I’m constantly captured by other writers’ stories – of course, their literary masterworks, but in this case I’m talking about their personal stories: how they struggled, how they anguished, how they sweated, persisted and survived (or sometimes not) until they managed to squeeze out something…
None of us can deny that day jobs eat up valuable time for writing. We accept but resent them, knowing that bills do pile up and, unless we are fortunate recipients of the largess of a trust fund, inheritance or a well-padded spouse, most of…
Here are a couple of contests that should be of interest to all The Writers Circle. First, for adults, the latest round of NPR’s Three Minute Fiction contest has begun. The judge this time is Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham. The rules are simple: write…
It’s been a while since I wrote one of my “eBooks are transforming the world” rants. Maybe because I’m as confused as the next publishing professional. Maybe because the media world is changing so rapidly that none of us, no matter how diligent, can keep…
On a far more local note, my latest in a series of articles on the reforestation efforts in the South Mountain Reservation just posted on Maplewood Patch. Check out: A Tree Grows in the Reservation—Or Does It?
I foolishly started reading Anna Karenina this spring – twice, and then again this summer. Each time I was dissuaded by the time-swallowing responsibility of editing other people’s work. Beloved writer-friends and clients, you know I adore you. But every once in a while it…
As they did about a year ago, Backspace‘s blog STET! has graced me by re-posting one of my early summer pieces, We Are What We Read. Backspace is a great online writers community with plenty of wise advice, both online and to be had at…
Our community of writers is growing exponentially lately. This summer, besides our lively and vital face to face sessions, I’ve reached beyond the tactile into the virtual world. We’ve had visitors to The Writers Circle blog from as far away as Istanbul and Australia! (You…
(OK… I know that was a corny title!) But Stuart Lutz’s book, The Last Leaf, just got some fantastic coverage. Check out Ends of Eras, a full three web-page “Author Speaks” interview about Stuart and his book in the AARP Bulletin. Congratulations, Stuart. That’s how…
I had a dream last night that my house was crumbling. The front stairway, made of concrete, was so precarious it broke beneath my feet as I tried to mount. The porch displayed its gray, rotted wood in the cloud-light, and the front door was…
OK, this is a quick one, but it’s a lot of fun. An article today in the L.A. Times features a website called “I Write Like” where you can pop in a few paragraphs of text and discover which famous writer your style most resembles.…
Picture taking a baby for its first check-up. The doctor says, “You know, this child has six toes and is missing a finger.” “Doctor, really?” You respond in surprise. All along you’ve seen the extra toe and the missing finger and honestly done your best…
