Writer Unboxed

[Kath here: We’re thrilled to post Dave’s diary of this year’s WLoT’s Agent & Editors Conference. In the interest of space, we are posting this is two parts. The second post will go live Wednesday, July 2. If you can’t wait, Dave’s loaded the entire post over at his website write-your-short-story dot […]

I’m teaching quite a bit this summer, and one of the things that writers always talk about is their fears. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of self-revelation. Fear of your sister realizing that awful character is her. Free-floating fears, too, that morph into whatever shape currently needed to keep the writer […]

My son has had a tortured season of baseball. He loves the game. Loves it. But he wasn’t playing the game as well as he wanted to play it. He’d approach home plate, bat in hand, and hear all of the voices–real and remembered–around him. Stand like this. Hold the bat like that. No, like […]

Oh my god, you guys. You have no idea how much I want to tell you my news. But it has to wait until papers are signed, the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted. Then I’ll spill it.
But I wanted to blog about something we aspiring writers rarely hear. And […]

We’re gonna get a little cosmic today, my friends. Care to go out on a limb with me?
Ever since I was little I’ve had this sense that things are way bigger and more complex than surface appearance might lead you to believe. I’ve been fascinated with that idea my whole life, it seems. As a […]

I subscribe to a monthly e-newsletter written by Jurgen Wolff called the BRAINSTORM E-BULLETIN. What I like about Jurgen’s newsletter is that he takes tips from all around him and then extrapolates for the writer. This month’s tips are rooted in life lessons inspired by a communication designer, a novelist, a Forbes magazine article on […]

Last week, I blogged about learning from positive rejection. But let’s face it, not all rejection–even positive rejection–provides valuable gems you can learn from. Agents might call your work “luscious,” “exceptionally good,” “tremendously promising,” “magical,” “evocative.” You might be labeled “a very gifted writer,” “a great talent,” with “a lot of potential” and “a fresh […]

On my blog, Flogging the Quill, I do critiques (frequently including line edits) of the opening 16 lines of novels submitted by writer/readers. I have reasons for doing it—platform-building, maybe getting some editing business—but mostly it’s fun to do, and rewarding to help other writers see shortcomings and strengths in their writing.
Best of all, perhaps, […]

I’ve just come back from a few weeks overseas, mainly in France, where my family originally comes from. It was great being back there, seeing everyone, spending time in both Paris and the South (where the family hails from). It was lucky too that my stay coincided with some particularly beautiful spring weather, with the […]

I admit it, I’m a big fan of gimmicky presents for writers: the latest craft book, a coffee cup that says “Writers Do It With Words” or a brand-new Moleskin journal. My friends and family know this and my work space is loaded with them. Many of these items are cute and […]

Therese and I are starting to get it together again after returning from our annual writer’s retreat. For the fifth year in a row, we–along with fellow writer-buddy Elena Greene–rented a cottage in a beautiful setting, left instructions for spousal units to feed and care for offspring, and gave ourselves permission to immerse in […]

Last week we blogged about Emmy Cherry, an eleven-year-old girl tragically killed when a tornado ripped through her home in Arkansas. Emmy was a big fan of former WU contributor Victoria Holmes‘ massive YA bestselling series WARRIORS, which she conceptualized.
I’d been thinking about Emmy all week, as I have a daughter her age who […]