So that headline says it all, right? I'm very honored that the esteemed literary journal Hunger Mountain has published an excerpt of Committed: A Memoir of the Artist's Road. Best of all, it's free online, so click away! The excerpt is one of several excellent creative works in a special "Mentors & Tormentors" issue. Those who have already read Committed will understand …
Continue reading Lit Journal Hunger Mountain Publishes Excerpt of Committed
Extended metaphors in prose resonate with the reader, even if she isn't sure what it is the author has done to trigger that resonance. In Part One of this series I explained that making use of a recurring metaphor advances both plot and character development. We looked at how to identify a key theme that needs …
Continue reading Using Extended Metaphors in Your Writing — Part Two
Looking for a little creativity recharge as 2014 winds to a close? Not looking to have to open that pocketbook one more time this holiday season? Please enjoy this collection of creativity and creative-craft posts I have written for others during my blog tour for Committed: A Memoir of the Artist's Road. Let's learn from creatives: Committed features …
Memoirs are supposed to be languid reflections of a notable life lived, correct? So how would you describe Cheryl Strayed's runaway bestseller Wild, coming soon as a movie to a theater near you starring Reece Witherspoon? Strayed shares in her memoir insights on a failed marriage, grief over a lost mother, and pain stemming from a …
My blog tour following the publication of Committed: A Memoir of the Artist's Road continues with a writing craft post of mine on the award-winning blog by K.M. Weiland, Helping Writers Become Authors. K.M.'s readership largely comprises fiction writers, so I kept that in mind in writing a piece about crafting dialogue in your stories. In my …
Continue reading Lessons on Writing Dialogue from a Memoirist
That headline is, of course, absurd. The vast majority of published books are written by authors lacking MFAs, and I suspect that few works of literature we now rank as great were written during an MFA program. That said, Committed: A Memoir of the Artist's Road was my creative thesis in a low-residency MFA program …
Continue reading Do You Need an MFA to Write and Sell a Book?
So I'm having a bit of fun with the title of this post, but it accurately captures the emotions I felt while writing Committed: A Memoir of the Artist's Road. Longtime readers of this blog will know I wrestled with writing about others, both the artists I interviewed on the cross-country road trip depicted in the …
Continue reading Writing About People in Your Life: Terrifying or Disastrous?
Author tours rarely proved a profitable investment for book publishers, but I have to imagine there are moments of fun for the authors. Yes, travel has its nuisances--and I suppose I speak with some authority since I've written a travel memoir--but I do find myself inclined to put up with some of the hassle to …
So it's starting to become real. Committed: A Memoir of the Artist's Road is now available for pre-order. Even better, my publisher is offering a 10% discount to Artist's Road readers; they just need to enter the promo code PREORDER2014 at checkout. You'll be shipped the book on the day of the "soft-launch" publication, October …
Continue reading Road to Publication: Committed Now Available for Pre-Order (at Discount!)
In my day job I sell people on the merits of my employer; that is what we do in public relations. One of the things I like about PR is that I'm promoting work that is not mine and people who are not me. That is much harder to do when the product is my …
The Artist's Road 