Welcome to Pen & Sword, a blog by two fans of all things reading and writing.
Join us for updates twice a week as we ramble about our favorite reads, bemoan the struggles of being an aspiring author, and discuss anything else related to the lovely world of literature.
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UNSCHEDULED: I’m Going to be Published!
Hello few and dedicated readers! This is a short unscheduled post to announce that it’s finally happened. A magazine has accepted my submission! It’s been my short-term goal this whole year to get a short story published. I’ve spent hours… Continue reading
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The Art of Fan Fiction
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that a lot of my practice in writing comes from fan fiction. I spent some formative years on FanFiction.net with my brother, reading, writing, and roleplaying in our favorite worlds. My most… Continue reading
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I Put My Best Reads of 2025 (So Far) In A Tournament and That Was a Terrible Idea
You know, I’ve done some difficult things in my life. Survived a trip to Germany without parental oversight. Got my upper stomach tattooed. Recently, ripped out the carpet in my living room. I think all of those things were easier… Continue reading
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Advice From My Fellow Aspiring Authors
Being an English major and a creative writing minor, I’ve made a lot of friends with fellow aspiring authors. I think it’s fun to see the pieces of advice that we’ve each all come to appreciate and share. And I… Continue reading
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Oversharing: A Free Write
To anybody trying to get their creative juices flowing, I will always highly recommend trying a ten-minute free write. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept: set a ten-minute timer and open a blank word document or pull out your favorite… Continue reading
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Five Magic Book Reviews
Recently I’ve had quite the fixation on books themed around faeries, magic, and all things in between. I justify it by calling it research for my own novel dealing with the same. Regardless, I have always enjoyed the magical and… Continue reading
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An Excerpt from The Silverwing
Readers! I want to give you a tiny little taste of my pride and joy, my ugly but darling child, The Silverwing. This excerpt is from part four of the novel, where Captain Riggs struggles to deal with the stain… Continue reading
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The Advice That Changed My Poetry
Poetry is something I explored a lot in college, growing my skills, interest, and drafts of various poems. Most of them come from my own experiences, putting to words that which usually cannot. I won’t sit here and say that… Continue reading
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Project Name Clown: Something Weird is Coming Out of Me
A few weeks ago I sent a message to my friends that most found slightly alarming. The message was as follows: “My debut into weird fiction will explore the strange urge I keep having to put on face paint and… Continue reading
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The Problem With Teaching Literature
Many of you reading likely have not had much to complain on when it comes to reading. If you’re anything like me, when assigned books in school, it was fairly easy to stay caught up, digest, and even enjoy the… Continue reading
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