The Writer May 2017

Self-publishing. If I catch even one of you wrinkling your nose as you read that, I’m marching over and rapping your knuckles with a ruler. I am so very tired of all this snobbery surrounding how one chooses to publish their work. It is now possible to make a lucrative career as a self-published author – sometimes, in fact, more lucrative than being a traditionally published author, especially in genre or other niche markets. To be fair, I’m not ignoring the power of gatekeepers: I believe there is undeniable value in having an expert in the field champion a manuscript as extraordinary. But to pretend self-publishing is never the right option, and that all writers who self-publish are talentless hacks who slap a book together and call it art? Friends,…

“There's a lot more to publishing a book than writing it and slapping a cover on it.” —Vince Flynn In 1986, visitors to the Spanish Steps in Rome encountered a gastronomic dilemma: They could enjoy a burger from the new McDonald’s that had just opened, or they could accept a bowl of penne from Carlo Petrini. A writer and political activist, Petrini’s goal was to protest the standardization of the world’s food. In doing so, he sparked a movement that has, for the last 30 years, aimed to promote culinary diversity. Since it was formed to protest a McDonald’s, the movement’s name was a fait accompli: Slow Food. Cooking and writing are similar professions; I know, because I’ve been doing both professionally for years. A good book, like a good…

How can I write a captivating short story? Whether a successful published novelist or a creative writing student, all writers should try their hand at short stories at least a few times in their lives. Writing a successful short story – which I’ll define as executing a captivating, engaging narrative arc in roughly 3,000 to 5,000 words – is a great way to hone your skills in narrative structure, character development, and setting, all rendered in elegant prose. So where to begin? Well…with the story, of course. Short fiction is an art form that differs from, say, telling a story at a dinner party, but it starts from the same seed: the story. So sit down and, in one sitting, write out the story. Don’t worry if it sounds terrible…

What makes this sentence great? In my book How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times, I use the aphorism as an enduring example of effective short writing. An aphorism is a pithy statement that is sure of itself. Even if it is not true, or not always true, you believe it anyway, as when Samuel Johnson noted that “Second marriages are the triumph of hope over experience.” Alice Hoffman gets close to that effect with this sentence. I would argue that if she, or someone else, deleted the qualifying first word, it would leave us with an actual aphorism: “The right thing feels all wrong until it is over and done with.” Yeah, that’s true. —Roy Peter Clark has taught writing at the Poynter Institute since 1977. He…

You’re excited for your book reading only to wait…and wait…and wait for attendees. If it’s happened to you, you’re not alone. Other authors will tell you, “We’ve all been there.” But next time, try these tested ideas from published writers to boost attendance. Connect with your (other) chapters As American Express used to say, “Membership has its privileges.” Reach out to organizations you belong to and ask them to extend invitations to local members and/or feature the reading in calendars and event communications. Check with your alumni association or its local chapter to see if they will invite other alumni or forward your invitation. Beth Harpaz, Associated Press travel editor and author, has reached out to high school, college, and graduate school alumni for her book readings by sending a…

Always do X. Never do Y. Nearly all writing teachers have a version of these kinds of tips – the “Rules of Good Writing,” the “10 Commandments on Writing Like Shakespeare,” the “How Hemingway Did It” adages. Following rules keeps student writers on track because they haven’t got it all figured out yet. For them, having a list of clear, actionable tips is great, because it helps them feel like they’re clearly on the path to good writing. But most writers reach a point where following the rules feels like being trapped in a cage. What then? Break the rules. Smash them into smithereens. Obliterate each last axiom, tip, and must-do...so long as the end product is effective writing! Here are eight commonly repeated rules of writing that ultimately might…