ARCHIVE FOR Stuart Horwitz
Friday Five-O: Seven Irrational Beliefs About Writing
Dear Friday Five-O:
“Why is writing so hard? Does it have to be this hard?”
—Toshi Roshi
Short answer, Toshi: no.
Long answer: our irrational beliefs about writing are what really impede our progress more than say, an uncomprehending public, transitions in publishing, or a lack of spare time.
June 2, 2011 | Stuart Horwitz
Friday Five-O: The Elevator Pitch
Dear Friday Five-O:
“What's with this elevator pitch? Am I really expected to boil down the best things about my work into twenty-five words and feel good about it?”
—Max Longwell
Dear Max,
Approaching an agent or a publisher (as many people will do this weekend at the Muse & the Marketplace) can be scary
April 28, 2011 | Stuart Horwitz
Craft Advice Different ways to learn to be a better writer Friday Five-O Secret
Friday Five-O: Mock, Love, Be
“In memoir, how do I handle writing about family members and others who are still living?”
—Robert “to the” Graves
Dear Robert:
The first step to answering a question like this is admitting the truth to yourself. Write it down, it doesn’t mean anyone else has to read it. I used to question my wife about those letters her clients wrote in therapy—the ones that were addressed to someone who would never read them, or were even dead. Then I came to see the value in transferring the words to screen or paper.
You still ...
March 24, 2011 | Stuart Horwitz
Friday Five-O: Fear of the Blank Page
Dear Friday Five-O:
How do I deal with my fear of failure? My fear of facing the blank page?
--Britney Fears
Dear Britney,
When I was in mortuary school, I had the good fortune of being surrounded by a number of dead bodies. A dead body is always a shock, and the shock continues
February 17, 2011 | Stuart Horwitz

