About Betts

In meatspace, I’m a writer, editor, and writing coach. I have an MFA and half of a PhD in creative writing. I’ve been published in Barren Magazine, The Write Launch, and Rivet Journal, among others, and I’ve received several awards including the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Grant for Feminist Writing. I’ve also attended a number of artist residencies, including Millay Arts, Jentel Arts, and the Kimmel-Harding Nelson Center. I’m represented by Mariah Stovall at Trellis Literary Management.

In terms of being terminally online, I’m known mostly for answering writing advice asks on my tumblr. I run the Fanauthor Workshop, a triannual workshop for writers of fanfiction, and I’m editor-in-chief of OFIC Magazine.

Why subscribe?

Over the years I’ve been asked for the best method to support my writing. I have OFIC Mag, but that money doesn’t go to me; FAW, but plenty of my readers aren’t themselves writers; and my coaching, but obviously some people don’t need coaching. This is the simplest way I can think of for my readers to support me. For $7 a month (or $70 a year), you get all my thoughts that don’t belong anywhere else on the internet. You get to see how the sausage is made. And you may also receive some sample sausage? This metaphor got away from me.

The point is, the primary content of UMP (which I’m indeed pronouncing as “ump”) is my writing log. Here’s a breakdown of what I generally write about:

1. My writing process and the thoughts and feelings thereof

2. Craft thoughts and theories that I haven’t made into their own posts

3. Breakdowns of craft books I’m reading, what I agree with, disagree with, and like to analyze through the lens of fanfiction (I may also make separate posts depending on the breadth of my thoughts)

4. Craft thoughts and criticisms about novels I’m reading

5. Ruminations about life, re: motivation, ambition, and keeping one’s shit together in these trying times

6. Updates on publishing

7. My overall successes and struggles

Other content I plan to post here:

• WIP excerpts

• Fiction that I don’t intend to formally publish (possibly serial?)

• Craft thoughts about books I read and TV shows/movies I watch

• Personal essays

If you’re interested in formal craft essays, you can head over to my lowkey writing-related newsletter, which is free to read.

Subscribe here to get full access to my unhinged morning pages, bonus content, and publication archives.