I gave my Afghan Women's Writing Project workshop a third prompt this morning, this one meant to jump-start a personal essay. The prompt goes as follows: 1. …
writing tips
If You AREN'T Being Rejected, Perhaps You Aren't Creative Enough
I just came across a rejection letter from the Museum of Art, politely declining the donation of a painting by an artist. The letter is dated October 18, 1956, …
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AWWP Writing Prompt: I Am…
I've just given my second writing prompt to the workshop I'm heading up at the Afghan Women's Writing Project this month. I tried to do something very simple …
A Friday the 13th Writing Tip – on Writing and Luck
"Writing is like getting married. One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one's luck." — Iris Murdoch And a quick reminder that Friday the 13th …
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The All-True Story of How a Novel Gets Published #12: The Importance of Kind Words … and Book Giveaway Thanks for Same!
Yes, you're in the right place for the 1st Books Book Giveaway! Read on! [But Please Note: The Contest is Now Closed and the winner have been drawn and …
Submissions Tips
I've been updating the WRITERS PAGE on my website, and came across a few new links I think would be particularly helpful to anyone submitting novels or short …
The All-True Story of How a Novel Gets Published, Part 11: We Need Permission! And a Latin Expert!
In Part 6 of this "All-True" series, I blogged about Beth Pearson and her amazing team who, among other things, flagged every place in The Four Ms. Bradwells …
The All-True Story of How a Novel Gets Published, Part 10: The Dreaded Author Photo
To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm not skipping right over this author photo bit and moving on to The Four Ms. Bradwells showing up on Amazon. I. Hate. Photos. …
A Brief History of the Slush Pile
Did you know the first time the New York Times used the term "slush pile" in a literary sense wasn't until 1967? I just came across an article at the Awl, "Very …
The All-True Story of How a Novel Gets Published, Part 9: Titles and DESCRIPTIONS and Author Photos – Oh My! (the "Description" part)
One funny thing about writing a book is how hard it is to reduce 300+ pages of prose to a one- or two-paragraph description. So the good news is that when your …
