Finds for Writers
Most Fridays the Practicing Writing blog shares writing and publishing resources, news, and reflections to peruse over the weekend. But it’s been an excruciating week for so many of us. And frankly, I’ve paid next-to-no attention to garden-variety news from the writing and publishing spheres.
On Wednesday, however, I received an email from Facing History and Ourselves, a Boston-based global nonprofit organization that I’ve admired for many years. The email introduced a “mini-lesson” titled “Processing Attacks in Israel and the Outbreak of War in the Region.”
The resource isn’t perfect. (What resource is?) But one of its segments impressed me as something that, though intended for educators and students, could be clarifying for writers as well, in our work and in the rest of our lives. It’s a section titled “Avoiding Antisemitic and Islamophobic Tropes in Discussing Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
- 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.
Erika,
Yesterday I attended Jane Friedman’s webinar on selling nonfiction books. I highly recommend her webinars. There’s always something to be learned and the fee is reasonable.
As always, thanks. Your’e a good part of my morning.
@Barbara: Jane’s superb.
@Elaine: Thank you! That’s so nice!
Dear Erika,
Thank you for all you do for writers and readers. And I love the name of your blog. I haven’t heard the word “machberet” in a long time 😉
Thank you, Barbara!