March 2012
18 posts
Jeanette Winterson’s 10 rules for writing
- Turn up for work. Discipline allows creative freedom. No discipline equals no freedom.
- Never stop when you are stuck. You may not be able to solve the problem, but turn aside and write something else. Do not stop altogether.
- Love what you do.
- Be honest with yourself. If you are no good, accept it. If the work you are doing is no good, accept it.
- Don’t hold on to poor work. If it was bad when it went in the drawer it will be just as bad when it comes out.
- Take no notice of anyone you don’t respect.
- Take no notice of anyone with a gender agenda. A lot of men still think that women lack imagination of the fiery kind.
- Be ambitious for the work and not for the reward.
- Trust your creativity.
- Enjoy this work!
News from Portland: an ode to spring fever →
pfmreports.com
When I moved from Seattle to Denver, the first thing I noticed was how much more energy I had. The source: SUN. I had no idea what a huge difference it made. I lived in the Pacific Northwest for thirteen years, so I had adapted to the gloomy winters. But there is one thing I miss: spring fever. Even with feet of snow, we’ll have bright blue skies in Denver. In Seattle, when we woke to that first sunny day sometime in March or April, there was an electric surge about the city, a giddiness in every person you encountered. See it in all its glory on PFM Reports.
You don’t get that in Colorado, where we take our vitamin D for granted. (Okay, but we also get our Rocky Mountain High).
When the website says 'send to the submissions department' →
queryquagmire.tumblr.com
I’ve wondered about this myself, but always assumed it meant “network your way to us.” According to Query Quagmire, perhaps it doesn’t.
“Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets.”
—~ Arthur Miller
From naked self to compelling narrative voice
It’s rare to hear the word “memoir” mentioned without “voice” following a few words behind. Author Mary Karr (The Liars’ Club, Cherry, and Lit) has said in interviews “In memoir, the only through-line is the character represented by voice. So you better make the reader damn curious about who’s talking.”
So how do you create that voice? Vivian Gornick offers strong insight on this in The Situation and The Story: The Art of Personal Narrative. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.
However, if you’re looking for great advice right now, check out Alan Rinzler’s post on creating a compelling narrative voice. Rinzler is a consulting editor who spent decades as an publisher and acquiring editor. He distills several key pieces from Gornick’s book and offers his own suggestions based on memoirs he’s edited.
What’s your favorite resource for writing a memoir and/or developing a strong voice?
“I am revising. I am not so much killing my darlings as holding a knife to their throats, pathetically demanding ransom.”
—
~ Elizabeth McCracken
I am a huge Elizabeth McCracken fan. She creates the most wonderful, tilted worlds that feel real yet take you into another dimension, like Dorothy stepping into the technicolor Land of Oz.
Book trailer for Tomboy Style →
tomboystyle.blogspot.com
Whether or not you’re interested in the content of TOMBOY STYLE by Lizzie Garret Mettler, this book trailer is a great example of what can be done for authors. This trailer is personable, simple and interesting.
Betsy Lerner's top 10 reasons to live with a writer →
betsylerner.wordpress.com
If you’re not reading literary agent Betsy Lerner’s blog, you’re missing out on a great daily read. She’ll tell you just like it is. I love her top 10 reasons to live with a writer, though I have to confess I’ve never played Bananograms. #writers
