Hi friends. I’m thrilled to present this guest blog from one of my newest writer-friends, Susan Sparrow. She’s based in New Orleans . . . but we won’t hold that against her! 🙂 If you love this as much as I do, hit the like button to let us know. – Jason I’m uncomfortable givingContinue reading “Write with Abandon | a Guest Blog from Susan Sparrow”
Tag Archives: Southern Writing
The Rising Tide in South LouisianaÂ
I have to admit, it’s a strange and wonderful thing to hear podcasters, journalists, writers, and librarians repeating the phrase “a renaissance in South Louisiana literature” back to me. It’s something I’ve written and said hundreds of times over the last couple years, but there’s a special power in the words when other people speakContinue reading “The Rising Tide in South Louisiana “
Lessons Learned From My First Podcast
I’m in the middle of cooking dinner, and so I need to make this short. Lucky you. Still, I do have value to offer my nameless brethren out there in the early stages of building a creative enterprise. Everybody has a first podcast. And Jan Swift, host of the Discover Lafayette, was my first. IfContinue reading “Lessons Learned From My First Podcast”
Let the Good Times Roll!A Record of Outreach & Engagement in Acadiana
A Strange Kind of Symmetry. I don’t know what it’s like to write about South Louisiana from inside the state. It was 1999 when I started writing The Broad Stroke, my still unpublished first novel set on a fictitious version of the very real college campus that people now call the University of LouisianaContinue reading “Let the Good Times Roll!A Record of Outreach & Engagement in Acadiana“
The Stories You Have to Write
The novel I’m working on is still far from reaching its full potential. Which is to say, it’s not really going well. But despite this fairly obvious reality, I’m still really into the story and, more to the point, I feel a strong sense of resolve to keep working until I reach the end. I’mContinue reading “The Stories You Have to Write”
The Meaning is in the Commitment
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein So, coming up on my one year anniversary of writing this blog, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Not so much about the blog, specifically. More about New Bayou Books overall and what I’m trying toContinue reading “The Meaning is in the Commitment”
To Anne, with Love . . . or Tomorrow, Wendy, You’re Going to Die
“I got the ways and means, to New Orleans, I’m going down by the river where it’s warm and green. I’m gonna have a drink, walk around . . . I got a lot to think about.” “Bloodletting (the Vampire Song)”, by Concrete Blonde Interview with the Vampire came out in 1976. I was justContinue reading “To Anne, with Love . . . or Tomorrow, Wendy, You’re Going to Die”
It Feels a Certain Way to be Writing a Book
I can tell you up front that this will probably be one of the stranger blogs I’ve written. Strange because the thing I’m going to attempt to describe may be indescribable. But not strange because it isn’t real. I’ve tried my best to pay careful attention to the various stages, sensations, and habits of theContinue reading “It Feels a Certain Way to be Writing a Book”
Thoughts on First Drafts and Stephen King’s Fossil Metaphor
“Stories are found things, like fossils in the ground… Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered, pre-existing world.” Stephen King I read Stephen King’s book, On Writing, a couple years ago, after I finished the first draft of Tattoos and Tans, and even though I was captivated by the book, I didn’t put too muchContinue reading “Thoughts on First Drafts and Stephen King’s Fossil Metaphor”
Goodreads and the New Challenge for Independent Writers
I’m going to keep this blog very short because, to be totally honest with you, I have wasted not just yesterday—which is my designated day to prepare the blog—but today (Monday) as well. I’m not proud of it, but there it is. Nevertheless, I did make an interesting discovery last week that I want toContinue reading “Goodreads and the New Challenge for Independent Writers”
New Bayou Books 