Here we are, in the final days of what some writers know only as National Novel Writing Month. Regardless of how many words you generated during November, you’ve undoubtedly learned some valuable things about yourself as a writer: what motivates, sustains or inspires you. Or, if you chose not to participate, maybe you learned what…
Author: Rachel Dempsey
Great Beginnings, Part 2
I want to start by once again thanking all of the dedicated people at Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers who planned and executed a wonderful Colorado Gold Conference this year. With so much uncertainty around COVID numbers, labor shortages and virtual options, it must have been even more challenging than in years past. But the team…
Great Beginnings, Part 1
If Rachel didn’t win the writing contest this year, she might have to kill someone other than the darlings in her manuscript. Please excuse the hyperbole; I only use it here to demonstrate a point about openers. The first lines of a story are not the place to hem and haw. In today’s world, with…
To MFA or Not To MFA?
I love school. Always have, always will. I’d hazard a guess that most writers do; after all, what is school if not an excuse to spend hours reading and writing? We may not always appreciate the deadlines and assessments, but let’s be honest, most of us could use a little external pressure when it comes…
Giving Back versus Giving it Away
In the midst of widespread debates about the national minimum wage and the ethics of unpaid internships, where does the striving writer feature? I’ve been struggling to define my own boundaries as a professional and a volunteer. An eager artist with plenty (too much?) to say, I tend to shout “yes!” to opportunities first and…