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What should be on a "Personal MFA in Creative Writing" reading list?

thepalephantom — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:05:26 -0800

What titles should be on a "Personal MFA in Creative Writing Fiction" reading list? You don't have the money/time/inclination to actually attend a MFA program for creative writing, instead you just want a reading list to plow through on your own time. What titles should be on that reading list? Non-fiction, fiction, memoir, etc.

Please recommend books similar to Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball

reenum — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:44:05 -0800

I love Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball". What should I read next? I'm in the middle of Simmons NBA opus, and it fascinates as to how he's able to pack in so much info, yet have the book remain accessible. I especially love how he makes fun of and injects humor into the various characters and events in the NBA's history.

Are there other books that are basically all encompassing, sprawling accounts of a particular entity, field, event, etc., yet remain fun to read?

I know some folks might suggest Mary Roach, but I just couldn't get into her stuff.

I prefer nonfiction, but well written fiction would work too.

Thanks!

Lookin' for words in all the wrong places

Madamina — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:53:09 -0800

Between my iPhone's Stanza app and the loooooong quiet days ahead of me in the office during the holiday season, I'd like to read some stuff online. Any suggestions? I'm basically looking for good stories: things with a bit of a narrative that will keep me wondering what happens next. They should be easy to get into and not particularly deep (I will likely be interrupted a lot).

Nonfiction: longer articles with a bit of a twist, like New Yorker or Vanity Fair pieces about interesting people or events. Not commentary (unless it has some sort of unique backstory).

Fiction I've already enjoyed on Project Gutenberg: anything by the Brontes and L.M. Montgomery. I've also read pretty much everything that appeals to me (thus far) in the Harlequin online reads library, although I don't generally read paper romance novels.

I've seen this thread and this one too.

Thanks!

Perhaps a chair coated with glue?

BitterOldPunk — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:09:03 -0800

With NaNoWriMo looming ever nearer, I would like to hear your best tips, tricks, habits, and techniques for staying chained to the keyboard. Realizing that the point is to get 50,000 words written, I've jettisoned all illusions of producing quality, publishable prose. My only goal is to finish without having to copypaste "All work and no play makes BOP a dull boy" five thousand times. I have a (rather vague) outline, I have some preliminary character sketches, and I have every expectation that the first ten thousand words will flow fairly quickly. But. I suck at follow-through. I have the attention span of the common housefly. So, writers: how do I stick with it, fight through discouragment and ennui, and produce 50,000 reasonably coherent words?

Note: I'm not looking for tips like "prepare moar" or "work your plan". I'm looking for how to stay motivated when the fun stuff stops and the hard work begins.

What well-known novels lack any character description aside from names?

odinsdream — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:05:32 -0800

What well-known novels lack any character descriptions aside from names?

Fiction for Dummies

Spurious — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:47:19 -0800

I am a non-fiction writer but have not read a fiction book since high school. What great fiction books will improve my writing? I am a researcher and write more than 4000 word a week for work. People often comment that I write well.

I read around 50 non-fiction books a year (plus hundreds of journal articles) but I have not read fiction in twenty years.

People tell me fiction has some of the most moving and beautiful prose. I am interested in reading some great works of fiction to help push my own writing to the next level.

Have any suggestions? Assume I have not read any fiction.

Bonus points for audiobooks I can listen to while I run.

What does a fiction writer owe his nonfiction sources?

Bookhouse — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:21:14 -0800

Has anyone ever formalized the proper conduct for the fiction writer regarding his/her nonfiction sources? As a fiction writer I enjoy doing research about my subjects, and I also enjoy reading deeply researched fiction. However, it recently occurred to me that I'm not clear what precisely a writer owes his sources (in fact I find the word "owes" problematic from the get-go). Has a fiction writer or researcher ever formally explored this issue?

Aside from the obvious problem of plagiarism (direct copying), is there a line to be crossed, an overusing of sources, a failure to attribute properly? There are times when putting the words of a real person into the mouth of a fictional one is acceptable, but are there times when it isn't?

