by your favorite authors, expand your taste! I like to approach people who read often and ask them to recommend a book. If you’re a student, your English teacher is the best bet. Plus, you’ll establish new friendships and maybe they’ll let you borrow their copy! When They Cry, Make Them Laugh, Just Not at You. When both you and your words are on the verge of giving up from getting rejected by a literary agent or magazine for the 237th time, think of published authors and look through their life before that one famous, signature book of theirs. Or better yet, look at terrible works that managed to be published. Now this is getting controversial. Some of you may be convinced that writing is subjective and that there are no objectively bad books, but you might change your mind after reading this REAL excerpt from an ACTUAL, PUBLISHED book. “I ask for giveness of the world of mankind for teling the trouth I meane No hurt to A flie only when he bits me then I kils the flye if I can I have bin my one tromter fore teene years my tromter is Dead my haveing so many wounds in fas and on my head I Doue it to make a good Lafe to keep my sperets from sinking pittey me all good peopel A men” Yes, this is real. This is from A Pickle for The Knowing Ones  by Timothy Dexter . This is an autobiography in which he grandiosely describes his life while avoiding punctuations and misspellings practically the whole book. That’s not the end of it. At the end of the second edition, Timothy wrote long blocks of different punctuation with a note that read: “ fouder mister printer the Nowing ones complane of my book the fust edition had no stops I put in A Nuf here and thay may peper and solt it as they plese ” People were complaining about the lack of commas and periods, so he put all of the punctuation at the end and went “Add it yourself.”  Still, this book was published and is talked about to this day. Of course, the industry has gotten harsher and it’s harder to be published nowadays. But listen, if he made money out of this, so can you. Learning the history behind each novel makes you feel less uneasy since you can see that they’re all learning writers, not a gifted child writing like Shakespeare out of the womb.  Moral of The Story When life breaks your hands, wait for them to heal, exercise to regain strength, and keep writing. These are all the hardships you as a writer have faced or will face. It’s natural to have these self-doubt feelings and inspiration blocks. It just depends on how you deal with them. And these are the methods that effectively work for me. It might be different for you, which is why I encourage you to confront your feelings rather than let them linger. Remember: if your writer-self ever causes distress again, think of your favorite book. In another timeline in which the author quit writing and that book was never published, what would your life be like now? Lost, empty, and longing for a home? That’s exactly how your future readers would be if you never finished your story.

by Prisha Mehta If you aspire to be a journalist like I do, or are just interested in interviewing someone, there are a few important steps to take to ensure a good interview. An important part of interviewing is being able to connect with the interviewee, while drawing out informed answers from them. Here are a few tips to keep in mind: RESEARCH : The first and main point is to research well about the author and their works. Go through their previous interviews, if any, research where they lived, their childhood, people or works that influenced their writing. Try to look up their social media accounts, articles, interviews, anything that helps you get a better understanding of them. DECIDE HOW TO RECORD THE INTERVIEW: If you’re taking notes for a blog article, notes on the interview may be all you need. However, if it’s for a podcast or similar audio format, consider recording it and taking photos for visual context. For a video interview, ensure that all recording devices are working perfectly for a smooth experience. PRE-INTERVIEW PREP: You could arrange with the interviewee ahead of time to broadcast a live video, or share clips of the conversation later on social media. This can help engage a wider audience and make the interview more interactive. PREPARE QUESTIONS: Start off with soft and easy questions, like “How was your day?” or “How long have you been writing?”. Questions like these help ease nerves, for both you and the person you are interviewing. ABOUT THE BOOKS: Dive into the author’s work with questions that explore key themes, character development, and inspirations. This gives the readers a view into the author’s perspective and may help them understand more about the character or plot. STAY FLEXIBLE AND LISTEN: While it’s important to have a plan, allow room for natural conversation flow. Sometimes the best insights come from unplanned follow-ups, so be ready to adapt. WRAP UP WITH APPRECIATION: End the interview by thanking the interviewee for their time and insights. A warm closing leaves a positive impression and helps build a good rapport for future connections. Now that you know how to conduct the interview, here are a few mistakes that could be avoided by preparing a few things beforehand. ERRORS TO AVOID : PLAN MEETING TIMES: While deciding on a date for the interview, make sure you’ve decided the correct time to conduct the interview, especially if time zones differ. Make sure to communicate with the interviewee and double check this at least a day before the interview. DON’T ASK BORING QUESTIONS: Asking boring and monotonous questions will only be met with boring and monotonous answers, and will disengage your audience. Try different games, like 'First Thing That Comes to Mind' or 'Two Truths and a Lie' to create a light-hearted atmosphere whilst still staying on topic about their author and their works. This also gives you a chance to ask probing follow-up questions such as ”Has there ever been a story you wanted to write but couldn’t because it was too raw, too real, or too impossible to capture?” or “What does success as an author mean to you? Has this definition changed over time?” If the questions seem too difficult to answer on the spot, you should send them to the author in advance just to give them some time to prepare. FOLLOW UP : Follow up both prior to the interview and after. It is better to send a follow up email/message one or couple days prior to the date just to remind them of their upcoming interview. After the interview, send them a thank you for their time and that you enjoyed interviewing them. It’s also just a polite and nice thing to do. And that’s how to conduct your first interview to the best of your ability! Remember to stay calm, be attentive, and let the momentum flow naturally. With these tips, you'll be able to create an engaging and meaningful interview experience.

