[Let me preface this article by saying that usually, I can take criticism, and I can take it well.  I took it in college. I took it (in bushels) in graduate school.  I took it from studios and producers who later ended up not giving a shit.  Hell, I even take it at my job...every day.  And usually, I take it with a smile.  Or at least a half-hidden grimace.  Because most of the time criticism helps more than it hurts and is an essential part of being a writer.  Okay.  Now that we're clear...]

For most of my writing career, I’ve entered contests.  While some of them are designed to take your money and nothing more, a lot of writing contests – espescially the ones that include feedback – are a good way to actively let the world know who you are and what you do.  They can be great resume boosters, and sometimes even lead to contacts.

These days, I still enter the occasional contest, but have also started to work for a few, providing the oh-so-important feedback.  So I know how it works.  I know that sometimes readers get slammed with entries and have to juggle their judging along with their own work. I know that sometimes, most of what they have to wade through is awful.  I know they often do it for so little pay it’s laughable.  But I also know that they freely sign up for all of it.

Which is why I was so pissed when I received coverage on a script of mine from a certain contest that shall remain unnamed.  Actually, pissed is an understatement.  Slamming-cupboards-looking-for-nothing-in-particular-kind-of-angry is more like it. Read more »

I consider myself a well learned, words-loving person.  I even spent an infinite number of dollars to get a graduate degree in the field of words, so obviously, I’m a fan of writing and reading the writing of others.  When I was a kid, I used to read so voraciously that I could speed my way through half a book a night, and would routinely stay up much later than was advisable just to get in that one last chapter. So yes, I love words.  I love to read.

I just hate the bookstore.

For some reason, buying a book at a store (be it a cute used Mom and Pop thing or a huge Barns’N'EveryBookEverWritten) is an immensely stressful process for me.  Maybe all the choice just freaks me out.  I don’t know.  Whatever the reason, I’ve developed my own way of picking out a new literary escape, a way that the New York Times Book Review may frown on, but that nevertheless keeps my blood pressure where it should be. Read more »

I’m re-hashing an old debate here, but I only want to rehash it for the sake of silencing it once and for all:

Is writing creatively something that can be taught?  Is getting an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts degree) in Creative Writing a waste of time and money?  [Read the instances of these arguments: Should Creative Writing Be Taught? and here Why Always Write in a Room Of One's Own?]

Okay, let me say right off the bat that I’m not a fair candidate to debate this issue since I’m currently enrolled in an MFA Program.  But I think I can still fairly go on a mini-rant. Read more »