December 4, 2012

Hello writers!

A question: what would you like The Tuesday Writer to be for 2013? I like projects to evolve, and in order for this workshop-in-email-form to keep being useful, I want to enlist your ideas. Would you like to send in writing questions to have answered? Or have more focus on a particular element of the writing process? A place for your own writing to be shared?

I have a few ideas for new directions, but most of all I’d love to hear yours: What would help you MOST in crafting a meaningful writing life?

PROCESS: NAMING THE CHARACTERS

If you are writing nonfiction, this may not apply – but even when writing the truth, we at times must change names. Take a lesson from one of the masters at this, Charles Dickens or J.K. Rowling. The names they create are caricatures of the character’s values (think Gradgrind, Snape). Coming up with names that distinguish each character is a great art form and can also be great fun.

Try this: Go to the Latin! Look up a trait or value in Latin and see what wordplay you can make with the sounds and letters. Also try dictionaries in any language. 

FEATURED VENUE: BOUND OFF

A monthly audio literary magazine, Bound Off evaluates short pieces of writing (between 250-2500 words long) in written form, then records the accepted stories being read aloud.

Submission guidelines here: http://www.boundoff.com/submit.html

PROMPT

“I wasn’t sure what kind of beast I was dealing with, but…” (9min)