Or, rather, on NOT publishing short stories. I’ve never had a short story published in a literary magazine. There, I said it. I’ve written tons, but I stopped submitting them. There was a time, when I was fresh out of grad school and full of enthusiasm, when I subscribed to Poets & Writers magazine and — Read More
Author: Kim Hooper
Out of print (but on my shirt)
A good friend of mine turned me onto this site: Out of Print. There are about 20 things I already want, like this: And this: And this: What I really love is their mission statement: Out of Print celebrates the world’s great stories through fashion. Our products feature iconic and often out of print book — Read More
Getting away from it all
I spent last week in Yosemite, hiking a 60-mile High Sierra Loop. No television. No computer. No cell phone. And, interestingly, I started having some writing ideas pass through my head. I brought a journal and multiple pens with me (because I have this odd fear of running out of ink when I really, really, — Read More
If I owned a bookstore
I’ve always had a little dream of owning a bookstore. In my dream, it doubles as a coffee/tea shop and it’s called “Noveltea.” There would be used books (and new ones, too), one-of-a-kind stationery and cards, homemade muffins and cookies, weekly reading sessions. And, if I could swing it, I would steal this bookstore’s idea: — Read More
My book was a bad idea.
I’ve had that thought about a couple books I wrote, so when I saw a Salon.com article with that title, I had to click. And that’s when I got to know Corinne Purtill’s experience with writing a book. And I got to empathize with her. The gist: Woman quits day job to write book. Book — Read More
What NOT to say to a writer
I don’t know if it’s just that writers are super sensitive or what, but it seems that all of us feel like people say the wrong thing in response to our career/hobby/passion/whathaveyou. This list is a pretty good summary, capturing common comments that make writers laugh (or cry, on a bad day): From my own — Read More
Quotes of the month: Anne Lamott
Thanks to a long-time friend for sending this to me: I’ve always liked Anne Lamott. What she has to say about writing is always inspiring. She really speaks to why many of us love writing and reading. I highly recommend her book, Bird by Bird. These are some of my favorite quotes: “For some of — Read More
They say you should write what you know…
So I’m writing that I know this is hilarious.
Writers in love
I’ve always been intrigued by writers who date or marry other writers. At one point in my life, I think I aspired to this. I imagined the two of us scribbling down notes during random moments, sharing story ideas, serving as first reader and editor for each other. It was a fantasy of mutual absorption — Read More
How to be a writer’s friend (or lover)
A writer friend of mine said to me recently, “I gave a story I’m working on to my boyfriend for his opinion and he just said, ‘It’s interesting.’ Nothing else. That’s it.” She was fuming. Please note: This boyfriend is relatively new on the scene. He has no idea how he’s “supposed” to respond, bless — Read More