Guest Post by Julianna Baggott -- author of 15 books, including novels, novels for younger readers, books of poetry, under her own name and various pen names.
I've never written about writing in a blog, not really, though I've written about writing plenty. I'm afraid, I think, that if I start writing about writing in blog form I won't be able to stop. Writing is, for me, the disease and the cure. It's how I breathe. And my relationship with writing is as intimate and real as any of my relationships.
I write in a storm -- my daily life is messy, loud, vexing, ebullient -- and I've been writing about the storm -- the external realities of my life.
But here are a few things I should blog about, really, because these are a few questions that come up again and again.
1. Who are you? A bit on pen names.
2. On being prolific which leads to a discussion of THE EFFICIENCY OF CREATIVITY.
3. On the balance of writing with kids.
4. Doggedness -- I just read a post by Dani Shapiro on her complicated feelings about the word. I use the word all the time.
5. Talent versus Hours.
6. Agents.
7. Why I believe editors do still edit.
8. How to improve -- a few writers I know who do one-on-one tutorials, plus conferences, writing groups, online supports ...
9. Cross-training -- why it's important for me to write in many genres.
10. Reading as a Writer -- a different kind of reading.
11. Criticism and Rejection -- the upsides.
12. Mapping -- How I shape a novel while allowing it to shape itself.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I'll post on all of these topics., alongside Asher's posts, detailing her storm.
I hope these things help ...
JB
www.juliannabaggott.com
www.theanybodies.com
www.princeoffenwaypark.com
