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Welcome to the Discussion Post corner of Out of Write, Out of Mind. Think of it as the cozy living room of the blog, where we set the book down for a moment and just talk. Here, I’ll share my thoughts, questions, and musings on everything from book tropes and character arcs to reading habits, publishing trends, and the occasional hot take. This is where conversation lives, and I’d love to hear your opinion too! Every discussion you find on this page will have its own link guiding you to a warm, inviting forum to share your own thoughts on each topic! I'm so excited to hear from you :)
Do Men and Women's Writing Style Differ?
The idea that men and women may have ingrained and unintentional stylistic differences in their writing is something many, including myself, have likely never considered. My immediate reaction to this question led to a much-too-quick experiential analysis of the first few novels that came to mind, which, unsurprisingly, resulted in no conclusion. Thus, I made my way to the big wide web and began the hunt for answers. What I found was interesting.
In a scholarly article titled "Gender, Genre, and Writing Style in Formal Written Texts", authors Argamon, Koppel, Fine, and Shimoni found that "female writers use more pronouns that encode the relationship between the writer and the reader (especially first person singular and second person pronouns), while males tend to not to refer to it. Second, female writers more often use personal pronouns that make explicit the gender of the 'thing' being mentioned (third person singular personal pronouns), while males have a tendency to prefer more generic pronouns".
Despite initially being unsure of where my research would lead me, this discovery aligns with many theories taught in the gender-centered courses I took during my time in college. It's been proven, even outside of writing, that men and women communicate with different intentions. Women tend to communicate to connect with others or form relationships, while men do so to collect information. For this to translate into written words should come as no surprise. However, in returning to my own experiential analysis, it's proving difficult to pinpoint these gendered stylistic differences in books I've read before (at least by memory), so I may have to look for it the next time I pick up a book.
If you're interested in reading "Gender, Genre, and Writing Style in Formal Written Texts", or sharing your thoughts on this topic, click the links below!
Do You Judge A Book By Its Cover?
My quick, one word answer: Yes.
And I'll be honest, sometimes it's the deciding factor for whether I even read the back of the book or the first page to gauge my interest. I love the metaphor of the phrase, but taken literally, I judge book covers maybe a bit too harshly. The first potentially controversial book judgment I have is towards books that have people on the cover, specifically real life people. A lot of books that have been on the big screen put their MC's actors on the front cover, and it just irks me. I want the characters' description on the page to be my first impression of their appearance; that's why I'm reading the book and not watching the movie. I imagine many readers prefer a concrete image of a character, but that's not for me. I do love a good character silhouette though, like the Michael Vey series does.
I dislike whatever book cover style it is that's on every single Colleen Hoover novel. And let me be clear; I'm in no way hating on Colleen Hoover's writing ability, nor am I hating on any other author's writing ability. I'm also not a graphic designer! But I am a reader. The cover of a book is the first thing a reader is going to see, and whether they judge the book by its cover or not, they're going to have a first impression of it. A book cover needs to be visually stimulating. It should reflect some part of the story, like a theme, symbol, or vibe. I don't know if Colleen Hoover's book covers reflect her stories or not, but from an outsider's perspective, they all look the same to me. Not to mention, her name takes up the entire bottom half of every one of them. We know who you are, girl!
I love a good dark color scheme for a book cover. Those tend to catch my eye more than bright colors, actually. Darker colors convey some inner mystery that draws me in. The Throne of Glass series is particularly alluring to me and is currently waiting in my TBR. As a canine lover, any dog that greets my eyes on a cover has acquired my attention. Another immediate "yes" for me is any book that has barbed wire on the cover. This one is probably more unusual, but I have an interest for historical nonfiction stories pertaining to WW2 and the Holocaust. Some of the best books I've ever read have been about Holocaust victims and survivors. Those are the kinds of stories you can't compare to anything else. They're lived, real, and terrifying to imagine.
So yes, I do judge books by their covers. That's not to say I've never read a book with a slightly uninteresting cover, but I definitely gravitate towards certain elements. I have a feeling that more people judge book covers than are letting on, so if I have to be the one to say it, I will! Are you picky, or do covers not matter much to you when you're looking for your next read? Let me know by clicking the link below!
Why Don't People Like to Read As Much Anymore?
This question has burned in the back of my mind for years, and while I do know one answer to it, the reality of it still bothers me to this day. I think the most obvious reason that reading has been in a constant slump for many, if not most, is because technology is competing for our attention. With every new iPhone and every new technological advancement, the world of books (especially physical books) feels like it dwindles a little bit more. My parents did not allow me to have a phone until I turned 17, and here is my experience with that.