I'm less interested in legal ramifications than ethical systems of conduct.

Like looking for a needle in a haystack, only worse

titantoppler — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:18:13 -0800

Where does one go to find the best pieces of short fiction available on the internet? I'm looking websites that gather short fictional works, of a narrative bent, and of a high quality.

I've considered Fictionpress (too difficult to sort out the wheat from the chaff) and Livejournal (same problem, but also with a higher percentage of rougher, unpolished works)

Where do you go to for your fix?

aspiring writer needs tips

TheDukeofLancaster — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:05:56 -0800

What resources would you recommend for a beginning writer? I can tell stories very well, in person. I'd like to be able to write well. What resources (books, websites, something else?) would you recommend? I'd like to work on writing some fictional stories, sci-fi/fantasy type stuff. I've seen some posts here from a while back, and I see the 'start writing' stuff, I'm on it! I'd like updated opinions/info!

Is it acceptable to write a piece of fiction based on the war in Iraq?

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:29:49 -0800

Would it be seen as (and is it really) exceptionally tasteless to write a fictional novel about a soldiers' experiences in Iraq? I just wrote out a lengthy explanation, but it was all sorts of moddled and there were a thousand thoughts scattered throughout.

I'm curious to know whether it would be widely considered tasteless or offensive to write a novel set mostly in Iraq about a soldiers experiences in the war there. Of course a "war novel" can go a million different directions, so suffice to say that this would be an extremely informed endeavor, with no shortage of consultancy (I've many friends and a few relatives who have fought - really fought - in the war). It would not be a rollicking action-packed adventure or anything of the sort, but it would be very, very raw.

I suppose I don't particularly care what people would think about this, as there is such a fog about what really goes on over there, and I know many, many people who have been immensely intrigued by soldiers who have blogged about their experiences.

My only qualm is that my writing style tends to be a bit cynic, perhaps almost perverted at times (I have, as an example, received a number of comparisons to Bret Easton Ellis). There would be no amount of exploitation involved, of course, but to write from about the day to day life and thoughts of a 20-something in a warzone could certainly be offensive on the grounds of those thoughts alone, even outside the the context of the war.

What are your thoughts?

List of most visited online newspapers, magazines and literature websites (blogs allowed)

omnigut — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:50:36 -0800

I've seen a list of the most popular websites, and another of the most popular blogs, but for these three categories (literature, newspapers, magazines) I've found a list hard to track down. I'd like it ordered in order of popularity, but a top-ten (or top-hundred) would be fine too. Thanks! For various reasons, I'd like to know if people have lists for either of those topics; newspapers, magazines, and literature websites.

On the side, I've also got an article reviewing how writing websites will change writers/creativity - fiction guides, writer's block removers, creativity impulses, poetry generators etc etc. Any ideas where I should submit it? It must be to an online site.

Thankyou everybody!

Gay Writing

blue shadows — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 04:44:33 -0800

Can anyone recommend good novels about gay people? Not just genre fiction but actually literature? It seems to me there must be, but I've never been able to find any.

Can I have my creative cake and eat it too?

mynameisluka — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:33:08 -0800

Working writers: how do you carve out time for fiction? Here's a question for working writers. I've managed to turn my passion into a full-time life as a freelance writer. I do corporate stuff, copywriting and marketing pieces, journalism, and I'm thrilled to be working for myself at something I adore. My real passion, however, is fiction, and like so many others, my real aspiration is to complete and sell the novels that have been niggling at me for years.

Trouble is, at the end of the day it's really difficult to transition from non-fiction to fiction and from have-to-I-get-paid to want-to-so-I'm-disciplined work. I find myself using my sore wrists and zonked brain as an excuse...and I'm starting to get scared that I'll never achieve my dream of being a working novelist.

I'm wondering how other writers approach this dilemma. Is "suck it up" the only answer, or are there some tips/tidbits/tweaks I'm missing?

