Writer Guy Bergstrom explains why NaNoWriMo sets up aspiring novelists for failure — and how a different approach, focusing on narrative and structure over output, might be the way to go.

“I was curious about more than just how often ‘girl’ books appeared; I wanted to understand who was writing these books, and the fate of the ‘girl’ in the title.” Exploring today’s book titles, Emily St. John Mandel asks: “Who are these girls? Why are there so many of them?”

At The Other Journal, theology intersects with culture. Presented twice yearly by the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, it features writing on theology, politics, art, poetry, and more.

Initially a travel blog about a Black and African woman navigating life in Spain, Nneka Okona’s Afros y Paella has evolved into something larger: a space exploring how travel can be transformative.

Live coverage and results of the 2016 Election at FiveThirtyEight, including the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and the race for control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“Let’s move into 2017 as a nation united; a nation which takes care of each other – regardless of the differences in our politics. Let’s remember that politics are ideas, but politicians are people.”

Pondering the 2016 US presidential election, Ben Orlin’s signature stick figures wonder about other, mathematically fairer ways to determine who wins.

Have Americans given up on the idea of “proportional response”? Writer Dina Honour wonders why the price paid by some people for being non-white, non-Christian, or getting pregnant is so high.