2010–2012

2012 626

December 2012

1. 31 DecThe cloth napkin rule
2. 31 DecQuote of the Day
3. 30 DecThe Disney way of storytelling
4. 29 DecBallet and the art of memory
5. 28 DecA few tips on faking it
6. 28 DecQuote of the Day
7. 27 Dec“When the door of the guest room opened…”
8. 27 DecQuote of the Day
9. 26 DecFanfic and the first million words
10. 26 DecQuote of the Day
11. 25 DecA few holiday thoughts on happiness
12. 25 DecQuote of the Day
13. 24 DecAll I want for Christmas
14. 24 DecQuote of the Day
15. 23 DecAlan Moore on imagination and money
16. 22 Dec“You just have to fight your way through…”
17. 21 DecCannibalistic octopuses and other joys of writing
18. 21 DecQuote of the Day
19. 20 DecHow an octopus saved my life
20. 20 DecQuote of the Day
21. 19 DecInventing conspiracies for fun and profit
22. 19 DecQuote of the Day
23. 18 DecHow I discovered my feminine side
24. 18 DecQuote of the Day
25. 17 DecWhy hobbits need to be short
26. 17 DecQuote of the Day
27. 16 Dec“Sufficient art, cunning, or material…”
28. 15 DecHow far can a hobbit walk in a day?
29. 14 Dec“From a distance, when darkness still made it difficult to see…”
30. 14 DecQuote of the Day
31. 13 DecIn praise of the cinematic baguette
32. 13 DecQuote of the Day
33. 12 DecSolving the second act problem
34. 12 DecQuote of the Day
35. 11 DecA writer’s diet
36. 11 DecQuote of the Day
37. 10 DecThe Pi paradox
38. 10 DecQuote of the Day
39. 9 DecThe point of publication
40. 8 DecChristopher Nolan on the art of the reaction shot
41. 7 DecSo what is the writing life?
42. 7 DecQuote of the Day
43. 6 DecA fella smarter than myself
44. 6 DecQuote of the Day
45. 5 DecDoes a writer really need an agent?
46. 5 DecQuote of the Day
47. 4 DecWhat I learned from my second novel
48. 4 DecQuote of the Day
49. 3 DecThe challenges of series fiction
50. 3 DecQuote of the Day
51. 2 DecA coder’s thoughts on creativity
52. 1 DecA word from your author

November 2012

1. 30 NovHow I fell in love with a Mormon
2. 30 NovQuote of the Day
3. 29 NovLondon through an exile’s eyes
4. 29 NovQuote of the Day
5. 28 NovA vision of the chariot
6. 28 NovQuote of the Day
7. 27 NovEntering the Dyatlov Pass
8. 27 NovQuote of the Day
9. 26 NovHow I reverse-engineered my own novel
10. 26 NovQuote of the Day
11. 25 Nov“By all means break the rules…”
12. 24 NovSolving a problem with scissors
13. 23 NovA brief commercial
14. 23 NovQuote of the Day
15. 22 NovAnd the music plays forever…
16. 22 NovQuote of the Day
17. 21 Nov“He sensed that something inside him had changed…”
18. 21 NovQuote of the Day
19. 20 NovThe better part of valor
20. 20 NovQuote of the Day
21. 19 Nov“The struggle with writing is over…”
22. 19 NovQuote of the Day
23. 18 NovThe four levels of excellence
24. 17 Nov“The Greeks had it easy…”
25. 16 NovKnow your reader
26. 16 NovQuote of the Day
27. 15 NovThree lessons from 007
28. 15 NovQuote of the Day
29. 14 NovBlurbed for your protection
30. 14 NovQuote of the Day
31. 13 NovBetter late than never: On the Road
32. 13 NovQuote of the Day
33. 12 NovThe Silver Standard
34. 12 NovQuote of the Day
35. 11 Nov“I write the way you might arrange flowers…”
36. 10 Nov“I did the best I could…”
37. 9 Nov“You really want to keep going?”
38. 9 NovQuote of the Day
39. 8 NovA writer’s progress
40. 8 NovQuote of the Day
41. 7 NovThe operatic challenge of adapting Bel Canto
42. 7 NovQuote of the Day
43. 6 NovThe moderate novelist
44. 6 NovQuote of the Day
45. 5 NovFlight, Wreck-It Ralph, and the triumph of the mainstream
46. 5 NovQuote of the Day
47. 4 NovSolving problems with a blindfold
48. 3 NovThe intelligence of a carpenter
49. 2 Nov“Inside, there were five racks of paintings…”
50. 2 NovQuote of the Day
51. 1 NovThe glorious fiasco of Cloud Atlas
52. 1 NovQuote of the Day

October 2012

1. 31 OctThoughts on finishing a novel
2. 31 OctQuote of the Day
3. 30 OctThree (or more) is a crowd
4. 30 OctQuote of the Day
5. 29 OctWriting is cutting
6. 29 OctQuote of the Day
7. 28 OctDaniel Clowes on the lessons of film editing
8. 27 OctGeorges Méliès on the tools of narrative magic
9. 26 OctThe limitations of technique
10. 26 OctQuote of the Day
11. 25 Oct“As Ethan spoke, Maddy studied him…”
12. 25 OctQuote of the Day
13. 24 OctMy multiracial self
14. 24 OctQuote of the Day
15. 23 OctWhat I really learned from my classical education
16. 23 OctQuote of the Day
17. 22 OctArgo and the textures of the past
18. 22 OctQuote of the Day
19. 21 Oct“Many prefer to see the wheels going round…”
20. 20 Oct“Such fumbling attempts were a waste of time…”
21. 19 OctBlood Meridian and the limits of violence
22. 19 OctQuote of the Day
23. 18 Oct“Ilya moved silently through the mansion…”
24. 18 OctQuote of the Day
25. 17 OctThe oops file
26. 17 OctQuote of the Day
27. 16 OctThe true importance of plot
28. 16 OctQuote of the Day
29. 15 OctOne director, seven psychopaths
30. 15 OctQuote of the Day
31. 14 OctLee Konitz on improvisation
32. 13 OctA machine for making choices
33. 12 OctMy twenty favorite writing quotes
34. 12 OctQuote of the Day
35. 11 OctThe man who knows
36. 11 OctQuote of the Day
37. 10 Oct“How are we supposed to watch a house like this?”
38. 10 OctQuote of the Day
39. 9 OctChris Ware’s book of dreams
40. 9 OctQuote of the Day
41. 8 OctThe mix tape mentality
42. 8 OctQuote of the Day
43. 7 Oct“A dream about going to Shaolin Temple…”
44. 6 OctKurosawa in the editing room
45. 5 OctA novelist’s view of the campaign
46. 5 OctQuote of the Day
47. 4 Oct“Passing through the main door of the house…”
48. 4 OctQuote of the Day
49. 3 OctWriting by numbers
50. 3 OctQuote of the Day
51. 2 OctThe visual approach to editing
52. 2 OctQuote of the Day
53. 1 OctLooper and the secret of good science fiction
54. 1 OctQuote of the Day

