Michael Lewis on Writing, Money, and the Necessary Self-Delusion of Creativity. By Maria Popova “When you’re trying to create a career as a writer, a little delusional thinking goes a long way.” The question of why writers write holds especial mesmerism, both as a piece of psychological voyeurism and as a beacon of self-conscious hope that if we got a glimpse of the innermost drivers of greats, maybe, just maybe, we might be able to replicate the workings of genius in our own work.
So why do great writers write? George Orwell itemized four universal motives. In Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors on How and Why They Do What They Do (public library) by Meredith Maran — which also gave us invaluable wisdom from Susan Orlean, Mary Karr and Isabel Allende, and which was among the 10 best books on writing from my recent collaboration with the New York Public Library — Michael Lewis, one of today’s finest nonfiction masters, shares his singular lore.
More than a living, Lewis found in writing a true calling — the kind of deep flow that fully absorbs the mind and soul: Piracy is yesterday's worry for today's 'artisan authors' The community of SF writers has reason to dislike digital copying, or "piracy" as it's commonly labelled in the tabloid press. Genre writers exist, by and large, in the publishing mid-list, where mediocre sales might seem most easily eroded by the spectre of illegitimate downloads. SF, fantasy and horror are also the literature of choice for the culture of geeks most likely to share their favourite authors' works on torrent sites. Not surprising, then, that many professional genre writers and editors respond to the growing reality of copying with the absolutist position that piracy is theft, and should be punished as such under the law. But SF writers are far from united in that position.
Novelist, blogger and digital rights activist Cory Doctorow is well known for providing free digital copies of all his books as a marketing strategy, arguing that in a digital economy, obscurity is a far greater threat than piracy. Creative control is the lure for the artisan author. The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do.
Writing is a muscle. Smaller than a hamstring and slightly bigger than a bicep, and it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Think of your words as reps, your paragraphs as sets, your pages as daily workouts. Think of your laptop as a machine like the one at the gym where you open and close your inner thighs in front of everyone, exposing both your insecurities and your genitals.
Because that is what writing is all about. Procrastination is an alluring siren taunting you to google the country where Balki from Perfect Strangers was from, and to arrange sticky notes on your dog in the shape of hilarious dog shorts. The blank white page. Mark Twain once said, “Show, don’t tell.” Finding a really good muse these days isn’t easy, so plan on going through quite a few before landing on a winner.
There are two things more difficult than writing. It’s no secret that great writers are great readers, and that if you can’t read, your writing will often suffer. No Excuses! Advice for Achieving Creative Domination with Author Raven Bower. If you’re just tuning in, today is day #3 in the 30 Day “One Question” Series. If you want to learn more about the series, be sure to check out the first interview. I used to be a Platinum Level Member of the “Failed-New-Year’s-Resolutions” Country Club. (It’s even rumored that I once won accolades for the quickest backslide, failing at my resolutions less than 30 minutes after I made them… but that’s just a rumor…) This was prior to joining the online accountability group that changed my life.
Raven Bower and her hound of doom For the last three years, this small group of women have brow beat me into actually accomplishing the goals I set each week. Raven is a shining example of what you can accomplish through sheer determination. (Oh, and how could I forget to mention, she’s also a damn good wife and mother!) If I showed you Raven’s average weekly To-Do list, you’d swear I’d compiled the lists of four or five people at least. It’s hard. Even then, I slip. “I beg your pardon. Like this: Put It in a Box and Wait: The Millions Interviews Cheryl Strayed. Three books by Cheryl Strayed have been published in 2012. Wild, the bestselling memoir of a solo journey on the Pacific Crest Trail that inspired Oprah to restart her book club. Tiny Beautiful Things, a collection of pseudonymously-written Dear Sugar literary advice columns from The Rumpus.
And most recently Torch, a new edition of a lyrical novel first published in 2006 about a family’s struggles with the loss of the wife and mother who was its emotional center. It is ordinary and human to fall down and to make mistakes, and it is courageous to get back up. Throughout her writing, but particularly as Sugar, Strayed rummages through her failures and sorrows as though they were a sack of Christmas presents, offering each story as a gift of compassion that seems so well-matched to each letter writer that readers can’t possibly overlook the message that our lives — not just at their best moments, but also our worst — are of great value. Cheryl Strayed: I really liked that piece a lot.
