tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154258022024-03-23T14:15:46.684-04:00Practicing WritingWelcome to Practicing Writing! As of August 19, 2010, this blog has moved to <a href="http://www.erikadreifus.com/blogs/practicing-writing/">www.erikadreifus.com</a>. Please visit us there and bookmark the new site. Many thanks!Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.comBlogger1345125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-68457237744596630112010-08-19T00:01:00.002-04:002010-08-19T19:06:17.927-04:00Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: Get Ready for the Launch!It has been a crazy week, my friends, but if all goes according to plan, the new website will launch this evening. By this time tomorrow, you should be able to find Practicing Writing over at its new home on www.erikadreifus.com. (Please click here to go directly to the relocated Practicing Writing.)As I've mentioned before, the forthcoming publication of my story collection, Quiet Americans, Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-79683240870976775822010-08-18T00:01:00.001-04:002010-08-18T00:01:02.165-04:00The Wednesday Web BrowserAfter Deadline is back with another grab bag of items on grammar, usage, and style. (I always learn/relearn something from After Deadline, although it hasn't managed to sway me on the serial comma yet, as you can see.)The latest issue of The Atlantic contains an article about one of my guilty pleasures: soap operas. Which reminds me of a review (of a soap-focused book) that I wrote several years Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-87887374817682746442010-08-17T00:01:00.000-04:002010-08-17T00:01:00.096-04:00Quotation of the Week: Billy CollinsYou don’t read to discover the poet, you read to discover yourself. --Billy CollinsSource: AdvicetoWritersErika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-60935105799722596122010-08-16T00:01:00.001-04:002010-08-16T07:53:44.130-04:00Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/OpportunitiesGotham Writers' Workshop is running a "Hint Fiction Contest": "For this contest, Gotham welcomes the expertise of Robert Swartwood, editor of Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories of 25 Words or Fewer (to be published in November by W.W. Norton). Mr. Swartwood will select the winner from the finalists in this competition." There's no entry fee, and your submission should run no longer than 25 Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-91987730344351521772010-08-13T00:01:00.000-04:002010-08-13T00:01:00.755-04:00Friday Find: AWP's 2009-2010 Survey Results, MFA in Creative Writing Programs in the United StatesFrom the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP):This past year, AWP asked Program Directors dozens of questions pertaining to their creative writing programs. Thanks to the Program Directors, AWP was able to assemble information on issues ranging from financial aid to class size, tuition, and budget and salary figures. With the downturn in the national economy, many programs and Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-79585337659298648022010-08-12T00:01:00.001-04:002010-08-12T00:01:00.228-04:00Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: Read an Excerpt from Quiet Americans!So, as I continue preparing the new website for its debut, I've been trying to figure out the best way to present there an excerpt from my forthcoming story collection, Quiet Americans. To that end, this week, I've been experimenting with some free services provided by BookBuzzr.com.It was easy enough to paste code into a blog post to share the above "widget" with you, and as the book begins to Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-71233289852495542692010-08-11T00:01:00.002-04:002010-08-11T07:42:54.117-04:00The Wednesday Web BrowserAdvice for freelancers from Linda Formichelli: "Diversifying is good to a point, but you shouldn’t just add new products and services willy-nilly."Amusing (and, based on my admittedly limited and long-ago experience, true!) take from Writer Abroad on being "Ameropean."Monday night I finished reading Allegra Goodman's aforementioned new novel, The Cookbook Collector. A wonderful read! As I wrote Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-59914361209258038092010-08-10T00:01:00.000-04:002010-08-10T00:01:00.438-04:00Quotation of the Week: Maxwell Perkins"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 PerkinsSource: Chip Scanlan's "'And I Quote': A Collection of Advice, Inspiration and Other Words of Wisdom on the Craft of Writing."Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-15439610321168505972010-08-09T00:01:00.000-04:002010-08-09T00:01:02.091-04:00Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/OpportunitiesMontreal-based Matrix is looking for "Zen-inspired poems in forms that are related or have been shaped by it such as haiku, tanka, haibun, and the collaborative renku." (One of the issue editors confirmed via e-mail that contributors will be paid.) Deadline: October 31, 2010."Call for Submissions! AWP [JobList] is looking for articles on professional advancement for writers & teachers, as well asErika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-1251703616550885362010-08-06T00:01:00.000-04:002010-08-06T00:01:01.043-04:00Friday Find: Janet Fitch's 10 Rules for WritersOver the past three weeks or so, I've seen Janet Fitch's 10 Rules for Writers touted on too many blogs and Twitter feeds to count. So it's about time for Practicing Writing to catch the wave and share these rules with you, too. Sound, sage advice to launch your weekend writing.Speaking of the weekend, have a good one! We'll see you back here on Monday.Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-75777924704030012712010-08-05T00:01:00.001-04:002010-08-05T00:01:00.277-04:00Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: E-books, Or When Seeing Your Work In Print Is Only Part of the StoryFor a long time, the dream was relatively simple. And focused. It involved seeing my story collection, Quiet Americans, in print. As in: a book. With pages one could turn.But, as you may have heard, there's a new kid on the publishing block: the e-book. Actually, he's not just one kid. He's got multiple platforms.If I haven't been linking here on Practicing Writing to lots of articles about Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-6268527483466907412010-08-04T00:01:00.001-04:002010-08-04T00:01:01.571-04:00The Wednesday Web BrowserThe Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) has posted its list of accepted panel proposals for the 2011 conference in Washington, D.C. I am so excited that both of my proposed teams will be participating! One session is in the "career advancement" category, and will focus on finding, creating, and succeeding in online teaching jobs. The other, within "the craft of fiction," will Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-7775772585077865342010-08-03T00:01:00.000-04:002010-08-03T00:01:01.035-04:00Quotation of the Week: Allegra GoodmanAs I mentioned on my other blog awhile back, I've been looking forward to reading Allegra Goodman's new novel, The Cookbook Collector. I pre-ordered a copy and finally began reading on Sunday evening. So far, so great!Last week, my mom and I attended a terrific literary event here in New York that featured Allegra and novelist Cathleen Schine in conversation with Sandee Brawarsky, book critic forErika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-18446909546124957822010-08-02T00:01:00.001-04:002010-08-02T07:46:42.065-04:00Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/OpportunitiesFrom Robert Lee Brewer: "The 2011 Writer's Market is now in bookstores, which means it is time for me to focus on the 2012 Writer's Market. We're always updating and adding new listings, but I need pitches for articles on the business of writing. If you have access to a truly great writer interview, then yes, pitch me on that, but mostly I'm looking for articles on the nuts and bolts of Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-47841331127765463832010-07-30T00:01:00.000-04:002010-07-30T00:01:02.370-04:00Friday Find: Five Sources for Daily PoetryEarlier this week, I alluded to the fact that I subscribe to several e-services that send me a poem every day. I'm sure that many of you subscribe as well, but I thought I'd provide five representative services for those who have yet to try them. Poem-A-DayPoetry DailyVerse DailyThe Writer's AlmanacYour Daily Poem (a recent discovery, via Diane Lockward)Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend. See Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-81658508257953827422010-07-29T00:01:00.001-04:002010-07-29T00:01:00.156-04:00Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: Anticipating the Worst"Anticipating the Worst" may not be the most uplifting or optimistic phrase I've used in any of these pre-publication posts to date. Overall, it's been a joy and a blessing simply to know that my story collection, Quiet Americans, is going to be published. But this weekend, as I sat with a printout of the designed book interior, reading through the entire book (aloud) to catch any last glitches (Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-76813989575967875772010-07-28T00:01:00.002-04:002010-07-28T07:48:20.722-04:00The Wednesday Web BrowserI subscribe to several "poem-a-day" services, and a few days ago I received a poem from one of them (Poem-A-Day) that I found simply extraordinary: Charles Harper Webb's "Prayer for the Man Who Mugged My Father, 72."