Comments on: It’s Okay to be a Kid—Pitfalls that Can Stunt a Writer’s Growth Part I

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:48:57 +0000

Fantastic post … inspiring words. Thanks for the encouragement, I needed this today!

By: Suzan

Suzan — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:47:44 +0000

Hey–I still fight over the sharp crayons.

😛

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:51:05 +0000

Rachel…after years of doing this I sometimes feel that “literary fiction” is code for “bad writing.” Writers too new or lazy or overwhelmed to learn the craft often use this term in hopes that they can get out of doing the hard work. Nope. Sorry. No pass here. We saged writers/editors see right through it. And the funny part is a lot of us go through that stage too, much like going through the stage of wearing every barrette we own in our hair…but either you grow out of it or people look at you funny, :D.

By: amkuska

amkuska — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:28:31 +0000

*rummages around in pile on desk*

This copy? Haven’t even started it yet. -.- I guess you’ve twisted my arm.

By: Rachel Lynne

Rachel Lynne — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:46:55 +0000

Truer words have not been written, Kristen! I just finished judging an unpub contest and one of the entries described itself as “women’s fiction”. Spare me. It was nothing but lovely words strung together to describe sunbeams and views out the kitchen window. I had to break it to this writer that, while the prose was pretty, nothing was happening and her characters weren’t even alive, much less 3-D. Of course, I said this in the nicest way possible 🙂
Still, she would benefit from your post instead of wrapping herself in the cloak of “Literary fiction”. A story is a story, no matter the “high brow” aim, so you had better have a plot and interesting characters or no one but “literati” will read it!
Stepping off my soap box now!! 🙂