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~ Writing a Biography ~
 
STALKING THE ELEPHANT
 
A Blog About Writing Biography and Imagining a Life

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? Managing the Writing Life, 2: THE DIGITAL DIMENSION

What's the best idea you've had for coping with a major challenge of the writing life?

    "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" invites experienced biographers and narrative nonfiction writers to hold forth, in an article or just in a couple of sentences, on some useful solution they've found for coping with any major challenge of the writing life. What works for you? Share it with the rest of us by posting a comment below.

      Charles J. Shields on Blogging

          Most publishers these days want authors to cultivate an online presence to attract readers (a "platform," in publishing jargon). Read More 
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      • AN ELEPHANT IS A MOVING TARGET

      (Credit: Hayward Public Library)

        For me, nothing about writing biography is more difficult than remembering that I'm tracking the long, slow evolution of a human being. (Two human beings, actually: in a sense, Erskine is as important to SARA AND ERSKINE as Sara herself; maybe more, in some ways.) Which means that the elephant  Read More 
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        • WHEN SHOULD YOU BEGIN WRITING?

        A spiral galaxy giving birth to stars (NASA)


                First-time biographers often assume they have to complete all their research before writing anything. But since the writing process itself always generates new ideas, a nonfiction writer can always find more research to do.

                Case in point: A long time ago,  Read More 
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