Ben Yagoda’s Writing Workshop Wraps With Signed Books For All
“Writing Real Life,” a series of workshops focusing on the invaluable nuts and bolts of writing, concluded this past Saturday with a happy surprise—a book for each student written and personally signed by their workshop leader, Ben Yagoda.
(Ben’s new book is titled “Memoir: A History,” Riverhead, $25.95.)
Among the many pointers Ben emphasized to MW students over a series of Saturday afternoon sessions:
• Real writers publish. (Get away from journal writing and submit your work.)
• Revise. (The best writing goes through a number of drafts.)
• Read stories that have been edited. (Read a lot, but choose carefully. Editors invariably make stories better.)
• Carry a pad and pencil with you at all times. (It’s important to jot down ideas immediately before you forget them.)
• Avoid clichés at all cost. (Go through your stories carefully and delete any easy metaphors or analogies.)
