Jump to navigation Skip to content
Our sixth annual Writing Contests Issue offers advice from authors who judge literary competitions as well as the writers who win them; a look at shifting entry fees and prize amounts over the past decade of contests; interviews with poet Mark Doty, creative nonfiction writer Maggie Nelson, and Washington Post book critic Ron Charles; the anxiety surrounding prepublication praise; self-publishing tips; writing prompts; agent advice; and more.
"It was still the last frontier when I arrived in 1951. It was a wide-open city." Lawrence Ferlinghetti recalls his early days in San Francisco and speaks about the changing life of the city.
Tom McCarthy interviewed; remembering Margaret Howe Freydburg; University of Georgia Press launches nonfiction series; and other news.
"Is it that bad to write genre?" David Simon, writer and producer of the HBO drama The Wire, speaks with novelist Richard Price about his choice to release his latest book, The Whites (Henry Holt, 2015), under the pseudonym Harry Brandt.
British writer Will Self advises, “Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea forever.” This week, try carrying a notebook around with you. If you take notes on an electronic device, like your computer or mobile phone, try using old-fashioned pen and paper. At the end of the week, compile your notes into an essay about your day-to-day reflections.
HarperCollins could withdraw books from Amazon; Jane Austen’s continued popularity; James Patterson: Book Czar; and other news.
Gold is one of the most valuable metals on this planet. People have been unearthing it, stashing it, and fighting over it for centuries. This week, write a story about a character who creates a large amount of imitation gold so convincing it passes for real gold. What circumstances compelled him to produce this form of counterfeit currency? What will he do with his “fool's gold?”
"The way that I use syntax in my work, I think it is a direct relation from my childhood and my parents being immigrants." Poet and writer Ching-In Chen speaks about the influences that continue to inspire her to create a distinct writing style. Chen is author of the poetry collection The Heart's Traffic (Arktoi Books/Red Hen Press, 2009).
Tournament of Books champion; Purdue sued over Amazon contract; on young writers; and other news.
