Innehållsförteckning för September 2020 från The Writer

Recently, I had the opportunity to host a writing webinar as part of our “Summer School” virtual learning series, an opportunity to offer craft advice and support during a time when in-person writing conferences are out of reach. I’d spoken at plenty of live conferences, but this was my first online-only event as a presenter, not just a moderator. Turns out, it’s a little strange talking to a computer screen instead of a room full of people. I clicked through slide by slide and idly hoped anything that came out of my mouth was resonating with listeners. As I paused for questions at the end, my mouth painfully dry from being too afraid to pause for water (won’t they hear me gulp through the microphone?), I wondered how on Earth…

Actually, the Comma Goes Here: A Practical Guide to Punctuation BY LUCY CRIPPS Every piece of punctuation, from the “stern, opinionated, and unswayable” period to the “raucous giggles of the winking semicolon,” gets its due diligence in this compact grammatical guide. It also includes a section on “the ‘not punctuation’ points,” including the @ symbol, the number sign, and the ampersand, as well as a handy chart comparing the punctuation preferences in AP, CMS, APA, MLA, and The Blue Book style guides. Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style BY BENJAMIN DREYER This critically-acclaimed handbook from Random House’s copy chief, Benjamin Dreyer, uses humor and wit to tackle all things grammar, from punctuation marks to split infinitives. “This work is that rare writing handbook that writers might…

In the midst of domestic and worldwide unrest, sometimes you just need to take 10 minutes to read for pleasure. Rudri Bhatt Patel and Beth Burrell, co-founders and editors of The Sunlight Press, want to provide material for literary leisure time. “Whether you read a short story or an essay or you want some tips on the craft of writing, our magazine is a welcome balm in this news-driven world,” Patel says. “Plus, it’s a great way to support writers.” The Sunlight Press is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, digital literary journal in search of both new and established voices. Editors seek essays, book reviews, poetry, flash and short fiction, and reflections on craft – whether that craft is writing, art, dancing, or working as a professional juggler. “You don’t necessarily have…

» NON-MFA WRITING PROGRAMS ONLINE 24PearlStreet Non-degree online classes in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry led by nationally recognized writers. Program available on a rotating basis 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 St., Provincetown, MA 02657. 508-487-9960. gleghorn@fawc.org web.fawc.org/24-pearl-street Creative Nonfiction Small online classrooms, personalized instructor feedback, and student forums. Topics include digital storytelling, flash essays, historical essays, spiritual writing, and more. Classes are offered year-round. Contact: Creative Nonfiction. 607 College Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232. 412-404-2975. information@creativenonfiction.org creativenonfiction.org/online-classes Elizabeth Ayres Center for Creative Writing Online instruction, community, and writing retreats. Course topics include writing through trauma, writing for children, poetry, and fiction. Contact: The Elizabeth Ayres Center for Creative Writing. Stacia M. Fleegal, Director.…

IT goes without saying that the first line of your book is your reader’s first impression of that book. Nobody opens up a book to the middle and starts at chapter 19. That wouldn’t serve any practical purpose. And even if they read the jacket copy or the back cover, that’s not a part of the story. It’s promotional copy. The first line, though: That’s the first time the reader dips their toe into the author’s world. When the reader opens the book to that first line, it’s as if they’re opening up a line of credit with the author. But the tricky thing about that credit is that it has no substance right from the start. The reader could just give you one line and, if they don’t like…

After receiving glowing praise and positive reviews for her debut novel, The Sixteenth of June, Maya Shanbhag Lang was working on her second novel when everything changed. After her mother developed early-onset Alzheimer’s, Lang became her caregiver while also caring for her own young daughter. It wasn’t her plan to write a memoir, but then again, she didn’t plan the experiences that led her to write What We Carry. The result is a memoir that explores the complex relationships between mothers and daughters. Impactful and poignant, What We Carry may not have been what Lang wanted to write originally, but it was clearly meant to be written. Switching to memoir I never intended to write a memoir. I didn’t set out to do this. I was actually working on a…

Not far from where I live now is a school with an MFA program that had, at one point, a marked focus on social justice. When I first saw it, I scoffed. “Ugh,” I said. “As if! You write because you’re driven to write, not because you have an axe to grind!” At the time, the friends I said this to nodded, or said “Riiight,” and I went on blithely, never once guessing that maybe they were indulging my statement, or maybe just indulging me. I really did believe that we are driven to write; that whether or not you feel the need to address social justice came second. Sometimes, I still feel like this. Recently, I have penned everything from essays on mailboxes to essays about my dad reading…

Marketing books is never easy. But now that COVID-19 has changed the world in so many ways, the literary landscape has altered accordingly. Face-to-face book signings are out. So, too, are live readings and other in-person activities that authors depended on to drum up interest in new titles. Given that, what’s a PR-seeking author to do? I ran into this dilemma earlier this year. I had a picture book come out this summer from a regional press, and the first PR-related thing I did when COVID-19 hit? Confirm my website and social media were current and had clear, easy-to-use ways to contact me. Thankfully, Mike Onorato, vice president of publicity at Smith Publicity, advises doing exactly that. “Be ready to be active. There’s still the need for books and authors,…