Thursday’s Work-in-Progress

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled


As you know, I’m on vacation from the day job this week and attempting a self-organized, stay-right-here-in-NYC writing retreat of sorts. But I’d never abandon my routine altogether, so our June newsletter has gone out to subscribers right on schedule.

If you subscribe, you already know about the featured Q&A with Midge Raymond, whose most recent book is Everyday Writing: Tips and Prompts to Fit Your Regularly Scheduled Life. And you’ve already learned that prompts and exercises are crucial to the book.

I’ve been a fan of the prompts that Midge shares on her blog for quite awhile, so I wasn’t surprised to find myself eager to try the ones she has placed in the book. I can vouch for their appeal and flexibility.

In fact, Jane Friedman recently posted a sampling of these Everyday Writing exercises online, so you can go ahead and check them out for yourself pretty easily.

You’ll notice that one of the prompts reads as follows:

“Describe what you looked like at the age of five.”

This is one of the first prompts I tackled when I read my review copy. What I remembered and wrote inspired me to dig up my kindergarten photo this week. Now, I want to try the prompt again. And I just may do exactly that before this “retreat” is over.

The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
2
  • Short Story Month celebrations end tomorrow (quick reminder: you can still enter our collection giveaway right here). There has been a lot of wonderful content online this month that focuses on short stories. I recommend especially the coverage at Fiction Writers Review and David Abrams’s terrific blog post spotlighting noteworthy story collections of 2012.
  • Want to know how to promote your e-book? Really want to know how to do so for free? GalleyCat has some resources for you.
  • And speaking of promotion, Jane Friedman recommends “4 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Book Marketing Efforts.”
  • Congratulations to Carol Tice on the publication of her first co-authored print book. (There’s quite a backstory here, one that will interest you especially if you’re into the subject of how your blogging may lead you to your books.)
  • Poet Diane Lockward has compiled a list of what she considers to be especially appealing online journals.
  • And Kelli Russell Agodon tells us “what’s going on in the Poetry Blogosphere these days.”

    • Friday Find: Another Resource for Book Reviewers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    You know what’s coming up, don’t you? That’s right, it’s nearly time for Book Expo America (BEA), where publishers will introduce and seek to build buzz for forthcoming titles. If you’re a reviewer or book blogger, BEA provides a terrific opportunity to learn about titles you might want to cover over the next several months.

    Even if you can’t make it to BEA itself, you can benefit from some of the ancillary resources. For instance, Publishers Lunch this week released a digital “buzz book” of its own, “a free ebook that presents over 30 meaty excerpts from books that will be featured at the convention and highly-touted fall releases of all kinds.” I downloaded it right away and immediately took note of books I’ll want to read and write about.

    [But remember, there are plenty of other ways to find not-yet-published titles for review as well.]

    And with that, I am off for the holiday weekend. I’ll see you back here on TUESDAY, and we’ll get the June newsletter out to you next week as well. Have a safe and pleasant weekend, all.

    Thursday’s Work-in-Progress

    by Erika Dreifus on
    9

    The big news here is that today is my last day at the day job until June 11. Shockingly, I am actually using a big chunk of my paid vacation time, instead of simply taking a day here and there. (Thanks, Residency-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, for rejecting me and making it unnecessary to conserve that time for you.) And though I do have a brief trip out-of-town planned for this holiday weekend, I’ll be spending most of my vacation right here in New York City, focusing primarily on things writerly and readerly.

    I have all kinds of plans–for research, writing, reading, and querying. I have “dates” with writer pals scheduled. I’ll spend a day at Book Expo America (BEA) and immerse myself in some of the meal-sharing and party-going that’s associated with BEA week. I’ve RSVPd “yes” to several readings. Basically, I’ll be doing all sorts of things I wish I could do all the time, if only I weren’t a) behind a desk at a 9-5 job and b) too often worn out by said job and c) cramming in the rest of my obligations and tasks on the margins of aforementioned job. Plus, I’m going to be a lot stricter with myself about exercise. And I’m hoping to sneak in at least a couple of movies/shows.

    In other words, I’m about to have a chance to breathe, think, and relax. All of which I expect will be helpful to my writing practice.

    I can’t wait!

    (Don’t worry–I’ll still have a Friday Find for you tomorrow! And the June newsletter will go out next week as per our regular schedule.)