“I believe large numbers of people have at least some talent as writers and storytellers, and that those talents can be strengthened and sharpened.”

I nearly fell off my chair when I read this statement in Stephen King’s book On Writing. It provides such a sharp contrast to the 20 other books I’ve been reading on the subject of writing memoirs. Because I’m working on my own book on this subject, I’ve been … Read More

“A ratio of failures is built into the process of writing.”

Margaret Atwood continues, “The wastebasket has evolved for a reason.”  This morning, a student described how difficult writing was for her. She’s not alone.  One thing that hasn’t changed over the decades I’ve worked with students is the expectation that writing should be easier than it is. They’re surprised to … Read More

“The sort of strenuous reading and writing program I advocate — four to six hours a day, every day — will not seem strenuous if you really enjoy doing these things…”

kingNot since Charles Dickens has a writer had so many readers “by the throat,” observed a British review of this classic by Stephen King. Having sold more than 350 million books, King could be considered an expert at many things, perhaps chiefly at developing and maintaining a vivid imagination. The … Read More