The first line of your memoir (or essay or novel) might come to you early on, fully formed. Or it…
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Storytelling
Beyond Tall, Dark, and Handsome: How to Describe Your Characters
The ability to describe is the key to great storytelling, but when it comes to depicting characters, our first impulse…
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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…
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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…
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On Writing Prompts
Years ago I was listening to a well-respected editor speak at an Association of Writers & Writing Programs panel about…
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What’s the Deal With Dialogue Tags?
My creative writing students and I get along well. We don’t see eye-to-eye on every story and poem we read,…
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