Posts Tagged ‘creative writing’
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing
I think most authors today are following this debate closely. Each year, I attend the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival, and follow the discussion on this topic with authors who have been on both sides. Over at the fabulous Nathan Bransford blog, ‘hybrid’ author (meaning she has published both traditionally and self-published) Natalie Whipple provides some interesting…
Read MoreWriting inspiration on the commute
I’m very pleased to be a car-free commuter. My early morning walk into work is just under 20 minutes and – at the risk of sounding immodest – it’s one of the prettiest commutes ever. I live in Rome and each day I watch the Colosseum loom into sight as I descend the hill in…
Read MoreImportant lessons from first-time novelists
The excellent Writers’ Digest web site posted this interesting article on lessons learned by first-time novelists. Five novelists share their experiences along the pathway to publication – discussing their writing lives before their first novel, their submission processes, their experiences with writers conferences, balancing writing and work/family commitments, and what they’d wished they’d known before…
Read MoreWhen life gets in the way of writing…
Just two weeks ago, I was a good girl, getting out my writing resolutions for the new year. But here’s the thing – writing takes time. Lots of it. Yes, we all know that, and those of us who love to write make every effort to squeeze in writing time into our busy schedules. And…
Read MoreListen to your subconscious when writing
“Things will come to you and you’re not going to know exactly how they fit in. You have to trust in the way they all fit together, that your subconscious knows what you’re doing.” I came across this fantastic quote about writing by acclaimed American author Donna Tartt. A New York Times Book Review article…
Read MoreKeep going all you amazing NaNo writers!
I’m not among you, all you fabulous NaNoWriMo participants, but I do know many of you must have reached a writing slump, and I wanted to cheer you on from the sidelines as you reach the final stretch. For those of you unfamiliar with it, The National Novel Writing Month is an annual challenge to…
Read MoreHappy National Short Story Week 2013!
This is a good year for the short story. Canadian short story writer Alice Munro won the (well-deserved) Nobel Prize for Literature last month. Plenty of online journals and e-readers provide possibilities for short story writers to get their stories out there to a reading public. In the words of the talented author, Lorrie Moore:…
Read MoreRead international short stories and poems for a good cause…
I am very pleased to have, for the second year in a row, one of my short stories, Amica del cuore, included in the Writers Abroad annual anthology. One of the things I love about this anthology is that writers and Writers Abroad members who put together the annual publication are not paid for their…
Read MoreHow to tighten your manuscript
This was very good timing. Literary agent Rachelle Gardner just ran an interesting post entitled ‘How to tighten your manuscript‘. I, um … blush, shuffle feet … always seem to be facing this dilemma. After pitching sessions with agents at the recent Matera Women’s Fiction festival, I need to start cutting word count for my…
Read MoreWrap-up of Matera Women’s Fiction Festival 2013
I am just back from my fabulous annual pilgrimage to the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival. This is my third year participating in this inspiring event. Once again, I’ve learned a tremendous amount about publishing from the experts, had a great time at live pitching sessions to agents and publishers, met a wonderful group of interesting…
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