Innehållsförteckning för August 2013 från The Writer

AUGUST. IT’S A MONTH LIKE NO OTHER. And it has particular resonance for writers because of its heightened luminosity and vivid testimony to nature’s cycles. August intensifies our senses. The gloaming is never as dazzling. The sky never as crisp. After the frolicsome brightness of June and July, August’s golden expressiveness is the first intimation of deeper change, richer colors and stronger moods. William Faulkner, who named a book after August, put it this way: In August in Mississippi there’s a few days somewhere about the middle of the month when suddenly there’s a foretaste of fall, it’s cool, there’s a lambence, a soft, a luminous quality to the light, as though it came not from just today but from back in the old classic times. It might have fauns…

I see exercises for writers that use the term “freewrite.” What does that mean, exactly? FREEWRITING IS A PRE-WRITING activity, where you set a certain amount of time aside (usually 10-20 minutes) and write for that entire period of time. Keep your hand moving across the page (or your fingers moving on the keyboard). If you get stuck, write about feeling stuck. If you can’t summon up another word, then simply write the last word you wrote over and over until you come up with something else. Do not edit as you go. Do not concern yourself with proper grammar. Do not evaluate as you write. The idea is to keep yourself ahead of your internal editor, who can sometimes snip an idea before it has a chance to flower.…

Archival photos can provide inspiration in part because they free us from our own time and place, and in part because the subjects are often blank slates as characters. We posted this image on Facebook recently and asked our followers: “What’s the first line of the poem, short story, essay or novel that goes with this archival picture?” At least one person drew a comparison to Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” and many others invoked the Southern writer’s sly spirit in their responses. You can still add your thoughts on Facebook. Here are some of our favorites. “I told you to check the tire before we left for Mass. You never listen to your mother, do you?” “Ellie realized she knew how to fix…

The first poem I wrote came after I heard Tomaz Salamun, a Slovenian, read his poems. I was an undergrad at the time, a junior, I think, and up until that reading, poetry had never seriously crossed my mind. I had never tried to write a poem. The only poets I had read before then had been dead a long time – Shakespeare, Blake, a few others. After the reading, I bought Salamun’s book The Four Questions of Melancholy because I liked his reading, and everyone else was buying it. I read through the whole book when I got home, and it was like bing! like I had come online for the first time, like the consciousness of poetry I have today had recorded its first entry in my poetry…

Spotting a former 7th-grade student parked near the marina, Olive Kitteridge, a retired school teacher, asks if he’s going to invite her to sit with him. Without waiting for an answer, she opens the car door and settles in beside him. A large woman, she can barely fit in the cramped front seat. The young man, greatly depressed and suicidal, could do without her presence. But she gets him talking about his history since leaving Crosby, Maine, where this scene is set. She shares stories of her life, too – her son’s depression, her father’s suicide. Who is this woman who barges in on the life of her former student? For one, Olive Kitteridge is small-town Maine — its people, their histories, their everyday doings. But she is more than…

BEFORE HER FIRST NOVEL WAS PUBLISHED, Susan Henderson created LitPark, a blog for writers. As readership skyrocketed, her online time began to “seriously stunt” her writing. “I was often up past midnight working on this blog I’d lost creative control over,” she said. “It had gone from being a release to a burden.” The Web stress Henderson and many writers experience is more than surface deep. While writers continue to surf that line between analog and digital, researchers have uncovered the real effects these activities have on our brains and what it means for writers. The fiction brain “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot,” wrote Stephen King in his memoir On Writing. It may…

CREATIVE. NONFICTION. Until recently, “creative” in writing has meant poetry, drama and fiction; “nonfiction” has meant journalism, business writing, academic scholarship and car manuals. So why combine them? Because creative nonfiction offers an invitation to writers that nonfiction often does not. “Nonfiction” has a no-nonsense ring to it, an emphasis on objectivity and logic. “Creative,” on the other hand, is synonymous with original, productive, inventive, not imitative. There’s the promise of play in the word “creative” – and the possibility of adventure, discovery, the soar of language. Together, “creative” and “nonfiction” produce a synergy that attracts fiction and nonfiction writers alike. At a writers’ conference this year, sessions on creative nonfiction were filled with novelists, journalists, editors, poets and educators, all drawn to the power of these paired words that…

