Like that one guy said: Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Welcome to the place where all things have been lifted, looted, and otherwise pilfered…Remember, possession is 9/10s of the law.
It’s that accountableness time again! And every Tuesday you will be subjected to regaled by the writing progress I have made over the last week. But! I insist that I not be the only one exposing myself sounding off. Let your comments reflect what kind… Continue Reading “Tuesday Post of Accountability!: Making Plans”
“At some point, he [Tobias Wolff] says, he would like to tackle another memoir. He recently read a book about literary life in 1940s Dublin and fancies writing something in a similar vein, about the writer’s place in 21st-century America. Are there any obvious comparisons?… Continue Reading “Alcoholism, The New Fitness, and Writers”
“Let’s examine the word ‘genius.’ It doesn’t mean screwiness or eccentricity or excessive ‘talent.’ It is derived from the Latin word gignere (to beget) and a genius is simply a person who originates something never known before. Nobody but Melville could have written Moby… Continue Reading “Kerouac’s Genius/Interpreter Theory vs. Jenny’s Genius/Genius Theory”
It’s that Tuesday time again! And every Tuesday you will be subjected to regaled by the writing progress I have made over the last week. But! I insist that I not be the only one exposing myself sounding off. Let your comments reflect what… Continue Reading “Tuesday Post of Accountability!: Almost, not quite”
My proclaimed ‘protégé’, Oliver, likes to put the “song of influence” (my term, not his) underneath the title of the short story or novel chapter that was inspired by the tune. He has received much feedback on this, ranging from: “don’t do that” to… Continue Reading “Writing to a Soundtrack”
Okay, writing a book in three days and three nights is a feat. It probably requires amphetemines of some kind. Or copious amounts of Vivarin. It also requires keyboarding skills that most secretaries would envy. I think most of us would agree that some… Continue Reading “Don’t Make It Too Hard On Your Reader”
Welcome to Tuesday! And every Tuesday you will be subjected to regaled by the writing progress I have made over the last week. But! I insist that I not be the only one exposing myself sounding off. Let your comments reflect what kind of… Continue Reading “Tuesday Post of Accountability!: Mini-Scenes and Track Changes”
There’s a list Kerouac jotted down that is often copied. Called “Belief &Technique for Modern Prose,” it is thirty pieces of advice for writers who want to write spontaneously and Beat-like. A couple of my favorites tidbits: #1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten… Continue Reading “Spontaneous Prose: What it Looks Like”
I seem to have talked a lot this week, so now I’m gonna let Kerouac talk, scabs and all. This is the second portion of an interview held just before/immediately after the release of The Dharma Bums, which we’ve been talking about this week.… Continue Reading “Ben Hecht’s Interview of Jack Kerouac”
The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac My rating: 3 of 5 stars If I’d read this alone on a mountaintop, or while camping, or just out in nature somewhere I’d probably’ve given this four stars. The descriptions of nature, the out-and-out enthusiasm for the… Continue Reading “Thursday Reviews!: The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac (A Mentor Review!)”