writing life

May. 27, 2011

Harlan Ellison: Pay the Writer!

Harlan Ellison has some choice words for those who presume writers will work for free.

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May. 3, 2011

The Patron Saint of Writers

Meet St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and journalists.

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Apr. 20, 2011

Why do writers like working in coffee shops?

Why would a bustling Starbucks be conducive to writing? It may be an antidote to procrastination.

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Mar. 7, 2011

Reading vs. Writing

Sometimes I think a writer should make up his mind whether he’s going to be a writer or a reader. There isn’t time for both. — Jessamyn West (via The Paris Review). That is exactly how I feel: can’t read when I’m writing, can’t write when I’m reading.

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Jan. 10, 2011

Fast Fish and Loose Fish

What an ancient law of whaling teaches about story ideas.

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Dec. 31, 2010

In Between Days

The doldrums between books is a dangerous, depressing time for a writer.

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Nov. 18, 2010

Shoes

The earthy, sensuous craft of making shoes vs. the ethereal art of writing books.

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Nov. 2, 2010

Voices in Our Heads

A homeless man isn’t the only Starbucks customer with invisible friends.

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Sep. 16, 2010

It’s All Been Done

The pleasures and doubts of writing in a genre.

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Aug. 10, 2010

Vita Brevis, Ars Brevior

A good but not great movie from 1965 is a reminder how short-lived most art is.

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