VINCE GILLIGAN IS HARDLY VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN. But, like the wickedly gifted scientist in Mary Shelley’s immortal novel, he has made a marvelous monster in Walter White, the amoral antihero of his chilling AMC series, Breaking Bad. Premiering Aug. 11 for its final-ever eight episodes, Breaking Bad – Southern slang for “raising hell” – has been a crucible of complex characterization for five savvy seasons. Bad creator/writer/executive producer Gilligan and his writing staff have kept viewers rooting for Walter (Emmy Award-winner Bryan Cranston), even as he morphs from a cancer-stricken high-school science teacher into a power-mad murderer who cooks crystal meth for a living. Indeed, Gilligan’s wily way with words has given Walt, arguably, the most compelling character arc anywhere on TV. “What is remarkable about Vince’s writing is his real…

It’s the year 2034, 15 years after a worldwide ban on bacteria-laden poultry. Chef Magnus Nilsson of Fäviken, the famed Swedish restaurant, deftly slices chicken meat from its skin, replaces it with pork, then reattaches the skin and roasts his “Frankenchicken,” browning it in what a deadpan narrator describes as “generous mound of European butter.” “A Vision of Post-Apocalyptic Cuisine” is a video collaboration between Lucky Peach editor Chris Ying and friends. It’s the type of smart, provocative commentary readers have discovered in the last two years when delving into a journal The Atlantic named “2011’s Best New Food Magazine.” “It was fun and cheap,” Ying says of the “Frankenchicken” video, a text-version of which appears in the winter 2013 issue. “It’s gotten some traction for its weirdness.” David Chang,…

Celebrate Left-Handers Day August 13 with writing advice from six talented lefties. “You write in order to change the world ... if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” —JAMES BALDWIN, author of Go Tell It on the Mountain “Music is great training for writing. As is most of being alive. Love, cereal, taxes, tragedy, jazz, all good for writing.” —RICK MOODY, author of The Ice Storm “Don’t write about what you know – write about what you’re interested in… There’s a whole world out there to explore.” —TRACY CHEVALIER, author of Girl with a Pearl Earing “I think what you actually learn is the art of self-editing. It’s that ability to look at a line dispassionately and not feel…

Susan Choi Novelist and Princeton creative-writing professor Susan Choi won the Asian American Literary Award for her debut novel The Foreign Student, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her second American Women and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for her third A Person of Interest. Choi’s prose is often cast in long, elegant sentences, and the subject matter of her work includes an abduction narrative loosely based on the story of Patty Hearst and the experiences of a first-generation Korean immigrant to America in the 1950s. Choi’s fourth and most recent novel is My Education. What is the most important thing you’ve learned about writing? To write constantly, even without any clear idea of what I’m doing or whether or not I’ll keep what I’ve written, almost like…

Writers dream big – book-deal big. On Twitter, they look for (and provide) support as they climb the publishing ladder, one Tweet at a time. The following are a few of our favorite (unedited) tweets. Ariel C. Horn @Ariel_C_Horn About half way done with this round of proofing. Planning to get a lot more done tomorrow. I want to get this book published! Lisa Jones @LisaLivingHappy My book is about to be published!!!! I can hardly wait!!!! B.C. LOVE @Ayy_BeeCee if i could have a book published by 30, ill have to find a new dream Paul Godwin @Paul_NerveEvent Another chapter in my book was written this weekend.... boy its gonna make good reading when it is published ..... JT Hume @jthumebooks Exciting times. Published my first book & buying…

Whenever prose writers get together, sooner or later the conversation turns to structure. It’s the beast that keeps us up at night: How do we create narrative tension? What makes a book hang together? I think of structure as the big metal hoop under old-time skirts, or the frame visible briefly as a building goes up. Structure is interior, hidden and therefore mysterious. Readers don’t notice it – but they know when it’s missing. Certain books just “don’t hold together” or “didn’t keep me reading.” Because every writer gropes toward structure, we have many “meta” structures that attempt to describe the undergarments of literature. The sixth-century Sanskrit Natyasastra categorized dramatic stories by eight primary moods they elicited. Aristotle’s Poetics first outlined the western concepts of tragedy and comedy, as well…

