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Write a story in which only five minutes pass between the beginning of the story and the end. Experiment with the ways in which you can draw out these five minutes, through interior monologue, flashbacks, switching between different points of view, and other storytelling techniques.
Julia Loktev's adaptation of a story by Tom Bissell (who was profiled in the magazine back in 2007) stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Hani Furstenberg as an engaged couple on a trek through Georgia, the country. The Loneliest Planet will open in theaters on October 26.
Write a story in which the central relationship is between a human and a machine. The machine can be a common household item, such as a toaster, or something imagined and altogether more sinister.
Three authors who followed very different paths to publication in 2011 speak about what they learned after their books were published, including hard lessons about publicity and reviews, readings and events, and advertising and sales.
Small Press Points highlights the innovative and can-do spirit of independent presses. This issue features Stoneslide Books, a recently launched fiction press looking for narratives that prompt readers “to think, to ask questions, to move the mind forward.”
The author of the debut novel The Dog Stars, forthcoming in August from Knopf, talks about Graham Greene's practice of writing exactly five hundred words a day, every day, and the importance of momentum in the writing process.
Natalie Bakopoulos, who was interviewed by Charles Baxter for this issue's roundup of debut fiction writers, talks about her Greek roots and her first novel, The Green Shore, published by Simon & Schuster this month.
We thought we'd inject a little energy into our Wednesday with this music video by Julian Smith. Don't you ever interrupt me when I'm reading a book!
Founded in 1975, A Room of One’s Own is a feminist bookstore in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. The store specializes in women’s literature and offers a wide selection of fiction, nonfiction, periodicals, music, posters, and T-shirts for and by women. A Room of One’s Own also maintains a non-sexist children's section and stocks up-to-date titles in lesbian and gay studies, bisexual and transgender books, gender studies, as well as lesbian and gay male fiction. The store hosts several author events throughout the year.
Writing fiction in the first-person plural is notoriously tricky. Challenge yourself to write a short story—or a section of a short story—from the first-person plural. Read Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” for insight on how a collective narrator can enhance a story and/or produce unexpected effects.
