Browsing all articles in Dear WBN

How Morning Pages Saved My Life

Posted by Justine Tal Goldberg in Dear WBN

6 comments

Aug
19

I was curious about Justine’s statement that morning pages changed her life. I would like to hear more.

Jeff Q.

Austin

Morning pages are the invention of one Julia Cameron, author of the well-known creative recovery program explicated in The Artist’s Way. They are “the primary tool of creative recovery” in a program that seeks to unblock blocked artists. In short and in Cameron’s own words, morning pages are: read more

Literary Agents and Online Workshops

Posted by David Duhr in Dear WBN

No comments

May
13

Dear WBN:

How important is it to have an agent if I want to publish a book? What does an agent do I can’t do myself?

Alice H.

Bastrop, TX

JG: It’s important and it’s not. (Don’t you just love these wishy-washy answers? I know I do.) It’s important to have an agent if you are hell-bent on selling your book to a well-known publishing house. Some examples of publishing giants include HarperCollins, Random House, Penguin, Little, Brown—that’s “Little, Brown,” not “Little” [comma] “Brown.” Glad we cleared that up. The reason is that most of the biggies don’t accept unsolicited submissions, meaning that any manuscripts that reach them from an author directly rather than an agent on behalf of an author will be thrown in the garbage immediately, no questions asked. In short, agents can get you in the door.

Posted by David Duhr in Dear WBN

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May
6

Dear WBN:

Your post on who to follow on Twitter was okay, but in a future post can you tell us why it’s important for a writer to have a Twitter page? Because I hear all sorts of good and bad about Twitter, and it seems like maybe it’s a waste of time.

Alice F.

Enid, OK

DD: Thanks for writing, Alice. I’m glad you found my post to be so adequate (insert smiley-face emoticon here to show that I’m being sarcastic, but in a cute, pleasant way).

Posted by David Duhr in Dear WBN

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Apr
28

Dear WBN:

You say on your blog that “Starbucks coffee tastes like ass,” but then you’re always making fun of how bad your coffee is.

Debbie G.

Dallas, TX

DD: Debbie from Dallas? Come on. Seriously, how many jokes about porn did you hear growing up? (Or still hear?)

Posted by David Duhr in Dear WBN

3 comments

Apr
21

Last week’s first-ever “Dear WBN” was such a blistering success that this week can only disappoint.

So without further ado, here’s some disappointment.

Dear WBN:

Last five books you read/do you recommend them?

Bill C.

Palm City, FL

DD: 1) The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, Poe. Not a great novel, but if you plan to read Mat Johnson’s Pym, like I’m doing now, it’s not a bad idea to knock this one out first. Being familiar with the Poe novel adds some hilarity to Johnson’s already very funny book.

Posted by David Duhr in Dear WBN Comments

1 comment

Apr
14

After a lot of loose talk and promises, we’re finally getting our “Dear WBN” *$#^# together. Dear WBN is your chance to ask us questions (writing-related, hopefully) that we’ll answer off the clock (Ooh, what samaritans!). Sometimes I’ll answer, sometimes Justine will, and for the lucky few, we both will. Email all questions to me, and write “Dear WBN” in the subject line. We’ll do our best to answer ‘em all, and we’ll probably put the most interesting ones in our newsletter. Unless you request otherwise, we’ll just publish your first name and location, so make sure to mention them in your email.

Can I get a drum roll? Anyone?

No one?

Fine. Let’s get started. Like Samuel L. said in Jurassic Park, “Hold onto your butts.”

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