Posts Tagged ‘craft of writing’
Go Beyond 5 Senses in Your Fiction Writing
by C. S. Lakin Fiction and nonfiction writers alike need to immerse their readers into the story they are telling, and the best and most obvious way to do this is by utilizing sensory detail. While most of us have been taught that there are five senses, there are actually more than twenty specific senses…
Read MoreTHE CITY IS OUR WRITING: Our Work Needs Fast and Slow
By Mary Rakow As writers we learn to juggle opposites in our work: extravagance and minimalism, large and small, story and plot. And we have to juggle fast and slow. Our work needs both because, to be art, it has to bear witness to the complexity of human life. And to its beauty. Most of…
Read MoreThe Dating Game
By Victoria Zackheim Many of my students struggle when asked to write a personal essay. And I understand. It’s not easy going from writing “she was not well liked” to “I couldn’t stand the bitch.” But if there is one irrefutable rule governing personal essay, it is that the truth prevails. One step away… and…
Read MoreTHE CITY IS OUR WRITING TEACHER: Extravagance Reminds Us Who we Are
By Mary Rakow I’m waiting to get a haircut at Atelier Emanuel in that time before Covid and in the lobby they’ve installed this completely over the top mannequin with this completely over the top hair. It isn’t that anyone’s going to walk out of the salon looking like this. But it’s an idea that…
Read MoreGood Old Writers
By Victoria Zackheim I recently walked into my newly built kitchen and discovered a large, grayish rectangular stain on the quartz counter. Had I placed a hot pan there? Not likely. Spilled bleach? Definitely not. I wiped, scrubbed, gently scoured… nothing helped. And then I lifted my arm and noticed a change in the shape…
Read MoreShould you write under a pen name?
By Amanda J. Clay A question a lot of authors have starting out is should you write under a pseudonym, or pen name? There really isn’t a right or wrong answer to this one. It entirely depends on your personal preferences and circumstances, and there are some pros and cons to each choice. I personally…
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