This week, we offer tips on how to organize your files, deal with your MFA classmates, and Highlander your enemies. Also: what books did we love and hate as high-school students?
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As always, just click on the little player thingy below to stream the episode, or download the mp3 file and do with it whatever you will. Or visit us in iTunes, where you can subscribe to the show (for free) and never miss another episode.
We’re back in the basement this week, talking heartbreak at church lock-ins and awkward encounters in rest stop bathrooms. Also we manage to answer some questions about writing. How does one go about finding a mentor? Do a few acceptances ease the sting of rejection? And what’s the deal with book trailers?
Got questions for a future episode of Writers Ask? Just click on the ‘Fight Back’ tab at the top of the page, or you can tweet at us. We’re @Book_Fight on your Twitter machine. Or just run up onto Tom’s lawn and shout your question while shaking your fist at the heavens. Whatever works for you!
Here’s a link to the story Mike mentioned during the episode, Last Days, which would be a lot crappier if not for Charles D’Ambrosio’s careful notes and suggestions.
If you’re interested in taking an online workshop with either of your friendly Book Fight hosts, now’s your chance: Barrelhouse is offering workshops starting June 1, with Mike teaching fiction and Tom doing nonfiction. Money raised from the workshop will help Barrelhouse stay in business, and keep paying contributors. Space is limited, so register now. We can also vouch for Stan Mir, our coworker at Temple, who will be teaching a poetry workshop for Barrelhouse this summer.
As always, you can stream the episode here, just by clicking on the little player thingy below:
You can download all our episodes for free in the iTunes store, where you can also subscribe, so you never miss another update. Finally, please consider visiting our sponsor, Powell’s Books. If you click on any of the Powell’s links on our site, then shop as you normally would, a small cut of the purchase price will come back to the show.
To MFA or not to MFA: That is the question. Or, one of the questions for this week’s episode of Writers Ask. With the proliferation of graduate creative writing programs, does the degree bring diminishing returns? How important is it to attend a “top tier” program? What can you expect to get out of the experience of devoting 2-3 years to writing? Will it help you build a career?
Also, we explain our beef with flash fiction, and share our pet peeves about writers and social media. Plus, Tom burns a bridge, and Mike tries to find some life lessons in past failures.
As always, you can stream the episode here, or download the mp3 file. Or, check us out in the iTunes store, where you can download past episodes for free and subscribe, so you never miss another update. While you’re there, please consider leaving us a quick review, which helps us reach new listeners.
Please consider helping to support the show–and a great independent book store–by shopping at Powell’s Online. Just click on any of the Powell’s buttons on the site, like the one over in the right-hand column, then shop as you normally would. Anything you buy will throw a little money back our way. Win win!
This week we tell you how to deal with overzealous editors, how to reject your friends, and which lit mags we’re not so crazy about. Plus: Tom shares a story about nipple bleeding during an important editorial meeting. A must-listen!
If you’ve got questions for our Writers Ask segments, you can email them to us, or tweet at us, using the hashtag #WritersAsk. As always, you can stream the episode here on our site, or download the mp3 file. Or, visit us in the iTunes store, where you can download past episodes and subscribe (for free) so you never miss another installment.
Want to buy some books? Check out Powell’s huge online store for both new and used books. Click on any of the Powell’s links on our site, and any purchase you make will send a couple bucks our way.
How long is too long to wait for a journal or press to read your submission? How much can writers get paid for a short story? What are the worst writerly affectations? Once again we’re here to tackle your most pressing queries about writing, publishing, and the vagaries of the human experience.
Talking points for this episode include: therapy dogs, AWP, jaunty hats, clove cigarettes, adult-film scripts, and writing in coffee shops.
Got a question for us? Want to tell us we’re wrong? Drop us a line! Your questions fuel the show; without them, we’ll wither and die.
As always, you can stream the episode right here on our site, or download the file and do with it whatever you wish. Or, check us out in the iTunes store, where you can download individual episodes or subscribe (for free) to make sure you never miss another installment of podcasty goodness.
