“What is your book about?” I hear that question and the first thing I think is, “about seventy thousand words.” That isn’t what the asker wants to know, of course. The asker wants tell a whole seventy-thousand-word story in fifteen … Continue reading →
When I first considered going for an MFA, I faced this question: should I bother? My assumption was that I should, but in my online research I kept finding echoes of that question, often expressed by people who had completed … Continue reading →
This morning I sent off several pieces to magazines: two short stories and three or four poems. I have an essay I need to send out as well, and that will probably find the door sometime this evening. This was … Continue reading →
I’m in the middle of a deep revision of my thesis novel right now. I’m going scene by scene through the whole manuscript, checking voice, point of view, metaphor choices, et cetera. I’m also allowing myself room to add detail … Continue reading →
News Flash: The Prose-Poem Project has accepted my piece, “Trouble Sleeping the Night Before a Big Test.” We now return you to your regularly scheduled post. *** I’m back from residency, and when I’ve had a chance to catch up … Continue reading →
News Flash: My prose poem “Phillips Head” has been accepted by “Third Wednesday”. Now back to our regularly scheduled post. —– In three days I begin my fourth residency at Whidbey. Technically I might qualify as an old hand at … Continue reading →
At the August 2010 NILA residency, Mary Guterson spoke about her own path to professional novel-writing, and about her process as an author. I have a vivid image from her talk of her in a motel room (not like that!) … Continue reading →
As much as I love drafting new material, I enjoy revision just as much. Nothing can beat the feeling of creating something new, but I get a deep sense of satisfaction from taking a piece and honing it until I’m … Continue reading →
My nonfiction essay, “Between Plausibility and Truth,” has been published by Shark Reef in their eighteenth issue. It can be read online here. Did you like this? Share it:Tweet
Continue reading →I’ve gotten tired of referring to my thesis as “my thesis.” A thesis is something that, once it’s finished, gets filed away in the school library and looked at only by other graduate students who are trying to find something … Continue reading →