Columbia Writers' Workshop II

By Vikki Perry Can you write a 50,000 word novel in a single month? Last November, I did. I participated in the ninth annual National Novel ...

By Tiem Wilson You’ve probably heard the saying, “Writers write.” Or, you’ve heard the advice that you should write everyday. Well, how do y...

And 7 Other Ways to Work on a Story When You Aren’t Actually Writing by Janie Kronk Don’t call it procrastination. We read stories, and we ...

by Ilmars Birznieks CadillacCicatrix is a semi-annual journal for writers, poets, and artists. My story, The Long Journey to Freedom (over 5...

by DiAna DiAna Topic I try to write about something I am familiar with. It makes research much easier. My first book was about how I started...

By Alex Raley Faced with the frustrations of writing, I ask myself, "Why write?" Does anyone care that I write; aren't there ...

From Ilmars Birnieks Why do agents whine and complain about the volume of queries they receive? It's their work. If they didn't rece...

by Laura Valtorta People who have a finished screenplay should try out Virtual Pitch Fest. It's a way to send your pitches (2-3 paragrap...

by Bonnie Stanard Only in the last several years have I thought of myself as a writer. Somehow it always seemed pretentious to admit to w...

By Ginny Padgett Recently I was asked, “Who is your favorite writer?” “William Faulkner,” was my quick, word-association answer. I do think...

By Vikki Perry I’m a hack: a writer of poorly formed sentences, underdeveloped characters, and plots that make very little, if any, sense. ...

By Mike Long Columbia II Writers Workshop I don't think I've ever felt that just anyo...

By Meredith H. Kaiser Columbia II Writers Workshop One of my favorite books on writing is Parting the Curtains: Voices of the Great Southern...

By Beth Cotten Columbia II Writers Workshop Most of the following books were written in the 1980s and 1990s; a paperback edition of The Week...

By Lisa Lopez Snyder Columbia II Writers Workshop Lately I’ve been focusing on exercises to help me show rather than tell something about a ...

By Janie Kronk Columbia II Writers Workshop It was the first time walking into a library ever made me feel afraid. The feeling was incongruo...

Laura Puccia Valtorta works as an attorney in Columbia, South Carolina. She specializes in Social Security disability, employment law, and f...

When I was in college a professor encouraged me to write fiction, but I was so dense I didn’t realize it until years later. Career choices ...

I have been writing long enough to recognize a cliché, but not as long as some of the other writers in Columbia II. When we are discussing a...

From the Midwest to the Midlands The smell of freshly-cut grass always evokes stark memories for me—mornings nudging thick brown earthworms ...