Julianna Baggott is my new idol, at least in the way she approaches the writing life. I discovered her at AWP, where she led a panel about women’s fiction, the title of which was, I think, something along the lines of "Beyond Chick Lit.: The Branding of Women’s Fiction." The panel was really good, with […]
Would you like to learn more about writing? Are you too busy to take a writing class but still have burning desire to put words on the page? Do you suspect you are a good writer but that you could be even better with some guidance? Are you interested in applying to a MFA program […]
I wrote about my new gig as co-director of the Writer’s Loft in Tennessee on Friday, and I thought it would be good to post a bit more about it. For the record, its a great writing program, and has proven to fill a need. Say you are a busy professional who’s always had the […]
I have my wonderful friend Candace White to thank for this. (All you writers, artists and self-employed folks who have been frustrated in the past about getting insurance ought to call Candace. She’ll call you “y’all” and offer you vodka and make you tortilla soup and coconut cake and when all the important stuff is […]
Well, the meeting about the ghostwriting may have been a terrible debacle but I did get some excellent news yesterday. The writing certificate program I teach at in Nashville (actually it is part of the Continuing Education Department at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro) has, of late, been….how shall I say this delicately….well, it […]
I’ve written about critiquing before. (I know, I know, the good blogging thing to do would be to look back and find all the links–because it was a multi-part series–but getting a post up is all I’m good for after the day I’ve had. Update: I caved. See the end of this post for links. […]
I’ve been a bit stuck on my novel recently. I’m still not very far into it, only within the first 50 pages and so I’m at that point where getting stuck could have dire consequences, ie, the whole damn thing could fall apart. When one gets stuck in the early stages of writing a novel […]
Did you watch the Academy Awards last night? I did, at least the last couple hours of them. They were okay, and was it just me, or did they actually finish on time? Probably because they were just the wee-est bit lacking in, well, written material. It was the first thing that Suzanne and I […]
Yesterday I wrote about ways we writers might find to avoid facing the page. It is one thing to write about it, but yet another to find ways to stop such unproductive behaviors and get onto the fun work of writing. So how does one conquer these procrastination habits? If I had the answer to […]
Do you approach every writing session with hope, joy and expectation, eager to get to work? If so, could you please share some of what you’ve got with me and the rest of the world. Like the famous When Harry Met Sally Meg Ryan scene in which the old woman in the restaurant watches her […]
