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 Photo: lowjumpingfrog
broccoli
medieval
How about you? What words trip you up when you’re writing?
The randomly-chosen winner of the book “The Art of War for Writers” is Darren Stephenson, who shared this comment: “My biggest writing challenge right now is in the editing of my book. The writing bit wasn’t too difficult. Editing, however, that’s hard!” To read more about Darren’s adventures in editing, visit his website. Congratulations, Darren, and thanks to all of you who left comments. I’ll be giving away another one of my favorite writing books soon, so I hope you’ll stop back often. Write on!
I don’t write book reviews for the same reason I’ve never wanted to be a restaurant critic: I don’t have the stomach for it. When someone has invested their heart and soul in a project—be it an eatery or a book—who am I to harshly judge its suitability, measure its worthiness, and award or withhold stars? But I’ve decided it might be fun to highlight some writing books here. Mind you, I’ll only be sharing books I love. And only occasionally. And only when I’m in the mood. So keep your expectations appropriately low. With that in mind, I’ve just enjoyed an enjoyable read through The Art of War for Writers, by James Scott Bell. In 77 short chapters, Bell uses Chinese general Sun Tzu’s classic tome The Art of War as a springboard to view the commander’s virtues of “wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness” as they relate to the writing life. Perhaps because I’m in the early stages of writing my second novel, this book gave me a welcome dose of encouragement, discipline and strategy to keep pressing forward. Several sections made me laugh, and I felt a sense of camaraderie with the other writers Bell references. He also provides many specific examples of writing made better by the use of the ideas in the book, and I found these concrete comparisons so helpful. To celebrate the kick-off of my erratic writing book reviews, I’m giving away a brand-new copy of The Art of War for Writers to one lucky person. To enter the drawing, just leave a comment below that answers this question: “What is your greatest writing challenge right now?” I’ll close the giveaway at midnight MST on October 19, 2011, and announce the winner the following day. I’m happy to ship the book to any address in the U.S. or Canada. Good luck, and I look forward to hearing from you.
 From Lovely Listing | via dornob.com Before I became a full-time writer, I was the publisher of Mountain Living magazine – a publication I love and still write for (and yes, I know I ended the sentence with a preposition, but “for which I still write” sounds weird, too). All those years spent as a shelter magazine publisher must have affected me, because these sites poking fun at home photo layouts and real estate listings really tickle my funny bone. Let’s begin with Unhappy Hipsters, which showcases über-modern abodes and their inhabitants:
Next, I present Lovely Listing — a treasure trove of random real estate photos and oddball furnishings compiled by our friends at ICanHasCheezburger.
A site that never fails to make me laugh is Catalog Living, written by the hilarious Molly Erdman. An imaginary couple named Gary and Elaine inhabit the pages of our favorite catalogs and live the lifestyle created by stylists’ whims. Like this:
As a bonus, you must also check out Molly’s Magazine Living feature on the site Curbed. Here she channels an imaginary gay couple, Martin and Gareth, who inhabit the pages of home magazines. Like this:
Enjoy the weekend!
 Image: Estrella Herrera/Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires Check out the “Tower of Babel,”created in Buenos Aires by Argentinean artist Marta Minujín. A seven-story metal structure held the 30,000 books on display for three weeks in May. Minujín created the tower to celebrate Buenos Aires being chosen as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) 2011 World Book Capital. Libraries, more than 50 embassies and individual readers donated the books, many of which will be the basis for a new book archive called the “Library of Babel.” Here’s to celebrating and recycling books!
 Page Lambert Speaks at Boulder Book Store Page Lambert writes about the western landscape, mentoring and guiding people who want to creatively connect more deeply with the natural world. She facilitates outdoor creative adventures, and her River Writing Journeys for Women with Sheri Griffith Expeditions were featured in Oprah’s O Magazine. Next spring, she’ll lead a group to Peru for “Weaving Words & Women,” a cultural immersion into the ancient, sacred and everyday world of women. A presenter for numerous literary and professional events, Page has conducted more than 150 workshops in the U.S. and British Columbia and speaks on a variety of writing, motivational, and nature-related topics. She writes a blog, “ALL THINGS LITERARY. ALL THINGS NATURAL.” for those who desire a more creative relationship with the natural world, and is also a creative coach, helping writers define and pursue their personal and professional projects with passion. Page generously agreed to answer 5 questions about the projects that are close to her heart and her plans for the future. EC: You’ve published fiction, nonfiction, books, essays, short stories, poetry and more. Somehow you’ve managed to cross all of these genres while still maintaining a very distinctive “brand.” Was that a conscious marketing decision or a natural evolution of who you are and what you like to write? Or both?
