Columbia Writers' Workshop II

By Bonnie Stanard Robert Frost was quoted as saying, “Writing in free verse is like playing tennis with the nets down.” I would ask, I...

By Chris Mathews Dialogue in writing can set mood and establish character, but without one essential quality dialogue can also derail ...

By Laura P. Valtorta Recently I’ve been pondering our American right to free speech, guaranteed by the First Amendment, and how our Am...

By Kimberly Johnson To borrow a phrase…it starts with a good sentence. That’s what I’m searching for this week. With a key...

  By Leigh Stevenson We choose to write in a way that speaks to us. Fantasy, history, memoir, essay, fiction, non-fiction, Twitter, Face...

By Alex Raley Big books were the norm in college and graduate school.  I also read such books for pleasure, but as I moved forward in t...

By Shaun McCoy If there's one thing I'm not, it's detail oriented. When dealing with my car keys and anniversaries I'm a...

By Bonnie Stanard I was skimming though Kim Byer’s website ( http://www.paperapron.com ) and read about her fascination with quotes. I l...

By Shaun McCoy If you're reading this, ironically, you're probably a writer. I've got to tell you, my brothers and sister...

By Amanda Simays Some people can start typing the beginning of a story and write all the way through until the end. I am not one of th...

By Chris Mathews One important way to put more drama in your writing is to understand the language of drama, dialogue.  Fiction and non...

By Ginny Padgett This year I am the Conference Chair for the SCWW Conference. For those of you who don’t know, the SCWW Conference has a...

By Kim Byer Betty Edwards, author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain , teaches her art students to turn photographs upside down in ...

By Kimberly Johnson  Axl Rose…grow up, man. For those who don’t know, Axl Rose refused to be a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’...

By Bonnie Stanard If you’re writing short stories and poetry and getting wholesale rejections, you can take only so much comfort in knowing ...

By Fred Fields Experience is the best teacher. It doesn't have to be your own, and anybody's experience can qualify. That's why ...

By Laura P. Valtorta The filming of the boxing documentary is indescribable. It’s living one of my dreams. I can’t sleep very well because I...

By Chris Mathews As a drama teacher and part-time playwright for thirty-two years, I believe dramatic concepts can be applied to other genre...

By Kim Byer I’ve spent most of my weekend changing a closet filled with turtlenecks and boots into one filled with tunics and sandals. This ...

By Amanda Simays My parents are moving out of the house they’ve lived in for twenty years. Which of my belongings do I discard, and which do...