At the suggestion of my novel-writing teacher, I’ve been attempting to use John Truby’s process to do a deep structural revision on my novel. The process she outlined, based on Truby’s The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, asks writers to define important structural elements. The process can be used to [...]
Writer Ben Percy says he has sometimes sent out a story more than 40 times before it has been accepted. He told me that every time he gets a rejection on a story, he sends it to five more magazines, and claims this is a major factor in his success.
For those of you who aren’t [...]
I’m just going to put out a question for you today: When it comes to literary fiction vs. commercial fiction, does it have to be either or? Do we have to choose between a racing pulse and excellent prose? I guess I’m looking for a literary page turner. And wondering if there’s a reason, beyond [...]
Well, I’ve finally taken the plunge. My daughter has read all of the Twilight books, and ever since I saw the movie with her, I knew I’d eventually read the books, if only to analyze what has captivated so many readers. So I’ve listened to the first audiobook and am nearly through the second, New [...]
Last month, I mourned the passing of an era when Milwaukee’s 82-year-old independent bookseller, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, announced it would close its doors for the last time on March 31. My fond memories of the store range from discovering literary journals on its newsstand to taking my kids for midnight parties to celebrate a [...]