Benjamin! These workshops are SOOO good. The spreadsheets are fantastic. Thank you! And I'm as slow getting to the party and as late getting to my homework as can be. Nevertheless, I loved the task you assigned of making a blurb for our work and want to share the results. Here's two of mine:
“Dude, Where’s Your Car?” is a 1,562-word travel story on my first task upon arriving at Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, a gathering of vagabonds in the Tatooine-like outpost of Quartzite, Arizona—locate a car swallowed by desert.
“Just Jump” is a 2,696-word personal essay on the casual violence girls growing up in the ’80s and ’90s were conditioned to take in silence, often at the hands of boys who’d learned real men took what they wanted, and how immersing myself in lakes and rivers and oceans helped me remember who I was and name what happened to me.
Is the last too long? Not the word count but the blurb. ;)
I think distinguishing between even just the seven subgenres of nonfiction may be a bit tricky for me. But I'm unendingly grateful to you pointing me in the direction of thinking about those distinctions and what they might mean for submitting. :)
quick q: when you write these summaries of works for yourself and, as you said, also to add to cover letters do you write the brief descriptions on what they're about face value or what they're ~really~ about?
usually face value. First, a lot of editors don't read cover letters so going too far in is a bit of a waste of time. Second, if you give too much info, you're essentially explaining the story to an editor who is then going in with a bias toward your explanation. You want the story to speak for itself and the impact of it to sit with the editor. If you tell them and it makes sense it has less of the oomph factor when they read it. And that's what you want, I think.
Wow, what a gift you're giving us! One lesson in and I am already learning from past submission mistakes. Thank you, thank you! I'm signing up for the paid version :)
That was really thought provoking. I have never really thought about poetry subgenres. I think I have realised from this lesson that if I can't figure out what the subgenre of my poem is, then I don't really understand what it is about. I need to keep coming back to what am I trying to say in the poem, what is my purpose.
This was excellent! You're really giving us so much information that would have taken me hours of confusion to find on google lol. I really appreciate you sharing all of this knowledge.
Nice synopsis. In terms of writing that demonstrates well-executed craft, I often use Anthony Bourdain's "One Day--and One Night--in the Kitchen at Les Halles. Great for studying forward linear narrative structure and how different tools can speed up or slow down the way an essay reads.
Me again. I have to say that the explanation of Craft was terrific as we're the list of resources you provided. Absolutely great help. Definitely checking out your reference books. Thanks.
Loved the blurbs concept for submitting poems. I managed to do some of my own, using your template. Most days I still don’t understand the difference between prose and poetry. I’m pretty sure what I write is poetry. Anyway, here’s my blurbs.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my poem, “Stained Glass Ghosts.” It is twenty-seven lines and points to the haunting feeling of religious trauma.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my poem, “The Tombstone of an Acorn.” It is twenty-eight lines and describes the grief of lost potential.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my poem, “Broke.” It is twenty-six lines and plays with the concept of emotional labor from a woman’s perspective.
Thanks for the lesson! I found it helpful and informative. I appreciate the “complete beginner” philosophy because that’s where I’m at! I’m still trying to find publications to submit to that are a good match for my writing style. Only rejections so far, but I’m trying my hardest to not throw in the towel.
Fantastic! Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If your work is lineated then it is poetry. Prose poetry, traditionally, doesn't have line breaks. So if you have line breaks, even if it's prose, it would be considered more free-verse
Thanks for this, Ben! I appreciate the specificity, including the website tutorial. Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses is my addition to the book recommendations. He redefines several craft terms in interesting ways and makes compelling cases for why. Another book in my TBR pile I'm excited about is How We Do It by Jericho Brown. I'm a fan of podcasts and would love to hear from folks here about craft podcasts you're enjoying, especially specific episodes. Here's one about How We Do It: https://pca.st/episode/874ceaf9-151b-41ae-819f-6f79e4867631
Thank you, Ben. Question: I've seen editor interviews and articles about lit mags mention including one's bio in the cover letter to be a pet peeve. Would you say that is an outlier preference and we are safe including bios in cover letters?
Ah OK, so lesson 6 will be aaaall about cover letters and bios. I figured it would be worth dedicating a whole lesson to them since they are a big thing folks fret over and I spent years in the wtf-void trying to decide what to do with them.
This is fantastic!! Sincerely, thank you.
Hmmm on craft...
Ann Patchett's "This is a Story of a Happy Marriage" is filled with essays I believe are wonderfully executed.
I enjoy Marion Roach's "The Memoir Project" as a book on craft.
Many more thoughts and questions should pop up as I continue learning :)
Cheers!
Benjamin! These workshops are SOOO good. The spreadsheets are fantastic. Thank you! And I'm as slow getting to the party and as late getting to my homework as can be. Nevertheless, I loved the task you assigned of making a blurb for our work and want to share the results. Here's two of mine:
“Dude, Where’s Your Car?” is a 1,562-word travel story on my first task upon arriving at Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, a gathering of vagabonds in the Tatooine-like outpost of Quartzite, Arizona—locate a car swallowed by desert.
“Just Jump” is a 2,696-word personal essay on the casual violence girls growing up in the ’80s and ’90s were conditioned to take in silence, often at the hands of boys who’d learned real men took what they wanted, and how immersing myself in lakes and rivers and oceans helped me remember who I was and name what happened to me.