Creative writing website for authors and readers. 75 words, changing daily. Submit your paragraph today. Opportunities for writers 6/12. A--z presses This is the second week of the Opportunities for Writers’ focus on literary journals and presses seeking your writing. Each week will feature three presses with open calls for submissions. Enjoy! Bare hands poetry About: Bare Hands is a monthly international journal of “contemporary poetry and photography.” They are seeking “work that is beautiful and different.” Submission Process: Poets should submit a maximum of five poems to barehandspoetry@gmail.com. Reading Period: Bare Hands is a monthly journal; they have not provided themes or submission deadlines, so poets may assume they have a rolling submission and reading period. big lucks About: In their mission statement, Big Lucks states that they feel “as if the most exciting and noteworthy writing lurks in the unlit depths of the ocean, amid the lifeforms and creatures humanity was never meant to see.
Broken glass About: Broken Glass is a relatively young poetry e-zine started in June 2010. Happy Writing! Creating Characters. Flash Fiction. Keeping it Real: A Rough Guide to Using Real People As Fictional Characters. Pop quiz: what do Ebeneezer Scrooge, Alice in Wonderland and Tintin all have in common? OK, the title makes the answer obvious (and if it didn’t, you’re too tired to be reading this): all of these ‘fictional’ characters were based on real people. It’s not an unusual thing for a writer to do. In fact it’s so common, the subject has inspired a whole book of its own: The Godfather Was A Girl written by Eamon Evans, who, I’m assuming, is a real person and not a piece of fiction inspired by a real person. But let’s not get reductive. Just because something is commonplace doesn’t mean it is right. The big no-no: writing about your family When author Hanif Kureishi produced his novel Intimacy in 1998, its story line about a man who leaves his partner for another woman seemed unexceptional.
You can see her point. I'm just the messenger. To which you might ask how Kureishi might have felt if his partner had chosen to make a record of her own. I see dead people: channeling historical figures. Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots. By Michelle Legro The art of mechanized storytelling, or what a cardboard robot has to do with melodrama and Law & Order. You are an author about write a story. How shall it begin? Perhaps there is a single, basic plot: a conflict that needs to be resolved.
Perhaps there are two questions to be answered: will my story have a happy ending or a sad ending? Perhaps the conflict has one of several distinct oppositions: man vs nature, man vs. technology, man vs. god or man vs. self. In 1894, French critic Georges Polti recognized thirty-six possible plots, which included conflicts such as Supplication, Pursuit, Self-sacrifice, Adultery, Revolt, the Enigma, Abduction, and Disaster. Original copies of Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots are very rare, with an asking price of more than $250. Plotto, reissued last month by Tin House, was a manual that aimed to mechanize the entire narrative trade.
Wycliffe Hill, inventor of the Plot Robot, from Popular Mechanics, 1931. 1a. 9b. 61. 1282. Questionnaires for Writing Character Profiles - Creative Writing Help. Enter your e-mail to get the e-book for FREE. We'll also keep you informed about interesting website news. "I have searched the web and used different worksheets, but none have come close to your worksheets and descriptions of (what to do and what not to do). Both courses I have taken have with Creative Writing Now have been amazing. Each time I have learned something new. The one thing I love, you take everything apart and give examples. " - Katlen Skye "As usual - I already love the course on Irresistible Fiction, rewriting a lot and improving greatly even after the first lesson. Thanks so much for the great courses. " - Kitty Safken “Essentials of Fiction proved that I could indeed write and I wrote every day, much to my boyfriend's dismay (waa sniff).” - Jill Gardner "I am loving the course and the peer interaction on the blog is fantastic!!!
" "I'm enjoying the weekly email course, Essentials of Poetry Writing. "Thank you for all the material in this course. "I'm learning so much. Visual Thesaurus - An online thesaurus and dictionary o. Synonym Finder » Find synonyms, antonyms & definition for (almost) any word. Famous Quotes at BrainyQuote.
Writing Exercies. The 7 habits of highly effective writers. Guide for Writers: Latin Phrases. It’s a matter of taste and style, but not long ago American writers attempted to demonstrate their credentials to the world by including Latin and French phrases within works. A dash of Latin was expected of the moderately educated throughout the Western world. annus mirabilis - wonderful year arbiter elegantiae - judge of the elegant; one who knows the good things in life bona fides - good faith; credentials carpe diem - sieze the day; enjoy the present casus belli - cause justifying a war caveat emptor - buyer beware cui bono? Caeteris paribus - all things being equal de facto - of fact; it is de gustibus non est disputandum - no disputing tastes; there is no accounting for taste Dei gratia - by the grace of God Deo gratias - thanks to God Deo volente - God willing dis aliter visum - it seemed otherwise to the gods Dominus vobiscum - Lord be with you dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - sweet and seemly it is to die for one’s country ecce homo - behold man ex cathedra - with authority.
Rhyming Dictionary for Poetry and Songwriting.