Blog | Emmalia Writes

Woa~~oh, We're Halfway There!

Link is here Our Kickstarter hasn't even been active a week, and we've already made strong headway. I hope this is a sign of full funding and achieved stretch goals to come.

Emmalia Harrington

Feb 71 min read

Writing Advice from the Inexperienced

Circa 2016, I joined an online writing group. The idea was we'd take turns reading and critiquing each other's work, and help each other grow as authors. This is not what happened in my case. At this point, I was trying to write more often, after a lifetime of sporadic fiction writing. In addition to my completed yet still novice manuscript, I was working on one short story after another. I wanted to get better, but for that to happen, I needed fresh eyes on my work. This wri

Emmalia Harrington

Feb 72 min read

Our Kickstarter is on Fire!

After a year and a half of preparations, plotting, and reaching out, the Kickstarter for The Cookout Anthology is here! There are reward tiers ranging from $20 to $125, though people are welcome to give what they're comfortable with. We've also gotten Kickstarter's "Project We Love" badge of approval. Please check out our Kickstarter page , spread the word, and watch our video hungry, if you dare! Artist's dramatization of our anthology.

Emmalia Harrington

Feb 41 min read

My Ambitions for 2026

Last year, writing down my plans and posting them in a public place gave me extra motivation to get stuff done. I wasn't always successful, but that extra encouragement felt good. Without further ado, here's what I want to accomplish. Writing: Publish The Cookout Anthology Publish at least one short story Publish 40 blog posts Reach at least 40,000 words in my romantasy Bonus: Reach at least 52,000 words in my cozy fantasy Reading: Finish at least 52 books Reduce my to-read p

Emmalia Harrington

Jan 51 min read

What I Accomplished This Year

Back in January, I wrote some goals I hoped to reach this year. Let's see how I did. 1) Reach at least 52,000 words in my novel draft I have 45, 112 in one novel draft, and 5,581 words in a different novel. This puts me in at around 50K total. I'm not thrilled at my progress here, but making any headway is good. 2) Finish at least 1 short story I wrote and presented one short story back in May, completed the final draft of a second, and finished the first draft of a third. G

Emmalia Harrington

Dec 31, 20251 min read

Brown hnds type on a white keyboard resting on a black desk.

Why I Didn't Quit Writing

For two and a half years, I dated fellow writer Franca.* Though we'd both started manuscripts and short stories, we were still very much beginner authors. We knew little to nothing about SFFH writing groups, literary guilds, or other places to find support or hone our interests. In theory, we had one another, and could help each other grow as authors. Franca told me to quit writing. My struggle to transform thoughts into text must be a sign I was unsuited to the craft. I also

Emmalia Harrington

Dec 18, 20252 min read

The History of the Sailor Suit, Part 2

Reposting an old article of mine, originally posted on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. Please note this article references images that aren't in this repost. Introduction for Part 2 In the first half of the article, we examined the origins of the sailor suit and how Victorians adapted the style to meet a variety of wearers and occasions. The 20 th century played even more with the idea of the sailor suit, finding even more ways it could be used. The sailor aesthetic was still used

Emmalia Harrington

Dec 5, 20259 min read

The History of the Sailor Suit, Part 1

Reposting an old article of mine, originally posted on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. Please note this article references images that aren't in this repost. Introduction Looking through fashion plates form the Victorian era onward, one may find the occasional outfit which sports a V neckline, a large collar or an oceanic theme. The sailor aesthetic may appear on apparel for boys, girls and even adult women. Depending on the era and type of garment, the style may fade in and out of u

Emmalia Harrington

Dec 3, 202515 min read

Sewing and Sensory Issues

Here is another repost of an article I published back in 2017. Introduction People come in different sizes, abilities and other traits. This extends to how we experience the world. What is comfortable to one person, like a radio playing, may be inadequate to another person and dreadful to a third. Finding a balance where one is getting enough input isn’t always easy. While certain conditions are known for their effects on the senses, this is a concern that impacts everyone. A

Emmalia Harrington

Nov 29, 202510 min read

I'm A Bestseller!

I get newsletters from Draft2Digital . I usually read the articles up top, but don't scroll all the way down. I'm happy I did this time. At the bottom are the top 10 bestsellers of different categories: fiction ebooks, nonfiction ebooks, fiction print books, and nonfiction print books. I saw a familiar cover in the fiction print bestsellers. Walk on Grey Ruins was #9 on October's list! I'm a one person operation with a low publishing output. Promotions are tough, especially

Emmalia Harrington

Nov 22, 20251 min read

The Question of Bulk

Reposting an old article of mine, originally posted on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. The Question of Bulk No matter what era we choose, costuming requires large amounts of research. With the internet and interlibrary loans, information is plentiful, easy to access and often cheap. The mountains of data also mean that there is a lot of data to process, with some details that are hard to understand at first or third glance. Articles and sewing diaries are popular ways to learn abou

Emmalia Harrington

Nov 19, 202511 min read