Tag Archives: fiction

Writers, writers, and more writers, Geesh…

Let’s think about what that means. There are more writers than there are readers. Bing.  That is correct. The Decatur Book Festival was both an inspiring place for all the people there gathered to talk about books, and also a place to remember to be scared, very scared, for the wave of talented writers outContinue reading “Writers, writers, and more writers, Geesh…”

Writers, writers, and more writers, Geesh…

Let’s think about what that means. There are more writers than there are readers. Bing.  That is correct. The Decatur Book Festival was both an inspiring place for all the people there gathered to talk about books, and also a place to remember to be scared, very scared, for the wave of talented writers outContinue reading “Writers, writers, and more writers, Geesh…”

The Future in Fiction (Not the Future of Fiction, Please)

So, I ran across this truly engaging conversation on FSG’s blog between writers Nathaniel Rich and Robin Sloan about the future in Fiction. It’s tempting to think of future in fiction as belonging to the realm of sci-fi, but Sloan and Rich are asking us to reach beyond prophetic vision into an understanding of the futureContinue reading “The Future in Fiction (Not the Future of Fiction, Please)”

Fictional Misconceptions

I’ve been teaching fiction for a very long time, and I confess that even as a graduate of two MFAs, without an MA in literature I was once both confused by and uninterested in the proliferation of terms applied by the literati to the many forms of fiction that I like to write. Nonetheless, teaching is theContinue reading “Fictional Misconceptions”

Excerpt from my journal on Gilgamesh in The Faithful Son

Sometimes when I get stuck writing my novel I write by hand in my journal.  I work out some of the plot or theme issues that way. This is a piece I wrote about Gilgamesh, who is one of four main characters in my novel in progress titled The Faithful Son.   I hope youContinue reading “Excerpt from my journal on Gilgamesh in The Faithful Son”

The Stories I Like To Teach 2: Robert Travieso’s “Bouncing”

As I look over and scour through the materials I select for teaching fiction, I see that I have a strong preference for stories with salient plots.  Quiet Checkovian stories are certainly admirable, but I find the pull of fiction strongest with a good mix of character development and enticing plots. I also make roomContinue reading “The Stories I Like To Teach 2: Robert Travieso’s “Bouncing””

The Stories I Like To Teach 2: Robert Travieso’s “Bouncing”

http://www.chayground.com/archives/152 As I look over and scour through the materials I select for teaching fiction, I see that I have a strong preference for stories with salient plots.  Quiet Checkovian stories are certainly admirable, but I find the pull of fiction strongest with a good mix of character development and enticing plots. I also makeContinue reading “The Stories I Like To Teach 2: Robert Travieso’s “Bouncing””

The Stories I Teach and Why I Teach Them: #1 “A Good Man Is Hard To FInd”

I teach an undergraduate class in fiction at Georgia Southern University.  I often have to think which stories I can select from the amazingly large arsenal of great literature.  This is no easy feat.  I’ve decided to post a series of blogs on the selections I make, explaining why they lend themselves as good examplesContinue reading “The Stories I Teach and Why I Teach Them: #1 “A Good Man Is Hard To FInd””

The Stories I Teach and Why I Teach Them: #1 “A Good Man Is Hard To FInd”

I teach an undergraduate class in fiction at Georgia Southern University.  I often have to think which stories I can select from the amazingly large arsenal of great literature.  This is no easy feat.  I’ve decided to post a series of blogs on the selections I make, explaining why they lend themselves as good examplesContinue reading “The Stories I Teach and Why I Teach Them: #1 “A Good Man Is Hard To FInd””