Jim Burgess, a high-profile attorney who has worked himself up from lowly beginnings, has just received word of his nephew Zachary Olson putting a frozen pig’s head in a mosque. He shares the message with his wife, Helen, and his brother, Bob. HELEN AND BOB turned their heads as they heard Jim hang up. Jim stood in the doorway, his red tie loosened. He said, “We can’t go away.” Helen sat forward. Jim took his tie off with a furious pull and said to Bob, “Our nephew’s about to be arrested.” Jim’s face was pale, his eyes had become small. He sat on the couch and pressed his hands to his head. “Oh, man. This could be all over the papers. The nephew of Jim Burgess has been charged –”…

Novelist Caroline Leavitt has a strong social media presence as she promotes her new book, but she doesn’t let the Web pull her from her calling. “The trick is limitation,” she said. “I turn social media off until I need it. The writing has to come first.” Although author Susan Henderson ultimately chose to downsize her blog, her experience with the fast paced Web world has taught her valuable writing lessons. “My writing focus has changed,” she said. “I learned to write faster, and I learned to hit ‘submit’ without obsessing over how to make every word perfect.”…

Listen to seasoned writers talk about work-in-progress, and you will often hear terms like “back story,” “foreshadowing” and “pacing” to point out strengths and weaknesses. Terms like these lead to deeper discussions than is possible with a vocabulary built on “It flows!” or “It needs more!” The glossary below is a compilation of the most frequently used terms for talking effectively about writing. Use them to think about your own work-in-progress, to comment on the work of others and to analyze readings. 1 Back Story: A story never occurs only in the moment; it has a context. The characters had lives before the readers met them; the events discussed had forces that shaped them. Their backstory provides the social, political, cultural and personal context that is relevant for the reader,…

The story of how the affable Mike Jung became a published children’s book author is nothing short of stupendous. But what else would anyone expect from the writer who introduced young readers to a superhero named Captain Stupendous in his debut novel, Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities? Jung tapped into his own superpowers during his journey to pen a breakout book and get it published. The aspiring author harnessed social media savvy to find places online where he could connect with writers and other experts in the publishing industry. “I have a day job and small kids at home,” says Jung, electronic resources manager at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. “Going to a ton of events was hard. Getting involved with the online community was the way for me…

INFORMATION in this section is provided to The Writer by the individual markets and events; for more information, contact those entities directly. F = Fiction N = Nonfiction P = Poetry C = Children’s Y = Young adult O = Other $ = Offers payment 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. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Degree type: MFA in creative writing. Concentrations: Fiction, playwriting and poetry. Application deadline: Nov. 15 for merit awards; rolling admissions until June 1. Contact: MFA Program, Department of Literature, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016. 202-885-2971 lit@american.edu american.edu ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY LOS ANGELES Degree type: Low-residency MFA in creative writing. Concentrations: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry…

When I was in college, one of my sorority sisters paid me by the page to edit her term papers. And by “edit,” I mean “rewrite.” It was a pretty good deal for both of us. I’d make a few extra bucks and she could hand in her work knowing that every there, they’re and their was in the right place. One day, as she handed me a stack of papers and a check, she mused, “You make it look so easy.” By “easy,” she meant “fast.” For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fast writer. And fast has served me well. Fast got me through college, where I majored in journalism while writing and editing for the school paper until the wee hours. Fast made all…

Blurring the line of creative disciplines, art colonies often are not exclusively for visual artists. Many provide the time and space writers need to tackle creative projects. The cross-pollination among the arts inspires everyone to expand creative breadth. Art colonies foster a collaborative environment where residents are “buoyed by the presence of other artists,” says Julia Jacquette, a painter and board member of the MacDowell Colony, one of the oldest arts colonies in the U.S. Jacquette has attended several residencies at MacDowell in Peterborough, N.H. and at Yaddo in Sarasota Springs, N.Y. Both provided “serious uninterrupted work time” and transformed her career. “It allows me to enter my artwork in a deeper way,” she says. “I can think more clearly, and build momentum in the studio.” Think beyond the page.…

BACK SUPPORTER Turn the driver’s seat into an ergonomic office chair. Kiss My Back has created a line of mesh back support attachments that help reduce back, neck and shoulder strain. Whether you’re scribbling a page on your lunch break or keeping your spine limber for an at-home writing spree, your back will thank you later. Starts at $10. kissmyback.com CAR CHARGER Power up gear with a car charger from Bestek. The power inverters pack up to 150 watts of power for laptops, cameras, iPods and other electronics. The chargers are also designed to protect your devices from circuit damage. Connect the charger to your car’s DC outlet, and you’ll never be without your favorite gadget. Starts at $22 from Amazon. bestekltd.com TRAVEL MUG Need to jumpstart creative energy? Nothing…

