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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Characteristics of an Exceptional Writer

Marianne Kunkel, managing editor of Prairie Schooner, is interviewed over at the LitBridge blog about "Characteristics of an Exceptional Writer." Guess what's (explicitly) not on the list? Perfection. Guess what is? Risk-taking and surprise. Am I surprised? I am not: a few weeks (months?) ago I said that the poems I valued most surprised me and that I was going to try and put more surprises in my poems. Am I now even more challenged to do this? I am.

Other admirable traits mentions: nerve, humor, and imagination. Read the whole (brief and worth-your-while) interview.

(More articles at LitBridge here, including "How to Receive Criticism" by Traci Brimhall, "How to Put Together a Book Tour" by Keith Montesano, "How to Write Collaborative Poetry" by Wendy Xu and Nick Sturm, "Quick Tips for Publishing Flash Fiction" by Glenn Shaheen, "How to Balance A Full-Time Job and Being a Writer" by Nina Corwin, "Being a Reading Series Coordinator" by Vladislav Frederick, and so many more practical topics.)

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