Abby Alten Schwartz @abbys480 Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Abby Alten Schwartz

@abbys480

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3,160

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Healthcare writer. Journalist. Essayist. Pushcart Prize nominee. Bylines @washingtonpost @nytimes @WIRED @HuffPost & more. #binders Memoir rep’d by @trinitygr

Greater Philadelphia

https://t.co/BadukKaz8u

Joined November 2020

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

This essay is so close to my heart and is central to the themes of my memoir-in-progress. I was thrilled when it was recently republished by Reader's Digest in 10 different countries and multiple languages. #cysticfibrosis #amwritingmemoir Read here:

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Perspective | For years, I feared that I’d outlive my daughter. And then science did something...

Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that slowly destroys the lungs beginning in childhood, has no cure. After years of work, new treatments are changing the dire prognosis for many.

www.washingtonpost.com

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@anaismitchell @pauletteperhach My brain not being so fragmented and distracted. I could draw for hours in my room. I miss how my friends and I wrote long, handwritten letters to each other. I loved not being constantly tracked. We had the freedom to be silly and awkward and weren’t constantly reporting back.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@writesloud Sounds like a better article would be about the monetization of gun violence against children.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

Just got a yes on a submission to a highly regarded literary pub and I’m feeling pretty awesome

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Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

@lachristensen I am very sorry for your loss and that it was compounded by what you had to go through to get care. Thank you for sharing this.

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Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@KyleGamgee @bessbell Maybe not the best conversation on a plane.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Pause your scrolling. @RandyRainbow has a new video.

@RandyRainbow

Randy Rainbow

2 years

Let's rock 'n' roll, Mr. Garland! 👮🏻‍♀️🎶 #LockHimUpYesterday #NewVideo

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

@laurenthehough I suppose people show up at work because they respect the company, not because they get paid.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

11 months

Elated to share the news that I am now represented by literary agent @trinitygr of @binderyagency . I'm over the moon! It’s never too late to go after your dreams. #amwriting #womenwriters #amwritingmemoir

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

My favorite writer, who is quite famous, followed me a few months ago and every so often I check to make sure she hasn’t come to her senses.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

@janineannett I’m so sorry, Janine. That’s an incredibly difficult loss. ❤️

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

I got an acceptance for a personal essay that is close to my heart and can't wait to share it when it is published.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

@GlennonDoyle This is the flip side of the girls in sports can unashamedly play hard without caring about looking pretty or unmessy. Boys can be unashamedly emotional. You are like a social anthropologist, G.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

I just watched the finale of Six Feet Under. I was so late getting to this series and now I’m gutted that it’s over and sobbing.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@rebeccamakkai Synchronized Swimming. May not be underrated.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Beautiful, heartbreaking, gutting piece by ⁦ @laurenthehough ⁩ in ⁦ @nytimes ⁩ that I’m gifting so you can read without a paywall.

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Opinion | This Holiday, I’m Going to a Gay Bar (Gift Article)

We protect ourselves. We’ll fight for our own. We’ll mourn. We’ll organize. And we’ll keep fighting, until all of us are safe, everywhere.

www.nytimes.com

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

I got a yes on a submission this morning and the timing was exactly what I needed.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

A PSA for my writer friends: whenever you publish a new digital piece, drop that URL onto this page: so it is archived in case the publication disappears. Just happened to one of my pieces and I had archived it so I have that link to now use.

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create a copy of a webpage that will always be up

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

11 months

@jacgorelick If you know you’ll be giving blood, start hydrating at least a day ahead. Makes finding a good vein easier.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Salt, my newest piece of CNF, flowed from my brain to my fingertips like a fever dream. It’s my new favorite and I wrote it with @hobartpulp in mind. I’m so proud and excited that they loved it too. I hope you enjoy. #amwriting #writingcommunity

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I’m taking part in @suleikajaouad ’s 100-Day Project (started April 1), part of #theisolationjournals . One creative act each day. Mine is daily stillness. Guilt-free time off from being productive. I’ll read, walk, write, draw, meditate, be in nature.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@RoseStokes Kids are funny. Like really really laugh till you cry funny. And that just gets better each year.

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Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Just learned my essay, "How to Keep Him Alive" won 1st place in @ULLitMag 2020-21 Creative Nonfiction Contest. Thank you to Unlimited Literature. I'm honored.

