Jeffrey Eugenides is one of those writers who leaves my jaw on the floor every time. I consider him so far out of my league that envy isn’t even in the cards; just admiration and awe. Eugenides is a literary writer who is also popular–in other words, a rarity. He wrote The Virgin Suicides in 1993 (which — Read More
Category: Writing Process
Publishing Journey: The Edits. Done. For Now.
Well, about a month after I received edits that sent me into a mild tailspin, I am done. The book is back with my editor. She will have it for a couple weeks, and then I’ll get another round of edits, which are supposed to be very minor. I have learned through this process not to — Read More
Spotlight on: Tom Perrotta
I haven’t met a Tom Perrotta book I didn’t like, and I’ve read a lot of them–Bad Haircut (short stories), The Wishbones, Joe College, Little Children, The Abstinence Teacher, The Leftovers. I still need to read Election. Perrotta is not-so-arguably one of the best contemporary authors today. Two of his books (Little Children and Election) — Read More
Spotlight on: Liane Moriarty
I’ve decided to do a little “Spotlight On” post about authors I really love and admire. I’ll scour the Internet for interviews they’ve done and essays they’ve written to gather up some interesting tidbits about their lives and writing process. Sound fun? I think so. First up: Liane Moriarty. I fell in love with Moriarty — Read More
On the influence of the editor
Since receiving a round of fairly extensive edits on my book, I’ve been thinking a lot about how most of the books I read are probably very different from their first drafts. And that gets me thinking about the creation of art in general. If a writer is heavily influenced by an editor, is the book — Read More
Publishing Journey: The Edits
So, the last time I touched my book was in October, about 8 months ago. In November, I got verbal (and email) confirmation that St. Martin’s Press did, in fact, want to buy my book (woohoo!). I didn’t actually sign a contract until January. The wheels on this publishing bus go ’round and ’round, but — Read More
Publishing Journey: Impatience
There is one word NOBODY will ever use to describe me: Patient. I don’t even aspire to be more patient because it seems like striving for something impossible, like wishing I was shorter (which I do, occasionally, because I’m 5’11” and gangly as all hell). My brain moves really, really fast, and my expectations move at that — Read More
The pressures of fame (yes, this is a Harper Lee post)
It’s been impossible to ignore all the hype about Harper Lee’s follow-up to To Kill a Mockingbird. Even if you’re not a reader, you’ve heard about it. And, if you are a reader (or a writer), you’re probably foaming at the mouth to get your hands on it. I haven’t said much on the subject — Read More
Workshopping
Writers use “workshop” as a verb. As in, “Your book is coming along. You should workshop it.” I haven’t done a workshop in many years. But for a while there, workshopping was a huge part of my writing life. It basically defined my grad school program–and most grad school programs (which is important to note — Read More
Writing for control
Sometimes when I read Poets & Writers magazine, I come across an article that is so good that I must tear it out for safe keeping. I put it in a folder labeled “writing stuff.” In the latest issue, I tore out “Quieting the Mind” by Sarah Herrington. And then I promptly followed her on Twitter. In — Read More