Rob Words: The hidden logic behind keyboard symbols
Did you know #, &, @, § and ¶ are all made up of letters? In fact, they each represent specific words. In this video, I'll explain where these little…
The Sound of Imminence: Ruth Ozeki in Praise of the Typewriter
I love the way my fingers have to work, forging a letter-by-letter relationship with the page. I love that the keys leave a tangible impression of my words on the…
A Computer-Free Day: How One Small Mistake Changed My Perspective on Productivity
I’ve often heard the advice that if you get blocked creatively, you should do something other than writing. Go for a walk, listen to music, visit a museum. Yes, yes,…
Stone Reader
In 2002, Dow Mossman was the subject of the documentary film Stone Reader by Mark Moskowitz, which chronicled the director's attempt to resuscitate the acclaimed book and speak to its…
Brave New Metaphors: Lessons From Science Fiction
No matter how you begin, pay attention as you write to the consequences of whatever newness you’ve introduced to the world of your story: How will life on Earth, or…
Seek the Unknown in the Familiar: Lessons From Historical Fiction
More than one hundred fifty years ago, Henry James wrote an essay about the art of fiction that remains today an important guidepost for all fiction—including the historical novel. And…
Cultivate Suspense: Lessons From Thrillers
What makes for a great thriller? In a word, suspense. Thriller writers know that readers expect high stakes, compelling characters, and a twisting plot to keep the pages turning. Top…
Embrace the “And Then”: Lessons From Fairy Tales
Years ago one of my students captured the idea of this slippery beauty. We were talking in class about “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” In the tale the princesses take boats…
Conjure the Strange: Lessons From Horror
Okay, you might be saying, “That’s all well and good, but how do you avoid the pitfall of exploitation, being gruesome simply for its own sake?” The genre is often…
Truing the Narrative: Revising for Symmetry to Make Your Manuscript Sing
I taught a seven-week course on revision in a church basement. I had about a half dozen students, all of whom brought either a chapter from a longer work-in-progress, a…