by Carina Although creating a fun story is important, ensuring your writing is historically accurate is even more important. It can even improve your writing! Historical inaccuracy can affect people’s perceptions of history, be harmful, and unfair. Although it can be difficult, putting in the time and effort to do the proper research is worth it. Historical accuracy is something we should always be able to count on in literature.  The knowledge that we absorb everyday shapes how we view the world. This applies to the stories we read as well. If you were to read a book about the French Revolution, some of the book’s teachings would contribute to your general understanding of the French Revolution. If this book was not accurate, you would have a tainted perception of the French Revolution.  To some people, portraying historical events such as the French Revolution inaccurately might not seem like that big of a deal, but that’s just one of many examples. What about events such as World War 2 and slavery? If these events were inaccurately portrayed by authors, we wouldn’t be able to beneficially learn from the mistakes of our past. Learning all the true facts about these events ensures we don’t make the same mistakes again and repeat history, which is extremely important. In fact, many schools require students to read historical books for this reason. It’s especially important that children read historically accurate books because they’re still developing and have a more malleable view of the world. Kids are also less likely to be able to tell whether a book is accurate or not.  Although I would hope many schools have fact checked required books used for class discussion, some surely haven’t. And those that have can’t always ensure books provided for students to choose in classrooms or libraries are reliable. Additionally, even if a book isn’t completely inaccurate, it can still be misleading, especially for children.  It’s also important to consider how falsely portraying a historical event could make those affected by it feel. Rewriting what happened could change their involvement and experiences in others’ eyes. If you happen to misportray something or someone that is underrepresented, you could even cause people to view it or them in an inaccurate way. But historical inaccuracy isn’t just harmful to people’s perception of things. It can also lessen the quality of your writing. Historical inaccuracy can make your writing seem insincere and unfinished. Good historical accuracy allows you to add details that directly relate to the story. While you’re researching you might come across new ideas or details to add to your story. Details like these will allow the reader to understand and immerse themselves in the story more. Sometimes being historically accurate can even help you gain inspiration.  Finding accurate and useful information can be a tedious process. In order to find accurate information, look for reliable websites such as .edu, .gov, and trustworthy .org. Many of these sources will have reliable sources of their own listed somewhere that you can check out. Local libraries and museums are also a great resource. Many have their own resources with books, databases, archives, and other information you can see in person. Staff are usually willing to help as well. One of the best things you can find is a primary source, or a first-hand account or item from the time period you're looking into.  We should always be able to rely on authors to provide historical accuracy in their work in order to create a better experience for everyone. Putting in the work won’t just benefit the reader and writer, but the world as a whole. References: Wood, Heather . “The Importance of Historical Accuracy.” Fictionary , 23 Feb. 2023, fictionary.co/journal/the-importance-of-historical-accuracy/ . Accessed Nov. 2024.

