Writers spend hours in front of the empty page--whether the page is in a notebook or on the computer. It is, inevitably, a lonely business, but there are still ways that writers can help each other out. Below are Steve's responses to several perrennial issues facing writers of creative nonfiction: Do we need to tell the whole truth? What does the personal in personal essay mean? In what way can we use writing as a tool for thinking about our world? How do we bring other voices into our texts? Steve presented several of these brief essays on panels at AWP. |
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What do we mean when we say that a personal essay is personal? The answer to that question has to do with the attitude of the writer toward the audience. |
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Is it possible to think hard about a subject without engaging in the kind of arguing that characterizes so much of our mass media? Consider practicing the art of mulling over your ideas in creative nonfiction. |
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Do we have to tell all? Is it even possible? The rules for the writer of memoir are probably more strict, but for the personal essayist writing is the art of restraint. |
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One way to make the business of writing less lonely is to invite others in. "The Art of Interruption" suggests the value of bringing other voices into your writing without losing your own voice along the way." |
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