Recently, I wrote an epic poem taken from the research I’ve been doing for the Denver novel. It’s really a love story to Denver—a deep mapping of the land where Denver sits, from her geological beginnings to her contemporary high rises. The poem became part of the Denver Art Museum’s monumental sculpture by Roxanne Swentzell, “Mud Woman Rolls On.” You can read the poem here, and you can read about how the poem found its way into the heart of “Mud Woman” here. EC: Nature is a running theme in your projects. What advice do you have for writers who want to incorporate more elements from nature in their writing? Continue reading Author Page Lambert Connects People with Nature and Writers with Words
Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Austen, Thoreau…If you like classic literature, you’re sure to love the selection of t-shirts featuring iconic book covers from all your favorite authors at Out of Print Clothing. Even better, for each shirt you buy the company will donate one book to an African community in need through Books For Africa. What a perfectly beautiful idea for a brave new world.
 Michelle Diener Michelle Diener writes historical fiction, and her debut novel “In a Treacherous Court” is set to release next month with Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books. Set in the court of Henry VIII, it features the real historical figures of artist Susanna Horenbout and Henry’s Keeper of the Palace of Westminster and Yeoman of the King’s Robes, John Parker. The second book in the series, “Keeper of the King’s Secrets,” is scheduled for publication in February of 2012. Michelle grew up in South Africa, and now lives in Australia with her family. She graciously agreed to answer some questions about the process of writing and publishing her book — and what’s in store next.
Michelle: I was inspired to write “In a Treacherous Court” by a brief reference to Susanna Horenbout I found in a reference work called “Uppity Women of the Renaissance” by Vicki Leon. There wasn’t much information, but I was intrigued by the idea of a woman artist who drew Albrecht Durer’s praise, she was so good, and who was sent to England by her father, ahead of both himself and her brother, to work for Henry VIII. I had simply never heard of her, and I wanted to know more. “In a Treacherous Court” is my fictional account of how she came to be sent to England, and what happened to her when she got there, although I’ve kept to the real history of the time as much as possible. EC: Do you have a regular writing routine? Michelle: I try to wake at 6 a.m. and write for an hour before my kids get up, and then I walk them to school and go for a walk, myself, and then settle down to write until it is time to pick them up from school. It sometimes works out that way EC: How long did it take you to write the book, from your initial spark of an idea to the polished manuscript? Continue reading 5 Questions for Author Michelle Diener
From now until July 15, 2011, Goodreads members have to opportunity to win one of 3 signed copies of 101 THINGS TO DO WITH BACON. If you haven’t discovered Goodreads yet, you’ll love finding new books, remembering your old favorites and interacting with a huge community of book lovers. Enter the drawing here, and good luck!
 Author Rosemary Carstens Rosemary Carstens is an author and freelance writer, and the owner of Carsten Communications. She’s the editor of the award-winning eZine FEAST – with articles about books, art, food, film, and travel. She produces and moderates a panel series titled “Women’s Voices,” which showcases women authors and publishing industry professionals. Rosemary often consults with other writers who want to develop a web presence, increase web traffic, create a blog or prepare a book proposal. An intrepid traveler, she’s also a motorcycle-riding biker babe. How does she find time for all of these passions? Hoping to glean some secrets, I recently caught up with Rosemary to chat about her latest projects and adventures. EC: When did you first take the plunge to become a full-time writer and consultant? RC: I’ve worked for myself in one career or another since I was 30 years old. I’ve always done a lot of writing as a part of whatever else I was doing to make a living—marketing copy, press releases, travel stories, scripts for commercial videos, and so on. It’s just part of who I am and how I work through ideas and/or problems whether personal or business.
RC: Dream Rider: Roadmap to an Adventurous Life grew out of my life-long belief that women should follow their dreams and find ways to frame that for themselves rather than letting others define them. Since I was about 10 years old, I’ve wanted to explore the world and fly airplanes. When I finally had the money to begin traveling, I found out that even more adventures were out there for the claiming. I always felt frightened when setting my sights on something new, especially anything that required physical stamina or strength, but somehow when an idea captured my imagination I had to keep at it until I did it. That often meant taking baby steps along the way, experiencing setbacks—and even humiliation—but, if the dream stayed strong, I just couldn’t give up. Continue reading Author Profile: Rosemary Carstens on Writing, Books & Motorcycles |
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Copyright © 2012 Eliza Cross - All Rights Reserved |
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