I've had a love for books from a very young age. My dad taught me to read at the age of four, and during the years in which I was home schooled, my mom made me write book reports on everything I read. When I started going to public school in the third grade, I discovered the magic of the school library. Those librarians got to know me very well. I checked out new books nearly every day (which I no longer had to write reports on!) and flew through them in no time. My reading levels were unusually high, and I began bringing home chunkier books and flying through those as well. By the end of middle school, I had participated in book clubs, gone to every book fair (even though I never had money), won school wide reading competitions, and somehow still hadn't read the Harry Potter books (this is slightly irrelevant but something I must admit). Reading had been my passion for years already and little 13 year old me loved every bit of it.
In high school, I participated in a program at a STEM Academy, which, to my horror, had no library. It was at this time that I transitioned from reading into writing, and "co-founded" a writing group with my friends where we made a private online forum and posted poems, stories, rants, and other miscellaneous things. Writing thus became my new passion, and now, with an adult life and many responsibilities, I do still find time to read and write when I can, though it is less than when I was younger.
As much as I hated my parents for not letting me have a phone for so long, I truly believe that if I had one constantly at the tips of my fingers at a young age, I would not have developed these passions for reading and writing. That's not to say that there weren't any impactful downsides to the no phone rule, but the minimizing of technology forced me to find entertainment elsewhere. In today's era, every line to a cash register, every car ride, bus ride, and classroom is a wall of phones. According to the National Library of Medicine (2023),"There is a negative relationship between technology addiction and attitude towards reading", with the American Psychologucal Association (2018) stating, "In recent years, less than 20 percent of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for pleasure, while more than 80 percent say they use social media every day." Do you think technology is to blame for the decrease in literacy? Share your thoughts below, and check out the articles I quoted from the NLM and APA!
My Current WIP and How it's Going (8/30/25)
I'm so excited to talk about my very first novel and where the writing process has taken me so far! It actually began in a college fiction writing course I took in the fall of 2022, when I turned in a story for a magical realism practice writing assignment. Little did I know, it was the very first draft of my debut novel, titled The Humble Phoenix. I began to grow more interested in where my little story could take me, so I returned to it the following spring in my advanced fiction course, where I had the opportunity to focus very closely on writing longer narratives. Because my class was small enough, we were able to participate in workshops, which greatly helped me when my classmates discovered plot holes, asked questions about my story that I hadn't thought of yet, and made suggestions for further revisions. Unfortunately, the progression I had towards my story slowed once the course ended, as I felt very overwhelmed with all of the feedback I received. The Humble Phoenix was then shelved for almost two years, until fate brought us together again recently, following college graduation and new spare time on my hands.
The first thing I decided to do once I picked up my story again was to compile all of my feedback and rewrite the few chapters I had so far. A quick reread made me suddenly realize how much I had grown as a writer in the past few years. In other words, the story felt horribly written. It all needed to be revised, desperately. However, with the help of my fiance, I came to an understanding that there was a lot in my fictional world that I didn't know yet. I hadn't sat down and created a world for my characters to live in. I couldn't tell my fiance how the magic system worked, why characters acted the way they did, or what their timeline, reality, or history looked like. This is where I'm currently sitting. Rather than continue writing the story, I've begun to learn about my characters. I'm writing detailed descriptions, including each character's fears, their favorite and least favorite things, their icks, pet peeves, hopes and dreams, flaws, hobbies, and childhood memories. Knowing who they are will help me write their dialogue, actions, and even their subtle gestures or reactions. It will set each character apart from the others.
I've also begun creating their world. I never realized how important world building was until this first long narrative of mine. In a magical realism piece like my own, there are questions the readers will have that I must know the answer to. For example, how does my written world compare to the real world? How did magic come to be? Has it always existed or was it discovered? Does everyone use magic? How does it work? Through spells or energy, with wands or through hands? The most basic history and creation of a world of magic has to be understood before I can write my characters into it.
Although I am still in the early stages of writing my novel, I'm regaining my excitement for it and I'm committed to finishing this and getting it published one day. I've created a whirlwind of teenagers, rule breakers, new magic, villains, kidnappings, alliances, rescue missions and more, and with enough time, The Humble Phoenix will be polished and my name will be on the front cover. I hope that my experience so far in writing will encourage you if you are starting your own novel, and shed light on the fact that there is no set timeline for finishing a project like this. Writing a novel may seem like a daunting process, but I know it'll be worth it in the end. I'd love to hear about your writing adventures, so I'm linking a separate place for you to share down below! Happy writing!
Should Controversial Books Be Banned?
I've always been stumped by the fact that there are books depicting incredibly important themes and content that have been banned from school libraries and curriculum. Merriam Webster defines something as controversial if it has opposing views to an individual. Interesting. So in a country with laws specifically protecting the "express[ion of] ideas through speech and the press" (National Archives), public schools have outlawed certain books which, might I add, stem from parent complaints. A book ban is not a governmental decision, rather, it begins with a challenge from parents, which eventually gets ruled upon by members of the school board. In the Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982), the court ruled that school boards "could not restrict the availability of books in its libraries simply because its members disagreed with their idea content". It's important to note that schools may have permission to remove books due to inaccurate information, age-inappropriate content, or a lack of educational text. It's legal for private institutions to make their own choices as well. However, there are a multitude of banned books that fall outside of those limitations, which I argue is unconstitutional.
