Skip to content
A. B. Westrick
A. B. Westrick
AUTHOR AND EDITOR
  • Books
    • BROTHERHOOD
    • Stories & Essays
  • About
    • Editing
    • Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Where to Buy Brotherhood
    • Contact
    • Home
  • School Visits
    • TEACHERS
    • STUDENTS
  • Blog

Tag: writing

On Doubt

February 1, 2012 A. B. Westrick 6 Comments

The blank page glares at me. Stark. Judging. Waiting for brilliance, not blather. The pressure is almost unbearable. First there…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: emotional truth, process, Ron Smith, VCFA, writing

The Liebster Award

December 14, 2011 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

A little love came my way recently. Richmonder Marci Rich, who writes The Midlife Second Wife, nominated my blog for…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: craft, creativity, emotional truth, Liebster Award, VCFA, writing

Raising the stakes

November 19, 2011 A. B. Westrick 2 Comments

At the mid-Atlantic SCBWI conference last month, keynoter Han Nolan said, “When a story scares me so much that I…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: character, craft, han nolan, process, SCBWI, scenes, writing

Emotional seeds for stories

October 10, 2011 A. B. Westrick 9 Comments

This past Saturday while speaking on a panel at the James River Writers Conference, I choked up and found myself…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: character, craft, emotional truth, historical, kkk, klan, literature, prejudice, process, Southern fiction, writing

Details, details, details

September 20, 2011 A. B. Westrick 2 Comments

The smoky odor from a too-hot furnace…a hint of honeysuckle…the racket of bullfrogs—these were the details that brought last week’s…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: craft, process, Robert Olen Butler, VCFA, writer's block, writing

Non-linear writing

August 1, 2011 A. B. Westrick 2 Comments

While I was drafting this post, my son peered over my shoulder, and said, “Mom, TL:DR: too long; didn’t read.”…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: craft, process, revision, VCFA, writing

On Creativity

June 23, 2011 A. B. Westrick 2 Comments

Last month a young woman told me she was pursuing a PhD in children’s literature instead of an MFA because…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Annie Dillard, creativity, Julia Cameron, MFA, process, story, The Artist's Way, writing

Organic writing

May 23, 2011 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

Last week I popped Katherine Applegate‘s middle-grade novel in verse, Home of the Brave, into my car’s CD player, and…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: metaphor, middle-grade, protagonist, verse, writing

Bringing in the back-story

May 8, 2011 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

For a few years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as a primary-level reader/judge for James River Writers’ Best Unpublished…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: back-story, character, contest, hook, manuscript, protagonist, revision, structure, writing

The difference between content and process

April 30, 2011 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

In mid-March, as I staffed the James River Writers (JRW) table at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville,…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: arc, books, conference, craft, historical, literature, pace, plot, process, scenes, structure, voice, writing

Post navigation

Page 11 of 12
← Previous 1 … 10 11 12 Next →

Sign up for Interviews & book giveaways (every second Tuesday)

Loading

Sign up for Newsletter (semi-annual)

Recent Posts

  • MG Survival Story: author interview and giveaway! April 13, 2021
  • “I let myself daydream”: interview with Lauren Wolk & book giveaway March 9, 2021
  • “Creation is a River”: Sara Pennypacker interview and giveaway February 9, 2021
  • Her grandparents’ barn: an interview with Linda Oatman High January 12, 2021
  • Science is Mystery: interview and book giveaway December 4, 2020

Tags

revision protagonist character hook YA research craft giveaway voice author interview emotional truth writing process historical manuscript VCFA Vermont College of Fine Arts fiction scenes structure literature book giveaway plot rafflecopter MFA James River Writers books theme story middle-grade

Tweets

ABWestrick@ABWestrick·
20h

Thank you for reading my #interview with Frances! I love to hear authors talk about their #writing process.

Kathy Davis@KathyDavispoet

A fascinating interview with Frances Greenslade about her book Red Fox Road! https://twitter.com/ABWestrick/status/1381961365536047104

Reply on Twitter 1381999457487753217Retweet on Twitter 1381999457487753217Like on Twitter 1381999457487753217Twitter 1381999457487753217
ABWestrick@ABWestrick·
23h

I loved this #MG survival story & I interviewed #Canadian author Frances Greenslade about #writing craft & process. #bookgiveaway signup open til 4/20. Drawing on 4/21. @PenguinRandomCA #kidlit #mglit #mgbookchat #fiction
https://abwestrick.com/2021/04/mg-survival-story-author-interview-and-giveaway/

Reply on Twitter 1381961365536047104Retweet on Twitter 1381961365536047104Like on Twitter 13819613655360471041Twitter 1381961365536047104
ABWestrick@ABWestrick·
10 Apr

Party! Q&A with authors. Games. Free! Sat., APRIL 17, 2:00 PM. Register at @rvalibrary for the Zoom link. 2021 YAVA Award winner announcement. Wear PJs. See you there! @ae_kaplan @Brynne_RH @ByChristinaJune @DMStinson4 @KatyUpperman @OliveJuiceLots @SG_Marsh @samaireherself

Reply on Twitter 1381001421387104263Retweet on Twitter 13810014213871042637Like on Twitter 13810014213871042637Twitter 1381001421387104263
Load More...

Articles, Interviews, & Podcasts:

Podcast: Working Title on the 85K Writing Challenge, where I confess that I’ve stopped beating myself up over my process. It is what it is. March 20, 2019

Podcast: Working Title on the 85K Writing Challenge, where I talk about setting priorities in my writing life. February 20, 2019

Podcast: Working Title on the 85K Writing Challenge, where I ramble about my writing process, including how I conquer writer’s block. January 23, 2019

James River Writers
Copyright © 2021 A. B. Westrick