In the introduction to his short story collection, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, Haruki Murakami says this about writing short stories versus novels: “To put in the simplest possible terms, I find writing novels a challenge, writing short stories a joy. If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like — Read More
Category: Writing Process
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
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
Inspiration
A while ago, a family friend asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” I shrugged. She pressed, “Well, what makes something worthy of you spending months and months turning it into a story?” I still had no answer. I think most writers, or creative people in general, would say inspiration is a mystery. Sometimes, a — Read More
Choosing your readers
As previously mentioned, writers are whores for feedback. While much of writing is a solo adventure, we do need dialogue. For some of us, we need that dialogue from the moment we put pen to paper; for me, it’s after I get a good ‘barf draft’ out of my system. Josh Weil, who was selected — Read More
Workshopping
Work•shop•ping -noun The act of looking for a workshop. As much as writers like to think of themselves as solitary creatures, they need interaction. Let’s face it, we are whores for feedback. We need people to tell us that what we’ve put on paper has some value, that we should keep at it, put off — Read More
“Home is where your story begins”
Ever wondered where your favorite author lived? Not the state or the town, but the house. I have. For some reason, houses have always fascinated me. When I was a kid, writing my first stories, one of my primary tasks (after naming my main character) was to draw a sketch of the character’s house. For me, a home says so — Read More
So, you want to be a writer?
On a somewhat regular basis, I take Lorrie Moore’s collection, Self Help, off my shelf and read “How to Become a Writer.” It’s the first line I love: “First, try to be something, anything, else.” This is probably the best advice I’ve ever heard. Yes, perhaps it’s somewhat discouraging, humorously cynical, but that’s what being — Read More