September 2012

1. 30 SepKen Adam on sketching
2. 29 SepGeorge Gershwin on inspiration
3. 28 Sep“A few moments earlier, on the other side of the estate…”
4. 28 SepQuote of the Day
5. 27 SepLearning from the masters: the Pet Shop Boys
6. 27 SepQuote of the Day
7. 26 SepThe anthropic principle of fiction
8. 26 SepQuote of the Day
9. 25 SepCrossing the digital divide
10. 25 SepQuote of the Day
11. 24 SepLessons from The Master
12. 24 SepQuote of the Day
13. 23 SepThe magician’s choice
14. 22 Sep“My biggest life lesson…”
15. 21 SepMy other little project
16. 21 SepQuote of the Day
17. 20 Sep“When Maddy emerged from the train at Southampton…”
18. 20 SepQuote of the Day
19. 19 SepExley’s wristwatch, or the power of overlapping
20. 19 SepQuote of the Day
21. 18 SepWrite like a hedgehog, think like a fox
22. 18 SepQuote of the Day
23. 17 SepIndy movies
24. 17 SepQuote of the Day
25. 16 SepStanley Kubrick on the process of adaptation
26. 15 SepSalman Rushdie on the ways of speaking
27. 14 SepCover stories
28. 14 SepQuote of the Day
29. 13 SepThe Introvert-in-Chief
30. 13 SepQuote of the Day
31. 12 Sep“He checked the assembled device, then switched it on…”
32. 12 SepQuote of the Day
33. 11 SepMovies as Muzak
34. 11 SepQuote of the Day
35. 10 SepThe essential writing break
36. 10 SepQuote of the Day
37. 9 SepErnest Lehman on conveying exposition
38. 8 Sep“A simple severing of the knot”
39. 7 SepBetter late than never: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
40. 7 SepQuote of the Day
41. 6 Sep“Louis Barlow, the assistant special agent in charge…”
42. 6 SepQuote of the Day
43. 5 SepAre you a gardener or an architect?
44. 5 SepQuote of the Day
45. 4 SepGoodbye, Worldcon; Goodbye, Stanley
46. 4 SepQuote of the Day
47. 3 SepThe way of the writer
48. 2 SepJoseph Heller on the process of imagination
49. 1 SepElie Wiesel on cutting

August 2012

1. 31 AugDispatches from Chicon 7
2. 31 AugQuote of the Day
3. 30 AugListening to “The Voices,” part 3
4. 30 AugQuote of the Day
5. 29 AugListening to “The Voices,” part 2
6. 29 AugQuote of the Day
7. 28 AugListening to “The Voices,” part 1
8. 28 AugQuote of the Day
9. 27 AugA balanced writing diet
10. 27 AugQuote of the Day
11. 26 AugDan Harmon’s advice for young writers
12. 25 AugA useful tip on character from A.S. Byatt
13. 24 AugAre authors really too nice?
14. 24 AugQuote of the Day
15. 23 AugCriticizing the critical critic
16. 23 AugQuote of the Day
17. 22 Aug“Never trust anything you read online…”
18. 22 AugQuote of the Day
19. 21 AugThoughts of an accidental blogger
20. 21 AugQuote of the Day
21. 20 AugWhat I learned from Mystery Science Theater 3000
22. 20 AugQuote of the Day
23. 19 AugJack Woodford on avoiding anticlimax
24. 18 AugGeorge Carlin on the importance of writing things down
25. 17 AugThe Chicon Thief
26. 17 AugQuote of the Day
27. 16 AugMore sights, more sounds
28. 16 AugQuote of the Day
29. 15 AugWhat I learned from my first novel
30. 15 AugQuote of the Day
31. 14 AugThe Bottle Test
32. 14 AugQuote of the Day
33. 13 AugThe Gilroy Ultimatum
34. 13 AugQuote of the Day
35. 12 AugFernand Léger on contrasts
36. 11 Aug“Not to work for pay, but to be paid for my work…”
37. 10 AugVince Gilligan and the dark genius of Breaking Bad
38. 10 AugQuote of the Day
39. 9 AugRevisiting the victim story
40. 9 AugQuote of the Day
41. 8 Aug“Outside, the bathhouse was clean and bright…”
42. 8 AugQuote of the Day
43. 7 AugThe mystery of the Khazars
44. 7 AugQuote of the Day
45. 6 AugDeeper into Vertigo
46. 6 AugQuote of the Day
47. 5 AugThe Encyclopedia Britannica on style
48. 4 AugGore Vidal on the decline of the famous novelist
49. 3 AugYesterday, when I was mad
50. 3 AugQuote of the Day
51. 2 AugHow can you expect to be taken seriously?
52. 2 AugQuote of the Day
53. 1 Aug“A sharp tap against the key was all it took…”
54. 1 AugQuote of the Day

July 2012

1. 31 JulJonah Lehrer’s blues
2. 31 JulQuote of the Day
3. 30 JulThe Book of Dreams
4. 30 JulQuote of the Day
5. 29 JulFeynman the Magician
6. 28 JulBenjamin Franklin’s guide to swimming
7. 27 JulReturn to the Newberry Library
8. 27 JulQuote of the Day
9. 26 JulHoly spoilers, Batman!
10. 26 JulQuote of the Day
11. 25 Jul“You’ve heard of these circles, of course…”
12. 25 JulQuote of the Day
13. 24 JulConfessions of an accidental freelancer
14. 24 JulQuote of the Day
15. 23 JulThoughts on a Dark Knight
16. 23 JulQuote of the Day
17. 22 Jul“Paint me an apple that looks like an apple…”
18. 21 Jul“Don’t aim at success…”
19. 20 JulThe treacherous craft of Aaron Sorkin
20. 20 JulQuote of the Day
21. 19 JulSailing on the Ship of Fools
22. 19 JulQuote of the Day
23. 18 JulThe greatest stories ever sold
24. 18 JulQuote of the Day
25. 17 Jul“Sharkovsky rang the bell of the furniture store…”
26. 17 JulQuote of the Day
27. 16 JulYou never know
28. 16 JulQuote of the Day
29. 15 Jul“Keep the channel open…”
30. 14 JulColin Fletcher on walking and thinking
31. 13 JulLessons from Great TV #10: Community
32. 13 JulQuote of the Day
33. 12 JulLessons from Great TV #9: Mad Men
34. 12 JulQuote of the Day
35. 11 JulLessons from Great TV #8: Arrested Development
36. 11 JulQuote of the Day
37. 10 JulLessons from Great TV #7: The X-Files
38. 10 JulQuote of the Day
39. 9 JulLessons from Great TV #6: The Simpsons
40. 9 JulQuote of the Day
41. 8 JulJohn McPhee’s advice to young writers
42. 7 Jul“Today I don’t have to be careful…”
43. 6 JulLessons from Great TV #5: Twin Peaks
44. 6 JulQuote of the Day
45. 5 JulLessons from Great TV #4: Cheers
46. 5 JulQuote of the Day
47. 4 JulLessons from Great TV #3: Star Trek
48. 4 JulQuote of the Day
49. 3 JulLessons from Great TV #2: Roger Ramjet
50. 3 JulQuote of the Day
51. 2 JulLessons from Great TV #1: The Dick Van Dyke Show
52. 2 JulQuote of the Day
53. 1 JulNorman Mailer on editing

