Dec 08, 2022
Writer’s Block? Try Talking to Yourself
The self-interview is a way to ask myself real questions about whatever I’m working on without it feeling like work.
Generating a Poem from Nature’s Patterns
This prompt will help you reconnect with nature and explore ways to write a poem as an extension of the natural world.
Dec 07, 2022
Looping Music Takes Me to a “Place” Where I Can Write
Putting songs on repeat helps me get into a writing flow, return to my projects after time away, and access memories and moods more easily.
Dec 06, 2022
How Ambiguous Endings Lure Us In
Ambiguity in fiction, when done well, is not an escape hatch for the noncommittal writer. It’s an articulation of something otherwise impossible to articulate.
Dec 05, 2022
How to Get a Literary Agent
Query smarter, not harder, to find the right agent for you.
Dec 01, 2022
What, Exactly, Is Queer Literature?
Once I gave queer authors the keys and stopped worrying about what, exactly, queer literature meant, my students’ work taught me something about what queer literature actually is: a lens on the world.
Nov 30, 2022
Ruben Quesada Introduces Readers to the Expansive World of Latinx Poetics
Ruth Joffre interviews Ruben Quesada on his new book ‘Latinx Poetics: Essays on the Art of Poetry,’ the first anthology devoted to essays exploring the subject from a Latinx perspective.
Nov 29, 2022
The Risks, Realities, and Rewards of Writing About Social Issues
A roundtable with Kavita Das, the author of ‘Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues,’ and contributors Gaiutra Bahadur and Gabrielle Bellot.
Nov 28, 2022
Writing Your Own Obituary Can Teach You How to Live
Hopefully, I’ll continue to update my own obituary for years to come—and learn something about myself along the way.
Nov 23, 2022
What Does Your Novel Want?
What I was trying to write was a book that lent itself to connectivity, a book that was true for me that others could access too. I did this by establishing a consistent “want” for my protagonist.
Nov 21, 2022
The Dinner Table Problem
When you’re ready to pitch or publish your work, a good question to ask yourself is: Why does this need to be an essay rather than a story you tell to friends over the dinner table?
Nov 17, 2022
As a Disabled Writer, I Am a Rich Innovator
When I am in pain, I stare out the windows and write about a world I am too sick to access. Creating in my office reminds me that though the world can wound, it is also a wonder.
Nov 16, 2022
Andrew Sean Greer Is Challenging the “Great American Novel”
Akanksha Singh interviews Andrew Sean Greer about his new novel “Less Is Lost,” finding humor in uncomfortable topics, and the pleasures of a fairytale ending.
Nov 15, 2022
How to Workshop Stories About Trauma
Not all feedback, even from a reader you hold in high esteem, will be appropriate for the story you’re trying to tell.
Nov 14, 2022
How to Write a Novel (Or Anything, Really) with ADHD
Instead of fighting myself tooth and nail to subscribe to a neurotypical writing lifestyle, I’m choosing to expand upon my weird brain’s strengths and abilities.
Nov 10, 2022
Begin to Build the World of Your TV Series
The success of a show often hangs on the writer’s ability to create a compelling sense of place. Use this prompt from classes instructor Alexander Aciman to imagine possibilities for your very own TV series.
Nov 09, 2022
Hilton Als Is Finding Language for the Inexpressible
In this conversation with Isabella Vega, Als discusses his new book ‘My Pinup,’ the nature of desire, and the vulnerability of writing.
Nov 08, 2022
Submit Your NaNoWriMo Novel to These Contests
Are you working on a novel for National Novel Writing Month? Check out this list of contests with cash prizes for unpublished and in-progress novels.
Nov 07, 2022
Franny Choi Believes in a Future After the Apocalypse
Alyssa Lo talks with Franny Choi about their most recent poetry collection ‘The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On,’ poetic forms, and speculative possibilities.
Nov 01, 2022
Invite the Vampires Inside (and Other Rules for Genre Writing)
In defining your monster, you’re also building your world. By saying what the big, spooky creature can and can’t do, you’re eliminating convenient and easy plot mechanics your protagonist will inevitably exploit.
Oct 31, 2022
