October newsletter
This information was sent a couple of days ago to people on my email newsletter list. Each month I send …
Tag Archives: writing tips
Unfinished business
How many unfinished pieces of writing do you have? I have an embarrassing amount of essays that are about 90 …
What works and doesn’t work in nonfiction
It’s no secret, I love nonfiction. I read a lot of nonfiction books, essays, and literary journalism. Here are some …
A surefire way to blend scene and reflection in essays
The hallmark of an effective memoir or essay is the blend of scene and reflection, or the “show AND tell.” …
A writer’s little helper: The space break
I was working with a writer the other day, giving her some feedback on a long essay. She had used …
Storytelling in creative nonfiction: At odds?
Photo from Creative Commons via Flickr Sometimes you can teach something over and over and finally it sinks in for …
3-Act structure for nonfiction (Part II)
A good narrative twists and turns, and something changes from beginning to end. Photo Credit: daveynin Flickr via Compfight cc …
3-Act structure for nonfiction (Part I)
How the 3-act structure looks for fiction (taken from https://www.nownovel.com/blog/three-act-formula-novels/). The 3-act structure is a common form for storytelling. Movies and …
Don’t even think of publishing unless you’ve done these 4 things
Photo Credit: Pascal Schwab via Compfight cc Whenever I give writing workshops or teach a writing class, I always end …
The one writing tip that is getting me through the days
I like to write at home, as long as it’s fairly quiet. I actually do my most focused writing outside …
If You Have Five Seconds to Spare 