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Book Talk

Aug 4, 2019
2 min

"No Poor, Indifferent Place": Is Any Life Too Boring for the Writer?

I have noticed a preference in my reading habits recently for books with slow plot-lines, contemplative narrators, and rural life. It has...

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Britta Eastburg Friesen

Aug 2, 2019
2 min

The Three Stages of the Editing Process

The first and most important stage in the editing process is the macro-edit, also called a content edit or a developmental edit.

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All the Long Sentences: The Compassion of Cormac McCarthy

Britta Eastburg Friesen

Aug 2, 2019
2 min

All the Long Sentences: The Compassion of Cormac McCarthy

Is it possible for syntax to be compassionate? Can the mere structure of a sentence influence the empathy of readers?

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"An Interesting Planet": Quotidian Detail in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead

Britta Eastburg Friesen

Aug 2, 2019
4 min

"An Interesting Planet": Quotidian Detail in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead

Writers are first and foremost seers, observers. We must view everything with the precision of a microscope and the distance of a god.

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Britta Eastburg Friesen

May 13, 2019
1 min

Art & Fear: The Danger of Perfectionism

The following is an excerpt from Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland. I show this to my writing students every semester, and I almo...

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Britta Eastburg Friesen

Mar 3, 2018
1 min

Need a Kick in the Pants?

You have been working, haven’t you? Or do you plan some sort of schedule for yourself starting as soon as you put down this article?

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5 Craft Books for Emerging Fiction Writers

Britta Eastburg Friesen

Feb 28, 2018
2 min

5 Craft Books for Emerging Fiction Writers

I love reading books on the craft of writing. Often, they turn me back to the blank page with renewed excitement, ready to tackle a diffi...

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Britta Eastburg Friesen

Aug 31, 2016
1 min

Writers on Revision

“Throw up into your typewriter every morning. Clean up every noon.” - Raymond Chandler

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Britta Eastburg Friesen

Aug 31, 2016
1 min

Britta's Top Reads

My list is always changing, but here are a few of my current favorites.

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