Don McNair has a simple mission: To help fiction writers learn how to better edit their work. McNair can speak authoritatively on the subject. He spent his working life editing magazines and then producing public-relations materials for the international firm Burson-Marsteller before starting his own marketing communications company, McNair Marketing. He has written and placed hundreds of trade magazine articles and three non-fiction how-to books. He has written six novels: two young-adult novels (Attack of the Killer Prom Dresses and The Long Hunter), three romantic suspense novels (Mystery on Firefly Knob, Mystery at Magnolia Mansion and Waiting for Backup!), and a romantic comedy (BJ, Milo, and the Hairdo from Heck). He now concentrates on editing novels for others and teaches two online editing classes at McNairEdits.com. Most recently, McNair has…

Earlier this year, my sister phoned to say she had found a lump in her breast. We tried not to panic, but a week later we got the call we had all dreaded: breast cancer. I didn’t think twice. I called the airline and booked flights from Oregon to California. During my sister’s surgery, I sat dazed in the waiting room, watching a monitor on the wall that assigned a number to your loved one and reported the status continuously: Pre-op. In surgery. Out of surgery. Recovery. I glanced obsessively at the monitor. I blindly leafed through old magazines and ate stale sandwiches. As a single mom of three daughters, I worried about my kids while I waited. I worried about my 8-year-old black Labrador Retriever Bella who had been…

GIVE YOUR WRITING HABITS A NEUROLOGICAL BOOST WITH THESE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE LATEST BRAIN STUDIES. 1 Use strong verbs that immerse your reader in the action. 2 Incorporate description that activates the reader’s sense of smell and touch. 3 Create dimensional characters that increase the reader’s empathy and understanding of someone of a different culture, background or lifestyle. 4 Keep your writing digestible. Mix sentence and paragraph structures so the reader’s mind stays active and engaged. 5 Use social media to connect with readers, but limit the amount of time you spend on the Internet each day. 6 Beware of the black hole of Internet research. While writing, make notes in the margins if you need to check details later. 7 Balance your online time with reading time. Schedule at…

The first moment the urge to become a war correspondent hit me was nearly 20 years ago. I had just earned a master’s degree in military history, and Yugoslavia was tearing itself apart. Tom Gjelten was National Public Radio’s man on the spot in Bosnia. Listening to him, all I could think was, “He’s writing the first draft of history and presenting it to the world in his own voice.” I left graduate school less than a year later and eventually landed a job with The Kiplinger Letter in Washington, D.C. The position of foreign affairs reporter opened up just as the U.S. was preparing to invade Iraq. Suddenly, I was the go-to man for any story about armed conflict anywhere in the world. My dream job? Not quite. Kiplinger…

For more than 50 years, writers have found a safe harbor at the Cape Cod Writers Conference. The conference has set itself apart as a constant beacon in the turbulent publishing industry. Nancy Rubin Stewart, executive director of the Cape Cod Writers Center, says that the conference has achieved its longevity through many “evolutions” over the past several decades, growing alongside the “changing climate of publishing” This year, the Cape Cod Writers Conference will offer attendees immersion in the nitty-gritty of the publishing industry. In addition to numerous craft sessions, the schedule includes workshops on digital publishing, writing for the Web, self-branding and publicity. Stewart says attendees will come away with a strong sense of “what they are facing if they’re going to attempt to write a book or pursue…

Cathie Pelletier began her latest novel The One-Way Bridge in 1991, when she was living in Nashville, Tenn. I was a waiter at the Fifth Quarter restaurant there at the time, and that’s about when we met. A Maine native, Pelletier moved to Tennessee to attend Vanderbilt University and decided to hang around for the next 25 years or so. Pelletier is now probably the northernmost writer, having moved back to northern Maine, the setting for the Mattagash books that make up most of her early work. Pelletier is the author of 10 novels including The Funeral Makers (from the Mattagash series), A Marriage Made at Woodstock, Running the Bulls and The Weight of Winter, winner of the New England Book Booksellers Award. She also wrote Candles on Bay Street…