MEET THE TEAM Every successful organisation has a number of people working hard behind it. We take this opportunity to introduce you to our wonderful magazine team who strive hard to get each issue of Rewrite The Stars Review out into the world to make publishing a reality for all of you! EDITOR IN CHIEF Meet our beloved founder and editor-in-chief who brought RTS to life! Smrithi Senthilnathan she/her MANAGEMENT Director Varshha (she/her) Varshha is a 19 year old human from Chennai, India, who procrastinates by staring at the stars on the terrace and reading romance books. Loving all things dystopian, she is an artist and a writer who can never seem to write/draw for the genre. If she’s not reading random facts on the internet or watching the ISU championships, she is probably imagining her living in a dystopian future. DEPARTMENT HEADS Meet our department heads who, with their commitment to perfection and dedication to supporting young writers help make our founder's vision for RTS a reality. Director and Head of Staff and IT Varshha (she/her) Varshha is a 19 year old human from Chennai, India, who procrastinates by staring at the stars on the terrace and reading romance books. Loving all things dystopian, she is an artist and a writer who can never seem to write/draw for the genre. If she’s not reading random facts on the internet or watching the ISU championships, she is probably imagining her living in a dystopian future. EDITORS Meet the editors who not only review your submissions but also edit and refine it to make it the best possible version of itself! Editor Briar (she/her) Briar has been writing poetry since highschool and is based in Australia. She has completed a Diploma of Arts. She enjoys many forms of storytelling including film and games. BLOG These are the people who incite your curiosity and offer their advice with their weekly articles <3 Content Writer Milica (she/her) Milica is a freshman in high school with a passion for reading and writing. She enjoys spending her evenings sipping a peach iced tea and typing away at her laptop screen (sometimes even staring at a blank page). Ever since she was 9 years old, Milica’s been fighting her writer’s block while consuming books at a dangerous rate of about 50 per year. Mysteries and thrillers are her guilty pleasure and as much as she reads them she also writes them. GRAPHIC DESIGN Here are the people without whom your pieces would not be presented how they deserve to be :) Graphic Designer Harjot Sangha (she/her) Harjot Sangha is a rising senior in high school who believes heavily in the power of words to inspire change and influence lives. As such, she finds great enjoyment in the acts of reading and writing. Additionally, she enjoys finding new ways to connect to people from learning new languages to listening to new music! SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING They're responsible for giving you guys our latest updates and expanding our fanbase so we can reach more people <3 Social Media Volunteer Arshia Abid (she/her) Arshia Abid is from Pakistan and currently resides in the city of Peshawar. She is an undergraduate student who adores literature and literary magazines. She has a bookstagram, which she has filled with trendy reels, posts and rants about her favourite books. NEWSLETTER We've expanded our base to Substack to give us a space to elaborate more on what we're currently doing! Meet the team behind our bi-monthly newsletter that includes updates on everything RTS. Newsletter Curator Ellie Kim (she/her) Ellie is an aspiring teen writer, born and raised in America but currently living in Thailand. She loves spending her days with her cats, writing, and reading. From writing sad poetry to romantic prose, Ellie is a swiftie and Gracie Abrams fan at heart, always found with a song in mind. Currently working on her first novel dubbed Project. SS, Ellie is a part of Vellichor Literary Magazine, Girlhood Magazine, Bardics Anonymous Magazine and a few others where she writes, edits and organizes! WEBSITE AND IT Always wonder who designed this sleek and accessible website? Here they are! Website Volunteer Chaitra Shidhalingannavar (she/her) Chaitra is a high school sophomore from India who loves computer science and literature. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in the GAEA Anthology, The Imperfect Zine, The Cleverly Creatives among many others. When she's not writing, she can be seen at the dojo, practicing for her next belt exam.

Swiftie Summer Showdown Welcome to the collaborative contest organised by Rewrite The Stars Review, Evanescent, The Elysian Chronicles, Abducted Cow and Petrichor Gazette. The categories are from Taylor Swift's albums (from Taylor Swift to The Tortured Poets Department). Each piece is to be based on any one of these categories (please note that pieces should be inspired by the albums, not directly about them or about the artist, Taylor Swift). Submission Guidelines Font: Times New Roman Font Size: 12 point Line spacing: 1.5 spacing with line breaks for new paragraphs Format: doc or docx Maximum lines (poetry): 50 Maximum words (prose): 3500 ​ Age Restrictions : 13 to 25 year olds Type of submissions allowed : Either prose (fiction, creative non-fiction) or poetry ​ Previously published pieces and simultaneous submissions are not allowed. Albums we'll be reviewing Midnights Lover Reputation Judges and Prizes A special mention piece (either prose or poem) will be chosen from each album. 13 pieces overall will be selected for the final round which the guest judges would read. More details about the Judges and Prizes will be revealed very soon! Submission Dates Submissions open: June 1st, 2024 Submissions close: July 31st, 2024 Maximum submissions: 2 (regardless of the album or prose/poem) ​ Submissions are closed! Submissions Closed

Ongoing Events If you're interested in collaborating with us for an event, please email us at: events.rewritethestarsreview@gmail.com Past Events YPW Literary Magazine Fair Take Me There! Swiftie Summer Showdown Submissions Closed