Category: Writing
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Writing Diversity: Cultural Appreciation versus Cultural Appropriation
Representation in literature can be a tricky topic. It’s extremely important that the representation is authentic. Using character “diversity” to ride the tailcoats of a current trend is never a good idea. On the other hand, limiting characters to a narrow range of self-experience can lead to stagnant world perspectives. As a writer, it is…
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Bringing Characters to Life
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz The difference between literary fiction and genre fiction is generally cited as the difference between realistic, character driven fiction and trope filled, plot driven fiction. However, if you enjoy writing genre fiction, you can still have thoughtfully crafted, well-developed characters, and taking the time to define them well before you even…
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Author Interview: Kristy Whilden
Mic Photo by Will Francis on Unsplash One of the benefits of being part of an MFA program is the opportunity to meet other talented writers. Some of those talented writers are our peers in the program. I am always amazed by the creativity and life experiences of my classmates. For this reason, I have…
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Writing with a Neurodivergent Mind
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash I lived most of my life with undiagnosed Bipolar II. However, when I was finally diagnosed at 40, I became more aware of the patterns that I had been dealing with since I was a teen. Although I was always high functioning, I did struggle with regulating emotions, especially…
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Submission Tracker
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash So, you’ve written a few short stories, poems, or articles, and you’re ready to submit. That’s great! You can send them out one at a time and see how things go. Some people like to wait for a response on their most recent work before sending out the…
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SNHU MFA in Creative Writing: Program Review
Student review of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Southern New Hampshire University.
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Balancing the Writer’s Mind
Balance has always been something I have struggled with. My brain is designed for obsession. Every new interest gets my undivided attention. How long a topic holds my preoccupation depends significantly on why I am learning about it. This compulsion to immerse myself in a learning experience has its advantages and disadvantages. As an English…
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Writer’s On Writing: 13 Ways to Look at a Novel by Jane Smiley
The first course in my MFA was an introduction to the program itself. During this introductory course, we were given a list of books on writing and told to select one as a “mentor” text. I selected Jane Smiley’s 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel. This is a brief overview of the text.
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Polishing Diamonds
A perfectionist can never reach their goal because perfection is impossible. The only way to deal with this demon is to accept it. If you are driven towards perfectionism, you must learn to accept “good enough.”
Tricia M Foster 