Tag: writing
-
Should You Get an MFA in Creative Writing?
Students ask whether or not they should get a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in order to become a writer and I say Absolutely not. No MFA writing program will make you a writer. Only you can do that. If you’re serious about writing, an MFA might be right for you. But, I…
-
Careful, who you read your journal to…
In the middle of writing the first notes for the novel The Holy Spirit of My Uncle’s Cojones, I recorded the above dream. My son Ben had been born two months previous. He was our last of four children, and my mind had focused on that—the youngest. There was a brittle feeling about it, though…
-
Fiction: Outlines
Outlines can be dicey, to say the least. Here’s my first fear: if I write out an entire outline for a story, will I feel forced to stick with it, even though the narrative might be going another way? Because, if things are really grooving, and you’re in the zone for weeks at a time,…
-
Fiction Writing: Getting Started
Walk down the “Writing” section of Barnes & Noble, you’ll find at least a dozen how-to books on writing fiction. I recommend three: The Art of Fiction by John Gardner; Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott; From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler. I’ve used all three in class. Gardner’s book is seen by…