Stories 'bout learnin

Saxon Kane — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:42:32 -0800

I'm looking for short stories/poems/creative non-fiction and the like about school, schooling, education, and/or learning to write/self-expression. Should be suitable for college freshpersons.

___________

serazin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:06:15 -0800

Why do novelists use "________" in place of a character's name? Most recently, I noticed this convention in The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, but I've for sure seen this used elsewhere as well.

Is this supposed to make the novel feel more "real" - as if the author is protecting the identity of some particularly heinous or vulnerable character? That makes no sense to me since I've never read a non-fiction book or essay where there was a blank (or first letter only) instead of a name.

Am I missing something obvious?

Add a new category to this list: Aliens, Monsters, Ghosts...

Flying Saucer — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:51:29 -0800

Aliens, monsters, and ghosts. The big three. But is there a fourth? I am working on a writing project and am struggling with a conundrum that I thought I'd bring to the hive mind.

It seems to me that in speculative fiction (which encompasses science fiction, fantasy, and horror), there are three major elements, or adversaries:

1. Aliens
2. Monsters
3. Ghosts

The brave souls who fight these creatures have been the basis of all kinds of exciting stories.

For example, in the comic book and the movie, the Men In Black fought aliens.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer fought monsters.

Ghostbusters fought ghosts.

Mulder and Scully fought all three.

So my question is...is there a fourth category? Spirits, maybe? Elves? Combining the categories has already been done -- remember the alien ghosts of "Final Fantasy"?

Any thoughts?

I need a novel-writing soundtrack

changeling — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:07:20 -0800

Can you help me set the writing soundtrack to my novels? Hi! I've avoided asking this forever -- I've gone through and sampled the songs from every related ask thread. I've used Pandora, iTunes and Rhapsody's similar music detectors, but I'm sick of artificial intelligence. I want metaintelligence.

So I write books, and I write to a soundtrack, master-planned for each book. Problem is, books take a long time to write. By the revision stages, I'm sick of the (hours-long) playlist, and what originally set the tone becomes grating. So I'm always switching out, seeking new artists that fit. But because I'm so particular on a song-by-song basis, doing so becomes another method of vacuuming the cat. I'm looking for song and artist recommendations that somehow match the tone of these books & existing songs below. I know some of the songs don't seem to match, but there must be a common thread, because they work.

Book1: Western setting. Confused (young, possibly ff) love. Lonely, moody, poignant. "Golden" by My Morning Jacket, "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell, "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett, "Lydia" by Staid Cleaves, "Waiting on the Stairs" by Pela. Lots of Band of Horses.

Book2: Travel abroad. Soft adventure. Flight from an unpleasant past. Learning to let go. So obviously, "Let Go" by Frou Frou. Lots of The National. "Run" by Snow Patrol. "Don't Become the Thing You Hated" by Destroyer. "All Mixed up" by Red House Painters.

I have some Tegan and Sara and Sigur Ros on both.

So please, go crazy! Popular, obscure, any genre (though obviously different species of rock fit best). I have Rhapsody. Thanks!!

Looking for lowbrow books

reenum — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:35:23 -0800

Looking for sites or reviewers who review books other than literary fiction I've gotten into Bookgasm and I love it. I've realized that I'm not that into literary fiction. I prefer books that are plot-based, rather than character-based. So, that gets me into genre fiction or non-fiction stuff. I'm not into sci-fi at all.

Problem is, most sources like Bookslut and NY Times Book Review devote most of their reviews to literary fiction.

So, are there any other sites or magazines out there like Bookgasm? Meaning well written reviews of books that are not literary fiction?

Help me find this story...

psergio — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:26:04 -0800

A few years ago there was a short story in the New Yorker set in the near future. The characters were children raised in a world where they seemed to be market research test subjects... I really can't recall any more details than that... Does this ring any bells?

short story recommendations?

Salvatorparadise — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:53:47 -0800

What are your favorite short stories or short story collections, anthologies etc. Hi all. I'm interested in writing short stories, but really need to read more of them before I dive into this. What are some of your favorite short stories, anthologies or collections that I should check out?

