Category: Writers on Writing

by Kim Hooper

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

by Kim Hooper

Hemingway to Fitzgerald: “Go on and write”

Yet another fascinating post from Letters of Note: Hemingway writing to Fitzgerald circa 1934, giving his opinion on Fitzgerald’s just-published Tender Is the Night. The book tells the story of Dick and Nicole Diver, a couple based on mutual acquaintances (Sara and Gerald) of both Fitzgerald and Hemingway. What I like most about this letter — Read More

by Kim Hooper

ePublishing Success Story: Stephanie Walker

I met Stephanie Walker before she became Stephanie Walker. She was Stephanie Weinert, engaged to Bob Walker. We were both in the USC Master’s of Professional Writing program, struggling to keep up with deadlines, churning out plays, short stories, novel ideas. She was also planning a wedding. Over a year or two, I became good — Read More

by Kim Hooper

Why do we write?

I’ve asked myself this question  often, sometimes with a tone of calm curiosity, sometimes with absolute frustration. What I come back to time and time again is this: I just enjoy writing. When I was a kid, this basic fact was complicated by another fact: I was good at writing. With that came well-meaning people — Read More

by Kim Hooper

Quote of the month

When I was young (like, elementary school), I spent an almost-outrageous amount of time on character development when I wrote stories. I drew pictures of what I thought the character looked like, ripped images out of magazines that reminded me of her, made lists of her favorites (food, color, TV show, band). I sketched her — Read More

by Kim Hooper

What you need to know (but nobody tells you when you’re starting out)

Ira Glass, as you probably know, is the host and producer of This American Life, a weekly public radio show broadcast on more than 500 stations to about 1.7 million listeners. Ira Glass is a master storyteller, plain and simple, and he has this to say to beginning storytellers: Check out the 4-part series with — Read More

by Kim Hooper

ePublishing: Does it really “count”?

I used to think digital publishing was sort of a cheat, a way to get around the obstacles of traditional publishing for those who get sick of the multiplying rejection letters. It wasn’t “real” publishing, in my mind. After all, my dream was to see my book, with some big publishing house’s insignia on the — Read More

by Kim Hooper

The writing cave

I’ve been a fan of Molly Wizenburg for a few years, thanks to a dear friend who turned me onto her blog, Orangette. When her book, A Homemade Life, was announced, I pre-ordered it. And I wasn’t disappointed when it finally arrived on my doorstep. Her book, like her blog, is about food, but not — Read More