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Sep 55 min read

In defense of "pantsers"

I’m a “pantser,” though I don’t like that term. But what does it even mean? That I wear pants? That I favor pants? Champion the wearing...

Jul 317 min read

Understanding POV: First person or Third?

I had a former student/current friend recently ask me about “person “and how it works in deciding between writing in first-person vs....

Jul 195 min read

When you are in a moment, stay there!

This is for #writers, or for anyone interested in the whole process of writing. I want to talk about metaphors/similes. I will use the...

Jul 33 min read

Why you should be reading YA fiction

What do Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon, Joyce Carol Oates, Haruki Murakami, Ian McEwan, J.D. Salinger, and Donna Tartt all have in...

Jun 142 min read

Why you should attend a weekend writing conference

I’ve been going to the West Virginia Writers annual conference for years. Some years I miss, but I’ve probably attended more than a dozen...

Jun 33 min read

Where it all starts...

Writers often like to talk about their writing spaces, which means, of course, the space where they write, a room with a view, writers’...