The internet is full of craft advice for writers. Some of it is even good advice. All of it purports to make your writing better, more readable, more relatable, more salable. I’m not talking about grammar advice, like how to punctuate dialogue. That’s a mechanical skill. It’s mostly objective, at least within its specific context … Continue reading Don’t Let Craft Advice Silence Your Authorial Voice
Month: May 2022
Interview: Lin Codega on Queer Pop Culture Journalism
Welcome to the second edition of “How Tho,” my new blog interview series in which I pick the brains of fellow creatives and publishing pros on aspects of craft, community, and how they go about doing the amazing things they do. I love to get people talking about their unique paths and creative passions. To … Continue reading Interview: Lin Codega on Queer Pop Culture Journalism
It’s Never Too Late (or Early) to Start Your Writing Career
Writing has no age restrictions. This should go without saying. And yet. Every few weeks, it seems, the discourse comes around again. Specifically, it tends to revolve around the age of debut authors in particular. Usually it starts because someone relatively young comments that they feel like they have to get their first book deal … Continue reading It’s Never Too Late (or Early) to Start Your Writing Career
Recommended Reads for May 13
Happy Friday the 13th! I meant to get this published earlier today but completely spaced on it last night, because that is how my May is going. Whee! This is the second edition of my so-far monthly Recommended Reads series. Check out April's Recommended Reads here. Longform Love: Writing in Scary Times and Emotional Logic … Continue reading Recommended Reads for May 13
When Writing for Joy Doesn’t Cut It, Rage Is All I Have
For the first time this year, five months into my weekly blogging project, I find I have nothing to say that feels worth saying. Not about writing, anyway. Be warned: it's about to get dark in here. It didn’t help that this week slammed me with a migraine that didn’t respond to meds and from … Continue reading When Writing for Joy Doesn’t Cut It, Rage Is All I Have
Authors Are Masochists and We All Need Aftercare
I said what I said. Authors love to suffer. We must, otherwise we wouldn’t put ourselves through so much torture, right? Writers know all about the tightrope between pleasure and pain. We walk it constantly. Our chosen calling asks us to lay ourselves on the line, flay our hearts on the page, and publicly expose … Continue reading Authors Are Masochists and We All Need Aftercare