Fiction – Michael Stanek’s Portfolio

A Writer’s Opinion on Audible by Amazon

Audiobooks gave me the courage to read. . . well, books. As many of you know, I was diagnosed with a profound case of Dyslexia at an early age. Also, as many of you know, I’m addicted to stories and storytelling. So you could see the dilemma I had when I was very young. IContinue reading “A Writer’s Opinion on Audible by Amazon”

Dealing with Rejection

Rejection is a part of any successful life. If you want to take your path in a new direction, there will be people that say, “no!” You cannot avoid it. More importantly, you cannot let wanting to prevent it stop you from reaping the benefits of a fuller time on this Earth. Your mind willContinue reading “Dealing with Rejection”

Writing When it’s Difficult

As I write this, the last thing I want to do is create a blog post. It’s late on Monday night, and I don’t feel like writing anything. Why? Because it’s late on a Monday night! As writers, we love creating and sharing those creations with the world. However, we also know all too wellContinue reading “Writing When it’s Difficult”

Book Review: The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth is a book that has been on my “must-read” list for quite some time. But, I must say, I was intimidated to pick it up, not because of its subject matter, but because of its length (more than 1,000 pages). While this historical novel is incredibly long, it does not feelContinue reading “Book Review: The Pillars of the Earth”

Two Applications that will Change a Writer’s Life

I knew I should give it a shot, but I didn’t. I’m a writer, so why would I need help with grammar and story organization? I can do all of that myself for free. Well, it took a long time, but the true answer to that question came to me. The fact of the matterContinue reading “Two Applications that will Change a Writer’s Life”

My Guide to Using Duotrope

You’re lost. You have a short story that you worked hard on, that your friends say is fantastic—but you don’t know the first thing about getting it published. Where do you go? What do you do? Who do you talk to? Google searches don’t yield much; you find some websites that publish stories—but they seemContinue reading “My Guide to Using Duotrope”

Which Publishers are Best for Your Submissions?

One big question a lot of writers have is: who do I submit to? To answer that question, you’re going to want to ask yourself a few additional questions first. The biggest thing is finding a publisher that will accept your type of work. That is best done through Duotrope (if you don’t know aboutContinue reading “Which Publishers are Best for Your Submissions?”

A Discouraged Amateur Writer’s Guide to Publication

Getting your work noticed will always seem like an uphill climb. As a writer, there is nothing more frustrating than throwing the creative fruits of your labor into either, only to receive nothing in return. But this is the struggle that thousands of writers go through on a day-to-day basis–this is the path we chose.Continue reading “A Discouraged Amateur Writer’s Guide to Publication”