[A disclaimer: I am friends with Alex George, the author of THE PARIS HOURS. That said, I knew Alex’s writing before I knew him (through his old blog). And even if I knew nothing about Alex, this is still the review I’d share…] The Paris Hours Moments after finishing THE PARIS HOURS, I messaged Alex […]
The Kind Ones
There’s a certain pain in wanting to do the thing you love more than you’re able to do because life comes with certain demands. Technical writing is not the writing I want to do, but it is the writing that pays the bills. I am not so naive to think that writing fiction full time […]
The Effort Is Worth It
It’s a five-day weekend for me, which means yesterday was the beginning of my little break. I took it easy and got some reading done. One of the things I read was this interview with Colson Whitehead. Whitehead is one of those people I’ve followed for years without ever really reading. And that needs to […]
[Another] Interview with Mark Hosack
Mark Hosack is a busy guy. When he’s not busy helping raise three young daughters, he’s writing screenplays, directing movies, editing movies and trailers, and scouting locations for commercial shoots (in fact, this interview was done while he was on location shooting a commercial for a major restaurant known for their breakfasts). So why not […]
LitHub Interview with Ann Patchett
A bit of time yesterday morning was spent reading this interview with Ann Patchett on LitHub. Patchett’s Bel Canto hooked me with how complex it is in its simplicity, and her essays are some of the best I’ve ever read. She’s so understated — and perhaps because of that, she’s massive. Next month, Patchett’s next […]
Recap of the Unbound Book Festival
A recent article about the Unbound Book Festival began with these lines: Thank God for Alex George. I have never believed in any god, but were I to believe, I would say whatever god I believed in smiled on Alex George this past weekend. A Bit About Alex I don’t remember what blog entry it […]
The Speed at Which One Writes
Writers, take your marks. Ready. Set. Go! And they’re off! (Well, depending who they are…) If you’re George R. R. Martin, you’re told you write too slowly. (GRRM’s announcement that he’s missed a deadline; some fans are not pleased.) If you’re Chuck Wendig, you’re apparently too fast. So who’s the winner? George R. R. Martin […]
The Voices in My Head
Have you ever given much thought to the voice you hear inside your head when reading to yourself? When I read to myself, I don’t totally hear my own voice in my head — just an approximation. I hear the voice I’ve always heard in my head; I suppose it is a representation of me […]
A Matter of Interpretation
When Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” was taught to me, it was as though only the last three lines existed: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Out of context, it looks like it’s a poem about enjoying […]
A Video and a Podcast
Yesterday, I finally watched this interview with Andy Weir (the author of The Martian): Yes, it’s almost an hour, but it’s a good chat! Some of my favorite bits from this interview: Weir serialized The Martian on his website and offered it for free. As its popularity grew, so did interest from agents and publishers. […]
How to Write a Trilogy (The Jeff VanderMeer Way)
I’ve been meaning to read if for the last week, but last night I finally got around to reading this Jeff VanderMeer piece in The Atlantic about writing the Southern Reach trilogy. I’m currently reading the trilogy (I recently wrote about the first book, Annihilation). I’m currently writing a trilogy of my own (I printed […]
Some Thoughts About Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding. For some writers, it’s everything. Before characters, plot, or anything else, it’s all about creating a big world…even going to great lengths to spend time making up things that are never even seen in the story, for “greater understanding and authenticity…” I may be an exception in my views, but those who go to […]
Commercial Writing vs. Art
I’ve seen quite a few people (writers) share this quote from Ursula Le Guin’s acceptance speech at the National Book Awards. (Le Guin received the medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.): Right now, we need writers who know the difference between production of a market commodity and the practice of an art. Developing written […]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 5
- Next Page »