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Quotation of the Week: Buzz Bissinger

by Erika Dreifus on
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“I like being outspoken. I think that’s the way you should do it. I can be excessive. I know that. But more, in my mind, is always better than less as long as it is honest and from the heart, not some TMZ gotcha.”

–Buzz Bissinger

This quotation resonated for me. Strongly–and for reasons that are too complicated to get into here.

I read it within the first few pages of my first subscription issue of Creative Nonfiction, which arrived recently and features Lee Gutkind’s interview with Bissinger. I’m so glad that I’ve finally subscribed!

The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
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  • There’s a lot to absorb in this Fiction Writers Review interview with Joan Leegant. Stick with it to the end–especially if you’re one of us writers who didn’t have a first book published in our twenties (or thirties).
  • Daniel Nester asks, “What are the ‘rules’ of a creative writing workshop?”
  • On a related note, Lily Hoang presents the syllabus for the first MFA workshop (fiction) that she’s teaching.
  • And while we’re still talking about pedagogy: Congratulations to Stephanie Vanderslice, whose book Rethinking Creative Writing is now available in hard copy as well as in e-book version. (Stephanie is running a contest to mark this milestone: check her blog for details, and revisit our interview here.)
  • There are some real gems in this issue of Nieman Reports, “Writing the Book.” Given the source, the material will appeal especially to nonfiction writers, but there’s likely something useful for all practicing writers in these virtual pages. Sections include:”Concept to Content,” “Platform to Audience,” and “Voice to Visual.”
  • It’s the last day for you to become eligible to win a free copy of Quiet Americans!

    • Thursday’s Work-in-Progress: Musings on and Resources for Micro-Essays

    by Erika Dreifus on
    8

    If you follow me on Twitter, you may have caught my delighted announcement last Saturday about a just-accepted essay. In fact, last week was pretty remarkable, because I received two essay acceptances. But the Saturday acceptance was notable for a couple of reasons.

    First, that acceptance came after the same piece (or some iterations of it) had been rejected several times. Nowhere near as many rejections as some of my short stories have suffered on their way to publication–but still, finding this piece a home was by no means a super-smooth (or super-swift) process. By the time this essay is published, nearly one year will have elapsed since I began sending it out.

    Second, the accepted piece exemplifies something that seems increasingly integral to my writing practice: the micro-essay (also known as flash nonfiction). I have two other new micro-essays circulating right now (yes, one of them developed from the poetry exercise I mentioned not long ago). If you add up the word counts of the three pieces–the one that was just accepted and the two newer ones–you don’t even reach 1500 words.

    I’m only beginning to understand how and why this focus is developing for me. Which is why I was thrilled to discover “Focusing on Flash Nonfiction: An Interview with Dinty W. Moore” on the River Teeth blog this week. Among Moore’s many hats is the editorship of Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction.

    In addition to sharing his expert take on crafting flash nonfiction, Moore recommends some journals that feature this type of writing. Which reminded me of two other places where one may find potential homes for micro-essays: Pamelyn Casto’s newsletter and The Review Review‘s flash fiction resource list (also useful for flash nonfiction).

    I suspect that I’ll be continuing to look for nice homes for flash nonfiction (not to mention additional places to read good examples of it), so if you have other suggestions–either for resource lists or specific venues–please share! Maybe we can come up with the “Ultimate List of Magazines & Journals That Publish Flash Nonfiction & Micro-Essays.”

    Quotation of the Week: Leslie Epstein

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2

    Responding to an interview question (“Are there a lot of plotless stories in your [Boston University M.F.A.] program?”), Leslie Epstein said:

    When they enter the program, but not when they leave. I’m always stressing these things. Plot and dialogue. I say just sit your people down at a dinner table and have them start talking. One of the main things: keep out of people’s heads. Do not write like Virginia Woolf if you want to get through this year. What people do and what they say is, for the most part, all we need to know. No dreams, no memories, no photographs. Nor wind chimes. Nor moonlight. Show us what people do an d say. Of course every one of these rules is meant to be broken, but you have to justify breaking them.

    What do you think?

    (This snippet comes from an interview, conducted by Spencer Wise, in the latest issue of The Southeast Review. The print copy is one of the reasons I sign up for SER‘s writing regimens.)