Writing inspiration from an unlikely source
November 1, 2013 § Leave a comment
Brought to you by the Encyclopedia Britannica of cat GIFs and ’90s nostalgia, here’s a list (of course) from Buzzfeed of great quotes on writing. TGIF!
Fall reading list: The Lowland
October 5, 2013 § Leave a comment
The start of fall weather has me ready to throw on a sweater and cozy up with a good book. Lucky for me, a few of my favorite authors have new titles out this year. (Good for my bookshelf and the book shop around the corner, not so good for my wallet.) Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about a few of the books I’m looking forward to reading this fall.
The Lowland
I don’t read many novels these days, but reading Jhumpa Lahiri reminds me why I should. Newsweek once said of Lahiri that she “writes such direct, translucent prose you almost forget you’re reading.”But I feel the opposite: I feel hyper-aware of reading, in the best way possible. I find myself rereading sentences, paragraphs, scrutinizing and savoring them as long as I can. I’m not exaggerating.
I had my calendar marked for this book’s September release. And I’m about halfway through The Lowland now (an autographed copy—thanks, A Cappella Books!). Lahiri’s first novel, The Namesake, will always be an all-time favorite, so Lowland has some stiff competition—but as always, I’m loving being transported to the world of Lahiri’s characters, feeling their desire and heartache and grief. Then feeling it over and over again.
An excerpt from The Lowland novel, titled “Brotherly Love,” was published in The New Yorker in June (major spoiler alert). For another introduction to Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies, the author’s first short story collection, also has my seal of approval (oh, yeah, and a Pulitzer).
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go back to reading.
What’s on Your Mind? – NYTimes.com
September 3, 2013 § Leave a comment
Love this article on the writer’s quest to understand the mind. (also love that she’s from Hudson, Ohio, where I lived as a kid.) I think writers, more often than those in other professions, are forced to think about how thoughts work. How ideas form and how they “feel” in the brain. How to lead a reader through an argument as you progress from one point to the next.
Writers don’t do science, of course. But understanding the little quirks and limitations of our minds can help us better understand—and communicate with—others.
Tice’s advice for new writers
June 17, 2013 § 1 Comment
I’ve been subscribed for a few weeks to Carol Tice’s Make a Living Writing newsletter. While I’m not necessarily looking for freelance work, Tice sends smart, pithy daily tips on building client relationships, growing confidence, and creating an online presence. (Last week, she hosted a “link party,” where followers could share—and vote on—favorite writing-related links.)
I really liked a post Tice published last week, on “The Advice I Wish I’d Had as New Freelance Writer.” Her advice is funny and reassuring: “I wish someone would have told me right off that no one cares if you learned to write under a freeway overpass or at Columbia. If you can get the story and tell it so we want to read it, you’re in.”
Now that’s advice I can use. Tice also recommends “diving in, and being scared later” and “developing niche expertise.”
I’m happy to learn from Tice’s more than 20 years of freelance know-how. (Her website, by the way, is a gold mine of resources for would-be writers.) Keep those emails coming!
MARY GABLE 