Published inAbout Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout Me — Christopher SorianoI’m Going to be Fine — My name is Christopher Soriano. I’m from Watsonville, CA, though I am currently living in Los Angeles. My dream is to become a writer and write a better book than Fifty Shades of Grey and a better screenplay than The Room. I have had a number of odd jobs to…About Me2 min readAbout Me2 min read
May 23Member-onlyThe WGA Writer’s Strike is the Revolution Working-Class Artists NeededSpoiler alert: they are going to win. On Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023, both the West and East branches of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) officially declared a writers’ strike. After weeks of failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), writers of the entertainment industry…Wga Strike5 min readWga Strike5 min read
Nov 6, 2022Member-onlyLosing TwitterIt would mean more than a hit on my writing career This is a post about Twitter. I know it might seem shallow to grieve the possible loss of a social media app. But I can’t help but write this post. Losing Twitter would mean a lot of things to…Twitter4 min readTwitter4 min read
Apr 23, 2021Member-onlyOn this Independent Bookstore Day, We Must Recognize the Rise of Bookstore UnionsA movement is happening, and it deserves our attention. Independent Bookstore Day feels a little strange this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced an independent bookstore to close every week and those that remain standing struggle to adapt to new business methods. Some have transformed themselves into tiny fulfillment centers…Bookstores3 min readBookstores3 min read
Feb 16, 2021Member-onlyYou Don’t Have to Write it Alone: Finding the Right CommunityIt helps to have the right people in your life. Writing is a solitary pursuit. Kind of, but not really. At least, it shouldn’t be. Let me explain with a personal story: by the time I graduated high school, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. It was…Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Published inBlank Page·Feb 14, 2021Member-onlyWhat I Learned About Writing from Roberto BolañoNot everything you write will be worthy, and that’s okay. I’ll start by saying I love Roberto Bolaño. There are a lot of authors that I like, obviously. But there is a common — almost inevitable — moment where I love one of their books, decide to read another, and…Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Published inThe Post-Grad Survival Guide·Dec 1, 2020Member-onlyThe Reality of Working in a Bookstore During a PandemicIt’s life or death for both the industry and the employees — In March 2020, I received a call from my managers at Barnes & Noble, informing me that I was officially put on furlough. What we thought was simply a scare became a reality as the bookstore was forced to close for the good of public safety. Just like that, I…Work7 min readWork7 min read
Nov 1, 2020Member-onlyWhat It Meant Saying Goodbye to My First NovelAfter ten years of writing, I have decided to let go In mid-2010, I started my first novel. I was fresh out of high school and had decided to pursue a writing career. I worked on this novel for the past ten years, struggling during my undergrad years, understanding more…Writing6 min readWriting6 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Apr 2, 2020Member-onlyI Didn’t Think I’d Want to LiveI thought I wanted to die. But now I’m not so sure. — I have kept a will saved within the files of my laptop for the past two years. I had never told anyone about this, but I have been suicidal for the past 7 years, and I wanted to have something ready if I would ever have to go. I was…Mental Health7 min readMental Health7 min read
Published inAscent Publication·Jan 25, 2020Member-onlyFor the Sake of Others, I Have to Let GoIt’s the least I can do for them — One of the clearest memories in my mind is the day my best friend failed to come back. We were attending a political rally and we met up with a few of their friends from an activist group they had recently joined. I told my friend I was going to…Personal Growth8 min readPersonal Growth8 min read
