 Red Room Writer Profile
|
|
Midge Raymond's Blog
February 1, 2010
- These exercises come thanks to the American Short Fiction blog, on which I discovered artist Mark Menjivar’s intriguing photo project: a collection of photographs of what’s in people’s refrigerators, appropriately called “you are what you eat.” From the freezer filled with nothing but meat and tequila to the fridge containing only two items, it’s an interesting look at the way people ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
January 18, 2010
- Even when I worked in publishing back in nineties, the slush pile (i.e., that pile of unsolicited manuscripts sent in directly by authors and put aside while agented manuscripts were given priority) was rapidly becoming a thing of the past. (And yes, it literally is a “slush pile”: towering stacks of manuscripts all leaning and falling into one another until you can barely tell where one ends ...
- Continue Reading » 1 Comment
January 12, 2010
- As many of you know, I send out a writing exercise in each issue of my free e-newsletter for writers.In the spirit of the new year — looking back, looking ahead — here it is:Write a review of your current project (i.e., your novel, a poem, a story, etc.).Take a step back from the work and try to see it objectively. Write the review as if the piece is already published, and be honest in terms ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
January 5, 2010
- Here we are in 2010, and with that comes more predictions about the publishing industry.The IdeaLogical Blog’s Mike Shatzkin has posted twelve predictions for publishing this year, much related to digital content as well as a couple interesting predictions about authors and retail.The Huffington Post offers 10 more predictions, and these too focus on e-books as well as on the publishing houses ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
January 4, 2010
- Okay, it’s now that time of year when we look ahead (and make New Year’s Resolutions) and look back (at all the things we accomplished — or not, hence the New Year’s Resolutions).On the publishing front, literary agent Nathan Bransford looks back at 2009 in his blog … while this Booksquare post looks ahead by forecasting publishing trends in 2010. It’s going to be another interesting ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
December 23, 2009
- This time of year can be challenging for writers, with so much getting in the way of the work at hand – but it doesn't have to mean you stall completely on your project. In fact, because it can be so hard to get back into a project once you've been away from it for a week or more, it's best to keep going – even if it's in shorter burst of activity.Here are a few tips to help keep your writing ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
December 23, 2009
- So I have a few more things to share with you.One is Letters of Note, a site of “correspondence deserving of a wider audience.” So true. Here you’ll find reproductions of letters from Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie & Clyde) and Bill Watterson (of Calvin & Hobbes) as well as treasures from J. D. Salinger (on why he wouldn’t sell the film rights to Catcher in the Rye) and Kurt Vonnegut, ...
- Continue Reading » 1 Comment
December 16, 2009
- Here are a few of my new favorite toys, procrastination tools, and helpful resources for writers (though not in that order) …Seattle-based writer Angela Fountas runs Quoterly, a wonderful site that “hopes to inspire you to forget every rule you’ve ever learned about writing, because the writing process is bigger, and more mysterious, than any set of rules.” Visit often for new and ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
December 7, 2009
- The New York Times reported that The Atlantic will publish two short stories (by Christopher Buckley and Edna O’Brien) today on the Kindle. The stories, which will be offered at $3.99 each, will be available only on Amazon’s e-reader (not in the print version), and they’ll be the first of many more — about two Kindle stories every month, says The Atlantic. It’s not the first time ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
December 1, 2009
- After reading this article, “A Good Author Is Hard to Find,” I realized that writing queries can be almost more challenging than the book you’ve just finished — and in many ways, more important: If you don’t have a great query, agents won’t be asking to see your great novel. The best thing I can do is point you to the experts. This article, written by a literary agent’s assistant, ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
November 24, 2009
- It’s that time of year again … yes, the Literary Review’s Bad Sex Award shortlist has been announced.As The Guardian reports, among the dubious honorees this year are Paul Theroux (for A Dead Hand), Philip Roth (for The Humbling), and Sanjida O’Connell (for The Naked Name of Love). Previous winners include Tom Wolfe, Rachel Johnson, and Sebastian Faulks — and last year, John Updike ...
- Continue Reading » 1 Comment
November 20, 2009
- I love this Wall St. Journal article about writers sharing their processes. Maybe it’s the onset of fall, the recent time change, or the fact that Mercury was in retrograde for a while — but I’ve found that this article has really resonated with fellow writers, not only for the insider’s view into some of our favorite writers’ practices but for the comfort of knowing that there’s no ...
- Continue Reading » 5 Comments
November 9, 2009
- I recently came to the startling realization that my current writing project isn’t working out — not the way I’d like it to, anyhow. I’ve actually spent time over the past few weeks staring at my manuscript pages, thinking: I’m sorry, but it’s just not working out between us and I need some time to think things over and Perhaps we should spend a little time apart.And, finally: It’s ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
November 3, 2009
- I met Brenda Miller at the Get Lit! festival this past April, almost two years after I first read her wonderful essay “Blessing of the Animals” in The Sun. I was reminded of the exquisite beauty of her writing when I heard her read and promptly devoured her new book (titled after that essay) as well as her first collection, Season of the Body. Brenda’s essays have been described as ...
- Continue Reading » 0 Comments
November 1, 2009
- As many of you know, I send out a monthly e-newsletter for writers, and for me, the best part about it is hearing back — I love learning what’s new with former students, when to look for clients’ new stories or essays in print or online, and whether a particular writing exercise has worked (or not).And the second best thing about the newsletter is that it gives me a chance to practice what ...
- Continue Reading » 3 Comments
