ARCHIVE FOR Friday Five-O
Friday Five-0: It's Never Too Late
Dear Friday Five-0: I only caught the literary bug last year. That being said, my “too-cool-for-school” – more like too cool for books- attitude hijacked most of my years as a young reader. As a writer, I now feel as if I’m at a disadvantage. Is it beneficial to have that foundation, and should I start reading through the young- adult cannon to build a more credible literary base? ~ Brittany
August 3, 2012 | Jenna Blum
Friday Five-O: The Myth of Writing "For Yourself"
When writing an argumentative essay, which comes first, writing for yourself or writing for your audience? I have always been taught to write first and foremost for myself, but in an argumentative essay, do I put my readers first? --Lori Shaughnessy
Dear Lori –
Short answer: Yes. Put your readers first.
May 25, 2012 | Allison Adair
Craft Advice Different ways to learn to be a better writer Friday Five-O
Friday Five-O: "Do I Need a Copy Editor?.."

“Do I really need a copy editor to look at my writing after I finish it? I have a pretty good grasp of the English language and I have spell-check.”
-- Don Determined
Dear Don,
I know, times are tough. The time you spend on your writing is already costing you billable hours at your day job, and you don’t want to “throw good money after bad,” as one of my great-uncles used to say.
May 18, 2012 | Stuart Horwitz
The Tortured Soul: Do You Need To Be One To Be A Writer?
To be a writer, do you really need to be a "tortured soul"? What if your soul hasn't fought through torture or suffering? Is there still hope for your writing?
~Henry W.
Dear Henry, dear sweet awesome Henry whom I want to pick up and hug (and Henry is one of my favorite names, by the way)--
Yes. I'm afraid that in order to be a writer--to be any kind of artist--your soul must be tortured
March 16, 2012 | Jenna Blum
The Guiding Principle To Your Memoir: So What?
Dear Friday Five-0:
Perusing the memoir shelves at any bookstore, it seems like the non-fiction that sells these days is written by former drug addicts, children of alcoholic parents, refugees of war, etc. I think I have something to say in a memoir, but I don't know if it would be interesting to anyone but me.
~Self-Obsessed
Dear Self-Obsessed:
February 17, 2012 | Jenna Blum