I'm a reporter and write for a living, and wrote a book a few years ago (haven't tried to publish it, i'd like to try to write it again sometime to make it better) and want to begin writing fiction more seriously. I'd like to start with short stories but I haven't read very many, and that's a problem when one wants to write them!

help me out!

How do you make up stories ?

southof40 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:43:18 -0800

How do you make up stories ? My kids love me making up stories (and then repeating them ad-infinitum !) but doing so has set me thinking about the process of creating fiction. I know that many stories have a structure of setup / tension-creation / resolution-of-tension but what are other structures that form a basis for many works of fiction ?

What are commonly-used structures that are either deliberately used - or may commonly be recognised - in stories, plays, screenplays etc ?

Recommendations/sources for good erotic writing?

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:11:48 -0800

Recommendations/sources for good erotic writing? My girlfriend recently revealed to me that she is/used to be into erotic stories, and I'd like to learn more about this topic, to liven up and deepen our sex life. I'd like to improve my dirty talk and my ability to talk about her and my fantasies. I don't know much about erotic fiction, so I guess I'm looking for some direction.

So, please share with me your favorite stories, books, collections, websites, etc. Any academic/critical/analytical writings about this topic are welcomed as well. Also of interest is advice about talking about and sort of creating fantasies before and during sex.

Also, I'm a man, if that information is useful.

How can I write better short stories (science fiction)

Wolfster — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:24:34 -0800

How can I write better short stories (science fiction) I wrote a few science fiction stories, and then sent them off to a few science fiction magazines.The stories were rejected (I'm sure they receive hundreds a week, so it isn't that humiliating).

Rather than to send the same exact stories off to other magazines, I'd like to improve the stories that I wrote,and then I'd like to try again.

I'm not quite sure how to improve or learn to write better on my own.

Things I've done so far (besides writing the stories):
-Edit, edit, and edit again
-Action verbs
-Read the short stories of my favorite science fiction authors or a collection of best Nebula awards scifi pieces (to learn what those authors did)

To be honest, I feel comfortable with the ideas,but I think I may miss things like character development, etc, - because that's not why I read but I think that is what the magazines would like to see.

So what should I do? Can books walk me through this (any suggestions?) and give good examples? Did anyone just keep resubmitting the same old stories and - voila, someone bought them? Any other ideas would be appreciated. Should I try writing exercises?

Thanks

My god, it's full of Stars

Artw — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:27:24 -0800

I'm looking for a series of hardback science fiction anthologies I dimly remember from childhood (sometime in the mid 80s). I think it had a one word title with a number, and the series went up to at least number five. I remember two stories in particular... In one a childs home starmaking experiment goes wrong when he puts too much matter into his simulated universe, creating a spinning cylindrical black hole which escapes and destroys the earth.

In another two creatures, essentially sentient stars, play a game in which they throw their cores at each other. The cores are of different colors, and the color difference is analogous to a gender difference. In the end the "male" star impregnates the "female" star but loses it's core. As a dying act it creates life on an earth like planet and then flings the planet out into space.

Any ideas?

Who's written fiction within the last 5-10 years that deals realistically with the experience of American people under 40? Please recommend!

toomuchkatherine — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:04:21 -0800

Who's written fiction within the last 5-10 years, that deals realistically with the experience of American people under 40? I studied English in school so have read a lot of classics but am less familiar with the new stuff. Now I want to bone up on recent fiction (novels or short stories) that's about, and probably by, young and youngish Americans. Bonus points if it's realist; I read 'Indecision' by Ben Kunkel and 'Everything is Illuminated' by Jonathan Safran Foer in the last couple of years, and was amused by both but not blown away by either; I think I would have preferred something less cartoonish. OTOH, I really liked 'Wide Eyed' by Trinie Dalton, and it's pretty out there. Anyhoo. Tell me who's doing the important stuff, please.