June 2012

1. 30 JunThe importance of overdesigning
2. 29 JunLessons from Great TV: An Introduction
3. 29 JunQuote of the Day
4. 28 Jun“As Maddy entered the storeroom…”
5. 28 JunQuote of the Day
6. 27 JunListening to “The Voices”
7. 27 JunUsing the rule of three
8. 27 JunQuote of the Day
9. 26 JunTomorrow’s news today
10. 26 JunQuote of the Day
11. 25 JunBrave and the fate of Pixar
12. 25 JunQuote of the Day
13. 24 JunStarting with a bang
14. 23 Jun“Sufficient unto the day…”
15. 22 JunThe magical life of Henning Nelms
16. 22 JunQuote of the Day
17. 21 JunThe elusive magic of Hayao Miyazaki
18. 21 JunQuote of the Day
19. 20 Jun“The autopsy will be difficult…”
20. 20 JunQuote of the Day
21. 19 JunThe Fandom Menace
22. 19 JunQuote of the Day
23. 18 JunRevenge of the Fan Edits
24. 18 JunQuote of the Day
25. 17 JunThe amiable credulity of Charles Darwin
26. 16 JunA playwright’s advice on pairing up characters
27. 15 JunReflections in a googly eye
28. 15 JunQuote of the Day
29. 14 Jun“Actually, that won’t be necessary…”
30. 14 JunQuote of the Day
31. 13 JunA young person’s guide to Wes Anderson
32. 13 JunQuote of the Day
33. 12 JunThe truth about literary fiction
34. 12 JunQuote of the Day
35. 11 JunPrometheus and the perils of secrecy
36. 11 JunQuote of the Day
37. 10 JunPrudence, shrewdness, and cleverness
38. 9 JunJohn Crowe Ransom on the revision of poetry
39. 8 JunThe Thrill of the Mystery
40. 8 JunQuote of the Day
41. 7 JunThe secret of creativity
42. 7 JunQuote of the Day
43. 6 Jun“We’re sure that the painting is here?”
44. 6 JunQuote of the Day
45. 5 JunHow much description is enough?
46. 5 JunQuote of the Day
47. 4 JunA Game of Therons
48. 4 JunQuote of the Day
49. 3 Jun“You cannot work too hard at poetry”
50. 2 JunWhy Steve Albini plays Scrabble
51. 1 JunLessons from a sushi master
52. 1 JunQuote of the Day

May 2012

1. 31 MayFor love or money
2. 31 MayQuote of the Day
3. 30 MayWhat would Rex Harrison do?
4. 30 MayQuote of the Day
5. 29 May“We aren’t trying to beat the market…”
6. 29 MayQuote of the Day
7. 28 MayRonald Knox’s ten commandments of mystery fiction
8. 27 MayWhat is it that we love in Sherlock Holmes?
9. 26 MaySteven Johnson on the patterns of creativity
10. 25 MayBy any other name
11. 25 MayQuote of the Day
12. 24 May“You know what a night porter is?”
13. 24 MayQuote of the Day
14. 23 MayThe right kind of randomness
15. 23 MayQuote of the Day
16. 22 MayLooking for serendipity in the New York Times
17. 22 MayQuote of the Day
18. 21 MayThe neurotic genius of Dan Harmon
19. 21 MayQuote of the Day
20. 20 MayWilliam H. Gass on writing slowly
21. 19 MayAnd now for a word from the author…
22. 19 MayYo-Yo Ma, detective
23. 18 May“Maddy arrived ten minutes early…”
24. 18 MayQuote of the Day
25. 17 MayFarewell to Glee
26. 17 MayQuote of the Day
27. 16 MayThe Jackal’s Breakfast
28. 16 MayQuote of the Day
29. 15 MayIs it better to be lucky than good?
30. 15 MayQuote of the Day
31. 14 MayThe Red Queen’s guide to writing
32. 14 MayQuote of the Day
33. 13 May“Chains of thought from lonely walks…”
34. 12 MayRobert Rauschenberg on an artist’s tricks
35. 11 MayThe digital time machine
36. 11 MayQuote of the Day
37. 10 May“Even before the patrolman said a word…”
38. 10 MayQuote of the Day
39. 9 MaySherlock Holmes and the case of living by one’s wits
40. 9 MayQuote of the Day
41. 8 MayThe 50,000 hours of Yo-Yo Ma
42. 8 MayQuote of the Day
43. 7 MayWhither Whedon?
44. 7 MayQuote of the Day
45. 6 MayThe errors of a teeming brain
46. 5 May“What I’ve learned, above all, is to keep marching forward…”
47. 4 May“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen…”
48. 4 MayQuote of the Day
49. 3 MayApollo 13 and the adjacent possible
50. 3 MayQuote of the Day
51. 2 MayChristopher Nolan and the maze of storytelling
52. 2 MayQuote of the Day
53. 1 MayOn keeping good notes
54. 1 MayQuote of the Day

April 2012

1. 30 Apr“Andrey was nearly at the border when he ran into the thieves…”
2. 30 AprQuote of the Day
3. 29 AprA square peg in a round hole
4. 28 AprPeter L. Berger on “recipe knowledge”
5. 27 AprA writer’s commentary track
6. 27 AprQuote of the Day
7. 26 AprWhat makes a great action scene?
8. 26 AprQuote of the Day
9. 25 AprHow to write like your grandmother
10. 25 AprQuote of the Day
11. 24 AprThinking with your gut
12. 24 AprQuote of the Day
13. 23 AprThe anxieties of influence
14. 23 AprQuote of the Day
15. 22 AprGraham Greene on the work of the unconscious
16. 21 Apr“One conundrum to the next…”
17. 20 AprWhat the Veep do we know?
18. 20 AprQuote of the Day
19. 19 AprRobert Caro and the work of a lifetime
20. 19 AprQuote of the Day
21. 18 AprWriters of all work
22. 18 AprQuote of the Day
23. 17 AprWe need to talk about Cabin
24. 17 AprQuote of the Day
25. 16 AprThe Ballad of Jack and Rose
26. 16 AprQuote of the Day
27. 15 AprShakespeare and the grand style
28. 14 AprWalter Murch on an editor’s detachment
29. 13 AprDon’t look back
30. 13 AprQuote of the Day
31. 12 AprStyron’s Choice
32. 12 AprQuote of the Day
33. 11 AprResearch among thieves
34. 11 AprQuote of the Day
35. 10 AprThe surprising truth about The Lifespan of a Fact
36. 10 AprQuote of the Day
37. 9 AprThe story of a library
38. 9 AprQuote of the Day
39. 8 AprAldous Huxley on a poet’s experience
40. 7 AprBill Evans on the importance of dedication
41. 6 AprOne page at a time
42. 6 AprQuote of the Day
43. 5 AprThe senses taker
44. 5 AprQuote of the Day
45. 4 AprAnthony Grafton and the future of the book
46. 4 AprQuote of the Day
47. 3 AprConfessions of a Bookavore
48. 3 AprQuote of the Day
49. 2 AprThe return of the 23 enigma
50. 2 AprQuote of the Day
51. 1 AprA vaudevillian at work

March 2012

1. 31 MarThomas Henry Huxley on the importance of failure
2. 30 MarBorges and I
3. 30 MarQuote of the Day
4. 29 MarA few thoughts on readings—and an invitation
5. 29 MarQuote of the Day
6. 28 MarFifty years later: A Wrinkle in Time
7. 28 MarQuote of the Day
8. 27 MarThe fractal brilliance of Mad Men
9. 27 MarQuote of the Day
10. 26 MarHow The Hunger Games changed the world
11. 26 MarQuote of the Day
12. 25 MarClint Eastwood on The Man With No Name
13. 24 MarHerrmann the Great on the poetry of magic
14. 23 MarEntering the City of Exiles
15. 23 MarQuote of the Day
16. 22 MarWhat would the Community think?
17. 22 MarQuote of the Day
18. 21 MarYou are not the story
19. 21 MarQuote of the Day
20. 20 MarFact, fiction, and truth in labeling
21. 20 MarQuote of the Day
22. 19 MarWhen reality isn’t good enough
23. 19 MarQuote of the Day
24. 18 MarThoughts on a Descending Nude, Part 2
25. 17 MarThoughts on a Descending Nude, Part 1
26. 16 MarA good week and a big anniversary
27. 16 MarQuote of the Day
28. 15 MarSo what happened to John Carter?
29. 15 MarQuote of the Day
30. 14 MarThe mirror and the encyclopedia
31. 14 MarQuote of the Day
32. 13 MarWriting with chemicals
33. 13 MarQuote of the Day
34. 12 MarAlinea and the theater of cuisine
35. 12 MarQuote of the Day
36. 11 MarPatrick White on the three versions of a novel
37. 10 MarElia Kazan on the importance of cutting
38. 9 MarA long-expected party
39. 9 MarQuote of the Day
40. 8 MarThe strange powers of Stephin Merritt
41. 8 MarQuote of the Day
42. 7 MarIf you’re joining us for the first time…
43. 7 MarQuote of the Day
44. 6 MarWhy I wrote The Icon Thief
45. 6 MarQuote of the Day
46. 5 MarDuchamp’s doorway
47. 5 MarQuote of the Day
48. 4 MarThe Formulist Manifesto
49. 3 MarThe true origins of Don Quixote
50. 2 MarMe and Marcel Duchamp
51. 2 MarQuote of the Day
52. 1 MarHow I learned to love the Rosicrucians
53. 1 MarQuote of the Day