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Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

I just got a yes on a submission that means a lot to me and how am I supposed to get back to my regular work now that my brain is pinballing around my skull like this?

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

There is no bigger lie than “You’ve successfully unsubscribed.”

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Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

@Tumi213 “Yes, as a matter of fact I just got back from Wuhan, China recently. Why do you ask?”

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

11 years ago my Dad passed away from melanoma. It was a Sunday too. He was the kindest, most generous, funny, gentle, talented and loving dad. Grief is not linear and can’t be willed away. Just gonna feel it and be okay with it today.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

OMG! My Tiny Love Story was selected for the print issue. It's in today's . @nytimes and I am thrilled and so grateful. Thank you . @yayamilee

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

4 months

Thrilled to get an acceptance this morning on a piece of flash CNF at a terrific literary pub. This was my fourth submission to them and first acceptance. Never give up.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I'm a copywriter who only started writing memoir, essays and reported stories in 2020. I'm making up for lost time now but am trying to stop thinking of it as a late start vs. accepting it was the right timing for me. Now I have a decades of stories to share.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Really going to miss the weekly AMA by @Angry_Staffer

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@RoseStokes When my daughter was really young she told me “Mommy, I feel like a China bowl in a bull shop.”

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Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

Woke up to a notification that a piece I love, one I’ve submitted to multiple literary publications, was just accepted by the place I actually had in mind when I wrote it. Never give up. Believe in your work. #WritingLife

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@loriberenberg “Choosing not to drive”

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

WOW! An essay I wrote for @washingtonpost last summer is now being reprinted internationally by Reader's Digest in several countries and languages. The screenshot below is from @ReadersDigestAU #amwritingmemoir (hey @readersdigest I'd love to see it in the U.S. edition too!)

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

A photographer is on his way to my house to shoot pictures of my daughter and me because a piece I wrote last summer is being picked up by a major publication for reprint. Treated myself to a blowout.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Crying happy tears. All my dog’s scans came back normal. Happiest Monday.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Just entered three of my own personal essays to The Best American Essays because I believe in advocating for my own work. A lifetime ago my work as an art director used to get entered for advertising awards (and win).

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

@Tumi213 “So, Michael decided to hire a private nurse to give us shots in the office, and he asked me for the number of that nurse from the rabies fun run. I don’t think he’s aware she’s not a real nurse.”

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

I am excited to share my latest piece in @washingtonpost — a personal essay about parenting, chronic illness and the miracle of science.

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Perspective | For years, I feared that I’d outlive my daughter. And then science did something...

Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that slowly destroys the lungs beginning in childhood, has no cure. After years of work, new treatments are changing the dire prognosis for many.

www.washingtonpost.com

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

This gorgeous memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, is out in paperback today and I am gifting it to several friends. The author, @suleikajaouad is an extraordinary writer and human and I credit her with putting me on my current writing path. I strongly recommend the book.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I feel like I just completed a marathon, not that I'd know anything about that. I submitted the most important piece I've ever completed to-date, a highly competitive contest where the winner gets a publication deal. #amwriting #memoir

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@jherrerx Zero. Zero peas in guacamole.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Today I was supposed to write but grief is piling up from two losses this week, one a wonderful man my mom dated for 7 yrs after my dad died, the other a cousin like an uncle to me, and I’m just going to curl up and feel it and not try to push past it.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

6 months

This is the piece that was nominated for a Pushcart (still can't believe it!). I'd love for you to read it.

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We Never Got to Watch Carol Brady Grow Older by Abby Alten Schwartz

We never got to watch Carol Brady grow older. Never felt her regret for the years she lost indulging her kids’ dreams of stardom (delusional, let’s face it) when all along, she was the one with...

www.havehashad.com

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

I’m officially querying agents for my memoir. #amquerying

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

One year ago, my first Tiny Love Story was published in the print version of @nytimes and I'm still as thrilled today as I was then. Grateful to @yayamilee and proud to be in the company of my fellow TLS writers.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

6 months

I’m flabbergasted. My first Pushcart nomination. Thank you @PaulCrenstorm for the nomination and thank you @havehadhavehad and @Chelsea_Stickle for publishing my piece, We Never Got To Watch Carol Brady Grow Older.

