Monthly Archives: March 2011

Thoughts on Finishing (and Muddling)

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

What Jennifer Chen said about the immediacy of baking in her Seven Questions interview on Monday really resonated with me. I’ve always thought of knitting as a perfect companion to writing, much the way she talks about baking. With yarn and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Knitting, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Interview: Jennifer Chen, Magazine Freelancer and YA Novelist

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Jennifer Chen is a successful, multi-faceted writer, and I’m so pleased to feature her in this installment of the Seven Questions interview series. As a magazine freelancer, Jennifer’s work has been published widely. You can read her interview with Def … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Journalism, Seven Questions, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Happy Accidents

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Sometimes a mistake can change one’s point of view. Getting lost and ending up in a neighborhood you’ve never seen before. Angling for a photo and snapping at the wrong time, capturing something totally unlike what you intended. Breaking a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Flipbacks: The Latest Publishing Trend?

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

My librarian friend Tamara sent me a link to this Guardian article about the lightweight flipback book format that’ll be available in England this summer. It’s portable, pocketable and obviously marketable. The Sly Oyster reports the flipback debuted in Holland in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Flipback, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

AP Announces a (Shocking!) Style Update

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

I just ran across this Huffington Post story about recent changes to the AP Stylebook, “the journalist’s bible,” and it feels like the black-and-white world has tilted a bit. As of this past weekend, there’s no longer a dash in … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Technology, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Beautiful Things

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

After a brief respite from real life, my creative well has been refilled. I have been wandering around San Francisco and also enjoying a mini-writing retreat. Focusing on the interesting sights and on the slowly growing novel world has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Interview: Artist Jacob Fennell on Game Design, Inspiration and the Challenge of Creating ‘Productive Reductions’

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Interdisciplinary artist Jacob Fennell is the brains behind Muddy Paws, an addictive new iPhone game that has an extremely high happiness quotient. Think puppies! Kittens wearing parachutes! And rainbows! The object is to catch falling furry friends in a little … Continue reading →

Posted in Seven Questions, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Details: Where Fiction and Real Life Intersect

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

When I was younger, I kept a notebook in my pocket to jot down unusual sights and record snippets of dialogue to use in a novel someday. It’s a method that works for many people, and it taught me discipline. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Interview: Author Liz Prato on Identity, POV and Teaching

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

This interview launches my new series, Seven Questions. I’m excited to introduce Liz Prato, a short story writer, novelist, essayist and writing teacher, based here in Portland, Oregon. She’s an important part of my personal writing community as well as … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Seven Questions, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seven Questions

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

This month I’m launching Seven Questions, an occasional interview series that will hopefully turn into an ongoing conversation about what it means to be a creative professional in this economy. As a journalist, I love asking writers and other artistic … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Seven Questions, Writing | Tagged , , | 3 Comments