February 2012

1. 29 FebHow to conspire in Russian
2. 29 FebQuote of the Day
3. 28 FebLove and money in the New York art world
4. 28 FebQuote of the Day
5. 27 FebThe book of lists, or the lists of one book
6. 27 FebQuote of the Day
7. 26 FebJoseph W. Meeker on the comic hero
8. 25 FebEdward St. Aubyn on the addictiveness of irony
9. 24 FebThe Best Movies of 2011, Part 2
10. 24 FebQuote of the Day
11. 23 FebThe Best Movies of 2011, Part 1
12. 23 FebQuote of the Day
13. 22 FebWar Horse and the future of Spielberg
14. 22 FebQuote of the Day
15. 21 FebCommunity and the narrative home base
16. 21 FebQuote of the Day
17. 20 FebRadical ambiguity: A Separation and Certified Copy
18. 20 FebQuote of the Day
19. 19 FebGeorge Steiner on the death of the bookstore
20. 18 FebJohn Logan on “the oldest trick in the book”
21. 17 FebCrossdressing, dystopias, and the power of the fait accompli
22. 17 FebQuote of the Day
23. 16 FebWhat do you do with twenty-five books?
24. 16 FebQuote of the Day
25. 15 FebDante, builder of worlds
26. 15 FebQuote of the Day
27. 14 FebOn the inadvisability of true love
28. 14 FebQuote of the Day
29. 13 FebCharles Darwin and the triumph of literary genius
30. 13 FebQuote of the Day
31. 12 FebThe despairing writer
32. 11 FebA child with a word processor
33. 10 FebWriting the detailed outline, part 2
34. 10 FebQuote of the Day
35. 9 FebWriting the detailed outline, part 1
36. 9 FebQuote of the Day
37. 8 FebA mail call to remember
38. 8 FebQuote of the Day
39. 7 FebSmash through a writer’s eyes
40. 7 FebQuote of the Day
41. 6 FebHow to take a shortcut
42. 6 FebQuote of the Day
43. 5 FebArnold Hauser on Shakespeare’s pragmatism
44. 4 Feb“Once the phial was full…”
45. 3 FebUPDATED: The return of “The Boneless One”
46. 3 FebQuote of the Day
47. 2 FebThe pause that refreshes
48. 2 FebQuote of the Day
49. 1 FebThinking in groups, thinking alone
50. 1 FebQuote of the Day

January 2012

1. 31 JanTouch, Luck, and the challenges of smart TV
2. 31 JanQuote of the Day
3. 30 JanThe deceptive simplicity of The Artist
4. 30 JanQuote of the Day
5. 29 Jan“Cut boldly!”
6. 28 JanA few simple rules from George Orwell
7. 27 JanSix weeks and counting…
8. 27 JanQuote of the Day
9. 26 JanMy life as a movie critic
10. 26 JanQuote of the Day
11. 25 JanDownton Abbey and the problem of time
12. 25 JanQuote of the Day
13. 24 JanThe writer’s toolbox
14. 24 JanQuote of the Day
15. 23 JanHaywire and the two sides of Soderbergh
16. 23 JanQuote of the Day
17. 22 Jan“One place in the world in which it is possible to be happy”
18. 21 JanHemingway in Faulkner country
19. 20 JanMe and the Great Books
20. 20 JanQuote of the Day
21. 19 JanThe Passion of St. Edgar
22. 19 JanQuote of the Day
23. 18 JanThe importance of rewriting “Ernesto”
24. 18 JanQuote of the Day
25. 17 JanStumbling into Hemingway, Part 2
26. 17 JanQuote of the Day
27. 16 JanStumbling into Hemingway, Part 1
28. 16 JanQuote of the Day
29. 15 JanG.K. Chesterton on the importance of play
30. 14 JanLinus Torvalds on starting small
31. 13 JanThe Year of the Scythian
32. 13 JanQuote of the Day
33. 12 JanThe Forsyth Saga
34. 12 JanQuote of the Day
35. 11 JanWhat makes a good MacGuffin?
36. 11 JanQuote of the Day
37. 10 JanTintin and the secret of the MacGuffin
38. 10 JanQuote of the Day
39. 9 JanTinker, Tailor, and how to spot a murderer
40. 9 JanSaul Bass on solving creative problems
41. 8 JanLee Stringer on the value of literary friendship
42. 7 JanKurt Vonnegut on a writer’s happy accidents
43. 6 JanA year’s worth of reading
44. 6 JanQuote of the Day
45. 5 JanReflections on a Dragon Tattoo
46. 5 JanQuote of the Day
47. 4 JanWhat makes a great critic?
48. 4 JanQuote of the Day
49. 3 JanThe fleeting fame of Irving Wallace
50. 3 JanQuote of the Day
51. 2 JanA writer’s routine: Robert Bloch
52. 1 JanNorman Spinrad on the rules of imaginary science

2011 608

December 2011

1. 31 DecIrving Stone on some uses of failure
2. 30 DecBetter late than never: The Magic Mountain
3. 30 DecQuote of the Day
4. 29 DecPlaying the odds
5. 29 DecQuote of the Day
6. 28 DecPaper is cheap, and other lessons from street art
7. 28 DecPicture of the Day
8. 27 DecWhen not to revise
9. 27 DecQuote of the Day
10. 26 DecToni Morrison on the pleasures of revision
11. 25 DecStoryteller, teacher, enchanter
12. 24 DecRobert Heinlein’s five rules of writing
13. 23 DecOur love in a cottage
14. 23 DecQuote of the Day
15. 22 DecThe Oxford English Addictionary
16. 22 DecQuote of the Day
17. 21 DecThe joys of thrift-store browsing
18. 21 DecQuote of the Day
19. 20 DecTwenty years later: Oliver Stone’s JFK
20. 20 DecQuote of the Day
21. 19 DecGhost in the machine
22. 19 DecQuote of the Day
23. 18 DecPhilip K. Dick on a novelist’s trove of ideas
24. 17 DecPeter Thiel on the state of modern science fiction
25. 16 DecAre bookstores necessary?
26. 16 DecQuote of the Day
27. 15 DecHugo and the ghost of Michael Powell
28. 15 DecQuote of the Day
29. 14 DecThe relentlessly resourceful writer
30. 14 DecQuote of the Day
31. 13 Dec“Ernesto” is here!
32. 13 DecQuote of the Day
33. 12 DecNews from all over
34. 12 DecQuote of the Day
35. 11 DecThe curious beetle of Carl Jung
36. 10 Dec“You stitched and pressed and packed and drove”
37. 9 DecMy ten great movies #1: The Red Shoes
38. 8 DecMy ten great movies #2: Blue Velvet
39. 7 DecMy ten great movies #3: Chungking Express
40. 6 DecMy ten great movies #4: Casablanca
41. 5 DecMy ten great movies #5: The Shining
42. 4 Dec“You can do anything you want to do…”
43. 3 DecMalcom Muggeridge on success in second-rate pursuits
44. 2 DecMy ten great movies #6: The Third Man
45. 1 DecMy ten great movies #7: L.A. Confidential