Is the last too long? Not the word count but the blurb. ;)
I think distinguishing between even just the seven subgenres of nonfiction may be a bit tricky for me. But I'm unendingly grateful to you pointing me in the direction of thinking about those distinctions and what they might mean for submitting. :)
I am just now starting, but this was great and helpful. Thank you!
I'm six lessons behind, but glad to be here! Ben, you are a treasure.
quick q: when you write these summaries of works for yourself and, as you said, also to add to cover letters do you write the brief descriptions on what they're about face value or what they're ~really~ about?
usually face value. First, a lot of editors don't read cover letters so going too far in is a bit of a waste of time. Second, if you give too much info, you're essentially explaining the story to an editor who is then going in with a bias toward your explanation. You want the story to speak for itself and the impact of it to sit with the editor. If you tell them and it makes sense it has less of the oomph factor when they read it. And that's what you want, I think.
Wow, what a gift you're giving us! One lesson in and I am already learning from past submission mistakes. Thank you, thank you! I'm signing up for the paid version :)
So happy to help. Thank you! I hope you enjoy all of the future lessons
That was really thought provoking. I have never really thought about poetry subgenres. I think I have realised from this lesson that if I can't figure out what the subgenre of my poem is, then I don't really understand what it is about. I need to keep coming back to what am I trying to say in the poem, what is my purpose.
Ah yes. I struggle with that as well. So much. I will talk on it a bit in lesson 7 for sure.
Looking forward to that. Have had a fun day playing with poems and blurbs. Thanks so much for what you are doing here
This was excellent! You're really giving us so much information that would have taken me hours of confusion to find on google lol. I really appreciate you sharing all of this knowledge.
So glad to hear it. Hopefully future lessons hit the mark as well.
Nice synopsis. In terms of writing that demonstrates well-executed craft, I often use Anthony Bourdain's "One Day--and One Night--in the Kitchen at Les Halles. Great for studying forward linear narrative structure and how different tools can speed up or slow down the way an essay reads.
Ah excellent. I have a book of his essays but haven't delved too deep in. I will find this.
Me again. I have to say that the explanation of Craft was terrific as we're the list of resources you provided. Absolutely great help. Definitely checking out your reference books. Thanks.
Oh awesome. I appreciate it
Loved Session One. I haven't done the exercise but definitely will. Cleat explanation. Great!
thank you!
Loved the blurbs concept for submitting poems. I managed to do some of my own, using your template. Most days I still don’t understand the difference between prose and poetry. I’m pretty sure what I write is poetry. Anyway, here’s my blurbs.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my poem, “Stained Glass Ghosts.” It is twenty-seven lines and points to the haunting feeling of religious trauma.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my poem, “The Tombstone of an Acorn.” It is twenty-eight lines and describes the grief of lost potential.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my poem, “Broke.” It is twenty-six lines and plays with the concept of emotional labor from a woman’s perspective.
Thanks for the lesson! I found it helpful and informative. I appreciate the “complete beginner” philosophy because that’s where I’m at! I’m still trying to find publications to submit to that are a good match for my writing style. Only rejections so far, but I’m trying my hardest to not throw in the towel.
Fantastic! Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If your work is lineated then it is poetry. Prose poetry, traditionally, doesn't have line breaks. So if you have line breaks, even if it's prose, it would be considered more free-verse
You bet!
Thanks for this, Ben! I appreciate the specificity, including the website tutorial. Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses is my addition to the book recommendations. He redefines several craft terms in interesting ways and makes compelling cases for why. Another book in my TBR pile I'm excited about is How We Do It by Jericho Brown. I'm a fan of podcasts and would love to hear from folks here about craft podcasts you're enjoying, especially specific episodes. Here's one about How We Do It: https://pca.st/episode/874ceaf9-151b-41ae-819f-6f79e4867631
And here's a playlist with some of the poets I read for the 2023 Sealey Challenge: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/71o0NrAEwOJYwzOPZbL3Sd?si=hokjJ7umQ5Gxv5xfV3NF_w&pi=u-WbEFL4QwS5WD
Oo fantastic! Thank you. I have listened to too many writing related podcasts, but I know Kailey adores them. I will try these out.
On the subject of writing craft books, in my early writing life, I loved Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones". Other craft books I'd recommend:
1."Steering the Craft" by Ursula K. Le Guin
2. "Writing as A Way of Healing" by Louise De Salvo - for memoirists or anyone trying to write about about personal trauma, chronic illness etc.
3. Not quite a craft book, but for spec fic writers, Margaret Atwood's Essay collection "In Other Worlds" is superb.
4. "Zen & the Art of Writing" by Ray Bradbury is packed with his colorful & wry observations on writing & the writing life.
Awesome! Thank you. Added.
Thank you, Ben. Question: I've seen editor interviews and articles about lit mags mention including one's bio in the cover letter to be a pet peeve. Would you say that is an outlier preference and we are safe including bios in cover letters?
Ah OK, so lesson 6 will be aaaall about cover letters and bios. I figured it would be worth dedicating a whole lesson to them since they are a big thing folks fret over and I spent years in the wtf-void trying to decide what to do with them.
Exactly, right in the wtf-void!
Great first lesson, thanks again 👍