I was watching an episode of The Voice last night and I was thinking how the job of those singers and the job of a writer is pretty much the same. You’ve got a hot minute—less than a minute—to create some sort of experience your audience wants. Contestants on The Voice start out by auditioning…
Let me be clear that I do not think that writers need to be submitting to literary magazines. First of all, some of you are writing books and not the shorter fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that most journals publish. However, I will say, when it’s time to find an agent for your book, some…
I love first sentences, first paragraphs, first pages. I love the promise of transport and transformation for the reader and I love the creative opportunity and challenge for the writer. I love good story beginnings. The stakes are high—with all the work that goes into writing a book, or even an article, what if no…