Writer Unboxed

I signed up for NaNoWriMo for the first time this year. It was more of an experiment than anything, though I had two good reasons for wanting to ditch my usual work practices for the month and concentrate on getting as many words down on the page as possible. Firstly, I was presenting a pair [...]

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GIVEAWAY: I am (again) excited to give away a free copy of the new 2012 Guide to Literary Agents to a random commenter. Comment within one week; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. Good luck to all and Happy Holidays! (Update: Allison won.) If you’re going to wheel and deal [...]

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Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. We’ll be taking a break today to celebrate, reflect on what we’re thankful for . . . and to EAT!  Speaking of eating, valued contributor, resident expert on all things French, and gourmand Sophie Masson is running a series of essays where writers and editors reflect on foods that touched their lives. Best of all, they also share [...]

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Publishing a story in a literary journal has long been a rite of passage for new writers. Many authors who are now household names cut their teeth by constantly submitting their work to journals and magazines, honing their craft and taking their licks with each rejection, waiting for that elusive “yes.” They’d scour each rejection [...]

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This blog is about reading rather than writing. In particular, e-reading. I’m not talking about how e-books are outselling paper books, how you can carry a library in your pocket, or how and why you should be getting your work out there into everyone’s e-device. This is about how e-readers are transforming the basic experience [...]

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I love technology, but historically I’m a late adopter. I mean, I still own a cellphone with a retractable antenna. And yeah, it only makes phone calls. It’s not that I think iPhones and Androids aren’t cool. I’m just cheap. Plus, I hate the idea of investing in something that’s likely to become obsolete before I [...]

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I am a notorious brightsider. On Writer Unboxed and elsewhere, I have advocated for persistence and positivity, for not letting artistic or career setbacks get you down, for not being jealous of other writers’ success. I have talked about my own long road to publication, and advised other writers “don’t give up, and don’t go [...]

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They say, “Even a bad book can teach you something.” And it’s true: we can learn almost as much from a bad example as we can from a good one. Slow opening? Cut the backstory. Cheesy dialogue? Listen to how real people talk. Clunky or complicated prose? Read your work out loud. These are all [...]

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Therese here. Today’s post is about the power of stories, brought to us by returning guest and author Colin Falconer–a historical novelist who has written over twenty books. Colin’s latest is due out October 4th by Corvus Atlantic in London; called Silk Road, it’s a book set in 13th century Jerusalem, about a knight’s journey to Kubilai [...]

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What’s the last thing you bought because someone told you to? I don’t mean things your spouse or kids or friends requested — “pick me up a sandwich, would you?” — but products or items for your own use. Why did you buy the toothpaste you brush with? Why did you buy the mug you drink [...]

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Kath here. Today, prolific novelist Lisa Tucker agreed to guest post with WU on how the e-publishing revolution is reviving a literary tradition once thought dead: the short story/novella. Lisa is the author of six novels: The Song Reader, Shout Down the Moon, Once Upon a Day, The Cure for Modern Life, The Promised World, [...]

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