Yearning. For me, the word brings to mind sadness, loss, frustration, yet it’s such an essential for fiction writers and storytellers. Without yearning, there isn’t much story. A competent writer must take control and frustrate the character, present what the person wants and can’t have easily, if at all. When I began to write short stories years ago, my mentor …
Another idyllic weekend at Weymouth
In February, I described a residency with writer friends at Weymouth Center in Southern Pines. Those winter days were punctuated with a perfect gentle snowfall and a morning fox hunt across the grounds. Those precious days, we agreed, were unforgettable, magical. For the uninitiated, Weymouth is a sprawling mansion built by novelist James Boyd back in the 1920s with all …
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tip Number 3
You’ve heard it said: Don’t talk about a work-in-progress to anyone. Of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seven writing tips, this one came in at number three. Perhaps it should be number one, because the success or failure of a piece of writing may hinge on this idea alone. It’s why authors are vague when they’re asked what project they’re working on. …
An idyllic weekend at Weymouth
For North Carolina writers, Weymouth Center in Southern Pines is writer heaven. Nestled among long-leaf pines is the James Boyd house, a cultural center that’s home to a long-standing Writers-in-Residence program. Published authors who are residents of North Carolina may spend up to two weeks a year at the mansion to create new work or perfect old pieces. In mid-February …
Examining this life
July 16 marks one year since I received my MFA degree. I’m not sure what I thought this first post-graduate year would be like. I assumed I’d whip out another book, write tons of essays and give a lot of readings for my first story collection that came out last August. I was half right. The book launch and promotion …
Time Traveling at the Keyboard
Recently a family member commented, “Wouldn’t it be nice to time travel?” I laughed. As a writer, I do it quite often. When you ruminate on an episode, a place or conversation from the past, it’s amazing what can bubble up. Reliving the past is a form of time travel. Writing about real-life chapters tends to muddy the water of …
2012 calendar filling up
2011 was a banner year for me, but the coming year promises to be a busy one as well. January brings an appearance with award-winning poet John Lane at Poetry Hickory on Jan. 10 at Taste Full Beans coffee house. This monthly gathering in Hickory is arranged by Scott Owens who welcomes prose writers as well. I am honored to …