Back in 2006, the Greg Haidl case was big news here in these parts–Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Corona del Mar–and in perhaps all of Orange County. I followed the story, fascinated and sickened by how what happened could have happened. This year novelist Victoria Patterson, who went to high school at Corona del Mar High, where my son graduated from, published her novel The Little Brother, inspired by the case. She’s been on Writers on Writers with me, a featured author at the Pen on Fire Speaker Series, and will visit with my private studio workshop tonight. Here is an interview I did with her for the Los Angeles Review of Books.
Yearly Archives: 2021
Where writers write
Where do you write? Do you write in an office or in the car? In bed or in the bathtub? I’d like a little shed, no distractions. Check this out.
For Screenwriters: Vince Gilligan on Breaking Bad
Always interesting to read about the writing process. Here’s an older article, still relevant, with Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad. If you want to get your screenplays read, he says to enter screenwriting competitions. It’s how he got his start.
Fall writing workshop at Gotham
September, to me, is the true beginning of the year for writers. Summer is over, you’re back from vacation, kids are back at school, and you’re ready to focus on your work again. I’ve been teaching Jumpstart Your Writing at Gotham Writers Workshop for a bunch of years. This fall the class begins on Sept. 15. Click here to learn more. If you have questions for me, email me at penonfire at earthlink dot net. It’s a 10-week class that’s sure to jumpstart your writing.
Pen on Fire Speaker Series resumes
On Tuesday, July 14, at Scape Gallery in Corona del Mar, the Pen on Fire Speaker Series resumes, featuring novelists Seth Greenland and Diana Wagman who will discuss their new novels and talk about the art and business of writing. Laguna Beach Books will be on hand selling books. There will be nibbles and sips, and the opportunity to speak personally with the authors. If you’ve never been to a Speaker Series event, you will love spending a literary evening with writers and artists and other interesting people. Check out the schedule, and register, here.
Michael Paterniti and Marian Palaia on Writers on Writing
Essayist Michael Paterniti, author of Love and Other Ways of Dying, joins Marrie Stone to discuss writing tragedy, how he finds doors into human emotion, what makes a compelling essay, and creating the narrative voice in nonfiction. In the second half, Marian Palaia discusses her novel, The Given World. She discusses Vietnam, creating fictional characters from real people, the common pitfalls of new writers, and how her MFA transformed her work.
(Broadcast date: April 29, 2015)
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