Friday, June 6, 2014

Raise the Emotional Stakes: Strengthening Alchemy between Setting, Character, and Conflict

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Morning: writing at my sunny desk.  Task:  revise a stubborn scene.  Advice from recent feedback:  bring more emotion into it. Sunshin...
Friday, May 30, 2014

Emotional Gateways--How They Help You Write and Revise Your Book

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On June 2, next Monday, I begin teaching my summer online classes.   In both the beginning and intermediate level classes, we examine...
Friday, May 23, 2014

Cheryl Strayed on Jealousy, How to Keep Writing, Getting Famous, and Other Great Stuff--Interviewed by Elissa Bassist

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 I loved this flippant, educational article by a favorite writer, Cheryl Strayed.  She's reached fame and fortune lately, since her ...
Friday, May 16, 2014

Resources for Writing a Potent "Inner Story" in Your Book

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{This post also appeared earlier this week as a guest blog on Grub Street Daily .} Vivian Gornick talks about “the situation and the s...
Friday, May 9, 2014

How to Keep Your Writing in Your Over-the-Top Busy Life: Helpful Techniques from the Experts

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A particular exchange exists between the writer and her writing.  One feeds the other.  If you write, you write more.  If you stop writi...
Friday, May 2, 2014

Wisdom from Janet Burroway, Author of Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft

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I came across Janet Burroway's superb text on writing fiction during my MFA program.  Writing Fiction:  A Guide to Narrative Craft is t...
Friday, April 25, 2014

Finding the Edges: The Art of Theme and Voice in Fiction and Memoir

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Novelists and memoir writers know the agony and ecstasy of voice and theme.  Two make-or-break aspects of a book, they arrive last-minut...
Friday, April 18, 2014

Organizing Your Book: Great Tips on What to Save, How to File It to Find It, and More!

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Sharon, a blog reader, emailed me last week with a question about her book--not a writing craft question, but the all important organiz...
Friday, April 11, 2014

Writing about Tough Topics: When It Gets Personal in Your Story, How Do You Keep Going?

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Michael, a writer from the New England area, took my workshop on book-structuring techniques last year.  He recently emailed me about hi...
Friday, April 4, 2014

How a Food Journalist Becomes a Book Writer: The Award-Winning Journey of Steve Hoffman

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Food writer Steve Hoffman can actually name the date, time and location when he got started:  It happened on June 27, 2012, at 12:30 PM...