@PaulCrenstorm

Paul Crenshaw

6 months

@The_Big_Quiet @AbbyManzella @susanlleary @amy_stuber_ @abbys480

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@GlennonDoyle You get it or you don’t. No explanations needed. Your wolf pack knows.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

From the first word I was hooked. Loving your memoir, @laurenthehough .

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Every submission is an act of optimism. That’s one of the reasons I’m compelled to keep putting out work. I’m also making up for all the years I wasn’t doing this kind of writing. It truly energizes me and brings me joy (with a side of angst).

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

Don't kill your darlings, add them to the compost heap so they can fertile future projects.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

Excited to share my first piece for @huffpost and grateful to @noahmichelson for helping me raise awareness about #cysticfibrosis

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My Daughter Wasn't Expected To Live Past 31. A New Drug Saved Her — But There's 1 Big Catch.

"I texted a close friend: 'Sammie is less than five years from 31.' And then I broke down."

www.huffpost.com

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

“Raising a child with CF was like driving through a blizzard. Gripping the wheel, it took all my strength and determination to keep from careening off the road.” One year ago ⁦WaPo⁩ published my essay. I’d love for you to read it.

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Perspective | For years, I feared that I’d outlive my daughter. And then science did something...

Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that slowly destroys the lungs beginning in childhood, has no cure. After years of work, new treatments are changing the dire prognosis for many.

www.washingtonpost.com

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

They say the brain doesn't discern between trauma in the moment and trauma recalled, such as when writers dive back down the hole to capture an event. I need to shift gears and ground myself after writing about a harrowing time. #amwriting #memoir

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

I finished my proposal. I finished my proposal. I FINISHED MY PROPOSAL! 🍾😭

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@jamiattenberg That’s so sweet. You’re the hit of Del Boca Vista.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 months

@ajmandal15 I’m hesitant to do that because I don’t want to harm my chances of working with other editors (elsewhere). I am going to see how she responds to my email first. I also told my agent and that’s another possible path to making this right.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

28 days

Starting off Monday by pitching my biggest, most important outlet to-date for a piece I'm passionate about. Here's hoping...

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Excited to learn a TLS of mine was chosen for the 2023 Tiny Love Stories calendar! I just ordered it and can't wait to pore through it. Thank you @yayamilee and @danjonesnyt for publishing my story and so many other beautiful and inspiring stories.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I got a maybe on a submission that would mean a lot to me. Will know more next week. Good vibes appreciated. This was a lift I needed. Happy Friday, friends!

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Found out today my piece, "Salt" earned Honorable Mention in the 53rd @NewMillWritings Awards for Nonfiction.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

My first @nytimes Tiny Love Story was a tribute to my mom. Sharing it in honor of Mother’s Day with gratitude to @yayamilee for publishing it.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I got two rejections today but it’s okay. I believe in both pieces and know I’ll place them.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Just got a very disappointing rejection on a submission I was sure would be a yes. But I’m grateful I got it in two weeks vs. this pub’s usual 5-6 months. Only one thing to do now: submit elsewhere.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Last week’s maybe from an editor is today’s yes. I don’t want to say more until it comes out next month but I’m very happy.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Ok, very important question for my #WomenWriters . What are you wearing to AWP? I’ve forgotten how to dress after two years of nonstop athleisure.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

As a memoirist I am always inspired by writers who once doubted anyone would care about their story but wrote it anyway. Their words found the people who needed them.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

@Tumi213 “I tried to get vaccinated. I was turned away twice. Apparently you have to weigh as much as a 12 year old.”

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Hey all you cats and kittens, @MeganAronson and I will be back this Thursday with the next #WomenWriters Connection. Join us! Set a reminder below and please RT! #WomenWriters Nonbinary, gender-fluid & trans writers welcome.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Portrait of a writer inspired by the course ⁦ @GuerillaMemoir ⁩ taught yesterday now kicking ass editing the chapter of her memoir that had previously tripped her up. #HippoCamp22

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

When reading back your own memoir makes you cry, that's a good sign, right? #amwriting

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@CherylStrayed @denisemassar I’ve avoided both of those and Crypto.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

A story I originally wrote for @washingtonpost is in the November @readersdigestUK with the magnificent @idriselba and I'm hoping he looks at mine while I look at his. Proud to have 6 pages in the magazine. 👀🔥

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Apply this math to loved ones, somedays, one days. An eye-opening thread.

