So, I’m working on a new short story. I’ve already finished the first draft and am working on the first read-through, so this isn’t technically a “rough” exercise in the raw here. But I won’t know if this is how the final version will look until I set the whole thing aside for a whileContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: a scene from a story”
Tag Archives: writing
Meanwhile, as I sit here writing… (plus, Photo blog 89, sort of)
Some observations from the past several days: I just finished a story. When I started it, half of me wanted it to be a piece of flash fiction, and the other half wanted it to be a novella. The first draft wound up being 5,200 words. I met myself in the middle. Having this blog,Continue reading “Meanwhile, as I sit here writing… (plus, Photo blog 89, sort of)”
New publication
I have a new story online today — sort of. Actually, I have part of a story: The excellent Meg Tuite runs a fiction column called “Exquisite Quartet” over at Used Furniture Review. The idea is that she gathers three other writers she knows and trusts, and together the four of them collaboratively craft a singleContinue reading “New publication”
A Writer’s Notebook: prompts from a writing group
I belong to a super-secret writing group online (for real — don’t bother looking, you won’t find us), and lately I’ve been working on little exercises with them. These are some of the things I’ve done. She was shopping for her own engagement ring in a mall kiosk. I told her I wouldn’t make herContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: prompts from a writing group”
A Writer’s Notebook: a dream (Retro #4)
This has been a heavy writing week for me, and it’s about to get heavier: in addition to final novel revisions, synopses, queries, and excerpt submissions — which have taken up the bulk of my week — I am today beginning work on a collaborative piece a friend of mine solicited me for. So I’mContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: a dream (Retro #4)”
New publication
So, today, my story “The Voice You Throw, the Blow You Catch” got published at Fiction Circus. I’ve been really psyched about this one for a while now, gang, because I love the magazine and I’m pretty damned proud of the story. What makes this publication so exceptionally cool, though, is that Fiction Circus goesContinue reading “New publication”
A Writer’s Notebook: Kevin Sampsell and Chloe Caldwell’s nonfiction workshop
So, as I promised yesterday, here are (some of) my notes from Kevin Sampsell and Chloe Caldwell‘s excellent nonfiction workshop at Crow Arts Manor today. I’ll include a couple of quick headings in the notes so you know what you’re reading, but I’ll write more about some of the things we talked about afterward. For now,Continue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: Kevin Sampsell and Chloe Caldwell’s nonfiction workshop”
A Writer’s Notebook: on hold till Saturday (for awesomeness)
I’m putting the Writer’s Notebook on hold until tomorrow, because tomorrow, I’m attending a killer personal essay workshop here in Portland, led by the inimitable Kevin Sampsell (of Future Tense Books) and Chloe Caldwell (of Legs Get Led Astray). So tomorrow, I’ll post whatever I get up to in the workshop. Stay tuned! The workshop, byContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: on hold till Saturday (for awesomeness)”
Research tip #7: Check the map
So, I’ve finished a wholesale revision and final(ish) edit on my Civil War novel, the first draft of which started me on my whole “Researching for fiction” series a couple of years ago. And in the process of working over that text, I came across another aspect of research I’ve long been aware of butContinue reading “Research tip #7: Check the map”
A Writer’s Notebook: more of Beth Locke’s “A Louisiana Girl”
This is more of my grandmother’s story. The year is 1945. My grandmother, Beth Locke, has just turned 20, and she works at the nearby Navy base, where troops are returning from the war. (I think you see where this is headed….) Along about this time, my social life was at a complete standstill. I hadContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: more of Beth Locke’s “A Louisiana Girl””
Samuel Snoek-Brown 