Are you a subscriber to The Art-Committed Life newsletter? If not, here's what you've missed in the last two issues. Volume 2, Issue 4 features three key takeaways from a recent week-long novel retreat offered by the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Also provided is a list of key craft books recommended by retreat faculty …
Continue reading Takeaways from a Novel Retreat, Handling Criticism, and More
Perhaps a 2014 resolution for me should be to gain readers in Africa and South America. I say that because among the dozens of responses to my survey requesting feedback on what to write about in 2014 were readers from the other four occupied continents. I also suppose the time of day I make posts …
Continue reading What To Expect from the Artist’s Road in 2014
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
No matter what type of creative writing you pursue--fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry--a compelling scene can deepen the reader's immersion in your words. In two weeks I'll be giving a lecture at my final Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing residency titled Imagining History: Creating True Scenes You've Never Seen. I've provided a teaser of …
Continue reading Imagining History, or Creating True Scenes You’ve Never Seen
We all need a pick-me-up now and then, especially when pursuing our creative passion. The creative process is often a solitary one, in particular creative writing. Sometimes when I need a touch of inspiration I'll visit a blog by a writer who inspires me. I now have the ability to visit with 101 different writers …
Continue reading 101 Sources of Writing Inspiration (And Win a Free Book!)
I've returned from snowy Boston and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. It was a mixed bag for me. There were a couple of sessions that were really solid, and I met a handful of interesting editors on the Bookfair floor that I may follow up with at some point. I also attended …
Who's up for a little creative insight from Emily Dickinson? Tell all the Truth but tell it slantSuccess in Circuit liestoo bright for our infirm DelightThe Truth's superb surpriseAs Lightning to the Children easedWith explanation kindThe Truth must dazzle graduallyOr every man be blind When I started my MFA in Writing program nearly two years …
Continue reading 3 Steps For Creative Writers to Tell it Slant
Don't worry, U.S. readers, you'll still have time to get the turkey for Thursday even if you take the time to read the posts I'm linking to on creativity and writing in my latest Creativity Tweets of the Week. (For my many readers outside the U.S., do you celebrate holidays that seem to exist for …
Continue reading Creativity Tweets of the Week – November 17, 2012
The Artist's Road turns two years old next month, and I've received some pretty fishy emails during this run, such as people wanting to pay me to run their blog posts. I always decline; my readers aren't for sale. Yesterday I was told I was named a Top 50 Blog for Authors. I was immediately …
It dawned on me that I should collect some of the best links on writing and creativity I tweet during the week and compile them in a single, easy-to-use guide. I thought I'd call it "Creativity Tweets of the Week." Oh yeah, I used to do this pretty regularly, didn't I? Here at the Artist's …
