Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Arts:Books
Award-winning author Joseph Kertes, whose new novel is The Afterlife of Stars (Little Brown).
This week’s Write the Book Prompt was generously suggested by our guest, Joseph Kertes, who has used it in his classes. He was once asked by a ten-year-old in his daughter’s class - where he led the after-school writing club - “How do you know if you’re a comic writer or a tragic writer?” He answered, "Well, I guess if you start writing and it’s funny, you’re a comic writer." Then he brought them this prompt, which resulted in both very sad and very funny writing outcomes.
My best friend in elementary school was born without a head. At recess, she ran like the wind.
So that’s our prompt for this week. Write in response to that sentence, and see if what you come up with is comic or tragic.
Good luck with your work in the coming week, and please listen next week for another prompt or suggestion.
Melissa Fraterrigo - Interview #492 (1/22/18)
Tracy Chevalier - Archive Interview #491 (1/15/18)
Bill McKibben - Interview #490 (1/1/18)
Mary R. Morgan - Archive Interview #489 (12/25/17)
Elizabeth Day - Interview #488 (12/18/17)
Will Dowd - Interview #487 (12/11/17)
Will Friedwald - Interview #486 (12/4/17)
John Homans - Archive Interview #485 (11/27/17)
Robin Cook - Archive Episode #484 (11/20/17)
Shozan Jack Haubner - Interview #483 (11/13/17)
Adam Federman - Interview #482 (11/6/17)
Grant Faulkner - Interview #481 (10/30/17)
Katherine Paterson - Interview #480 (10/30/17)
Bonus Podcast! A new book chat with Claire Benedict
Fiona Helmsley - Interview #479 (10/23/17)
Peter Stamm - Interview #478 (10/16/17)
Jennifer Egan - Interview #477 (10/9/17)
Joan Wickersham - Archive Interview #476 (10/2/17)
Nancy Hayes Kilgore - Interview #475 (9/25/17)
Vermont Book Award - Show #474 (9/18/17 B)
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