C.C. Yager's Blog, page 21

New Music Now

Every year, I look forward with excitement to the Minnesota Orchestra’s Composer Institute and Future Classics concert. For five intense days, seven young composers attend workshops led by the Orchestra’s musicians, and by people on the business side of composing … Continue reading →

Structure

The last two weeks, my mind has been preoccupied with the science fiction short story I’m working on.  All sorts of problems so far and I’m not yet finished with the first draft.  The biggest problem was its structure.  I … Continue reading →

Writing vs. Talking

When a new acquaintance asks me what I do, I proudly reply that I’m a writer of fiction and nonfiction, and I’ve published a novel as well as numerous essays both online and in print.  Sometimes, the new acquaintance wants … Continue reading →

Three paradoxes of writing life

Originally posted on Nail Your Novel:
Yesterday I spoke at the New Generation Publishing selfpub summit, and the discussions threw up some interesting paradoxes that writers encounter. 1 We must produce, but never rush. Unless we’re writing only for the…

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend.  (Ludwig von Beethoven) The last few weeks I’ve had Beethoven and his music on my mind.  I finally bought my … Continue reading →

Fiction vs. Reality

My reaction to the terrorist attacks during the last few months has been horror, yes, but also something else.  There’s been a sense of unreality to it all, like the psychological trauma has begun to numb me from the reality … Continue reading →

Keep Moving Forward

New Year’s weekend invites goal-setting for the coming year.  After the upheaval of 2015, I especially want to dig into writing in 2016 and have been thinking about what I want to accomplish.  Last week, I read an essay in … Continue reading →

Updates: December 2015

This morning, I woke to a White World outdoors.  Snow blanketed everything like down.  Winter has finally arrived, and it reminded me that this year is almost over (YAY!).  It’s been a very long time since I’ve written an update … Continue reading →

Write What You Know?

Writing advice: “write what you know.”  Really?  I know that there’s a lot I don’t know and I allow my curiosity to determine what I write about.  “Write what you know” can also apply to people — yourself as well … Continue reading →

Voice of experience: 5 things that established authors would tell new writers

Originally posted on Nail Your Novel:
A few weeks ago, a bunch of authors gathered for Books Are My Bag day at Barton’s bookshop in Leatherhead, Surrey. Inevitably, some customers asked for advice on writing and publishing. These were the…