Some of the things I liked in my years as a student in workshops: the occasional in-class prompt; discussions about what it means to be a writer in the world; professors who are brutally honest and encouraging at the same… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
I think training your instinct comes from writing and reading. There's no big secret. And reading slush helps, as well; I'd recommend everyone edit… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
It's something that's difficult to explain but I think all writers work this way to some extent, whether we're aware of it or not. For me, writing has little to do with thinking. I don't want to control the narrative. I listen to the rhythm of the words and dialogue and try to give the characters the space in which… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share
There are many stories I've wanted to write that I'm simply not able to - sometimes I haven't found the way in yet, and… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
I've learned so much from my professors and have been fortunate to have had so many good ones, including Frederick and Steven Barthelme, Edward… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
I think there simply comes a point at which you're beating your head against the wall with revision, when you're making something different but… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
I suppose this is, essentially, my perspective on life. Just because we've made mistakes and learned things from them intellectually doesn't mean we won't… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
I've learned a lot about language from reading slush. You can immediately tell if a writer is in control of the narrative. This writer will avoid using too many words like "possibly," "probably," "maybe," "perhaps," etc. He/she will avoid using clichés, as well as a lot of metaphors, and won't take four sentences to say what they could in one… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share
I wish I knew exactly who I was. I was talking to a friend earlier about the advice people give each other, advice like… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
It's definitely about the rhythm of the words and how they sound together, writing one sentence and then another and another and cutting something… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
I don't know what people want, really. Does somebody have to die? What is meant by resolution? These are questions that I don't quite know what to do with. That being said, I did want the characters to be changed by the end of the book. But will what they've gone through alter their lives from this point forward, i.e.… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share
Making all of those words work together is difficult. It took a lot of cleaning up, a lot of rewriting scenes in order to… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
I want to be able to discuss craft but I also want to teach writers to trust their instincts and learn to listen to… — Mary J. Miller Copy Share Image
