An Interview with Olivia Ryckman, Editor-in-Chief

What kinds of submissions are you hoping to see this year?

I’m hoping to see some hybrid works! I enjoyed writing them, so I hope we get to see some this year.

What is your favorite part of helping writers edit their work?

My favorite part is helping writers make their writing the absolute best it can be by cutting down on “fluff” to get to the real meat of their piece. Getting to the core of the piece is difficult, but it can be done with a great team.

Is there a resource like a book, blog, etc. that you’d recommend to writers considering submitting for the first time (or to those looking to improve their craft)?

I recommend A Dash of Style by Noah Lukeman. I’m a huge punctuation nerd, so using it to elevate your piece is such a useful skill. Make your punctuation work for you!

Who is your favorite author and why?

C.S. Lewis has been a huge inspiration to me personally. I feel at home when I read anything by him. His words and stories seem to have come so naturally to him—that it inspires me to just write my stories the way they should be written. Don’t force it. Just write.

If you could have lunch with any three people (dead or alive), who would you choose and why?

This is so difficult! C.S. Lewis, Taylor Swift, and John Cooper of Skillet would be fun! They’re some of my favorite people of all time, and they’re all writers or storytellers, so I think that would be an interesting lunch date.