God, I love the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley. Spending a week with 150 other people who are as connected to writing as emphysema patients are to their oxygen tanks is nothing short of nirvana. When I attended Squaw, I focused solely on fiction writing. No big surprise given my MFA. But during the … Continue reading Nonfiction vs. Fiction – Seeking Truth in Squaw Valley
I loved Jacqueline Woodson's MG/YA book, "Brown Girl Dreaming." It was the first book I'd ever read by this fabulous writer. So I went in search of some of her picture books. And I'm happy to say that I love "This Is the Rope" just as much. So here's my book for Susanna Leonard Hill's … Continue reading This Is the Rope – Perfect Picture Book Friday
The conversation last night, between two Pulitzer prize winners—Adam Johnson and TJ Stiles kept me scribbling notes while I tended bar. Yes, I volunteered to work the event. Johnson recounted how his journalism professor would identify all of the false quotes he had created while reporting on community meetings, quotes that Johnson thought told the … Continue reading LitQuake – The Bridge Between Fiction and Nonfiction
I picked up Patricia Highsmith's book on writing titled "Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction" last week for $1.00 at a library book sale. Bargain! The book is entertaining, for the most part, and she tells anecdotes about writing and editing several of her books, everything from the germ of an idea to development through multiple … Continue reading Cutting Advice from Patricia Highsmith
Simple question, right? Well, here's last night's dinner table conversation: "What a day it was at work," said my husband. "First, during a conference call with a client, one of our staff got a text that her dog was diagnosed with cancer. She went white and had to leave for the rest of the day. … Continue reading So, How Was Your Day?
I'm heading east on I-80 tomorrow, turning right at Rt. 89 and right again into Olympic Valley, otherwise known as Squaw Valley, site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. One solid week of writers and writing. Nirvana! I've been busy this past week, revising the story I'm taking for workshop (the one critiqued by the Dogpatch … Continue reading Time Out – Squaw Valley Writers Workshop
This just in---the magic 8 ball says: YES!!! I will be attending the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop in Fiction Anybody else out there going, too??? Conference History The Community of Writers was established in 1969 by novelists Blair Fuller and Oakley Hall, who were both residents of the valley. It was originally staffed by a … Continue reading Squaw Valley Writers Workshop or Bust!
In response to Julia's 100 Word Challenge: As the line was crossed and t’s were dotted, the s’s felt incomplete. Not unusual for s’s, a motley group of tail-enders often bringing up the rear, like late arrivals to a party long since ended. Like the football team that can’t claim title to their effort, only … Continue reading The Writer’s Demon
And the Magic 8 Ball says-- --nothing until May 10, 2013. Just sent off my application for the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop in Fiction. Ironically, the short story I submitted is called "Abandon Hope," something I refuse to do when it comes to writing. Poets and screenwriters can also apply for workshops in their respective … Continue reading Squaw Valley Here I Come! – Maybe
So I’ve got this group of characters hanging out together in the crowded living room of my novel, and they just can’t keep a reader awake. What might I be doing wrong? Am I using them to explain the story? Yes? Busted! The agent/editor accuses—amateur!—and throws the manuscript into the can. Or maybe my characters … Continue reading Dialogue Me, Baby
Jilanne Hoffmann 