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by Jonathan Arlan Once, in a poetry workshop I took in college, a student likened the writing process, in a good way, to a natural disaster. “It’s like a huge tornado,” he said. “Once I get sucked up inside, I just write and write and write.” “Yeah,” swooned another girl, “it’s like a hurricane and […]… Continue reading Watching My Words: A Writer Learns to Trim the Fat — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Jenny Klion If you counted backward from three hundred and ninety one, which is the exact number of words you need to complete your daily requisite word count of one thousand (#1000wordsofsummer)—less now, since with every word, every letter you type, you’re getting closer to that three hundred and ninety one more words to […]… Continue reading How To Fulfill Your Word Count — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

by Jan Priddy Students ask: What is creative nonfiction? Is it made up? Who got the idea first? Lee Gutkind, founder of Creative Nonfiction magazine, is on the record that he did not coin the term, that the concept predates him, whatever it’s called. The genre of creative nonfiction covers a lot of ground. It… Continue reading Beyond Just Reporting: The Creative in Creative Nonfiction — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Laura Barakeris Surrounded by others all day and crushed by the noise of the Internet, I often struggle to slow my thoughts and pace enough to write. Because most of my day is turned out—getting information, communicating, checking my to-do list, meetings—it is hard to turn back inwards and write about what I have… Continue reading On Writing and Artistic Solitude — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

I’ve found ‘one weird trick’ that gets me to the end of major projects: Doing one thing. It seems so simple, and yet this morning I: Checked email Made breakfast Gave feedback on pages Tore apart my closet looking for a thing I tucked away while I was on vacation, and had hidden so well […]… Continue reading Finish Your Book — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

by Jan Priddy Students ask: What is creative nonfiction? Is it made up? Who got the idea first? Lee Gutkind, founder of Creative Nonfiction magazine, is on the record that he did not coin the term, that the concept predates him, whatever it’s called. The genre of creative nonfiction covers a lot of ground. It… Continue reading Beyond Just Reporting: The Creative in Creative Nonfiction — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Lenore Franzen At my writer’s group recently, we were going around the circle and checking in—giving the others an update on our own writing, perhaps raising an issue we’d been facing. One woman, when it was her turn, expressed frustration over a question she is asked often by those who know she’s working on […]… Continue reading What to Say to a Writer — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Laura Barakeris Surrounded by others all day and crushed by the noise of the Internet, I often struggle to slow my thoughts and pace enough to write. Because most of my day is turned out—getting information, communicating, checking my to-do list, meetings—it is hard to turn back inwards and write about what I have… Continue reading On Writing and Artistic Solitude — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Rae Pagliarulo A little while ago, in a fit of whimsy, I sold an article about my two biggest obsessions―Gilmore Girls and tarot cards―to a major website known for lifestyle and pop culture content. It felt great―I got to share this nerdy piece that brought me pure happiness, and I did it on a […]… Continue reading The Painful Narrative that No Longer Serves Me — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

Ever wondered how to get into McSweeney’s, the New Yorker’s Shouts and Murmurs, the Belladonna, Slackjaw, or another prestigious humor site? It’s not easy, but it’s not hard—write something very funny, make sure it fits the venue’s tone, send it in. Step one tends to trip us up. How can you write funny, on demand? […]… Continue reading Write Funny, Win Money — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog