My mom sent me this article, saying she thought I would appreciate it. And I do. Here’s a guy, Dick Wimmer, whose first novel, Irish Wine, was rejected 162 freaking times over 25 freaking years before it was finally published in 1989. He laid claim to being history’s most-rejected novelist, with his closest competitor being — Read More
Author: Kim Hooper
Dealing with rejection
If you’re a writer who has dared to submit something for publication, then you have dealt with rejection. Unless you’re some lucky bastard, in which case go away. Writers, like most creative people, are sensitive, so it’s a cruel irony that the writing business is so insensitive. It’s like bootcamp for those of us born — Read More
When people ask me why I like books…
…I say it’s because the pages come alive. (Source: Grain Edit • Blake Suárez)
Stephen King: On Writing
As a writer, people like to give me lots of books on writing, filled with self-help suggestions and theories on craft. Most of the time, I skim, then toss the books behind the first row of books on my shelf, never to be seen again. A while back, a friend gave me Stephen King’s “On — Read More
Great expectations
When I graduated from my writing program, I had them — great expectations. I thought, “Okay, I’ve taken all the relevant steps. I’ll submit my work, land an agent, get a book deal, see myself on a shelf at Barnes & Noble.” Done, done, and done. The universe said, “No, no, and no.” Actually, I — Read More
“What’s your book about?”
You would think I’d not only welcome this question, but love it. What writer doesn’t want the opportunity to go on and on about the story she’s writing? I’ll tell you what writer — me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy discussing my stories, but I have this childish fear of jinxing them if I talk — Read More
What makes “good” dialogue?
My writing friend: This kid in my class said my dialogue isn’t realistic. Me: What’s that supposed to mean? My writing friend: No idea. Me: It shouldn’t be realistic. My writing friend: Huh? Me: If it was realistic, it would be, like, awful to read. My writing friend: Ya… Well… I guess… But– Nevermind. Right, — Read More
Quote of the month
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” ~ Scott Adams, “Dilbert” cartoonist One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given regarding writing is, “You have to learn to kill your darlings.” What this means is I have to learn to let go of those little nuggets — Read More
Grammar gripe: LOL BRB WTF WUT?
“OMG,” “LOL” and the symbol for “heart” have all been added to the Oxford English Dictionary Online. It’s true. You can read about it here. Sadly, I’m not surprised at all. I blame text messaging for the trend of conversing more and more in shorthand. We have “smart” phones now. We are Tweeting and Facebooking — Read More
What would you call your work shed?
When you envision your ideal creative space, what do you see? I see one room with a desk, a chair, and a stone fireplace. For some reason, I also see a daybed. This is probably because I love naps. The floors are old hardwood. It’s quiet. It’s desolate. If I look out the window, there is a — Read More