Last month, I wrote about minimalism, and how I thought the lifestyle might have particular value for writers. I planned to take the month of March to experiment with de-cluttering and embracing a more minimalist lifestyle in my home and on my computer. A month and many, many trashbags later, I’m still not quite done with the… Read more »
Some writers strike lightning on their first books—landing an agent, a book deal, even the Times list on the very first manuscript they’ve ever written. This article is not for those writers (though I tip my hat to them). This is for the rest of us—the writers with a novel, or two, or ten, in… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I am excited to interview author and creative writing professor, Susan Perabo. She is a writer-in-residence and professor at Dickinson College, and in this episode, we talk about making that transition from short fiction to novels (or vice versa) and what writers can learn from both forms. We also discuss different… Read more »
Maybe it’s my inner academic, or my inner word nerd, but I have a “thing” for defining terms. If we can’t agree upon what we’re talking about, how can we have a productive conversation? And that’s one of my primary aims with this column: to promote discussion and general thoughtiness with regard to speculative fiction…. Read more »
Most of us know the basics of online platforming by now – slap those links on your home page, post regularly, be engaged. But when I tell people that I do a lot of my best online platform growth at in-person events, I get a lot of raised eyebrows. It can already feel like a… Read more »
If you are a multi-passionate artist, you may have several ways in which you create. Maybe you write, but have several projects happening at once. Or you have multiple projects in different genres. Perhaps your passions live not just in a pen, but a pencil or paintbrush, and your creations want to be born in a… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I’m absolutely thrilled to introduce you to Jessica Strawser, the editorial director of Writer’s Digest magazine, and author of the stunning debut novel Almost Missed You. As editor of Writer’s Digest magazine, she has interviewed luminaries like David Sedaris and Alice Walker. She is now a debut author herself—her novel was released… Read more »
Do you remember when you first fell in love with reading? I’m going to guess that for most of you, it was when you were a child. Maybe, like for me, it was love at first picture book. Or maybe a teacher or librarian handed you a book that resonated with you, and you kept… Read more »
Breathe in… I wonder who’s the guest on The Daily Show tonight? Breathe out… I really liked Trevor Noah’s memoir. I should recommend it to my book club. Breathe in… Focus! You’re supposed to be clearing your mind. Breathe out… What should I make for supper tonight? If you’ve tried meditation, does this sound familiar? When I first… Read more »
When I made my first attempt at NaNoWriMo, I was living in Florence and was quite literally inspired every time I turned a corner. As I walked down the quaint streets, beautiful sentences would write themselves in my head. One might assume, then, that my writing reflected the splendor of the city; elegant as the… Read more »
