There were many commonalities I found among the creatives I interviewed during my 2010 cross-country U.S. trip. One was that my interview subjects all discovered their own creative side at a very early age. Fortunately for them–and for us–they held on to that creativity, and didn’t let the “I can’t” and “I don’t” forces of […]
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A Model for Feedback on Your Creative Work
April 4, 2013 
28 Comments
“Writing is a solitary pursuit,” said award-winning author Robin Hemley, explaining why he has “no patience” for belonging to a writer’s group. You might argue that Robin has reached a level in his career where he doesn’t need feedback from other writers. He is an accomplished writer of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. He directs the […]
Read moreAvoiding ‘Truthiness’ When Writing Your Life
March 25, 2013 185 Comments
“Did that really happen?” It’s a question every memoirist and personal essayist faces. Ideally the writer will answer “Yes.” It gets awkward when you have to say, “Yes, but…” In the October 2005 debut episode of his influential TV show, Stephen Colbert gave the world the word truthiness. He said truthiness is when you’re talking […]
Read moreAWP Nugget: Left-Brain Planning for a Right-Brain Conference
March 5, 2013 15 Comments
The process of creating art fires neurons in the right side of our brains. Planning and organization processes in the left side. Planning the most creative use of one’s time at North America’s largest literary conference requires whole-brain thinking. Every artist I interviewed on my cross-country U.S. road trip understood the role of planning in […]
Read more5 Keys to Success for Aspiring Writers (Not) to Follow
January 29, 2013 40 Comments
Today’s post is inspired by an award-winning fantasy and science fiction author I interviewed during my cross-country road trip, Michael Swanwick. For a time in the early 2000′s he played a character online by the name of “Unca Mike,” who took a different approach to writing advice: Most writing columns offer sound and useful advice […]
Read moreHow Do You Define an Artist?
December 14, 2012 14 Comments
Here in Washington, D.C., we are all swept up in amazement and wonder with the Redskins’ rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III. He is as flawless off the field as he is on. It becomes difficult after a while for writers to find new ways to describe how amazing he is, but in yesterday’s Washington Post, […]
Read moreAre We Living a Golden Age of Creative Instruction?
November 26, 2012 16 Comments
So the countdown begins. Having been admitted to her art college of choice, in a few months my daughter will be a 10-hour drive away, living artistic instruction day and night. It’s a dream for her, and I’m thrilled (my pocketbook is perhaps less so). I’m also a bit envious–at how clear her creative path […]
Read moreThe Next Big Thing: Breaking the Rules
November 20, 2012 31 Comments
I have a congenital allergy to blog chains. But I’m loading up on as much pseudoephedrine as the pharmacist can legally sell me (no, I don’t run a meth lab) to participate in “Then Next Big Thing: My New Project” chain. I am to discuss my big writing project, then pass the task on to […]
Read moreWhen the End of the Road is Just the Beginning
November 6, 2012 45 Comments
I just now, moments ago, finished the first draft of the last chapter of my book-length memoir. I am alone in my basement, full of joy and excitement and wonder, but I am not alone, because I know that the readers of this blog are with me. I still have a ways to go on […]
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Kudos to the Artist’s Road Commenters of 2012
The Artist’s Road is, at its heart, a conversation with its readers. It draws its strength from the quality and depth of its comments, left by thoughtful, reflective commenters. I am continually amazed at the wisdom left there; I love that my blog posts allow me to learn from my readers. So I’d like to […]
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