Erika Dreifus

Each Friday, the Practicing Writing blog shares writing and publishing resources, news, and reflections to peruse over the weekend.

• If it’s November, it’s time for Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-a-Day (PAD) Chapbook Challenge, in which “poets are tasked with writing a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December.” As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, these challenges—and the prompts that accompany them—helped me write some of the poems in my own full-length collection, Birthright (which celebrated its first birthday this week!). 
• In which Jane Friedman presents “Common Reasons Nonfiction Books Don’t Sell.”
• Rachel Kramer Bussel’s “Bookstore’s Book Angel Program Ensures Kids In Need Receive Books For The Holidays” piqued my interest (and motivated me to make a small contribution) not only because the project itself is so meaningful, but also because I’ve enjoyed a couple of truly lovely events at the bookstore at the piece’s center, Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY.
• Rachael Cooper’s “Sticking the Landing” basically warns about five ways you should not end your novel.
• And Molly Antopol’s review of Nicole Krauss’s new short-story collection is just one of the items featured over on the latest “Jewish Literary Links” post on the My Machberet blog.

Have a good weekend, everyone.