Special shout out this week to all the listeners we met at AWP. It was really gratifying to hear how many of you are enjoying the show. And to new post-AWP listeners: welcome! We hope you’ll stick around, and tell all your writerly friends.
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A very special episode this week, listeners! We’re fielding questions from a creative writing class at Tom’s high school alma mater, La Salle College High School in Philadelphia. It’s time for some serious mentoring. Changing lives!
But there’s plenty in here for the adults, too. In fact, despite our best efforts, there might be more cursing than is ideal for a high school class. Sorry for the swears, pre-adults! But we hope our answers are helpful: on revision, mining stories from Facebook, how to craft a good piece of literary nonfiction, and more.
This week we’re answering questions about low-residency MFA programs, revisiting your old work, and whether writers should attend AWP. Also, Mike tries to alienate as many listeners as possible, while Tom tries to keep things on track.
Got questions for future episodes of Writers Ask? You can submit them by clicking on the ‘Fight Back’ link at the top of the page, or you can tweet them at us. We’re @Book_Fight on your Twitter dial. Use the hashtag #WritersAsk and we’ll answer your query on the show. Remember: There are no stupid questions, just stupid people who don’t listen to our podcast.
Or visit us in the iTunes store, where you can subscribe (for free) and get each week’s episode delivered to you as soon as it’s uploaded.
Finally, please support our sponsor, Powell’s Books, which gives you the best of both book-buying worlds: the ability to order books online and have them shipped right to your home, while also supporting a hard-working brick-and-mortar, independent book shop. Click on any of the Powell’s links on our site, and for every purchase you make, a percentage will come back to support the show, at no extra cost to you.
What are the best jobs for writers? What’s with writers who don’t like to read? And why does it make Mike so mad when people talk about literature like it’s a commodity? We also discuss naps, and why Tom lives like an old person. Talking points include: back to school, John Gardner’s On Becoming a Novelist, Type-A doctors, night watchmen, revolution, and sleeping on planes.
Or check us out in the iTunes store, where you can download back episodes and subscribe to new ones (all for free). And if you want to buy some books, how about clicking on the little Powell’s badge at the bottom of this post? All your purchases will help support the show through our partnership with Powell’s, a great indie bookstore you should definitely support, regardless of how you feel about us.
Thanks for listening! We’re always happy to hear your feedback. You can email us, or just leave a note in the comments.
On this episode of Writers Ask we actually dole out some real, earnest advice: on applying to MFA programs, keeping your life and work in perspective, and how to find books in a Barnes and Noble. Also, why shouldn’t you include the phrase “Pushcart Prize nominee” in your cover letter to literary magazines?
Here’s a little sample of Goofus and Gallant, for anyone who wasn’t a regular Highlights for Children reader in their childhood (or adulthood; we don’t judge).
Solid advice! Unless Gallant drops those scissors and they spear him in the foot.
Stream the episode here, by clicking on the little player thingy:
You can also find us in the iTunes store, by clicking on the link below. And if you’re buying books, click on that Powell’s badge (or any of the book links on our site), then shop as you normally would. A small percentage of your purchase price will come back to us, and help support the podcast.
Happy (almost) New Year, Book Fighters! We’ve got a special supersized Writers Ask for you this week, in which we tackle questions about how to give a good reading, Duotrope’s recent decision to charge for its services, and whether it’s okay to drink while writing. Also, Tom helps Mike communicate with his text-loving teenaged cousin, and talks about the time he was hit in the face with a chapbook.
As always, you can stream the episode here on the site, download the mp3 file, or listen in iTunes. Even if you don’t use iTunes, please consider clicking the button below and leaving us a review. The more reviews we get, the more iTunes will help us promote the show to new listeners. You can also subscribe (for free) in iTunes, to make sure you never miss another episode.
This is our last episode with the old audio equipment, so we hope that next time you’ll hear a noticeable bump in quality. We’ll post some pics of the new stuff once we’ve got it set up.
