Recommending good poems for people is dicey, and I know that different people will disagree on what the best poetry is. I’m going to give it a try anyway. My M.F.A. is in poetry. Many times, people have told me — often as a confession — that they don’t enjoy or read it. And the thing is, I don’t blame
Category: Writing Matters
What is a beta reader? it’s someone who reads your work and tells you what’s working and what needs fixing. If you’re doing the same for this person, then you might refer to them as a “critique partner.” For almost all writers, beta readers are a crucial part of crafting a quality manuscript and improving as a writer in general. Some people
I give a lot of advice on this blog. Most of it, like most good advice, is based on failure. I’ve messed up a lot, so I know what I’m talking about. Let’s say you’re a few chapters into your story, or maybe even 75 or 100 pages… and you’re just not feeling it. At all. What’s more, you have this new
Hey friends! Here are three books that I enjoyed lately! The science one took me a while to read because I took so many notes. I always take at least a few notes on the books I read so that I can remember them better, and I have a new journal for all the books I read in 2016. Here’s
Note: this post was originally part of a writing series, and some comments may refers to that. Some people hate plotting. They often call themselves “pantsers,” because they write by the seat of their pants. Many people who hate to plot ahead say that they want to be able to discover things along the way. Well, guess what – when
Sometimes it’s hard to know how to start a story, and that’s why I pulled together these opening scene examples. I’m going to talk a little more about first scenes than first lines, though I’ll mention some first lines, too. These are only some of the many good ways to start a novel. I know it can be hard to figure
Note: this post was originally part of a writing series, and some comments may refer to that. Beginning a big new writing project can be daunting for some of us, especially if we haven’t done it before… or if we haven’t done it in a while, and we’re trying to get back into the groove. Here’s my advice for getting ready for a