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Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: Playwriting 101

by Erika Dreifus on
10

OrphansLast weekend, and thanks to my TDF membership, I had the opportunity to see a performance of Orphans, a new play starring Alec Baldwin that is currently in previews on Broadway. And I was reminded, as I am nearly every time I go to watch a play, that I’d really like to learn how to write a play of my own.

So this post is more a request for resources than anything else. I’d love to receive suggestions regarding:

1) online introductory playwriting courses that you might recommend;
2) “how-to” books on playwriting that you have found to be useful; and/or
3) any other suggestions on how I might incorporate playwriting into my writing practice (for instance, I’m guessing that reading actual play scripts would be helpful, and I actually have a script or two on hand, but I’d be grateful for recommendations of scripts that have worked especially well for you, whether you’ve been teaching or studying playwriting).

Thank you all in advance!

Friday Finds for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
6

Treasure ChestWriting-related resources, news, and reflections to read over the weekend.

  • Another reality check for aspiring freelance writers, courtesy of Carol Tice.
  • Warning: You might want to avoid using these words and phrases in your work.
  • “Which publishing option is right for you?” This quiz may help you figure that out.
  • If you’re contemplating an event proposal for the 2014 conference of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP), you have until May 1 to get that proposal in.
  • Some tips on finding free, quality photos for your blog. (via Lisa Romeo)

    • Have a great weekend, everyone. See you back here on Monday!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Every Friday morning My Machberet presents an assortment of links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • A new issue of JewishFiction.net is always a cause for celebration.
  • Some background on the Sophie Brody Medal for outstanding achievement in Jewish literature (includes a shout-out to Quiet Americans!).
  • Mazel tov to Francesca Segal, winner of the 2013 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for her novel The Innocents.
  • Some context for how I discovered Atar Hadari’s stories “about how a man loses pieces of his life on a religious kibbutz in Israel.”
  • This weekend, BookTV will air coverage from the “Roth@80” conference that was held last month to honor Philip Roth.

    • Shabbat shalom.

    Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: Subscriber Success Story

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    ourplaceI can’t overemphasize how much I love hearing good news from newsletter and blog subscribers, especially when that good news stems in some small way from a piece of information that I’ve passed along. So I’m grateful to Atar Hadari for making my Monday this week with the following message:

    Dear Erika,

    Just a note to thank you for drawing my attention to Wordrunner echapbooks. Their Spring chapbook is my novella “Our Place”, three stories about how a man loses pieces of his life on a religious kibbutz in Israel. They’ve been a joy to work with, and even paid money.

    This is the link, in case you’re not on their mailing list.

    http://echapbook.com/fiction/hadari/index.html

    All best,

    Atar Hadari

    Truly, it’s messages like this one that make all of the time and effort I put into the newsletter and blog so worthwhile. (It’s a bonus when I can go right ahead and read the work that has been recognized, and, as in the case of Hadari’s fiction, find it to be fresh, provocative, and moving.)

    By the way, Wordrunner’s current submission period runs until May 31, and it’s open to poets.