Back in 2015 the United Nations set goals with a target date of 2030. Four years from now. The Sustainable Development Goals  consist of 17 global objectives to create a better future for all humans and our world. Right now, with four years to go, only 35% of the targets are on track, nearly 50% are not advancing, and 18% are actually regressing!  SDG #2 is No Hunger This goal calls for greater food security, better nutrition, and sustainable agriculture. The world is making

The Protopian Prize and the Stories We Need Now In times of uncertainty, literature often becomes a place where we test the boundaries of hope. The Protopian Prize arrives into that space with a deceptively simple invitation: imagine a future that is not perfect, but better. For writers, that distinction matters. It moves us away from the exhausted poles of utopia and dystopia and toward something far more interesting, and perhaps more truthful. We are asked to imagine protop

Where the world stands on the SDGs Back in 2015 the United Nations set goals with a target date of 2030. Four years from now. The Sustainable Development Goals  consist of 17 global objectives to create a better future for all humans and our world. My work with Thrive: United for Democracy led me to taking a closer look at the SDGs. Right now, with four years to go, only 35% of the targets are on track, nearly 50% are not advancing, and 18% are actually regressing! SDG#1 is N

Change the World by Nina Amir I joined Nina Amir’s street team for her latest book, Change the World: One Book at a Time . I was curious about how a street team worked. She gave clear guidance and expectations for her team, which I appreciated. I learned a lot from her as far as marketing goes, but the lessons from the book itself were even more impactful. The target audience for Change the World   is nonfiction writers with a cause or mission, but fiction writers can apply t

Fall of Freedom Part of Thrive: United for Democracy , involved building a database of democracy related resources to help our attendees, presenters, and coordinators locate like minded individuals not only across the country but also from the world beyond our borders.  Fall of Freedom is one of those resources that resonated with me.  It’s an open invitation to artists, creators, communities to celebrate experiences, cultures, and identities that shape our nation.  The next

Writing a Better Future is the result of figuring out how to mesh my passion for foresight, fiction, and the environment. Science fiction writers have a knack for this. We’ve all heard about science fiction eventually becoming science fact. I am not a sci-fi writer, however. Paranormal fantasy is my genre. Recently, I mentioned to a colleague that I had received certification in foresight, and she stated she had never heard of it. After a brief explanation that foresight was