Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA
Bio
Writer, bookworm, sci-fi space cadet, and coffee+tea fanatic living in Brooklyn. I have an MS in Integrated Design & Media and an MFA in Fiction from NYU. I share poetry on Instagram as @SleeplessAuthoress.
Achievements (7)
Stories (175)
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Know When It’s Time to Query Your Book
If you want to pursue traditional publication, there’s something you need to remember. The competition in the publishing sphere is absolutely steep, but you’ll never get published if you keep putting off the querying process.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Journal
Monday Morning Monotony
By nature, I was not a violent person. I believed in the value of kindness. Heck, I even left the office and hauled myself to yoga classes four or five times a week to get my zen on and burn off the extra calories I consumed due to my fancy coffee addiction.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Fiction
Why You Should Do National Novel Writing Month. Top Story - September 2021.
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” ― W. Somerset Maugham We all have busy lives, but making time for your craft is vital to your future as a creative writer. National Novel Writing Month is one of those events that pushes you to make that time and write that first draft of the novel idea you've been sitting on.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Journal
It’s Okay if You Learn Yoga Slowly
“Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame.” ― B.K.S Iyengar Practicing yoga consistently can do incredible things for your mental and physical wellbeing, but only if it's practiced with care. Yoga is meant to improve your health, but there were 29,590 yoga-related injuries reported in hospital visits from 2001 to 2014. This was a few years ago, but it’s still a lot. The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine shares that 45% of those injuries are sprains or strains.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Longevity
Make Way for the IT Professional
I was back at my desk in the research lab when someone I vaguely recognized from upper management burst in through the door. Her dry cleaned shirt was pristine and her high heeled pumps shone like beacons of opulence, but her expression was stricken. I looked up instinctively at the intrusion and she was upon my desk in a flash, as I was the unfortunate soul who sat closest to the door.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Fiction
How to Feel Motivated About Editing
“The first draft reveals the art; revision reveals the artist.” ― Michael Lee If there’s one part of the writing process that most of us dread, it’s editing. This stage doesn’t have the creative freedom and literary abandon you felt when you first wrote it, but it’s still a vital part.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Journal
Frosted Over
Saturday, April 22nd She ignores the snack of letters on the hallway table. Her mother carefully sorted them, separating college-related mail from the endless myriad of bills that her parents constantly frowned at. She quickly changes out of her Staples uniform into jeans and a top with ruffled short sleeves that look like proper date attire.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Fiction
Another Clockwork Day
Feeling morning sunlight streaming through my apartment’s window is, hands down, one of the best parts of my morning. It competes for the title of the best part with the pleasant delight of petting my sleepy cats and the satisfying deliciousness of fresh espresso. When my morning has all three of these elements, it’s almost perfect. If it has all those and I still make it to the train without power walking, it’s a truly perfect morning.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Fiction
The Covered Carriage
It always strikes her as a little odd, when she waits in line for coffee or stands at the bus stop. It isn’t every day that she sees this woman with tired blue eyes pushing a stroller, but she runs into her fairly often, whether it’s at the grocery store or leaving the mall.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Fiction
6 Tips to Ace Phone Screening Interviews. Top Story - August 2021.
In the wonderful world of Zoom, there are still some businesses that start with the old-fashioned phone screening. If your calendar is just full of phone screenings and no in-person interviews, it’s time to step up your game.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA4 years ago in Journal
