Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2016 i The Writer

We give lots of advice to young writers: Read a lot. Study the classics. Write what you know. Show, don’t tell. But danger lies in teaching too much and warning too little. Rarely do we tell the would-be wordsmith: This is a hard road you’re taking. Are you sure it is the one for you? Is there anything else, anything at all, you’d also enjoy doing? If so, go and do it. The world is wide open to you. Spare yourself the agony, young one. We teach them syntax and structure, but we don’t say: Your work will be rejected. Often, always, and forever. Good work. Quality work. Publishable work. Work you’ve born your soul into. You will be turned down not only for logic and for reason, but for…

THE LAST DECADE has given birth to the biggest revolution in the printed word since the invention of movable type. The convergence of software technology, legacy print publishing, and the Internet has leveled the playing field and given most people the ability to read, write, and distribute the printed word on unprecedented scales. Now, anyone with the will to write can find an audience, publish their work, and make a life for themselves as an authorpreneur. Along with this self-publishing revolution has come a series of “minirevolts.” One of those involves a major shift in the traditional way novels have been adapted for the screen. Creative writers of every stripe are now searching for a way into the ever-growing ocean of print and e-books. Among them are screenwriters hoping to…

Fiction and nonfiction excerpts published in literary magazines can boost readership and book sales. However, many journals simply don’t have the space to feature an author’s entire chapter. Enter Five Points: A Journal of Literature and Art. The 20-year-old magazine published by Georgia State University welcomes self-contained novel and memoir excerpts, as well as short prose and poetry. “It’s wonderful to serve that need for writers,” says editor Megan Sexton. “If you’re a novelist, there are big gaps between when your novels appear. You need the ability to connect with readers while you’re writing a book. Excerpts are a great way for readers to check in and discover a novelist they might not know or an author familiar to them.” Tone, editorial content Editors at Five Points look for strong,…

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT WRITING? Storytelling is how we – not just writers, everyone – practice our humanity, by trying to make sense of the world and our place in it. Writers practice their humanity on the page – first as readers and, later, as ambitious copycatters hoping to capture the inscrutable essence of a favorite story, character, or voice. To write a story that truly surprises the reader, turns the reader’s (and the writer’s) preconceived notions inside out, requires unconditional empathy – the courage to imagine not just your hero’s virtues but also his flaws in all their grotesque and destructive truth. In real life, I’m a cynic who believes anything unconditional is a fantasy, but on the page I am a champion optimist,…

Writing improves with practice and often deepens with the maturity of its creator. For this reason, when youthful writers make news for earning an editorial position at a prestigious magazine or coming out with a best-selling novel, we can’t help but take notice. These six writers and editors have refused to let their youth impede their careers. Instead, they’re forging ahead, letting the work speak for itself. CHARLIE HICKERSON, 24 Managing editor, Native Nashville, Tennessee How has editing improved your writing? Immensely. It’s made me really think about writing scannably and with a lot of cohesion and [flow]. My favorite pieces [from our freelancers] are always ones that you forget you’re reading, and before you know it, it’s done. Trying to make my writing more like that is what editing…

There are over 550 college and university creative writing programs. How do you know which is the right one for you? Here are the three crucial things I tell every prospective creative writing student. 1 CONSIDER FACULTY. Don’t go to a specific place only because of the program’s reputation. That matters, but what matters just as much (perhaps more so) is the faculty. Do you admire their work? Would you be happy writing like one or more of them? I hope so, because you’re going to. It can’t be helped – you’ll absorb some of their style, their mannerisms, and their techniques. So pick a place with writers you totally dig. 2 CONSIDER LOCATION. If, in your heart of hearts, you’re a city mouse, you’re not going to relish living…

WriterMag.com Subscribers to The Writer have online access to information on 3,000+ publishers, publications, conferences, contests and agents. Go to WriterMag.com and click on Market Directory. Information in this section is provided to The Writer by the individual markets and events; for more information, contact those entities directly. NON-MFA WRITING PROGRAMS ONLINE 24PearlStreet Non-degree online classes in fiction, nonfiction and poetry led by nationally recognized writers. Program available in fall, winter or spring with the option of three course lengths: 8-week studios, 4-week workshops and 1-week intensives. Contact: Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. 24 Pearl Street, Provincetown, MA 02657. 508-487-9960 x 101. 24pearlstreet@fawc.org fawc.org/24pearlstreet Creative Nonfiction Small online classrooms, personalized instructor feedback and student forums. Topics include food writing, nonfiction podcasting, magazine writing, personal essays, medical writing, revision and…

Can I find a publisher for my short story collections? Publishing short stories may not allow you to quit your day job, but that’s not why you began writing in the first place. You write to share truth. You write to entertain. You write short stories to do both, in less time. So now you’ve got this beautiful pile of short stories, some published, many beloved, and you’re hoping to find a publisher to bind them all up in one pretty package. So here’s what you need to know before submitting: First, have many more stories than you hope to submit. Write and write until you are struggling to choose only the best ones. You’ll want around 40,000 words in a collection; write 60,000 and axe 20,000. Select your stories…

Much of who we later become is formed in adolescence, and the lessons we learn in the school yard often stick with us for the rest of our lives. What was your main character like in elementary school? How did they adjust to high school? How did they handle their newfound freedom in college? Write about a lesson your character learned the hard way in their childhood or young adulthood. And if your story is 2000 words or less, consider submitting it to our Lessons Learned short story contest, which ends August 31, 2016. For more details, go to writermag.com/contests.…

A page’s posts often get blasted to only a small percentage of fans – unless you are willing to pay for more exposure. When my second collection of short stories was being released, I thought again about creating an official Facebook author page – and decided, again, not to do it. There are many reasons why I’m probably wrong about this. Author pages have some nifty perks – there’s no limit on the number of fans who can follow you, a ton of free analytics, and the ability to schedule posts when you’d rather be napping. An author page can also help keep your distance from the creepy “No. 1 Fans,” build your brand, and make you more accessible to readers. These official pages have worked for a lot of…

Writers are often told they need to develop a platform and establish a brand. Many writers wonder what that means: Why would it be up to them to define their brand? Why is it their job to worry about marketing, branding, networking, and public relations? They merely want to spend their time and resources on pursuing their craft and perfecting their art. But given today’s competitive market, a modern author must become a brand to succeed in the long term. Here’s how to go about branding yourself while staying true to your writing. BRANDING FAQ What exactly is a brand? A brand is your image, persona, voice, writing style, and backstory. It is how others perceive you and how you choose to project yourself. Plenty of critics will seek to…

With the extraordinary success of her debut novel, The Turner House, author Angela Flournoy became a literary sensation. Named as a 2015 National Book Award finalist, Flournoy was also short-listed for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and nominated for the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author. The Turner House was also named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Despite the overwhelming accolades she’s received, Flournoy says, “I had very conservative expectations for this book; if anyone outside of my immediate family read it and liked it, that would have been a success in my mind. The past year has been deeply gratifying and encouraging.” Her book explores the relationships within a large African-American family and their connection to their family…