Today's post is inspired by an award-winning fantasy and science fiction author I interviewed during my cross-country road trip, Michael Swanwick. For a time in the early 2000's he played a character online by the name of "Unca Mike," who took a different approach to writing advice: Most writing columns offer sound and useful advice …
Continue reading 5 Keys to Success for Aspiring Writers (Not) to Follow
This is not a post about politics. It is about a creative writer struggling to maintain an art-committed life. The story begins with a trip to the second Inauguration of President Barack Obama. I was one of approximately 500,000 people to make my way to Washington, D.C.'s National Mall Monday to witness the ceremony. I …
The Artist's Road is, at its heart, a conversation with its readers. It draws its strength from the quality and depth of its comments, left by thoughtful, reflective commenters. I am continually amazed at the wisdom left there; I love that my blog posts allow me to learn from my readers. So I'd like to …
Continue reading Kudos to the Artist’s Road Commenters of 2012
You may have been following along with me as I blogged from my fourth MFA in Writing residency at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. If you read every post--I'm looking at you, PJ Reece!--then feel free to move on. If you weren't tuning in every day, here's a recap: CRAFT AND OBSERVATION …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: An Entire Residency in One Tasty Bite
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA -- So I'm back home from my MFA in Writing residency with the Vermont College of Fine Arts. My car is covered in that opaque sludge that comes from splashbacks of snow and road salt, but I'm going to leave it that way for a few days as a reminder of where I've …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: What I Learned at My Fourth Residency
MONTPELIER, VERMONT -- This post is an attempt to find some positives in an otherwise not-so-pleasant workshop experience here at my MFA in Writing residency with the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Here is a list of things I promise not to do next summer, at my final residency: I will remember to say something …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: Lessons From My Failed Residency Workshop
MONTPELIER, VERMONT -- To what extent is the "I" a writer puts down the page truly that writer? It's a question that has long vexed personal essayists, in particular since Michel de Montaigne went about as far as any writer could in examining every aspect of himself in his prose. Vermont College of Fine Arts …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: The Writer’s Persona in Essays and Blog Posts
MONTPELIER, VERMONT -- One thing I've learned in writing nonfiction is that when you write about others, there is no way of knowing what might cause offense. So if this post describing different types of workshop participants pisses off my current workshop mates, I will live with the result. I should note I am not …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: The Dynamics of a Writing Workshop
MONTPELIER, VERMONT -- The quote is attributed to Pablo Picasso: "Bad artists copy. Good artists steal." The line has been quoted enough that it's lost a bit of its oomph. But I liked how poet Ilya Kaminsky began his discussion of the subject in his informal talk here at my Vermont College of Fine Arts …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: A Fresh Take on How Artists Should Steal
MONTPELIER, VERMONT -- "Who is your audience?" Ah, the age-old question. Vermont College of Fine Arts instructor Larry Sutin said in his lecture here at our MFA in Writing residency that he hears that question asked all the time, adding with his usual dry wit, "enough times that it must be a very important question." …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: Writing to the Reader, and More
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