April 25th, 2010 by Brent Toderash
The first letter I got from J.D. Salinger was very short. It was 1988, and I had written to him with a proposal: I wanted my tiny publishing house, Orchises Press, to publish his novella Hapworth 16, 1924. And Salinger himself had improbably replied, saying that he would consider it.
Read: How a Book Publisher Failed to Get J.D. Salinger’s Final Book ‘Hapworth 16, 1924‘ Into Print — New York Magazine.
March 26th, 2010 by Brent Toderash
The apparently definitive post on Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books from Chuck Sambuchino. A good guide for those following the sage advice of not expecting to be the exception.
February 21st, 2010 by Brent Toderash
There are a variety of strategies for literary success, but this photo-essay might stimulate some unhealthy ones: Famous Literary Drunks & Addicts — LIFE.
January 21st, 2010 by Brent Toderash
The Writer As Social Butterfly — good post at LitDrift on the value to writers of interacting with others, despite writing being thought of as a solitary task.
It should be obvious that writers, writing about society, would make it a point to immerse themselves in that society. But writers are artists, and like most artists we tend to think of ourselves as outcasts. The label is twofold; our creativity and panjandrum is admired, and our variance from normal nine-to-fives is frowned upon. But the mistake is buying into the outcast label, even cherishing it. Doing so separates us from our audience, making us bitter, and even worse, possibly leading to an aloof, chastising tone few enjoy reading. Continue Reading →
