Around the Web: From Quoting Authors to Publishing History

Welcome back, dear readers! This week I’m sharing a take on quoting authors, a reminder of the importance of reading, a writing course, and a bit of publishing history.

Hope you enjoy!

Author Quotations

Quoting authors is something we’ve all done, or at least seen, on social media. But distilling an author into a single quote may do a disservice. At least that’s what Sandra Newman believes. She investigates the potential downsides of viral author quotes in the context of Toni Morrison’s death, reminding us that context is important.

The Importance of Reading

We all know how important reading is to the writing process, but in case you need another reminder check out Nancy Jo Cullen’s recent Open Book column, in which she discusses how reading helps her with her own writing.

NaNoWriMo Prep Course

Image: NaNoWriMo K. Tempest Bradford

I know it’s only September, but National Novel Writing Month (November, for those of you who don’t know) is coming up fast. To help writers prepare, K. Tempest Bradford is offering a daily writing exercise course.

Regrettable Rejections

Image: © Estate of TS Eliot and reprinted by permission of Faber & Faber. UCL: © Orwell Archive, UCL Library Special Collections. British Library https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/an-introduction-to-animal-farm

No one likes getting rejected, but it happens to nearly everyone. If you need a little hope when it comes to rejected writing, take a look at the Guardian’s recent article on publishing’s most regrettable literary rejections.