Novel writing, genres, etc.

On Revising
It's the season for revision. While I've been doing the final phases of revision of my linked collection "Talismans," my writing students have been revising their own work for the end of the semester. I came across an essay in Narrative Magazine by Tom Jenks titled "A Brief Handbook of Revision." It's really worth a read for all writers, but especially those resistant to revision.To quote Jenks:"In essence, writing is revision. What separates merely talented writers from truly accomplished ones is the successful pursuit of revision. And while each writer has personal methods

The Writer's fantasy life?
What's your writer fantasy? I don't mean the bestselling author millionaire fantasy--I mean when you think of yourself as a Writer Writing, what do you conjure?For me, I love the coffee shop fantasy. In that, I'm sitting in a cool eclectic coffee shop--probably on an over-stuffed chair--and I've got a manuscript printed out. I'm sipping from a very large ceramic cup (probably cappucinno or a latte), jazz or alternative music is on in the back ground. And with my nice blue pen, I read my manuscript and make tiny edits to it. Change this to that. Red to rouge. Clasped to grasped. I am of course dressed like an artist--perhaps a scarf or a black turtleneck, boo

The real truth about best sellers
This is a bit of a downer for the weekend for those still out there hoping to make easy money writing a best seller. But this post about someone who did write a best seller and still made only$2500 above the poverty threshold is much more in line with what really happens:http://www.straightgoods.ca/2009/ViewBrief.cfm?Ref=187&Cookies=yes

Writer's Block?
I have a confession. I've never had writer's block, if writer's block means you sit in front of the computer or page and have nothing to write. My problem has always been the opposite--I have too many ideas and have to decide how to order or prioritize them. And find the time.I'm not a person who can work on multiple projects at once, so I have to decide what to focus on. Right now I'm editing my short story collection, but before that I'd started a new novel that I'd really like to get back to. I also have a handful of essays and short stories I'd like to write or revise. And after I finish that novel, I have an idea for another.What would

Transnational Literature "Literary Migrations" Available
From the editor:"Volume 2 no. 1 of Transnational Literature, with the special 'LiteraryMigrations' feature, including 6 articles, short stories, creative writing,poetry and more than 30 book reviews, is now available online athttp://fhrc.flinders.edu.au/transnational/home.html"I was very happy to discover this journal, which comes out of Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. Adelaide was one of my favorite places when I visited there in January