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"I think it's really hard to write fiction without yourself in it." Katherine Faw Morris speaks about her debut novel, Young God (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014), and the characters that are psychologically true to her.
Author Adam Mansbach's sequel to the popular children’s book for adults Go the F**k to Sleep, was published by Akashic Books yesterday. Illustrated by Owen Brozman, the audio book is read by actor Bryan Cranston.
This past Sunday marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. To celebrate, eight thousand helium balloons were released into the night sky over Berlin. This week, write a story that takes place in Berlin on the day of the ceremony. Perhaps one of your characters grew up with the Berlin Wall up. Maybe one of your characters is traveling across Europe and just happens to be in Berlin that day. In your story, break down some personal barriers between characters, or try to unite them on a common ground.
Author and screenwriter David Nicholls describes his latest novel as a road movie, comedy, and love story about family and marriage. Published in October by Harper, Us was longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.
The debut novelist speaks about how reading James Joyce’s Ulysses influenced her to write a book in six months, and how she struggled for years to get it published. A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing was published by Coffee House Press in September.
“Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason, and plot.” This rhyme commemorates the failure of the plot to assassinate King James I of England on November 5, 1605. The plot’s failure was due in part to the arrest of Guy Fawkes, who was guarding explosives placed beneath the House of Lords. This week, learn about a treasonous plot that was foiled and write a short story about it. Retell the historical event as it happened, or use the facts as inspiration for an original story involving your own characters.
Submissions are open for the Table 4 Writers Foundation’s third annual grants, given annually to fiction and nonfiction writers over the age of twenty-one. The winner will receive $5,000 and two runner-ups will each receive $2,500.
The grants are given for short stories, essays, or novel or memoir excerpts that somehow deal with New York City. To apply, submit four copies of four to ten pages (or 1,000 to 2,500 words) with the required entry form and a $10 entry fee via postal mail by November 15. Applications should be mailed to 1650 Broadway, Suite 405, New York, NY 10019.
The Table 4 Writers Foundation established its writers grants in 2012 in honor of restauranteur Elaine Kaufman. Kaufman, who passed away in 2010, ran an Austro-Hungarian bar on the Upper East Side of New York City for over forty-seven years. The restaurant was a favorite among writers, journalists, and editors. Kaufmann, who always sat at table four, was known for offering support and advice to writers.
The 2014 recipients will be announced in February and celebrated at the foundation’s annual spring gala in New York City. The 2013 recipients are Matthew Perron, Kurt Pitzer, Danny Thiemann, Jennie Yabroff, and Karen Yin. They each received $2,500, and their winning entries can be read on the foundation’s website. The foundation received over one hundred entries for the 2013 contest.
Photo: Elaine Kaufman
"In my fantasy, love is a visible thing." Shelly Oria's debut story collection, released today by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, explores international identity and relationships of love and lust.
“Sometimes wars start because you forget why you fight.” Marlon James speaks with David Eades from BBC News about his latest novel, based on the 1976 assassination attempt on singer Bob Marley. A Brief History of Seven Killings is featured in Page One in the new issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
The fright-seekers are gearing up to get scared this week, visiting haunted houses, riding haunted hayrides, and stumbling through cavernous corn mazes. Imagine one of your characters is hired to be a monster for one of these frightful events. Why does she take the job? Does she like scaring people, or does she just need the money? What does her costume look like? Does she feel guilty about frightening people?
![[Explicit] A clip from You Have to F***ing Eat, Narrated By Bryan Cranston](https://www.pw.org/files/styles/video_thumb_medium/public/media-oembed/i.ytimg.com/vi/I2co-ot8PTQ/hqdefault.jpg?itok=XQ5t8V1e)
