A Writer's Moment
A look at writing and writers who inspire us.
Popular Posts
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A Writer's Moment: 'Property of the imagination' : “The English language is nobody's special property. ...
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“Librarians and romance writers accomplish one mission better than anyone, including English teachers: we create readers for life - and w...
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“One of the great joys of life is creativity. Information goes in, gets shuffled about, and comes out in new and intere...
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A Writer's Moment: 'Be willing to fail' : “I'm always terrified when I'm writing.” – Mary Karr ...
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A Writer's Moment: 'Information In; Creative Responses Out' : “One of the great joys of life is creativity....
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“I never write to disappear and escape. The truth is exactly the opposite. Most people strike me as escaping and disapp...
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
A Writer's Moment: Sharing stories and 'reaching for the sun'
Sharing stories and 'reaching for the sun'
“To share our stories is not only a worthwhile endeavor for the storyteller, but for those who hear our stories and feel less alone because of it.” – Joyce Maynard
Born in New Hampshire on Nov. 5, 1953 Maynard has authored critically acclaimed books in genres ranging from Young Adult to crime, and general fiction to nonfiction memoirs. She has written 22 books – the latest How The Light Gets In - out this year. And she writes journalistically for a number of newspapers, magazines and National Public Radio, and is a successful screenwriter.
Perhaps her most talked about memoir was At
Home In The World about her years living with reclusive author J.D.
Salinger. The book earned her both praise and scorn from the literary
world. “I wonder what it is that the people who
criticize me for telling this story truly object to: is it that I have dared to
tell the story? Or that the story turns out not to be the one they wanted to
hear?”
“You write about what you
know," Maynard said, "and you also write about what you want to
know.” One of those "things she knows" is raising
kids. The mother of three said her children influenced and helped her
writing become stronger.
“It's not only children
who grow. Parents do too,” she said. “As much as we watch to see
what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do
with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach
for it myself.”
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
A Writer's Moment: 'Interesting things happening to interesting people'
'Interesting things happening to interesting people'
Monday, November 4, 2024
A Writer's Moment: 'Slow and steady to win the race'
'Slow and steady to win the race'
“Writing doesn't come real easy to me. I couldn't write a novel in a year. It wouldn't be readable. I don't let an editor even look at it until the second year, because it would just scare them. I just have to trust that all these scraps and dead-ends will find a way.” – Charles Frazier
As a “deliberate” writer myself – especially when I’m working on fiction – I can commiserate with Frazier and long ago decided that getting it done right, regardless of how long it takes to finish is the best route to follow. Frazier agrees, noting, “Well, I'm a slow writer. For me, a good day is a page, maybe a page and a half. I'd love to be more efficient, but I am not.”
Born on this date in 1950 in Asheville,
NC (much in the news these days from the horrific floods they’ve endured),
Frazier has authored 5 books beginning with the terrific Cold Mountain – winner of awards as both a book and a movie. His most recent book is 2023’s The Trackers, which follows a painter tracking down a woman with a valuable painting during The Great Depression.
Frazier’s writing is a study in how to draw upon the culture and history of a region – in his case his home state and the Appalachian region. He said he also loves the music of the region and finding ways to incorporate it into his writings to “flesh out” his stories.
“It always helps me connect with characters,” he said, “to think about what music they respond to.”