In the first fiction workshop I ever took, our instructor said to us, “Do you know what the difference between a really good fiction writer and you is? They make better sentences.” I knew even then that there was more of a difference between those writers and us, but his words have always stuck with… Read more »
When I was out at drinks with a friend a few weeks ago to talk about the first three chapters of my novel I’d sent him, one of the things that kept coming up was the language. Visceral and heavy, paranoid even. These were the words he used to describe it, almost like he was… Read more »
You’ve done it. Developed a writing voice distinctly your own. Readers can clearly hear YOU in your articles, essays, and poems. Congrats! But what about your fiction? If you’re like me, the trick of bringing that voice to fiction, and writing believable characters—with their own voices—is not so clear. In my first article on voice,… Read more »
I’m a long time fan of Stephen King and his particular way of telling a story. In the mid-80s, shortly after I began working at my local library, I came across the novel Thinner. I picked up the book. As is my habit, I didn’t look at the author’s name; I only read the title… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Gail Honeyman on the show! Gail is the author of the novel Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, which hit shelves in May of last year and made a huge splash with readers. Gail’s debut novel was the star book at the Frankfurt Book Fair… Read more »
We writers are always urged to find our voice in writing. Develop our voice. Be true to our voice. But in the middle of all of that furor over voice, what voice is often gets lost. As readers, we have favorite authors. We form fierce attachments to their work. Each new novel, collection of short… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to be talking with Will Dowd on the show! Will Dowd is a writer and artist from the Boston area. He earned a BA from Boston College, an MS from MIT,and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. His writing and art have appeared… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting award-winning author Nathaniel Philbrick on the show! Nathaniel is the New York Times bestselling author of Valiant Ambition, Sea of Glory, and The Last Stand, as well as a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book Mayflower. His book In the Heart of the Sea… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have author Ayobami Adebayo on the show! Ayobami’s stories have appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies. She holds BA and MA degrees in literature in English as well as an MA in creative writing, and has received numerous fellowships and residencies. Her debut… Read more »
So, you’ve sent you manuscript to an agent, or an editor, and now you wait. Will they like it? Will they take you on as a client, or publish your work? What makes them decide? Is it the unique premise or clever plot? Maybe the colorful characters? Or the snappy dialog and wonderfully rendered setting?… Read more »
