Author Archives: admin

Writing for Story: Summer Seattle Creative Writing Class

Posted on April 26, 2012 by admin

Writing for Story: Summer Seattle Creative Writing Class This summer I’ll offer a Seattle Creative Writing Seminar entitled “Writing for Story: How to Recognize, Organize and Write Narratives.” This course will demonstrate how to heighten conflict and resolution in fiction … Continue reading →

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JIM HOLMES’ CIEL DU CHEVAL DEFINES THE EXCELLENCE OF RED MOUNTAIN

Posted on April 24, 2012 by admin

Red Mountain rises above the low, brown sagebrush country outside of Benton City, Washington. Located northwest of the Tri-Cities, Washington’s smallest and most prestigious American Viticulture Area (AVA) looks more like a hill than a mountain, one of a series … Continue reading →

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CREATING COMPELLING CHARACTER SKETCHES

Posted on March 3, 2012 by admin

I taught a writing class at Seattle’s Hugo House today entitled, WRITING COMPELLING CHARACTER SKETCHES. Strong characters are the heart and soul of every great story, whether fiction or nonfiction. A character sketch introduces the main figures in your story … Continue reading →

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How to Successfully Publish & Sell Your Memoir

Posted on March 2, 2012 by admin

Last summer, I attended the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference in Bellevue where in addition to teaching a class in travel writing, I participated in a discussion with 30 New York agents. I asked the assembled agents the following question. “How … Continue reading →

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Independent Book Store Elliott Bay Book Company Navigates the New World of Publishing

Posted on February 2, 2012 by admin

Ebooks. Kindles. Nooks. Ipads. Wave after wave of change rocks the publishing industry as tech titans Apple, Google, and Amazon carve lucrative new businesses from the digital world. Amid the turmoil, many traditional book stores are closing or declining (witness … Continue reading →

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Writing Class in the North Cascades: The Art of the Quest Narrative

Posted on August 25, 2011 by admin

I just returned from teaching a writing class on The Art of the Quest Narrative at the North Cascades Institute on Diablo Lake in the heart of the North Cascades. As usual, the class went very well as students had … Continue reading →

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The Perfect Pitch

Posted on August 16, 2011 by admin

Pitching is an essential skill for all writers. If you want to get assignments and or have someone publish your book, you need to make a pitch. David Remnick of The New Yorker will not magically find the brilliant manuscript … Continue reading →

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Planning or Spilling?

Posted on May 6, 2011 by admin

Are you a planner or a spiller? Do you like to think ahead about your writing or do you simply like to get black on white and let the Muse take you where she will? Though there is much to … Continue reading →

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Writing for Story: The Secret Sauce of Compelling Narratives

Posted on April 15, 2011 by admin

When I conduct an interview, I never know exactly what I’ll find. Yes, I may have researched the person’s life in detail, perhaps even read their books, but I won’t know exactly what I’m looking for until I conduct the … Continue reading →

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What Makes Washington Wine Unique?

Posted on March 31, 2011 by admin

Washington State’s star is rising. Awards flood in from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, the Wine Spectator and many other publications. But what’s distinctive about the region’s wine? Is there a style or flavor profile that sets it apart? Is there … Continue reading →

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