November 2011

1. 30 NovMy ten great movies #8: Citizen Kane
2. 29 NovMy ten great movies #9: Seven Samurai
3. 28 NovMy ten great movies #10: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
4. 27 NovJonathan Franzen on playing with chronology
5. 26 NovMaurice Sendak on the gods of art
6. 25 NovMy ten great movies: An introduction
7. 25 NovQuote of the Day
8. 24 NovA very good year
9. 23 NovA writer’s intuition, right or wrong
10. 23 NovQuote of the Day
11. 22 NovTwenty-five years later: Stephen King’s It
12. 22 NovQuote of the Day
13. 21 NovThe lost years of Alexander Payne
14. 21 NovQuote of the Day
15. 20 Nov“Nature is a harsh taskmaster”
16. 19 Nov“To be truly simple, you have to go really deep”
17. 18 NovThe case of Q.R. Markham, revisited
18. 18 NovQuote of the Day
19. 17 NovThe strange case of Q.R. Markham
20. 17 NovQuote of the Day
21. 16 NovThe importance of the wrong answer
22. 16 NovQuote of the Day
23. 15 NovFinding analog moments in a digital world
24. 15 NovQuote of the Day
25. 14 NovWalter Murch and the analog/digital divide
26. 14 NovQuote of the Day
27. 13 NovA farmer’s book of notes
28. 12 NovDylan Thomas on the limits of craftsmanship
29. 11 NovAn ALL CAPS update
30. 11 NovQuote of the Day
31. 10 NovThe Perils of Pauline
32. 10 NovQuote of the Day
33. 9 Nov“It’s a strange world”: Blue Velvet at 25
34. 9 NovQuote of the Day
35. 8 Nov“Come home from land, with stone in hand”
36. 8 NovQuote of the Day
37. 7 NovMy Kindle misfire
38. 7 NovQuote of the Day
39. 6 NovArt Spiegelman on comics and juxtaposition
40. 5 NovA tip from a LEGO master
41. 4 NovSquashing the semicolon
42. 4 NovQuote of the Day
43. 3 NovA portrait of Dean Koontz as a young man
44. 3 NovQuote of the Day
45. 2 NovThe importance of irrational optimism
46. 2 NovQuote of the Day
47. 1 NovStill obsessed with Vertigo
48. 1 NovQuote of the Day

October 2011

1. 31 OctIn Time and the broken ticking clock
2. 31 OctQuote of the Day
3. 30 OctCyril Connolly on the perils of promise
4. 29 OctPaul Graham on good procrastination
5. 28 OctA preview of coming attractions
6. 28 OctQuote of the Day
7. 27 OctWhy suspense matters
8. 27 OctQuote of the Day
9. 26 OctThe bomb under the table
10. 26 OctQuote of the Day
11. 25 OctTwo shots from Psycho, or the power of dread
12. 25 OctQuote of the Day
13. 24 OctThe horror, the horror
14. 24 OctQuote of the Day
15. 23 OctJoyce Carol Oates on the writing state of mind
16. 22 OctVirginia Woolf on the spider’s web of fiction
17. 21 OctA novel with my name on it
18. 21 OctQuote of the Day
19. 20 OctA writer’s secret weapon
20. 20 OctQuote of the Day
21. 19 OctThe practical bohemian, or the art of getting by
22. 19 OctQuote of the Day
23. 18 OctThe starving author’s guide to money
24. 18 OctQuote of the Day
25. 17 OctAndrew Stanton and the world beyond Pixar
26. 17 OctQuote of the Day
27. 16 OctNassim Nicholas Taleb on maximizing serendipity
28. 15 OctChuck Close on the importance of limitations
29. 14 OctThe unfair universe, or the limits of character
30. 14 OctQuote of the Day
31. 13 OctIs it Catch-22…or The Phantom Tollbooth?
32. 13 OctQuote of the Day
33. 12 OctThe IKEA model of fiction
34. 12 OctQuote of the Day
35. 11 OctIn the dozy hours: the joys of the bedside book
36. 11 OctQuote of the Day
37. 10 OctFreeman Dyson and the closing of the science-fictional mind
38. 10 OctQuote of the Day
39. 9 OctNicholson Baker on randomness
40. 8 OctPaul Simon on the usefulness of clichés
41. 7 OctAsimov’s Sword, or the intelligent twelve-year-old
42. 7 OctQuote of the Day
43. 6 OctDon’t write what you know: the power of indifference
44. 6 OctQuote of the Day
45. 5 OctDo titles matter?
46. 5 OctQuote of the Day
47. 4 OctDoes a writer need a coach?
48. 4 OctQuote of the Day
49. 3 OctLearning to curse
50. 3 OctQuote of the Day
51. 2 OctEzra Pound on cheap good books
52. 1 OctA writer’s house in Oak Park
53. 1 Oct“Buckets of peanut butter with a layer of whipped cream on top”

September 2011

1. 30 SepBill James on why he writes
2. 29 SepHello house, goodbye novel
3. 28 SepCannibalistic octopuses and other joys of writing
4. 28 SepQuote of the Day
5. 27 SepHow an octopus saved my life
6. 27 SepQuote of the Day
7. 26 SepMoneyball and the dusty middle innings
8. 26 SepQuote of the Day
9. 25 SepAnne Morrow Lindbergh on simplicity
10. 24 Sep“What’s the simplest thing that could possibly work?”
11. 23 SepPacking up…and a couple of milestones
12. 23 SepQuote of the Day
13. 22 SepThe dreaded synopsis
14. 22 SepQuote of the Day
15. 21 SepThe road to mastery
16. 21 SepQuote of the Day
17. 20 Sep“I think it would be fun to run a newspaper…”
18. 20 SepQuote of the Day
19. 19 SepDrive: Real hero, no backstory
20. 19 SepQuote of the Day
21. 18 Sep“We must hold to what is difficult”
22. 17 SepWilliam Styron on leaving his first job
23. 16 SepFinding the perfect title
24. 16 SepQuote of the Day
25. 15 SepLiving proofs
26. 15 SepQuote of the Day
27. 14 SepBackstory—what is it good for?
28. 14 SepQuote of the Day
29. 13 SepHannibal’s crossing
30. 13 SepQuote of the Day
31. 12 SepContagion and the triumph of the screenwriter
32. 12 SepQuote of the Day
33. 11 SepIronic points of light
34. 10 SepPaul Haggis on the importance of passion
35. 9 Sep“The Boneless One” and yet another title change
36. 9 SepQuote of the Day
37. 8 SepMy own ten rules of writing
38. 8 SepQuote of the Day
39. 7 SepZadie Smith’s ten rules of writing
40. 6 SepAdjusting The Adjustment Bureau
41. 6 SepQuote of the Day
42. 5 SepF. L. Lucas on the sources of happiness
43. 4 SepA word of caution from Paul Schrader
44. 3 SepNicholas Kazan on outlining from memory
45. 2 SepThe lost genius of Family Circus, or on overstaying one’s welcome
46. 2 SepPicture of the Day
47. 1 SepThe unstructured magic of Little, Big
48. 1 SepQuote of the Day
49. 1 SepA novelist moves to Oak Park

