So it begins. I'll edit my novel. My novel will go out into the world. I've worked many years for this. Today I told my dad that my book will be published. I never talk to him about my writing. Once, years ago, I told him I'd written a book. His only reaction was to …
Category: writers
The Wrong Explanation
Why I Write by George Orwell...have you read it? Many other writers have taken this title and run with it. Have you? When non-writers ask, "Why do you write?" maybe they should be asked, "Why don't you?" What if all written words vanished? What if every written word in the world--in every language--drifted up into …
You Are Not Like Other People
The garbage disposal was broken. The maintenance guy and I were sharing stories of growing up without garbage disposals. As a kid I carried my plate outside, walked to the side of the house, and scraped whatever was on my plate into the cow pasture. Mr. Maintenance asked me where I grew up. Florida. And …
Kill the Ones They Love
Fans are a mixed blessing. I've been reading about True Fans and I've been reading commentary by the fans of Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and Torchwood. And it seems there's a lesson in there about Fan Rage. Fan Rage may be more prevalent in sci-fi and fantasy genres sicne they're the genres in which fans …
My Narrow View Is Sharp Enough to Stab Him in the Eye
I spend a stupid amount of time worrying if my writing is good enough. But apparently what I needed was a good old-fashioned sexist attack to make me know my writing is a damn well just fine. Have you seen the article about VS Naipaul? NPR picked up the story from The Guardian. And Naipaul …
Continue reading My Narrow View Is Sharp Enough to Stab Him in the Eye
Maybe You’re a Writer?
Maybe this happens to you all the time. Yesterday, I was introducing myself to another parent at the roller rink. And a friend standing nearby asked if I were skating too. "Yes," I said. "I've been at my computer so much this week, I need to move." And this father, who knew nothing about me …
Maybe a Bad Book
It "may be a very bad book." I read this in The Paris Review: Interviews Part I---- Kurt Vonnegut:...Now, judging from the reviews my latest book, Slapstick, has received, people would like to bounce me out of the literary establishment--send me back where I came from. Interviewer: There were some bad reviews? Vonnegut: Only in …
Maybe Leave the Mistakes
You may be bored by interviews, but I love interviews with writers and artists and scientists. I am reading The Paris Review Interviews: vol. I. Have you read these interviews? My favorite interview so far is with Jorge Luis Borges. Mostly I liked it because Borges came across as someone I'd want to talk to. …
Maybe This Voice
This may become tedious. Forcing myself to blog and write a short story every single day is a challenge all right----to me and my readers. Okay, maybe not my readers. You aren't obligated to do anything. But what is all this writing for? This morning I read an article in Vanity Fair by Christopher Hitchens----Unspoken …
Maybe a Temper Tantrum
Sometimes I may begrudge every other published writer everything. You know, in moments of personality collapse. Meaning, those moments when I'm not the great and fantabulist soul I want to be. (Yes. Fantabulist.) Those moments when I'm resistant, cranky, jealous, and generally not nice. (All you saints out there can begin throwing stones at any …
Marta Bacon 