These days, it is normal for authors to go to writing workshops – or teach them. So why does the idea they produce derivative writers persist?What makes a writer? How do you become one? When I was younger, even asking those questions seemed to disqualify me: a writer isn’t something one becomes, I thought, a writer just is. Despite writing, rewriting and reading all through my 20s, I was no closer to completing, let alone publishing, a novel. I realised I would need help if I was going to succeed, and I applied to several creative writing MAs.This was, depending on who you ask, either a decision that condemned my writing to being forever derivative and tired, or, an important step on the path towards the publication of my first book. The debate about the value of a degree in creative writing has been done, one might think, to death – good writing depends on an innate facility that cannot be taught, versus good writing depends on devoted time, support, and elements of craft that can be studied – yet it continues to rage. This week, a much-lauded debut novel was criticised in a review by an author for its “MA creative writing-speak” and “oh so tediously writing workshop description”. For some, “writing workshop” is shorthand for bad. But why?'One must have in mind between 68 and 73% of the ending' before starting a story, my teacher once advised Related: Buy a cat, stay up late, don't drink: top 10 writers’ tips on writing Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Princeton Architectural Press will publish Sean and Karin Hepburn Ferrer's Little Audrey's Daydream, about actress Audrey Hepburn. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-07 02:24:58 UTC ]
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Crawford’s memoir looks back at her own assault at a prestigious boarding school. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-07-05 08:02:09 UTC ]
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Author A G Smith has launched Paperchains, a project that aims to publish a book of writing by prisoners, homeless people and members of the armed forces about the coronavirus lockdown. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-29 23:21:12 UTC ]
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I have been writing children's books for over 10 years now. I have worked as an editor in children's publishing houses for 15. For the last 18 months, I have been mentoring writers and illustrators of colour, and doing my best to try and explain how publishing works. How to navigate this... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-26 10:43:21 UTC ]
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The National Book Award–winner tackles familial, and national, legacies of white supremacy in his latest book, 'Life of a Klansman.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Five new and upcoming titles address how sound resonates in the spiritual life, in mindfulness, or in turning in to God. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Ann Cleeves has written a short story based on indie store Forum Books in Northumberland, which even features manager Helen Stanton as a character. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-22 05:26:33 UTC ]
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A survey of the Creative Access community, investigating the impact of coronavirus on under-represented communities within the creative industries, has revealed 80% are prioritising finding a new job or freelance work, with almost 40% saying they have run out of money already or are about to do so. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-18 17:26:02 UTC ]
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Val McDermid has revealed her 2020 “New Blood” list of hotly tipped crime-writing talent, featuring Deepa Anappara and Elizabeth Kay. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-18 03:04:34 UTC ]
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For more than half a century, Sam Adams’ eclectic output has made him a stalwart of Wales’ literary scene. He discusses his latest novel Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-16 01:59:07 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury Wildlife is publishing a trilogy of books by journalist Anita Sethi exploring themes of identity, place and belonging, starting with I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-12 07:24:30 UTC ]
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As Black Lives Matter protests take place across the world, the publishing world is rushing to support those ‘ignored by the mainstream’. Who is the mainstream, then?The publishing industry is stilted and archaic. I worked in it for seven years, and left due to reasons I can’t legally talk... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-11 09:44:22 UTC ]
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Walker Books will publish Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing by Andy Jones and Olaf Falafel, the first title in a two-book deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-10 19:22:38 UTC ]
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PHILOSOPHER GARY COX’S How to Be Good: or How to Be Moral and Virtuous in a Wicked World was recently released by Bloomsbury Academic. In the book, Cox explores the concept of goodness, how it is achievable, and how to decide what the right thing to do is. Moral philosophy is notoriously complex... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-06-06 12:30:45 UTC ]
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First-time writer Lorelei Goulding has won Spread the Word's Life Writing Prize, for her "heart-breaking story" Birdie. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-04 12:18:00 UTC ]
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The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation has announced the shortlist for the Best Unpublished Manuscript category in the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-28 03:59:23 UTC ]
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Sanjana Varghese had been working as a freelance journalist in London for around a year when the coronavirus pandemic hit. As countries around the world went into lockdown, many organisations froze their commissioning budgets, while others halted business entirely. Several of the pieces... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-21 20:08:07 UTC ]
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On this episode of Personal Space: The Memoir Show, Sari Botton interviews Stephanie Danler, author of the 2016 bestselling novel Sweetbitter, and now the memoir Stray, just published by Knopf. In the book, Danler poignantly tackles a variety of issues, including: the destructive nature of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-21 17:00:57 UTC ]
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Liverpool festival Writing on the Wall is going virtual this year, with a line-up including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-20 14:43:16 UTC ]
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Chatto & Windus has bought another book from Christie Watson, nurse and bestselling author of The Language of Kindness (Chatto). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-20 10:43:53 UTC ]
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