==========Over on Twitter, Janice Harayda is using a #bkrev hashtag to discuss book reviewing. Yesterday's focus: negative reviews.==========Here's a fun list: the 25 Greatest Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-84657215902171893292010-07-27T00:01:00.000-04:002010-07-27T00:01:00.075-04:00Quotation of the Week: Adam LangerIn an interview occasioned by the recent publication of his latest book, The Thieves of Manhattan (on my tbr list), Adam Langer was asked the following:"Did you meet with early success, in terms of getting your first novel accepted for publication, or was it a long, hard road for you?"Langer's response offers this week's "Quotation of the Week":"If I pretended that my first published novel, Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-34955941164805646132010-07-26T07:56:00.001-04:002010-07-26T08:03:04.423-04:00Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/OpportunitiesGrant opportunity for New Hampshire writers: Artist Entrepreneurial Grants. "Recognizing that artist entrepreneurs contribute significantly to New Hampshire’s economy, this grant category supports opportunities that will increase the capacity of professional artists, including the development of business skills needed to support their art making, participation in programs intended to raise the Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-37937389061523738482010-07-23T00:01:00.000-04:002010-07-23T00:01:00.427-04:00Friday Find: Sarah Manguso's Thirteen SievesYou know how just the other day I alluded just the other day to my friend Deonne Kahler's recent participation in the Taos Summer Writers' Conference? Well, DK is now sharing revision tips that she gleaned directly from her workshop leader, Sarah Manguso (apparently, Ms. Manguso calls them "The Thirteen Sieves"). DK will be sharing one tip per post. She began yesterday with this one. And it's Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-86360240609316635002010-07-22T00:01:00.000-04:002010-07-22T00:01:02.546-04:00Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: Behind the ScreensThanks so much to all of you who took the time to comment last week when I presented the cover of my forthcoming story collection, Quiet Americans. I'm so glad that you agree with me: The cover designer has done an wonderful job.Since last week, lots of behind-the-scenes (or, should I say, behind-the-screens) work has been taking place to build up my brand-new website. I've mentioned before that Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-14891500497999479822010-07-21T00:01:00.003-04:002010-07-21T00:01:02.786-04:00The Wednesday Web BrowserBack when I was helping newbie book reviewers build up a reviewing practice, we'd spend a chunk of time discussing how to obtain review copies. A recent "tweet" from Algonquin Books makes the process simple: "Book bloggers: If you ever want to request an Algonquin review copy, email me: michael(at)algonquin(dot)com. Easy peasy." Meantime, Harper Perennial is inviting book bloggers to join its Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-87077609543772878962010-07-20T00:01:00.000-04:002010-07-20T00:01:00.251-04:00Quotation of the Week: Robert Frost"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader." ~Robert Frost via Heidi MannanErika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-4555810596212694992010-07-19T00:01:00.001-04:002010-07-19T07:49:02.779-04:00Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/OpportunitiesFrom Vagabondage Press: "We are currently open to submissions of novella length fiction for stand-alone publication in digital form, with possible consideration for print publication. Vagabondage Press accepts queries all year round for novella and novel length work and only accepts queries by email. We are currently seeking well-written literary fiction of 15,000 to 50,000 words that explores Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15425802.post-38323702714563805562010-07-16T00:01:00.002-04:002010-07-16T17:20:24.656-04:00Friday Find: Diane Lockward's Thoughts On Poetry Book ContestsDiane Lockward has been on both sides of the poetry book contest fence. She has entered many, and she has recently served as a first judge for one. In this post, she shares a number of useful recommendations for contest entrants. Since I'm slowly building up my own poetry practice (and I mean s-l-o-w-l-y), I'll keep her advice in mind for the long haul. Some of you may be able to apply it sooner!Erika D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18401341362484574738noreply@blogger.com2