Category: Uncategorized

The biggest misconception about social media for writers is that it’s free. Sure, we don’t pay to subscribe to Twitter, there’s no cost-per-click to view our friends’ news on Facebook. But there’s still a price, and what we’re paying is time and privacy. What do we get in return? Genuine connection. Relationships with people we’ve […]… Continue reading Getting Personal — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By James Irwin During my most recent trip to India I was invited to speak as part of a series called The Other Side, in which business leaders share stories about how they rebounded after failures and setbacks. At my advanced age I have plenty of those, but I decided to tell them The Big […]… Continue reading I’m Not Sure a Pseudonym is Really Me, and Other Debates — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter My fingers manipulate keys, navigating Facebook. Arrowing down, the cursor lands on a picture, and I hear, “Two people and a Baby.” Great, I think, no context. I continue to arrow down, finding another picture. This time, the electronic buzz of my computer’s voice says, “Man in sunglasses.” Again, zero context for […]… Continue reading Two People and a Baby: On Accessibility and Literary Publishing — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Beth Finke Like so many of the other young people flocking to journalism school at the end of the 1970s, I was sure I’d become the next Woodward or Bernstein. But then the spots showed up. “Retinopathy,” the eye specialist said. During my months in the hospital for eye surgeries, a social worker suggested […]… Continue reading Elements of Style: A Blind Writer’s Bible — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Liz Melchor Last Sunday, I went to the track. To run one mile. I was there with everyone from my CrossFit gym. We were timing it to get a baseline. Retest in April. The measurement was supposed to motivate us. I hate running. Despise it. But okay, I am in. Let’s get better at […]… Continue reading Chasing Crappiness: One Writer’s Journey — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Samuel Autman I wish I could say reading novels by James Baldwin or Toni Morrison spurred me on to becoming a writer, but my career choice is more likely tied to my Southern family’s penchant for spinning tales, my comic strip heroes Clark Kent and Peter Parker, and the fact that I was seven-years-old […]… Continue reading Daily Newspapers Still Offer Superb Training for Young Writers — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Stephanie Weaver You might have heard writers say, “Blurbs don’t sell books unless they come from big-name authors.” I don’t agree and here’s why: getting creative with how you use blurbs from lesser-known authors might indeed help sell your book. When my book The Migraine Relief Plan came out in 2017, I knew I […]… Continue reading Creative Marketing with Book Blurbs — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

In William Stoner and the Battle for the Inner Life, Steve Almond discusses a book that changed his life—John Williams’ 1965 novel Stoner—and argues that novels are not merely books, but instead “manuals for living.” Almond never disappoints: his prose is always powerful, provocative. He is a respected teacher and literary advocate. He is funny.… Continue reading Memoir, Novels, Lives and the Quality of Our Attention — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Vivian Wagner At Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio last month, I played a soon-to-be-released collaborative role-playing game called “Turning Point.” Unlike RPGs that focus on dungeons and elves, this one focused on a woman in a contemporary setting trying to decide whether to undergo a new treatment for her chronic fatigue syndrome. It […]… Continue reading Interactive Narratives: Role-Playing Games and Storytelling — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Diane Gottlieb An essay I wrote was just published last week. It was my third publication, the first that will appear both online and in print. You’d think I’d be thrilled. Part of me was. I had worked this shorty (432 words) for about two years, off and on. I’m proud of it. It’s […]… Continue reading When You Write What Scares You—And Then See It in Print  — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog