52 Ideas for an Inspired New Year
From albums and movies to naps and snacks, a series of suggestions from fifty-two authors on how to help keep your creativity flowing throughout the year.
From the Magazine
Why We Write: The Unwilling Suspension of Disbelief
Writing through trauma isn’t always a healing experience. A poet and novelist investigates the complexities and challenges of writing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
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The Road Less Traveled: Making It Without an MFA
No MFA? No problem. A novelist shares his journey to publication—and becoming a successful full-time writer—without attending a graduate writing program.
Submit That Manuscript! Why Sending Out Your Work Is So Important
Regardless of whether our writing is accepted, the submission process has merits all its own, from creating deadlines to distancing us from our work.
Vision, Interpretation, Play: A Portrait of Collaboration
The often playful process of writer-artist collaboration is explored through a close examination of the book Alphabetique: 26 Characteristic Fictions by poet Molly Peacock and visual artist Kara Kosaka.
Emma Watson Hides Feminist Books on London Underground, Bibliotherapy’s Paradox, and More
NaNoWriMo advice; contemporary novelists on recreating the the 1980s; Murakami on embracing one’s inner darkness; and other news.
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The Time Is Now: Writing Prompts and Exercises
Compose a trio of sensory poems, channel your inner Dickens, or reflect on the relationship between courage and generosity—three prompts to kindle your creativity during the holiday season.
A Harmony of Whims: Toward a Philosophy of Teaching Writing
Tasked with developing teaching philosophy, an award-winning author of more than twenty-five books looks back on his years of teaching, and reflects on what makes an effective writing teacher.
Writing for Strangers: What Speechwriting Taught Me About Writing Fiction
Any job has the potential to teach us valuable lessons about writing. Novelist Hannah Gersen shares what she learned about writing fiction from working as a speechwriter for the New York City Parks and Recreation Commissioner.
The Time is Now: Writing Prompts and Exercises
Compose a series of tree poems, explore the supernatural with a ghost story, or examine your personal history with politics through an essay—three prompts to stretch your literary perspective.