Best Intentions
What is an intention? We know it, mostly, as an aim or a plan. When you begin to write a short story or a novel, you have a general sense of something that’s guiding you forward. It might be a…
Author: CRAFT
A Closer Look: “Meet Behind Mars,” Renee Simms
“Meet Behind Mars” is the title story in Renee Simms’ debut short story collection, published by Wayne State University Press this month. The story, which you can read here in a slightly altered version, is in the form of a…
New books: week of April 30
Here’s a quick look at some of the great books out this week. Happy pub day to all! Jamel Brinkley, A Lucky Man Graywolf Press From Kirkus Reviews: “An assured debut collection of stories about men and women, young and…
Interview: Jamel Brinkley
CRAFT: Your debut short story collection, A Lucky Man, lives and breathes New York, with most of the stories located in one, or more, of the boroughs. And while I believe you grew up and went to school here, you’ve…
WRITING IN GENERAL, Rust Hills
Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular, Rust Hills Mariner Books, 2000 Originally published in 1977, this book examines the elements of craft, with an emphasis on the short story, examining the components of a successful short story…
The Muse & the Marketplace
The Muse and the Marketplace is a conference run by Grub Street, Boston’s premiere writing organization. Featuring keynote speeches, seminars on craft, pedagogy, and the business of publishing, and opportunities to meet with agents and editors, this conference is held…
New books: week of April 16!
Here’s a quick look at some of the great books out this week. Happy pub day to all! Julian Barnes, The Only Story Knopf From Kirkus Reviews: “A May-September romance devolves into dysfunction and regret. Much like Barnes’ 2011…
New books: week of April 9!
Here’s a quick look at some of the great books out this week. Happy pub day to all! Therese Bohman, Eventide Other Press From Kirkus Reviews: “A perceptive novel about early-middle-age angst as an art history professor realizes the…
Interview: Julie Buntin
CRAFT: Marlena’s opening is striking on a craft level for several reasons: first, there’s no withholding. We learn right away what happens to Marlena. And second, the use of the present tense serves to put us in the moment, in…
What Makes a Collection?
You’ve amassed some stories. Maybe you have enough for a collection, maybe you’re still a few shy. It’s not an obvious grouping of stories: there are no common characters or recurring places or a clear theme. How do you organize…