Tag: Writing
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Mentorship For Writers in the PNW
I encourage writers of color from Seattle and Tacoma, as well as writers from other underrepresented groups, to come get the support you need to get your voice and your story out there.
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To Find Your Story, Try Starting From The End
We’ve all got things we’ve learned along the way, and when we’re in the public eye, people expect us to deliver our nuggets of wisdom in ways that are entertaining and engaging. But they don’t want a dry lecture, they want to hear our story. When you’re wondering what stories you have to tell, try […]
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Wanna make a room of white people feel awkward…?
Books by writers of color are more likely to be banned. That’s right. In the above Bitch Media interview with Kristen Pekoll from The Office of Intellectual Freedom with The American Library’s Association, she states that more than three quarters of the books banned by school libraries in 2017 were by, or about, people of […]
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5 Things Writers-of-Color Should Look For In Their Book Editor
I recently attended a Northwest Editor’s Guild event called “Authors on Editing,” during which three writers spoke about their experiences working with editors. I gleaned a lot of useful information from the panel discussion, and it’s always great to meet other editors. But as great as the event was, I couldn’t help noticing what was not said, […]
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On The Necessity of Turning Oneself into a Character
A few weeks ago, I reread a series of online newspaper columns I’d written in 2011. The writing was clear, informative and grammatically sound, but it was also …boring. Around the same time, I picked up a copy of “To Show and To Tell” by Phillip Lopate*. In this book, dedicated to the craft of […]
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Sitting Down To Write
The first step towards writing anything is deceptively simple. It’s sitting. But it’s not just any sitting. It’s sitting in front of a blank page or screen — the prospect of which can be intimidating. While there are people who can sit down and get right to business, for others it can take time. […]
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Facing The Monster
If you are not discouraged about your writing on a regular basis, you may not be trying hard enough. Any challenging pursuit will encounter frequent patches of frustration. Writing is nothing if not challenging. – Maxwell Perkins Whether we’re seasoned writers or inexperienced newbies, there’s no question that facing the blank page, or even a […]
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Editing Brings Out Your Writing’s Clarity and Power
I’ve always loved exploring the deeper meanings hidden in art, movies and books. Themes pop out, patterns emerge, and I find connections that elude other people. I first used this gift as a film student, and then as a screenwriter, helping peers discover what they were trying to say with their scripts. Later, this gift […]