August 2011

1. 31 Aug“I am a poet. It’s really not my fault…”
2. 30 AugThe Monster of Art
3. 30 AugQuote of the Day
4. 29 AugThe Strand dollar bin and more news from New York
5. 29 AugQuote of the Day
6. 28 AugWas Colonel Cathcart a novelist?
7. 27 AugThe obsessive screenwriter
8. 26 AugUnknown and the problem of fridge logic
9. 26 AugQuote of the Day
10. 25 AugSteve Jobs and “the hippie Wikipedia”
11. 25 AugQuote of the Day
12. 24 AugOur story so far…
13. 24 AugJ.R.R. Tolkien and the why of world-building
14. 24 AugQuote of the Day
15. 23 Aug“The muses will carry us along”
16. 22 AugNeil Simon on the importance of failure
17. 21 Aug“Be not solitary, be not idle”
18. 20 Aug“I wish my job was being a bricklayer”
19. 19 AugTen years later: The Fellowship of the Ring
20. 19 AugQuote of the Day
21. 18 AugIs storytelling obsolete?
22. 18 AugQuote of the Day
23. 17 AugNew copy, new cover, new house!
24. 17 AugQuote of the Day
25. 16 AugFrank Darabont and the screenplay of doom
26. 16 AugQuote of the Day
27. 15 AugPitt and Prejudice and Zombies
28. 15 AugQuote of the Day
29. 14 AugFrank Darabont tells it like it is
30. 13 AugRaymond Chandler on society’s constraints
31. 12 AugTriumph of the Apes
32. 12 AugQuote of the Day
33. 11 AugCinematic comfort food
34. 11 AugQuote of the Day
35. 10 AugMailer’s cask of brandy, or the pitfalls of craft
36. 10 AugQuote of the Day
37. 9 AugBlinn’s Law and the paradox of efficiency
38. 9 AugQuote of the Day
39. 8 AugFiction into film: L.A. Confidential
40. 8 AugQuote of the Day
41. 7 AugMark Rosenthal on breaking into screenwriting
42. 6 AugPaul Schrader on writing dialogue
43. 5 AugOn endless endings
44. 5 AugQuote of the Day
45. 4 AugMaking a list, checking it twice
46. 4 AugQuote of the Day
47. 3 AugThe two kinds of gatekeepers
48. 3 AugQuote of the Day
49. 2 AugWouldn’t it be easier to write for television?
50. 2 AugQuote of the Day
51. 1 AugA book fair haul and an update
52. 1 AugQuote of the Day

July 2011

1. 31 Jul“The slow ascent of wooded hills on a sunny day”
2. 30 JulJohn Jay Chapman on speaking before you think
3. 29 JulDispatches from the Newberry Library
4. 29 JulQuote of the Day
5. 28 JulThe Adventure of the Novelist’s Back
6. 28 JulQuote of the Day
7. 27 JulGoodbye, Borders
8. 27 JulQuote of the Day
9. 26 JulTurn off, tune out, drop in
10. 26 JulQuote of the Day
11. 25 JulAmerican exceptionalism
12. 25 JulQuote of the Day
13. 24 JulJames Webb Young on where ideas come from
14. 23 JulJulian Jaynes on spontaneous divination
15. 22 JulCertified Copy and the pleasures of ambiguity
16. 22 JulPicture of the Day
17. 21 JulIn defense of plot
18. 21 JulQuote of the Day
19. 20 JulThe story of a cover
20. 20 JulQuote of the Day
21. 19 JulUnveiling the cover to The Icon Thief
22. 19 JulQuote of the Day
23. 18 JulMcKinney versus McGonagall
24. 18 JulQuote of the Day
25. 17 Jul“And the ports have names for the sea”
26. 16 JulItalo Calvino on verbal and visual thinking
27. 15 JulPotter’s wheel
28. 15 JulQuote of the Day
29. 14 Jul“Insert brilliant idea here”
30. 14 JulQuote of the Day
31. 13 JulWhen the writing stops, the cutting begins
32. 13 JulQuote of the Day
33. 12 JulFiction into film: The Silence of the Lambs
34. 12 JulQuote of the Day
35. 11 JulOn reading your novel for the first time
36. 11 JulQuote of the Day
37. 10 JulA.G. Fronzoni on design as a way of life
38. 9 JulRobert Graves on craftsmanship, technique, and magic
39. 8 JulNearing the finish line
40. 8 JulQuote of the Day
41. 7 JulThe perils of cleverness
42. 7 JulQuote of the Day
43. 6 JulA few words on dialogue
44. 6 JulQuote of the Day
45. 5 JulBetter late than never: The Time Traveler’s Wife
46. 5 JulQuote of the Day
47. 4 JulVictor Hugo’s ABCs
48. 3 JulCesare Pavese on “stubborn concentration”
49. 2 Jul“Why the hell aren’t you at home writing?”
50. 1 Jul“Never throw anything away”: the writer as hoarder
51. 1 JulQuote of the Day

June 2011

1. 30 JunTransformers: Death of the Author
2. 30 JunQuote of the Day
3. 29 JunStumbling into a story: recognizing a great idea
4. 29 JunQuote of the Day
5. 28 JunStumbling into a story: top down or bottom up?
6. 28 JunQuote of the Day
7. 27 JunSo what happened to Cars 2?
8. 27 JunQuote of the Day
9. 26 JunPeter Martins on managing one’s time
10. 25 JunMax Ernst on the uses of randomness
11. 24 JunWhen should a novel be abandoned?
12. 24 JunQuote of the Day
13. 23 JunThe writing life: dealing with doubt
14. 23 JunQuote of the Day
15. 22 JunA few truncated thoughts on cutting
16. 22 JunPicture of the Day
17. 21 JunAmanda Hocking and the lure of self-publishing
18. 21 JunQuote of the Day
19. 20 JunMidnight in Paris and the true golden age
20. 20 JunQuote of the Day
21. 19 JunPatton Oswalt punches up a movie
22. 18 JunA word from Conan O’Brien
23. 17 JunThe real value of hard work
24. 17 JunQuote of the Day
25. 16 JunThe joy of commentary tracks
26. 16 JunQuote of the Day
27. 15 JunSuper 8 and the problem of secrecy
28. 15 JunQuote of the Day
29. 14 JunSearching for the slate piece
30. 14 JunQuote of the Day
31. 13 JunThinking in pictures
32. 13 JunQuote of the Day
33. 12 JunAlbert Einstein on asking the right questions
34. 11 JunFrank Capra on rapid pacing
35. 10 JunThe books of my life
36. 10 JunQuote of the Day
37. 9 JunFiction into film: The English Patient
38. 9 JunQuote of the Day
39. 8 JunGreat art and the problem of spoilers
40. 8 JunQuote of the Day
41. 7 JunShould a writer go to college?
42. 7 JunQuote of the Day
43. 6 JunPicture of the Day
44. 5 Jun“It is so, it is so!”
45. 4 JunAn artist at work: Ludwig van Beethoven
46. 3 JunAgnosticism and the working writer
47. 3 JunQuote of the Day
48. 2 JunThe art of shaving
49. 2 JunQuote of the Day
50. 1 JunOn listening to dreams
51. 1 JunQuote of the Day

May 2011

1. 31 MayA birthday and some big news
2. 31 MayQuote of the Day
3. 30 MayJ.K. Rowling on the importance of failure
4. 29 May“A person on business from Porlock”
5. 29 MayFriedrich August Kekulé on an unusual dream
6. 28 MayStephen Sondheim on listing to starboard
7. 27 MayLet us now forget famous men
8. 27 MayQuote of the Day
9. 26 MayLearning from the masters: Arrested Development
10. 26 MayQuote of the Day
11. 25 MayBridesmaids, Metcalfe’s Law, and the power of ensembles
12. 25 MayQuote of the Day
13. 24 MayHunting the great white shark
14. 24 MayQuote of the Day
15. 23 MayThe Anatomy of Harold Bloom’s Influence
16. 23 MayQuote of the Day
17. 22 May“An obscure and profane life”
18. 21 MayA writer’s routine: Honoré de Balzac
19. 20 MayThe uncanny influence of Stephen King
20. 20 MayQuote of the Day
21. 19 MayVon Trier’s obstructions
22. 19 MayQuote of the Day
23. 18 MayMistakes were made
24. 18 MayQuote of the Day
25. 17 May“A multitude of drops”: Thoughts on Cloud Atlas
26. 17 MayQuote of the Day
27. 16 MayOf mouses and men
28. 16 MayQuote of the Day
29. 15 MayThomas Mann on readings
30. 14 MayA word of advice from Thoreau
31. 13 MayA preview of coming distractions
32. 13 MayQuote of the Day
33. 12 MayBerkeley on my mind
34. 12 MayQuote of the Day
35. 11 MayOn going out to readers
36. 11 MayQuote of the Day
37. 10 MayThe art of acknowledgments
38. 10 MayQuote of the Day
39. 9 MayAdventures in copy editing
40. 9 MayQuote of the Day
41. 8 MayBuckminster Fuller on not earning a living
42. 7 MayA word from Robert Anton Wilson
43. 6 MayWerner Herzog’s forgotten dreams
44. 6 MayQuote of the Day
45. 5 MayA writer’s work is never done
46. 5 MayMichael Pollan on second books
47. 4 MayComing soon: “Ernesto”
48. 4 MayQuote of the Day
49. 3 MaySo what is science fiction?
50. 3 MayQuote of the Day
51. 2 MayWhy novelists make bad politicians (and vice versa)
52. 2 MayQuote of the Day
53. 1 MayAnthony Trollope on productivity

April 2011

1. 30 AprA poet’s routine: A.E. Housman
2. 29 AprProgress report
3. 29 AprQuote of the Day
4. 28 AprYes, that’s really me
5. 28 AprQuote of the Day
6. 27 AprThe Phantom Tollbooth and the Terrible Trivium
7. 27 AprQuote of the Day
8. 26 AprClosing thoughts on “Kawataro”
9. 26 AprQuote of the Day
10. 25 AprThe making of a novelette (part 3)
11. 25 AprQuote of the Day
12. 24 AprA writer’s routine: Norman Mailer
13. 23 AprJohn Fowles on first drafts
14. 22 AprThe making of a novelette (part 2)
15. 22 AprQuote of the Day
16. 21 AprThe making of a novelette (part 1)
17. 21 AprQuote of the Day
18. 20 AprThe 10,000 word solution
19. 20 AprQuote of the Day
20. 19 AprWhy science fiction?
21. 19 AprQuote of the Day
22. 18 AprSource Code and the state of modern science fiction
23. 18 AprQuote of the Day
24. 17 AprDean Koontz on the discipline of writing
25. 16 AprStephen King on revision
26. 15 Apr“You are a Tetris master.”
27. 15 AprQuote of the Day
28. 14 Apr“Kawataro” is here!
29. 14 AprQuote of the Day
30. 13 AprThe lure of trashy fiction
31. 13 AprQuote of the Day
32. 12 AprBirdemic and the lure of awful movies
33. 12 AprQuote of the Day
34. 11 Apr“Previously, on Dante’s Inferno…”
35. 11 AprQuote of the Day
36. 10 AprGeorge R.R. Martin on world-building
37. 9 AprUmberto Eco on world-building
38. 8 AprLiterary obsolescence and the Codex Ipadianus
39. 8 AprQuote of the Day
40. 7 AprSt. Francis of the Troubles
41. 7 AprQuote of the Day
42. 6 AprPainting, writing, and the shape of fiction
43. 6 AprQuote of the Day
44. 5 AprThe way of Coppola, the way of Kubrick
45. 5 AprQuote of the Day
46. 4 AprThe Shining, Apocalypse Now, and the uses of allegory
47. 4 AprQuote of the Day
48. 3 AprWoody Allen on the discipline of writing
49. 2 AprStephen Spender on a poet’s memory
50. 1 AprLearning from the masters: Darin Morgan and The X-Files
51. 1 AprQuote of the Day

March 2011

1. 31 MarLearning from the masters: Charles Schulz
2. 31 MarQuote of the Day
3. 30 MarLearning from the masters: Stephin Merritt
4. 30 MarQuote of the Day
5. 29 MarLearning from the masters: Jim Henson
6. 29 MarQuote of the Day
7. 28 MarA nice little milestone
8. 28 MarLearning from the masters: an introduction
9. 28 MarQuote of the Day
10. 27 MarFaulkner on experience, observation, and imagination
11. 26 MarJames Wood on the “lazy” conventions of fiction
12. 25 MarThe glorious cul-de-sac of Umberto Eco
13. 25 MarQuote of the Day
14. 24 MarWhy I am a novelist
15. 24 MarQuote of the Day
16. 23 Mar“Accurate, but unsystematic”: a writer’s education
17. 23 MarQuote of the Day
18. 22 MarSarah Vowell’s banyan tree
19. 22 MarHow is playwriting like ping-pong?
20. 21 MarGoodbye, Kamera
21. 21 MarQuote of the Day
22. 20 MarMichael Ondaatje on first drafts
23. 19 Mar“Well, have them do something!”
24. 18 MarTwo weeks with another novel
25. 18 MarQuote of the Day
26. 17 MarLessons from great (and not-so-great) television
27. 17 MarQuote of the Day
28. 16 MarMad Men, Glee, and me
29. 16 MarQuote of the Day
30. 15 MarWith great power comes great incomprehensibility
31. 15 MarQuote of the Day
32. 14 MarA message from Tina Fey
33. 14 MarQuote of the Day
34. 13 MarStephen Sondheim’s three rules of writing
35. 12 MarRay Bradbury on literature’s obligation of joy
36. 11 MarThe end of browsing
37. 11 MarQuote of the Day
38. 10 MarWhat I read when I’m writing
39. 10 MarQuote of the Day
40. 9 MarA writer’s routine (mine)
41. 9 MarQuote of the Day
42. 8 MarHow much should you write every day?
43. 8 MarQuote of the Day
44. 7 MarAway we go
45. 7 MarQuote of the Day
46. 6 MarWalter Murch on ambiguity
47. 5 MarJeffrey Eugenides on second novels
48. 4 MarBeyond the valley of procrastination
49. 4 MarQuote of the Day
50. 3 MarFooling yourself out of writer’s block
51. 3 MarQuote of the Day
52. 2 MarThe special terror of writer’s block
53. 2 MarQuote of the Day
54. 1 MarPeter J. Gomes, 1942-2011
55. 1 MarQuote of the Day

February 2011

1. 28 FebThe singular destiny of David Fincher
2. 28 FebQuote of the Day
3. 27 FebThe Soda Network
4. 26 FebJonathan Franzen on transparency
5. 25 FebRoger Ebert: An Appreciation (Part 2)
6. 25 FebQuote of the Day
7. 24 FebRoger Ebert: An Appreciation (Part 1)
8. 24 FebQuote of the Day
9. 23 FebMamet’s unsubtle knife
10. 23 FebQuote of the Day
11. 22 FebThe work of a lifetime
12. 22 FebQuote of the Day
13. 21 FebSherrinford Holmes and the trouble with names
14. 21 FebQuote of the Day
15. 20 FebA writer’s routine: Stephen King
16. 19 FebA writer’s routine: John le Carré
17. 18 Feb24 and art’s dubious morality
18. 18 FebQuote of the Day
19. 17 FebWhen bad titles happen to good books
20. 17 FebQuote of the Day
21. 16 FebSome day jobs of famous writers
22. 16 FebQuote of the Day
23. 15 FebSteven Spielberg and the child’s eye
24. 15 FebQuote of the Day
25. 14 FebLondon and the voodoo of location
26. 14 FebQuote of the Day
27. 13 FebTom Stoppard on the creative process
28. 12 FebGuillermo’s Labyrinth
29. 11 FebGreat Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
30. 10 FebGreat Directors: Akira Kurosawa
31. 9 FebGreat Directors: Orson Welles
32. 8 FebGreat Directors: Stanley Kubrick
33. 7 FebGreat Directors: Powell and Pressburger
34. 6 FebGreat Directors: An introduction
35. 5 FebProgess report: London, Brussels, and beyond
36. 4 FebWalter Mosley and the red question mark
37. 4 FebQuote of the Day
38. 3 FebThe curious case of Michael Crichton
39. 3 FebQuote of the Day
40. 2 Feb“Two hundred European cities have bus links with Frankfurt”
41. 2 FebQuote of the Day
42. 1 FebResearch as a way of dreaming
43. 1 FebQuote of the Day

January 2011

1. 31 JanThe pleasures and perils of research
2. 31 JanQuote of the Day
3. 30 JanSome useful advice from Proust
4. 29 JanJohn Irving on plot
5. 28 JanMy ten favorite screenplays
6. 28 JanQuote of the Day
7. 27 JanPutting down stakes
8. 27 JanQuote of the Day
9. 26 JanTo outline or not to outline?
10. 26 JanQuote of the Day
11. 25 JanThe Godfather and the secret of plot
12. 25 JanQuote of the Day
13. 24 JanThe joys of plot
14. 24 JanQuote of the Day
15. 24 JanShoah and the limits of art
16. 23 JanVonnegut on plot
17. 22 JanQuote of the Day
18. 21 JanMe and David Lynch
19. 21 JanQuote of the Day
20. 20 JanThe greatest opening shots in movies
21. 20 JanQuote of the Day
22. 19 JanThe Fugitive and the art of beginnings
23. 19 JanQuote of the Day
24. 18 JanMy own opening lines
25. 18 JanQuote of the Day
26. 17 Jan“They threw me off the hay truck about noon…”
27. 17 JanQuote of the Day
28. 16 JanProgress report
29. 16 JanQuote of the Day
30. 15 JanNabokov and the silly moon
31. 15 JanQuote of the Day
32. 14 JanThe Pixar problem
33. 14 JanQuote of the Day
34. 13 JanThe best closing shots in film
35. 13 JanQuote of the Day
36. 12 JanThe trouble with endings
37. 12 JanQuote of the Day
38. 11 JanMaking an end
39. 11 JanQuote of the Day
40. 10 JanThe last word
41. 9 JanQuote of the Day
42. 8 JanHousman’s Razor
43. 8 JanQuote of the Day
44. 7 JanThe best movies of the year
45. 7 JanQuote of the Day
46. 6 JanHayao Miyazaki and the future of animation
47. 6 JanQuote of the Day
48. 5 JanMy fifty essential movies
49. 5 JanQuote of the Day
50. 4 JanMy fifty essential books
51. 4 JanQuote of the Day
52. 3 JanThe Girl Whose Books Aren’t Very Good
53. 3 JanQuote of the Day
54. 2 JanTrue Grit and the Coen Brothers
55. 2 JanQuote of the Day
56. 1 JanA novel in nine months
57. 1 JanQuote of the Day

2010 80

December 2010

1. 31 DecLooking back at an eventful year
2. 31 DecQuote of the Day
3. 30 DecMametspeak
4. 30 DecQuote of the Day
5. 29 DecSo how’s that novel coming along?
6. 29 DecQuote of the Day
7. 28 DecIn praise of David Thomson
8. 28 DecQuote of the Day
9. 27 DecIntuition and the White Goddess
10. 27 DecQuote of the Day
11. 26 DecOn Robert Graves
12. 26 DecQuote of the Day
13. 25 DecQuote of the Day
14. 24 DecA Christmas story without slush
15. 24 DecQuote of the Day
16. 23 DecA word about Charles Bock
17. 23 DecQuote of the Day
18. 22 DecBooks for Christmas?
19. 22 DecQuote of the Day
20. 21 DecFor the novelist who has everything
21. 21 DecQuote of the Day
22. 20 DecGoogling the rise and fall of literary reputations: the sequel
23. 20 DecQuote of the Day
24. 19 DecPlaying solitaire with ideas
25. 19 DecQuote of the Day
26. 18 DecTechnology and its discontents
27. 18 DecRossini’s moment of randomness
28. 18 DecQuote of the Day
29. 17 DecGoogling the rise and fall of literary reputations
30. 17 DecQuote of the Day
31. 17 DecThe Legend of Miyamoto
32. 16 Dec“Do you have a restless urge to write?”
33. 16 DecQuote of the Day
34. 15 DecProgress report
35. 15 DecAs Margaret Mead never said…
36. 15 DecQuote of the Day
37. 14 DecThe power of intentional randomness
38. 14 DecQuote of the Day
39. 13 DecMind maps as a writing tool
40. 13 DecQuote of the Day
41. 12 DecWhere do ideas come from?
42. 11 DecNolan’s Run
43. 11 DecQuote of the Day
44. 10 DecGeorge Lucas: Writer of a Lost Art
45. 10 DecQuote of the Day
46. 9 DecMy favorite covers of the year
47. 9 DecThe sad case of Hannibal Lecter
48. 9 DecQuote of the Day
49. 8 DecProgress report
50. 8 DecImitate everyone you know
51. 8 DecQuote of the Day
52. 7 DecHow to write like a Vulcan
53. 7 DecWriting the Middle: The Story of All the King’s Men
54. 7 DecQuote of the Day
55. 7 DecPsycho, Black Swan, and the problem of surprise
56. 6 DecBlack Swan: Take off The Red Shoes
57. 6 DecQuote of the Day
58. 5 DecHow Rambo saved my novel
59. 5 DecQuote of the Day
60. 4 DecThe 10% Solution
61. 4 DecQuote of the Day
62. 4 Dec2,872,682,109 words
63. 3 DecWhat I’ve learned from Glee
64. 3 DecQuote of the Day
65. 3 DecTree of Codes and the power of constraints
66. 2 DecKlaus Kinski with an ax
67. 2 DecTree of Codes and the slate piece
68. 2 DecQuote of the Day
69. 2 DecLessons from Woody Allen
70. 1 DecTangled’s web
71. 1 DecQuote of the Day
72. 1 DecGood sex in fiction

November 2010

1. 30 NovFanfic and the writer’s apprenticeship
2. 30 NovProgress report
3. 30 NovWhat I’m reading this week
4. 30 NovQuote of the Day
5. 30 NovMFA, NYC, and the Classics
6. 29 NovQuote of the Day
7. 29 NovNails and houses
8. 29 NovIntroductory remarks