Ellen writes a monthly column for writers on SheWrites, the online community of women writers, and contributes regularly to The Savvy Book Marketer. Take a look at the latest:
Up-close & Universal: Balancing Big and Small in Memoir-Writing
As the winner of the Grub Street National Book Prize, I delivered a lecture at the “Muse & the Marketplace” Conference in Boston, March 4, 2013. I discussed the increasing importance of memoir in our culture today, three types of memoirs, and ten aspects of craft that contribute to a successful memoir. Poems, quotations from great memoirs, and what memoirists have to say about their craft.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE]: In which Hirsh Leib opens my eyes
Writing depends on taking notice, keeping our eyesight as keen as can be. How do we keep our eyes in working order? How do we see–and keep on seeing?
[TIPS OF THE TRADE]: Are You a World-Changer?
“I arise in the morning,” E.B. White wrote, “torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” Explore the intersection between writing and activism — and find out why these guys are teetering down the street in high heels.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE]: A Writer Walks into a Conference
Even for a seasoned author, a writers’ conference can be daunting. Top ways to get the most out of it.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE]: My Mother, the Writer
Having a writing mother, being a writing mother – for me, each has been a precious privilege.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE]: The Best Writers’ Group
How to find, or start, a writers’ group – and what makes it work.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE]: Ten Ingredients for a Successful Book Talk
Where should I speak? How do I approach speaking venues? What makes a great talk?
[TIPS OF THE TRADE]: Why I always read the acknowledgments first
Never thank a cat…and other idiosyncratic advice.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE] Joys of Book Promotion
Are you a writer who wishes youcould just write–nothing else–and everything else would just fall into place?
[TIPS OF THE TRADE] What’s Your Interview Style?
I used to favor an aggressive interview style; then I changed my mind.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE] How to Fill an Empty Room
Unless you’re famous, even a bookstore (in fact, especially a bookstore) is just an empty room – and it’s your job to fill it.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE] 5 Ways to be Book Promotion Buddies
When Sara Mansfield Taber and I learned that we’d both been assigned the same publication date for our new books, we decided to get together and help each other out with book promotion. Here’s what we do.
And the Award Goes To…Socially Engaged Fiction
Are you writing a novel about “the world as it is with an eye for how it could be”? If so, Barbara Kingsolver may have a prize for you.
[TIPS OF THE TRADE] Oink! A Report from BookExpo America
When my publisher wangled me an autographing session at BookExpo America, the publishing industry trade fair, I had two goals…
Who Cares About Your Family Story? Ten Tips to Ensure Readers Will Care
Ten ways to keep readers engaged with the story that engages you.
Chloe Yelena Miller: A Writer and Writing Teacher’s Blog: Inside Hints
“Although memoirs and works of fiction are two different animals, we memoir writers need to make use of fiction techniques, including these three…”
Lisa Romeo Writes: On writing about the up close and personal – and the universal – in nonfiction.
“Up close and personal – and universal: What I adore about my favorite memoirs is the balance of the personal and the universal – an individual life rubbing up against the sweep of history…”
