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Stop Looking At Memes About Art & Actually Make Art: Advice From Writer Shannon Liao

Annie Cosby
août 22, 2025 | 3 lire la lecture

Most of us are surrounded by screens all day. To get your writing done, take writer Shannon Liao's advice and unplug.

We recently ran a promotion for Ernest Hemingway's birthday, and we're excited to introduce the winner!

Video games journalist and editor Shannon Liao received her Hemingwrite absolutely free. And with the amount of writing she does, she needs it!

Not only does she work professionally as a write and editor, she also does freelance writing and works on her novel in her spare time.

We sat down to chat about her writing process and why Freewrite devices help her get all the writing done.

ANNIE COSBY: What do you write?

SHANNON LIAO: I'm a video games journalist and editor by day, aspiring novelist by night.

Some of my favorite writers include Min Jin Lee, Liu Cixin, Ken Liu, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel I’m working on follows this sort of literary tradition.

AC: That's so cool. And you do such different types of writing. Is your writing process static and strict, or different with every kind of piece?

SL: My writing process involves temporarily surrendering any higher expectations for what the piece should be, or what quality it should reach, and then bluntly working towards a first draft.

Then, I polish the draft repeatedly until it reaches a more presentable state.

Sometimes, if I’m stuck, I try to tackle the story from different moments, until it’s closer to what I envisioned.

My writing process involves temporarily surrendering any higher expectations for what the piece should be, or what quality it should reach, and then bluntly working towards a first draft.

AC: Where do you like to write?

SL: I used to go to a local NYC cafe every weekend with a Freewrite Traveler and the barista/aspiring poet would stop by to ask how my work was going.

Now, I take Hemingwrite to an NYC library, and people slow down their leisurely strolls to catch a look at this almost-typewriter from another era. It seems to capture their imagination.

AC: That's so awesome. So what attracted you to Freewrite devices?

SL: In this digital age, I’m surrounded by screens, and my work requires them, so it’s hard to unplug.

When you’re surrounded by distractions, it’s so easy to put off writing, to say you just need to research one more thing, or look up a good self-motivating meme about making art, instead of just doing the work.

With a Freewrite device, there’s no surfing the web, and therefore, there are no cheap excuses.

With a Freewrite device, there’s no surfing the web, and therefore, there are no cheap excuses.

AC: Where can people find your work?

SL:  My favorite thing I've written so far, is my Washington Post report on Diablo 4 and the labor conditions that it was made under. We were able to commission custom art for it, and it was the culmination of months of investigative reporting.

On the fiction side of things, I wrote a short story for The Verge about a burgeoning young romance aided by technology.

AC: And where can people follow you?

SL:  My monthly newsletter at shannonliao.substack.com gives updates on my latest work.

My Bluesky handle is shannonliao.bsky.social and my Twitter handle is Shannon_Liao. On Instagram, I’m @shannon.liao.

Before you go, here's a motivating Hemingway meme about making art:

octobre 21, 2025 2 lire la lecture

Official Rules for the Giveaway

No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your changes of wining. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

1. Sponsor

The Haunted Traveler Giveaway (“Giveaway”) is sponsored by Freewrite (a product of Astrohaus Inc.), located at Astrohaus, 1632 1st Avenue #29179, New York, NY 10028 (“Sponsor”).

2. Eligibility

The Giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry. Employees of Sponsor and their immediate family members or persons living in the same household are not eligible to enter. The Giveaway is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

3. Giveaway Period

The Giveaway begins at 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday, October 21, and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, October 30 (“Giveaway Period”). Entries submitted before or after the Giveaway Period will not be eligible. Sponsor's computer is the official timekeeping device for this Promotion.

4. How to Enter

To enter the Giveaway, participants must submit the official giveaway form with their name and email address. Limit one (1) entry per person unless otherwise stated. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified.

5. Prize

One (1) winner will receive one (1) Freewrite Traveler with an approximate retail value of $549. Prize is non-transferable and no substitution or cash equivalent is allowed, except at Sponsor’s sole discretion.

6. Winner Selection and Notification

Winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries received during the Giveaway Period. The drawing will take place on or about October 31. The winner will be notified via email within 5 business days of selection. If the winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, or fails to respond within 3 business days, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected.

7. Publicity

By entering, participants grant Sponsor the right to use their name, likeness, and entry for promotional and marketing purposes without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

8. General Conditions

By participating, entrants agree to abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final. The Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the Promotion if it becomes technically corrupted or cannot be conducted as planned. The prize is non-transferable. All federal, state, and local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process or otherwise violates these Terms and Conditions.

9. Limitation of Liability

By participating, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any and all liability arising from or in connection with participation in the Giveaway or acceptance, use, or misuse of the prize.

10. Privacy

Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Sponsor’s Privacy Policy.

octobre 12, 2025 4 lire la lecture

The winner of the inaugural Freewrite 500 flash fiction competition is Brie Ripley Sparks, with her short story "High Holy Days."

octobre 12, 2025 2 lire la lecture

The first place story in the 2025 Freewrite 500 is "High Holy Days" by Brie Ripley Sparks.