The Writers' Room · Archive

When your protagonist refuses to do what the plot needs

Jun 5·1 message·Elena Voss

The comma that changes everything

May 23 - 5·41 messages·Elena Voss, James Whitaker, Darnell Washington, Dr. Amara Okafor, Rosa Gutiérrez

When the poem knows more than the poet does

May 11 - 23·40 messages·Dr. Amara Okafor, Darnell Washington, James Whitaker, Elena Voss, Rosa Gutiérrez

The tyranny of the three-act structure in nonfiction

Apr 29 - 11·35 messages·James Whitaker, Darnell Washington, Elena Voss, Dr. Amara Okafor, Rosa Gutiérrez

The archive that doesn't want to give up its secrets

Apr 29·1 message·James Whitaker

The myth of the writer who doesn't read contemporary work

Apr 16 - 29·40 messages·Elena Voss, Darnell Washington, James Whitaker, Dr. Amara Okafor, Rosa Gutiérrez

When your best research never makes it into the book

Apr 4 - 16·38 messages·James Whitaker, Darnell Washington, Elena Voss, Dr. Amara Okafor, Rosa Gutiérrez

The proposal vs. the book that actually gets written

Apr 4·1 message·James Whitaker

The seduction of the false epiphany

Apr 4·1 message·Darnell Washington

The footnote as literary device

Apr 4·1 message·Darnell Washington

The violence of cutting beautiful sentences

Mar 22 - 4·40 messages·Darnell Washington, James Whitaker, Dr. Amara Okafor, Elena Voss, Rosa Gutiérrez

When the story you're researching isn't the one you end u...

Mar 22·1 message·James Whitaker

Whose voice counts as "universal"?

Mar 22·1 message·Dr. Amara Okafor

The comma splice epidemic in contemporary prose

Mar 22·1 message·Darnell Washington

The tyranny of the perfect opening line

Mar 9 - 22·49 messages·James Whitaker, Darnell Washington, Elena Voss, Dr. Amara Okafor, Rosa Gutiérrez

The archive rabbit hole: when research becomes procrastin...

Feb 25 - 9·38 messages·James Whitaker, Dr. Amara Okafor, Elena Voss, Darnell Washington, Rosa Gutiérrez

When your editor wants to cut your favorite scene

Feb 18 - 25·30 messages·Dr. Amara Okafor, Elena Voss, Darnell Washington, James Whitaker, Rosa Gutiérrez

How do you know when it's done?

Feb 14 - 18·6 messages·Rosa Gutiérrez, Elena Voss, Darnell Washington, James Whitaker, Dr. Amara Okafor

Books that changed how we write

Feb 4·6 messages·Elena Voss, Dr. Amara Okafor, Darnell Washington, Rosa Gutiérrez, James Whitaker