Why, for example, is the Harry Potter series banned in some schools? The Web claims it's because of religious objections concerning the portrayal of magic and witchcraft, and the promotion of Satanism/"anti-Christianity". If you've read even one book of the series, it's very obvious that Satanism is not the theme. The series portrays love and friendship, and critiques corruption and the abuse of power. It explores conflicts between good and evil, of which good wins. How can a book be banned by school districts due to religious objections when our First amendment protects the freedom of religion? More specifically, the Establishment Cause "forbids the government from establishing an official religion" (Legal Information Institute). My point in this is not to blame the government or accuse them of establishing an official religion; I argue that the reasons school systems are banning books like Harry Potter is wrong from a legal standpoint. If the Harry Potter series is offensive to or disliked by Christians, why does that grant a ban on it from children of all religions? Legally, Christianity is not an official religion of the United States of America, so why does it have a say in education?
I believe that there are books to be stored away from children. I think that books of sexual nature especially should be reserved for older audiences, in which most cases, they are. But to forbid the exposure to fictional worlds that portray ideas disagreed upon by people of certain religions is wrong. Education should not just teach what some groups of people agree with. It should not be inclusive of only one set of beliefs, especially in a country where there is no official religion. It should be encouraged to read books of differing ideas and themes. Publishing books of controversy is exercising the freedom of speech, and reading them is practicing free will. It's through free will that we learn and make up our own minds about the world. Although there are many other reasons for book bans in schools, it is ones like this that bother me, where a predominant religion makes educational choices for children of many different religions, on the idea that it doesn't align with their own. That is illegal.
How I Got An Autograph From My Favorite Author
When I was in middle school -- probably eighth grade -- I stumbled across a book series called Eragon. I had a tendency to look for the biggest books I could find in my school library and these ones quickly caught my eye. Eragon is a four book series (five if you count the most recent addition, Murtagh, and six if you count the spin off tale, The Fork, The Witch, and The Worm). Despite the longest one being nearly 850 pages, I tore through them, devouring the world of magic, elves, dragon riders, and evil kings. It became my favorite series, and with that, my favorite author, Christopher Paolini. Since then, no book or series has been able to beat it, and although I first read it as a child, it's never felt childish to reread it.
When I graduated college, I designed my own graduation announcements. Upon realizing I ordered way too many, I went out on a whim and addressed many of them to my favorite companies, artists, and authors, just curious to see if anything would come of it. About a month later, I received mail from none other than Mr. Christopher Paolini. In it, there was a signed letter from him, congratulating me and referencing quotes from the series. I also was sent two bookmarks of my favorite books, an autographed photo, and an autographed sticker. That's three autographs! I spent the whole day completely giddy, sending photos of everything to my parents and posting on my socials.
Although some thought it was silly to be sending graduation announcements to people I've never met, I still went through with it, and now I have these amazing keepsakes to remember the end of my college years. If you're looking for a sign to do something "silly", this is it! I'm curious, who is your favorite author and what was your story in discovering their books? Feel free to share by clicking the link to the left!
Getting My Writing Out To The World
Not a novel! Not yet, at least. However, some of my writing has indeed made it out into the world. I've had three poetry publications, by Silent Spark Press in 2022, PoetrySoup in 2025, and just recently I received notice that a poem I submitted back in 2023 will be published in the 2027 Silent Spark Press poetry calendar. For someone who doesn't write much poetry, it's exciting to put a few things out there. Additionally, at the time I'm writing this, I've been writing freelance for a local newspaper for about 5-6 months and published 13 articles, which feels like a lot less than I've done! For those stories, I either attend local events, talk to event organizers/attendees and write about it, or I interview people and write longer features about them to highlight certain areas like art, inspiration, and success. I've also written business spotlights for some of the niche or small companies that reside in my city. It's been a really amazing way for me to get out of the house, meet people in my community, and practice my writing skills. Seeing my name attached to something I've written has really motivated me to continue pursuing my passion. I dream of publishing a novel and owning a bookshop, and writing my little poems and articles feels like stepping stones that will eventually get me there. The fact that I've gotten my poems published three times now is crazy to me because I actually haven't written any in a while! I believe I'll get back to it soon though, if some inspiration blooms. If you've ever thought that your writing isn't good enough, don't let that stop you! Keep writing, and keep offering it to the world. You'll get rejected, of course, but that's okay. I get rejections too. I'm sure every writer does. What makes a successful writer is the choice to keep trying. I'll put the link to my collection of freelance articles down below, just in case you want to read any!
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