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34 ratings | 1 review | avg rating:5.00

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Erika Raskin

Goodreads Author

Born

Washington, D.C.

Website

https://www.erikaraskin.com/

Twitter

erikaraskin

Genre

Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult

Member Since

March 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/erikaraskin

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Ever since I first started sketching stories I’ve been merging “write what you know” with “write what you worry about". (And trust me, the older one gets, the more of the latter there is.) I've been picking up plots, punchlines, and snippets of 'overheard' conversations forever, filling in the blanks along the way. Narratives and descriptions can come from anywhere--channel surfing, scary trips down rabbit holes on the web or even earnest conversations while driving carpool. Wherever the stories originate they tend to be cautionary tales. (Actually Allegiance, which is about fascism coming to America, is more of a car alarm.) Best Intentions is about medical malpractice — of the institutional variety. Close, concerns family therapy. On TV. ...more

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I love typewriter music...I taught in a classroom of 40 manual typewriters clicking and clacking...loved it. Did you learn to type on a manual or electric typewriter?

Erika Raskin A powder blue, electric IBM Selectric that I think weighed about as much as third-grader.

I love the sound of tapping keys, too. It's warm and familia…moreA powder blue, electric IBM Selectric that I think weighed about as much as third-grader.

I love the sound of tapping keys, too. It's warm and familiar.(less)

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Erika Raskin My advice is to be observant. What do things remind you of? (The narrow road was lined with a parade of trees whose outstretched hands touched the car…moreMy advice is to be observant. What do things remind you of? (The narrow road was lined with a parade of trees whose outstretched hands touched the car one after the other, for luck.)

Good dialogue in fiction is critical to story. It’s a way of revealing the interior lives of your characters while also moving action along. (“Hey Sam, I know you’re going to think this is just another one of my whacky ideas, but what would you say to hitchhiking cross-country after graduation?”)

I think there are many ways to write. Some people like to outline everything before typing the first word. Others just sit down and let the pages fill up on their own. I would like to be organized and in the first group (I'd like to have a well-ordered purse, too). But I’m not and I don't.(less)

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Erika Raskin’s books

Average rating: 3.95 · 598 ratings · 178 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	Best Intentions 3.88 avg rating — 507 ratings — published 2017 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Close 4.33 avg rating — 72 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Allegiance: a novel 4.72 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2024 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Streetlight Magazine 2018 Anthology by Trudy Hale, Susan Shafarzek, Erika Raskin (Goodreads Author) did not like it 1.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Streetlight Magazine 2020 Anthology by Trudy Hale, Susan Shafarzek (Editor), Erika Raskin (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Streetlight Magazine 2021 Anthology by Trudy Hale, Susan Shafarzek, Elizabeth Meade Howard (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Streetlight Magazine 2022 Anthology by Trudy Hale, Susan Shafarzek (editor), Erika Raskin (Goodreads Author) (editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Streetlight Magazine 2023 Anthology by Trudy Hale, Deborah Kelly (editor), Erika Raskin (Goodreads Author) (editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Streetight Magazine 2024 Anthology by Trudy Hale, Erika Raskin (Goodreads Author), Elizabeth Meade Howard (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Erika Raskin's Blog

The Time Rats Almost Got Me Arrested: The struggle continues

A long time ago I wrote an essay for Salon about being actively stalked by my phobia: Rattus rattus. So heinous their scientific name gets repeated, rats are grinning-bald-tailed-greasy-pelted-2 lb-rodents who have surprised me at school, work, in restaurants — and once on top of my refrigerator. They swim up toilets, participate in orchestrated attacks on slow walkers and can compress full grown Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 12, 2026 04:49

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Allegiance: a novel

by Erika Raskin (Goodreads Author)

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May 24, 2024 12:08PM

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Erika Raskin wrote a new blog post The Time Rats Almost Got Me Arrested: The struggle continues A long time ago I wrote an essay for Salon about being actively stalked by my phobia: Rattus rattus. So heinous their scientific name gets repeated, r Read more of this blog post »
Sep 13, 2026 02:48AM · like

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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NetGalley Readers: Just Requested and Recently Approved	10681	1896	Dec 23, 2020 02:01PM
Minnesota Readers: Currently Reading	45	226	Sep 16, 2026 09:32AM