I just finished reading Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Writers on How and Why They Do What They Do. I’d recommend it, mostly because proceeds go to 826 National, a nonprofit dedicated to writing and tutoring centers. I didn’t think the entries were all that compelling. In fact, my favorite part was the introduction by — Read More
Category: Writing Technique
Vintage photos of writers writing
I just saw this slideshow on Huffington Post and had to share my favorites. Captions by me. Dorothy Parker “Hmm, I really don’t remember writing this last night. Whelp, it’s pretty good.” Mark Twain Philip Roth William Faulkner Edith Wharton There are a total of 13 photos in the Huffington Post slideshow. Check it out.
100 days later.
Remember when I said I’d write every day for 100 days? You might not remember. I kind of buried the commitment at the end of a post. This was at the end of January. Well, lo and behold, it’s 100 days later and I was successful…well mostly. I wrote every day except for FOUR. Two — 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
In memory of my journals
Since I was a kid, I’ve thought of “journal” as more of a verb than a noun. Some kids played handball, some skipped rope, some chased boys; I journaled. It was serious business, the kind of serious business that compelled me to ask my parents for a special birthday gift — a fireproof safe to — Read More
To outline, or not to outline
When people ask me my favorite book of all time, I struggle with naming just one. I provide a list, and Slaughterhouse-Five is always on that list. This past weekend, I organized my book shelf, as I tend to do when I have a stretch of free time and am trying to avoid Swiffering my — Read More
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
Advice I don’t take
Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Don Murray says the three worst pieces of advice he was ever given were: 1. If you like it, cut it out. 2. Know what you are going to say before you write it. 3. Don’t write what’s been said before. I’ve been given these gems of advice before myself and they — Read More
Writing like a man
Picture this: I’m 23. I’ve just recently completed the Master’s in Professional Writing program at USC. Another graduate is working as an editor for a reputable New York agent. She takes a liking to me and my writing. She invites me to a party at her house in the Hollywood Hills to meet this agent. — Read More
Short stories vs novels, relationships vs flings
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