I’ve been trying to figure out where the notion of the writer’s life as glamorous got its start. I know as a kid, I thought being a writer was something special, probably because then as now, I read a great deal. What I read astonished me. I was impressed and enraptured by writers' ability to … [Read more...] about Non-Writing Writers
Hating Your Book
Rewriting: When it’s Time to Start Over
I've heard Mary Wasmuth's diary entries and essays in the journaling class I lead at the Weston (Massacusetts) Public Library. They've moved me, and made me laugh. And I'm pretty sure they've made me smarter. I'm thrilled that after several years of inviting Mary to contribute to this blog, she has … [Read more...] about Rewriting: When it’s Time to Start Over
Author Daniel Nester’s Take on When You Hate the Book You’re Writing
Even as accomplished a writer as Daniel Nester, the irreverent author of How to Be Inappropriate (love that title!), occasionally hates his manuscript. What follows is my interview with Nester about his writing—when it’s going well and, er . . . not so well. - Lynette What are you working on these … [Read more...] about Author Daniel Nester’s Take on When You Hate the Book You’re Writing
When You Hate the Book You’re Writing: My Solution
So, there I was a couple of weeks ago, proudly flipping through the completed first chapters of my memoir, My Mother's Money. I had the hook, followed by a gripping scene to introduce the story's first complication. Then I plunged readers (and the main characters) into a big surprise. Chapter 4 … [Read more...] about When You Hate the Book You’re Writing: My Solution
Judi Coltman: When You Hate the Book You’re Writing
It's not uncommon for writers to experience intermittent loathing for the books they're writing. I hate the one I'm working on because it forces me to recall unpleasant details of my search my mother's money—and it shines a spotlight on previously unknown tensions in my small immediate … [Read more...] about Judi Coltman: When You Hate the Book You’re Writing
When You Hate the Book You’re Writing, Series Introduction
It's riveting. It's exciting. If I wanted to, I probably could make it read like a thriller. Yet, here's a conversation I have at least once a week. A friend says, "How's your memoir coming along?" "Which one?" I ask, hoping this friend is asking about the other one, the one I'm writing that I … [Read more...] about When You Hate the Book You’re Writing, Series Introduction