why i write – Liz Durano

Fathers and Daughters

This video above depicting Serena Williams and her father/coach really hit me hard in the feels when I saw it today. I had written a long post about all the why’s that had to with my writing but I decided, in the end, just to save it on my blog because it reminds me ofContinue reading “Fathers and Daughters”

Weekly Update #amwriting

I took this photo during my first trip to the Frick Collection in New York’s Upper West Side three years ago this week. It was from a free paper I picked up along the way and I still have it three years later. Sometimes I see the photo posted on other people’s social media feedsContinue reading “Weekly Update #amwriting”

The Stories We Tell

The stories we tell are like our clothing, our personality, curated for exhibition. We go shopping in the racks of our own histories, selecting pieces that create the style we want. Having a story added without your permission is like getting a tattoo you didn’t ask for: you can hide it, or you can tryContinue reading “The Stories We Tell”

Well, That’s About It

It’s actually not a bad thing. It just means the ebook files for Loving Riley are now being finalized for publication. I had already uploaded the final file two weeks ago but Amazon officially locks down the file three days before publication date so what you have on file at this point is what theContinue reading “Well, That’s About It”

Sebastian Junger: Why We Write

“I do this sort of split thing when I’m writing. I’m very aware that I’m writing for readers, and I do everything I can to engage them, to make my writing accessible and compelling. At the same time, I try to be completely disinterested in what I think people will like. I’m writing for myself.Continue reading “Sebastian Junger: Why We Write”

Gish Jen: Why We Write

“When I’m writing I’m unaware of myself. I’m in my characters, in the story. I know the writing is going well when I look at my watch and see that it’s ten p.m., and the last time I looked it was noon. My writing has always been very intuitive. When I start a piece IContinue reading “Gish Jen: Why We Write”

Rick Bass: Why I Write

“The stories we tell in fiction – stories of warning or celebration, stories of illustrative possibility – are important. When the shit really hits the fan for a civilization, artists can become more important than ever, in helping to bend a culture back to another direction, away from the impending and onrushing brick wall. IContinue reading “Rick Bass: Why I Write”

Pat Conroy: Why I Write

“I do not record the word exactly as it comes to me but transform it by making it pass through a prism of fabulous stories I have collected along the way. I gather stories the way a lepidopterist hoards his chloroformed specimens of rare moths, or a sunburned entomologist admires his well-ordered bottles of Costa RicanContinue reading “Pat Conroy: Why I Write”