I remain obsessed with "truthiness" in memoirs. I know I'm not alone; my March post on the subject generated 187 comments. I believe I have arrived at three key principles for writing a memoir that is worth reading without truthiness. It is as follows: 1. Believe in your story. 2. Rely on your writing to …
Continue reading What Drives Some Memoirists from Truth to Fiction?
I'll confess that this post is driven as much by defensiveness as it is a desire to educate. My recent review of the book Creative You and my interview with co-author David B. Goldstein has reminded me of something I've long known from interviews with artists; every creative has his or her own process. That …
The new book on creativity and Myers-Briggs personality typing, Creative You: Using Your Personality Type to Thrive, has been out a little over a week, and I've already heard from some creatives who have found it of great value. I posted a review and summary of the book on its publication debut last week. Today …
Continue reading Discussing Creativity with Creative You Co-Author David B. Goldstein
The theme of The Artist's Road is "creativity, writing, and an art-committed life." I provided some thoughts on the rewards and challenges of living an art-committed life, as well as the origins of this blog, in an interview with Elizabeth Spann Craig and Mike Fleming of Writer's Knowledge Base in the July 2013 issue. Elizabeth is …
Continue reading On Living an Art-Committed Life with Writer’s Knowledge Base
MONTPELIER, VT: At 8:45 am I will give a one-hour lecture on creative writing craft, part of my graduation requirements in my MFA in Writing with the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Assuming that goes well, I will receive my diploma during our graduation ceremony this afternoon. At this 10-day residency, I have also given …
MONTPELIER, VERMONT: If you think this post on enhancing dramatic moments in your creative writing is going to feature craft tips, think again. Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing instructor Lawrence Sutin has some amateur psychology and insightful philosophy to guide you; that is, he did in his lecture here at my final residency, …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: The Secret to Including Drama in Your Creative Writing
MONTPELIER, VT: If you were a writer, what would be the first question you would ask a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist? I'm having a hard time narrowing my list down to that one question, but Vermont College of Fine Arts President Tom Greene chose to open a public discussion here at our MFA in Writing residency with …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: Richard Russo on Winning the Pulitzer and the Writing Life
MONTPELIER, VT: Is your creative writing work-in-progress handy? I'll wait a moment while you fetch it. Got it in hand now? Okay. Read the opening three lines aloud. Then read the closing three lines. Did you hear music? That's the question Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing student Nancy Levine asked in her …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: Do Your Opening and Closing Lines Sing?
No creative wants to be put in a box. So I suspect some would resist if I were to tell them that they have a distinct personality type, and that those that share their personality type have certain approaches to the creative process; excel under certain conditions; and encounter certain roadblocks not faced by creative …
Continue reading What is Your Creativity Type? (From the Newly Published “Creative You”)
MONTPELIER, VT: I would never miss a lecture by Vermont College of Fine Arts instructor Patrick Madden. Like his essays, his lectures provoke curiosity and reflection. And like his essays, he remains frustratingly elusive when it comes to the simple takeaways that so work in a blog summation. But in this lecture on the "postmodern memoir" …
Continue reading MFA Nugget: What the Heck is a Postmodern Memoir?
The Artist's Road 