Novel Writing

When writers say they have writer's block, a normal, unremarkable part of the writing process becomes debilitating.

For me, writing novels is an arachnid process: novels are spun into intricate webs out of the silk in my gut. It's work. It's hard. But, to mix metaphors, it's not all pushing a rock uphill.

Must a novelist, whose task often is to mine the jumble of life's experiences, disguise plot and characters so that no one is offended? My answer is an emphatic "no."

Richard Burgin has long been a mainstay in American literary circles, as five-time winner of the Pushcart Prize, editor for more than a quarter century of the award-winning journal Boulevard, and author of numerous critically acclaimed short story collections.

November 1st brings NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. The goal for participating authors is to complete a 50,000 word novel in the span of o...

Often the real reason we hesitate is simply because we are afraid of the unknown. Here are ten steps that will demystify the creative process and help you get started on writing your first (or your next) book.

This is the latest in our series on the short story--its unique aesthetic, how it's different from the writing of a novel, who are some of the form's major practitioners, and what it takes to craft a successful short story.

While these tools may seem basic, I found that a great lesson of screenwriting was to pay attention to these fundamentals, even as I tackled more sophisticated writing projects.

Why take part in the game at all? Who has ever come out of it alive, able to set up tent and build followers on the other side?

As any emerging writer knows, while the road to publication is tough and the obstacles many, there is no emotion to compare with holding your book in ...

I never thought I'd take one of these classes, because who doesn't look stupid in padded bike shorts indoors? Then I discovered that I can solve any thorny writing problem in spin class.

Why are we all in such a rush to be published? It's a question I ask myself a lot. Are we spilling out words like joyless automatons, publication, publication, publication the only thought in our heads?

Let the reader see it, and feel it. Let it unfold on the page. Let it breathe.

work in a very quiet place. I never play music while I write. Sometimes I turn off the phone. The quiet is necessary so I can listen to the sound of my words.

Not that it's anything new, or groundbreaking, or revolutionary -- we can all cite lists of authors from the past who chose to express themselves in t...

Readers sometimes ask me how I write about things I don't have personal experience doing -- such as taking photographs or sewing dresses or playing the violin. This is how.

You've dumped your bags and coat and suddenly an inviting tryst feels very like waiting alone with a stranger for something possibly awful to happen i...

A reader of this blog taught me an interesting concept about believing in yourself when creating a fictional world -- and he shamed me into finally wa...

If you're in a writing workshop, by the time you've finished your book you've collected a notebook of criticism and compliments. Be wise with both.

My oldest daughter is about to go off to college, and so my brain is very full of thoughts and ideas that start with the phrase, "When I was in colleg...

I once knew a novelist who set herself the goal of writing a page a day, and she would not stop until the page was perfect. Every night, she would rea...

I am often asked by beginning writers if they are "allowed" to write about something or someone. It seems to me that these are the last questions any creative person should be asking, at least at the beginning of a project or a career.