Fiction as a Force for Change

Susan DeFclasses, fictionLeave a Comment

wall mural of George Floyd with flowers surrounding his head

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how art can make a difference in the world—fiction in particular. I went to a very politically engaged college, and graduated in 2000—a year when it seemed like everyone I knew who was really committed to making a difference was either at the WTO protests in Seattle or taking up organic farming. I … Read More

Crystal Vision

Susan DeFAlternative MFA, ReflectionsLeave a Comment

binoculars looking at a sunset

Last month, I shared a big vision of mine: an online alternative MFA program specifically for people writing socially engaged fiction. Since then, I’ve had a number of clients write to me in a panic, wondering if I will still offer book coaching and editing services, and the answer is yes, absolutely! Workshops Against Empire is just another way I’ll … Read More

The One Thing Your Novel Absolutely Must Do

Susan DeFcraft, fiction, Writing resourcesLeave a Comment

girl under the covers looking at a box with a light coming out of it

Start in the middle. Get all the important characters on the page in the first chapter. Reveal what the protagonist wants. Reveal the protagonist’s vulnerabilities. Establish what’s at stake. There are a whole lot of books on the craft of fiction out there, and it can feel like every one of them makes the case for one thing your book must do … Read More

Landing the Quantum Leap

Susan DeFcraft, fiction, Writing resourcesLeave a Comment

Every year I teach a class aimed at helping writers polish the opening pages of their novel or short story, in order to give them the best possible chances of getting those stories published. And every year, as I read through those opening pages, I’m struck by the degree to which writers, even very good ones, often fail to account … Read More