Remington Roundup: Links to Story, Craft, and Class

IMG_0702We’re still in the early weeks of a new year, so it feels right to kick-start a new series on the blog: the Remington Roundup.

Imagine that’s me in the picture on the right, minus the polkadot shirt but, yeah, with the bun. I really do own a Remington (thanks to a good friend). Imagine me compiling a list of links to articles, videos, and resources for you. But instead of ripping the page from the paper bail and sending it slow-post, I’m giving it to you here. Easy access. Good times.

Daily, I filter through emails and Facebook posts and tweets worthy of bookmarking, so let’s make a monthly date of sharing them. Look for the Remington Roundup the first or second week of each month, and feel free to share links to your favorite finds in the comments. This month: links to story, craft, & class.

#Story

Go watch this really cool video interview with George Saunders (discovered via Austin Kleon). Saunders talks about the magic of stories, with insight into how and why we write.

e6cbe22901b8bec19eee71fac7492fd2“The idea I love is that a story is kind of a black box. And, you’re gonna put the reader in there…with this thing that you have made. And when she comes out, what’s gonna have happened to her in there is something kind of astonishing.”

This interview plays out like a story itself. Even if you’re not a writer, you’ll enjoy it; it’s bother entertaining and educational.

#Craft

Pamela Hodge’s 19 tips on writing memoir, culled from Marion Roach Smith’s The Memoir Project.

bks-mp239“9. Write one scene at a time. Put each scene on an index card. On the front of the card write the theme, and on the back of the index card write down little details–dialogue, smells you remember.”

I’m not writing memoir, but many of these tips can be useful when tackling any kind of story.

#Class

I’ve been posting about online learning opportunities for the last few weeks. As a follow-up, here’s a link to my Flash Nonfiction Online Course, which is open for registration.

unnamed“Christi Craig’s Flash Nonfiction Online Course packed a wealth of resources and prompts into four weeks and gave me a needed motivational push to strengthen the writing habit.” ~ Lisa Rivero, past student

The course runs four weeks beginning mid-February, and is a great opportunity to learn about storytelling within the constraints of a small wordcount. You’ll put a few techniques into practice, walk away with new essays, and meet other writers. Join us!

Tapping the New Year with a Review, Advice, and a Rally Cry

The Review

FigTreeBooks_LogoRight at the end of 2014, my first freelance book review went live (you can read my thoughts on MEMOIRS OF A MUSE at Fig Tree Books here). Writing book reviews is a challenge for me, so it felt great to see this one reach publication. The key to such success–in this project and (I’m sure) in most writing–is a great editor. Erika Dreifus (Media Editor at Fig Tree Books) is such a person: friendly and professional and a woman with a keen eye. If you’re interested in writing reviews, check out Fig Tree Books and their Freelance Review Project.

The Advice

Speaking of the challenges we writers face, Paul Auster offers some great advice in this video, “How I Became a Writer.” One of my favorite quotes (about eight minutes in) reminds me that writing is more about exploration than perfection:

Screenshot 2015-01-05 16.36.15When I was younger, I wanted to make beautiful things. And then, as I got older and more experienced in [writing], I understood that’s not what it’s about. The essence of being an artist is to confront the thing you’re trying to do, to tackle it head on. And if, in wrestling with these things, you manage to make something that’s good, well…it will have its own beauty. But, it’s not a kind of beauty that you can predict. It’s nothing you can strive for. What you have to strive for is to engage with your material as deeply as you can.

The whole video is less than twenty minutes and well worth your time as you broach a new year of writing.

The Phrase I Will Repeat Most

I love the idea of a rally cry for a new year. Last year, I was all about Fearless Writing. This year, I’ve latched on to a post I read by Patricia McNair on Facebook:

Write more. Bitch less.

On that note, zip your lip, grab your pen and paper, get on that story.