Maya Shanbhag Lang: How I Write
“Fiction is like listening to someone’s heartbeat through a stethoscope. Memoir is like open-heart surgery and holding someone’s heart in your hands.” Read More “Maya Shanbhag Lang: How I Write”
Author Interviews
Carmen Maria Machado: How I Write
“I find writing nonfiction difficult; it feels like pulling teeth. It’s technically and logistically challenging and emotionally draining, and the whole time you have one hand behind your back. I admire folks who write good nonfiction so much, because I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is to make it work and work well.” Read More “Carmen Maria Machado: How I Write”
Emma Straub: How I Write
“I feel like you could write about a family forever and never run out of conflict or love or hurt feelings.” Read More “Emma Straub: How I Write”
Lily King interview: How I Write
“I love a lot of dialogue in books because I love humans communicating.” Read More “Lily King interview: How I Write”
Peter Kispert: How I Write
“Every story is different, and I try to honor story-making as an act of discovery.” Read More “Peter Kispert: How I Write”
Richard Blanco: How I Write
“I want to turn metrophobes (people with a fear of poetry) into metromaniacs.” Read More “Richard Blanco: How I Write”
Clare Beams: How I Write
“Dialogue is always a challenge for me, especially if it’s a piece set in a historical time. I don’t want people to sound like set pieces, but I do want them to sound convincing of that time.” Read More “Clare Beams: How I Write”
Marie Lu interview: Back to the future
YA author Marie Lu returns to the futuristic dystopia that landed her on the bestseller list – and digs through the past for tomorrow’s stories. Read More “Marie Lu interview: Back to the future”
Jami Attenberg: How I Write
Learn about the best-selling novelist’s writing process. Read More “Jami Attenberg: How I Write”
Donald Maass: Firing up fiction
The astute agent, passionate teacher, and fiction fan shares wisdom on writing, querying, and selling sizzling novels. Read More “Donald Maass: Firing up fiction”
Featured Posts
5 things a personal essay needs to succeed (and sell)
Here are the five components that should be in any truthteller’s toolkit. Read More “5 things a personal essay needs to succeed (and sell)”
Gigi Will Know: Are editors sick of COVID-19 pitches yet?
“I want to write about the COVID-19 pandemic, but I’m worried literary journal editors are saturated with similar submissions.” Read More “Gigi Will Know: Are editors sick of COVID-19 pitches yet?”
Virtual learning opportunities for writers
Since conferences aren’t back on the table for most writers just yet, here are some online learning resources for craft-hungry scribes. Read More “Virtual learning opportunities for writers”