How Not To Write

Last year I spent a month drawing eggs.
The egg thing was part of a little program I created for myself to reconnect with an old interest in visual arts. It was also a great way to dodge any serious writing for awhile, so all the more fun.
It all started with a story that I [...]

The deadline for Clarion West is approaching quickly (3/1 - 2/1 for $100 off).
This year boasts another super fantastic lineup of instructors for the 25th Anniversary workshop. Check it out.: Paul Park, Mary Rosenblum, Cory Doctorow, Connie Willis, Sheree R. Thomas, and Chuck Palahniuk.
[By the way, I couldn't help but notice that Chuck Palahniuk [...]

For too long, I’ve been living my life in the negative. At the moment, I publish this little blog called How Not To Write, a site I created in frustration as I continued to “fail” as a writer. Frankly, I have no sense that I have ever successfully defined what a writer is [...]

Looking at my own track record (and I mean the kind one gets doing laps without completing anything), I should have more than just two miserable books behind me. But, I seem to spend too much time not writing or writing about not writing.
Here a quote from E.M. Forster (Chapter 22 - Howard’s End):
She [...]

Mark is chillin’ this morning with a cup o’ joe and the latest reviews of literary fiction and wondering a bit if things aren’t just too cozy.
The Elegant Variation: MONDAY MORNING COFFEE
While we spend our time worrying about nasty reviews, over in the UK they’re wondering if things haven’t gotten too polite.
“There is something [...]