The single resource I’ve used the most in my writing classes might be Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction. The site is jam-packed with short nonfiction pieces and craft essays that are quick to read as well as fun, moving, and instructional. Editor-in-chief Dinty W. Moore is someone you might want to follow on social (he’s a great source…
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Some of My Favorite Essays from Brevity Magazine
Don’t Know What to Write About? Choose Something Mundane
Some writers are never at a loss over what to write about, and some find themselves frequently stuck in the unpleasantness that comes from a blank page and no writing ideas. This is why so many of my students ask me for writing prompts. If you find yourself stuck, with no writing prompt in sight, I suggest you lower the…
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Lessons from Julia Otsuka’s When the Emperor was Divine
I’m a slow reader. I sometimes pluck a book from the shelf based not on whether its subject matter appeals to me, but whether or not it’s skinny or fat. So when I recently read Julia Otsaka’s 144-page When the Emperor Was Divine, I got the pleasure of not only finishing a book in a weekend, but also got a mini-course…
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Famous Writers on Revision
You’ve dumped the clay on the table. You’ve sculpted it into a story, an essay, a memoir. You’ve reconsidered it and reworked it. You’re happy with it! Now it’s time to revise. We’ve all got to get through the next step, and I’ve collected some advice from writers who know a thing or two about revision. “When your story is…
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5 Musts for Writing a Compelling Story Beginning
The beginning of your book, as much as the back cover or inside flap, is marketing copy. Your reader will give you wide latitude when it comes to your opening content, but if they’re going to stick around, they expect something enticing on the first page—a promise of things to come. Whether your first paragraphs strap your reader to a…
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