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Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has purchased the Washington Post; Elmore Leonard is recuperating after a stroke; Boris Kachka provides an insider's view of the Jonathan Franzen versus Oprah’s Book Club dustup of 2001; and other news.
Writing poetry is an act of empowerment. Sit quietly at your desk. Think about what you’re most insecure about in life: being a good parent, making enough money, not being able to love fully. Write a poem about how you plan to overcome that insecurity.
Forbes considers how the burgeoning self-publishing industry will alter the role of literary agents; author Sean Beaudoin discusses the vagaries of self-promotion; Robert Archambeau examines the state of conceptual writing; and other news.
This video reveals what several authors view as the unique challenges of writing short stories, particularly in comparison to novels.
StoryQuarterly, the literary magazine of Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey, is currently accepting submissions to its third annual fiction contest. The winner will receive $1,000 and publication.
Using the online submission system, fiction writers may submit a previously unpublished story of up to 8,000 words with an $18 entry fee by October 31. Jess Walter, the author of six novels and, most recently, the short story collection We Live in Water (Harper, 2013), will judge.
The winning story, along with the first and second runners-up, will be published in StoryQuarterly 46/47, a special double issue that will be overseen by author Paul Lisicky and released in Winter 2014. Christine Grillo of Baltimore, Maryland, won the 2012 prize for her story "Legendary and Non-Evolving." Amy Hempel judged.
Founded in 1975 as an independent literary journal based in Illinois, StoryQuarterly has been published by Rutgers University in Camden since 2008. Regular submissions are considered from September 1 through October 31. Visit the website for more information and complete guidelines, and check out StoryQuarterly Online to read stories from recent contributors.
The DOJ outlined proposed business practices for Apple in the wake of its e-book lawsuit; a New York City public middle school removed a Sherman Alexie novel from the classroom; Zadie Smith speaks with the Guardian’s book club podcast; and other news.
The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin has acquired McSweeney’s archive; Ron Charles reports independent bookstore owners were not pleased with President Obama’s recent speech at an Amazon warehouse; Jason Diamond lists twenty-three writers who are keeping poetry vital; and other news.
Sit quietly at your writing desk and look at an old photograph of a relative who has passed on. Examine the person's face. Study the person's expression. Analyze the person's posture. What about this person still lives on through your family? What about this person still lives on through you? Write without editing your thoughts.
J. K. Rowling received a cash settlement from her law firm; Rebecca J. Rosen looks at the current state of copyright law; Jason Boog showcases a tool to help writers collaborate online; and other news.
People change in life, so must your characters. Write a paragraph about your protagonist at age eight discovering a wounded sparrow on the sidewalk. Next write a paragraph about the same protagonist at age forty-two encountering the same sparrow. How are the reactions different? Write a third paragraph about why your character changed. That is the story of your protagonist.
