This Is How You Write a Memoir

There has lately been a rising backlash against the ubiquity of personal writing. Hamilton Nolan’s anti-confessional diatribe in Gawker claims that journalism students are now taught only to write about themselves, which I can say as a full-time faculty member at a journalism school is patently absurd, but he raised some interesting points about the dubious rise of confessional writing over the last two decades and the market pressure, especially on younger writers, to make a splash, or at least publish something somewhere, by turning to their own, possibly limited, life experience. And then, of course, there were recent critiques of Elizabeth Wurtzel babbling incoherently about her pure heart in New York Magazine. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2013-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #younger writers #life experience #york magazine

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On Writing, Rejection, and Persistence

Debut novelist Ruth Galm received upwards of 60 rejections for her debut novel, "Into the Valley." But after years of reworking the book, it's finally out this month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sample New Writing from Indonesia at Words Without Borders

Words Without Borders featured nine new translations from Indonesia in advance of Indonesia's turn as Guest of Honor at the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair. The post Sample New Writing from Indonesia at Words Without Borders appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authonomy writing community closed by HarperCollins

The peer-review site for budding authors, which generated publishing contracts for some of its members, is to close at the end of SeptemberAuthors are mourning the closure of Authonomy, the online community for would-be writers set up by HarperCollins seven years ago as a way to source new... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online community #cory doctorow #including works #miranda dickinson #steven dunne #kat french


Better Together: SparkPoint, She Writes Press

Almost one year after SparkPoint Studio acquired the hybrid publisher She Writes Press, the purchase is providing the type of synergy that SparkPoint CEO Crystal Patriarche had hoped for. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Robots that write fiction? You couldn’t make it up

Computer-generated fiction might seem a tipping point for artificial intelligence, but it could help us to understand the world we live inIn 1983, William Chamberlain and Thomas Etter released a book called The Policeman’s Beard Is Half Constructed, described as the “early fiction” of a computer... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can digital community support writing, really?

Not unlike climate change, it's something that digital-age writers worry about, but can't nail down. I'm not sure what effect the accepting warmth of digital communities has on our literature. I don't think encouraging people can make bad writing suddenly appeal to the masses. Are the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Four Questions for...Immigrant Writing Prize Creator Ilan Stavans

The Restless Books publisher, and creator of the just-announced Prize for New Immigrant Writing, said he hopes the literary honor will help dispel negative stereotypes of immigrants. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Candace Cameron Bure’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Memoir Arrives Amid Actress’ TV Comeback

'Dancing Through Life' chronicles Candace Cameron Bure's experience on 'Dancing with the Stars' while the actress explores her Christian faith. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Boris Johnson to write Shakespeare biography

Boris Johnson is to write a biography of William Shakespeare for Hodder & Stoughton for October 2016. The publisher has confirmed the deal, which was reported in the Sunday Times to have been done for £500,000. The newspaper reported that Johnson’s advance was almost seven times his salary... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does the age of an author matter when writing YA fiction?

The Book Doctor goes right back to beginnings of YA and teen fiction in the 1950s and 1960s to investigate whether author age has anything to do with reader experienceI saw several really young writers at the Young Adult Literature Convention (Yalc) who seem to know just what their readers are... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Memoir of reinvention' to Picador

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two Roads snaps up Volpe self-published memoir

Two Roads has acquired an originally self-published memoir by the general manager of Opera Holland Park. Michael Volpe’s Noisy at the Wrong Times was chosen by The Bookseller’s Caroline Sanderson as an Independent Author pick in April, and was named by the Sunday Times as one of its “100... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virago acquires Carrie Brownstein memoir

Virago has acquired the memoir of American musician, actor and writer Carrie Brownstein. Ursula Doyle, associate publisher of Virago, bought UK rights in the memoir, titled Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, from Hal Fessenden at Penguin Random House US. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebury acquires memoir about online life

Ebury Press has bought Ctrl, Alt; Delete, a memoir about growing up online, by journalist and blogger Emma Gannon [pictured].   Commissioning editor Sara Cywinski has bought UK and Commonwealth rights to the book, in which Gannon talks about subjects from editing photos for MySpace to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why write YA?

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Christian Bookseller Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award-Winner Reflects on Five Decades of Writing

Author Josh McDowell on childhood molestation, what he's learned in 55 years of writing, and winning the Christian Bookseller Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman': Don't write Atticus Finch off as a racist just yet [Video]

Harper Lee's "Go Set a Watchman" won't be released to the public until Tuesday, but readers already know that the book reveals a darker side to Atticus Finch. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dan Carter’s memoirs to Headline

Headline has acquired the memoirs of “global rugby legend” Dan Carter. Carter is a New Zeland player, and is the most capped All Blacks' fly-half of all time. His autobiography will be released after the All Blacks’ last game at this year’s Rugby World Cup, which takes place in England and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Learn from Nicholas Sparks: how to write a tear-jerker

Nicholas Sparks is more than just a bestselling author of sappy romantic fiction; he's a pop culture phenomenon. A former pharmaceutical salesman from Omaha, Nebraska, Sparks has sold a reported 97 million books worldwide, and the films based on them have, so far, have grossed a total not far... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: Playboy Memoir Hits #2

'Down the Rabbit Hole,' Holly Madison’s account of her time at the Playboy mansion as Hugh Hefner’s “#1 girlfriend,” came in at #2 on Apple’s bestseller list for the week ended June 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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