The Clerk

Tag: author

  • Why Writers Use Em Dashes—and Always Have

    Em dashes have been in use since the 15th century, emerging during the printing revolution, and the symbol later gained popularity in the 18th century. Em dashes have been a punctuation mark for centuries at this point, yet for some reason, after roughly 2022, many people are shocked when they see one and say to… →

  • Why I Write as The Clerk

    Hello Readers, My name is Sylvia Petro. My stories are inspired by many things I have experienced, observed, and meditated on in my life thus far. For my current series, after years of consideration (Vanguardian itself is over ten years old), I decided to publish under “The Clerk,” a pseudonym I first chose around 2016.… →

  • Alternate Intro Excerpt

    Share your thoughts on this alternate introduction to Vanguardian. Vanguardian is a historical speculative romance that explores race, power, and identity through the lives of three main characters in an empire threatened by war. Available online and at bookstores. Below was the second introduction I crafted for the story some years ago. I later wrote a… →