@SahilBloom

Sahil Bloom

2 years

Last year, I had a conversation that changed my life. It caused me to upend everything and move across the country. The lesson from it may change yours:

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

@ThatEricAlper The Wrecking Crew

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

My January submissions (pitches and finished pieces): 19 submissions 12 rejections (includes 2021 subs) 1 no response to a timely sub 2 acceptances #amwriting

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

@AlexPizorri @amandadeibert This story is bonkers. You need to send it to @MyFavMurder . @GHardstark and @KarenKilgariff you need murdery AirBnB stories, right?

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

If you need me, I’ll be here.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Working on my memoir today in my quiet living room surrounded by shelves filled with books. Sometimes the bigger challenge for me is not staying isolated but making sure I stay connected to friends. This is me reaching out to say hi. #WritingCommunity #introvert

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 months

@eatonhamilton Thank you. The level of violation I feel right now is through the roof.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Very excited to find an acceptance in my email a few minutes ago from a favorite pub. Will share a link in a few weeks.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

@TammyRabideau2 @noahmichelson @HuffPost @Susanshapironet Thanks for sharing this beautiful essay. Had BDD not even been a factor, his comments should have been deal breakers. They revealed someone rude and insensitive at best, cruel and undermining at worst.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

10 months

My very first earned 💀 from ⁦ @havehadhavehad ⁩ was fun to write. What do you think? Thank you ⁦ @Chelsea_Stickle ⁩ and ⁦ @Aaron__Burch ⁩ for saying yes and ⁦ @nikkicampo ⁩ for your early reads

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We Never Got to Watch Carol Brady Grow Older by Abby Alten Schwartz

We never got to watch Carol Brady grow older. Never felt her regret for the years she lost indulging her kids’ dreams of stardom (delusional, let’s face it) when all along, she was the one with...

www.havehashad.com

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Went out tonight and celebrated my newest byline in @wired . Work hard and remember to enjoy your success.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

Twitter is surreal. Swimming through a sea of David Cassidy photos to find updates on the active shooter situation.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Okay here me out: sliced nectarines, Greek yogurt w/honey, blueberries and goat cheese crumbles and I gotta say the goat cheese is freaking genius because this is amazing. That counts as writing, right? I wrote a snack

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@KayeSteinsapir Thank you for showing us what grief looks like. It isn't linear. It doesn't magically go away. And the tiniest, most innocuous things can sucker punch you. Sending a long virtual hug.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@truthisjustice2 @anaismitchell @pauletteperhach Yes. Or over the summer from your friend you won’t see as much until school starts in the fall. The best.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

Reminder to self: every writing path is unique. This is not a competition or a race. Be inspired by the progress of others, not defeated by it. #amwriting #writingcommunity

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

Don't kill your darlings. Relocate them to a compost file and visit them every so often and they may live to fertilize another piece one day. #amwriting #writingtips

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I sent off another pitch with a completed personal essay and it’s been almost two hours and no response. What gives?

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@emmastraub I’m so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful tribute to your dad. It brought tears to my eyes. It made me miss my dad too.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I’m part of a viral nostalgic thread about growing up before cell phones and how nice it was to write long letters to friends and be free of constant monitoring and off the grid and as I keep checking replies realize I’ve become a rat pushing a button for a reward pellet.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

So I’m basically going to be compulsively checking email for the next four months now that I’m querying, right?

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

I just bailed on submitting a personal essay to a publication that demands all intellectual property rights in perpetuity along with your firstborn child.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

Me to hubs: I haven't given a thought to Valentine's Day. Hubs: I thought about it but didn't do anything. Me: Okay good. Love you. Him: Love you. This, my friends, is what a happy, healthy marriage looks like.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

2 years

@GlennonDoyle @AbbyWambach @Gatorade Can I just thank you for normalizing not wearing high heels? They are fine for whoever wants to wear them, but after 20 years of working from home in sneakers, I have no ability to wear or walk in any heel other than a stacked boot.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

3 years

Rejections are normal. Rejections mean I’m participating, putting out work. Rejections suck.

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@abbys480

Abby Alten Schwartz

1 year

Big byline tomorrow at a dream pub. Will share when it goes live.

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