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Critiquing 101: How To Be A Great Critique Partner
I’m a proponent of attending critique groups. You can tell a group is beneficial when their comments help you build a better story, create more realistic characters, and refine (or find) your voice as a writer. They will push you in ways that can be painful but ultimately are aimed at polishing your work not breaking you down. So what can you do to be an asset to the group like they are to you? Read on. Be Honest This is the first tip for a reason. It is by far the most important. Your partners won’t benefit if you dance around the truth. Assume people are giving you their…
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Reading: Devastating & Delightful
To read Chelsea Hodson’s essay collection, Tonight I’m Somone Else is to take up residence inside the author’s head. She doesn’t so much invite you in, instead, she pushes. And as you go careening forward you can’t help but enjoy the fall. If you’re a woman, you need to read this book. If you’re a writer, you need to read this book. If you’re currently breathing, you need to read this book. You need. To read. This book. Hodson posits we are not the mere sum of our experiences; we are not where we’ve been or what we’ve seen. Our selves are best summarized through our thoughts. The ones that…
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New in Town: the Goodwich
When the Goodwich opened downtown—away from Fremont—food options were slim. The idea of having an upscale sandwich shop in that part of town wasn’t exciting, it was downright revolutionary. During slow days at the store, Rich would journey to that temple of bread and spreads, returning with mouthwatering spoils. Since we closed down our store over a year ago, I’m sad to report we have not ventured back to the Goodwich. So you can understand the whiplash-level of elation we experienced when we drove past the new location in the SouthWest, so conveniently close to Summerlin. We arrived at 7:30 on Friday, beating the dinner rush. A friendly server greeted…
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Artist Feature: Mike Biggs
During my stint as an Arts District shop owner, I realized an important thing—not all artists are born equal. Some are happy to perpetuate the stereotype of the tortured creative who can’t commit or abide by a deadline. Some, however, have an incredible work ethic and endeavor to improve their craft in any way they can. Mike Biggs is the latter. Born and raised here, in Vegas, he feels the city has a certain edge that seeped into his art via the “fun, creepy, dark themes” he enjoys “impressing on people’s eyeballs.” I’m always inspired by artists who have a unique style or point of view and pursue various mediums…
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New in Town: The Stove
Inside this fully grown woman, is a little girl who still loves fancy tea parties complete with finger sandwiches and delicate sweets. There are a handful of places in Las Vegas where I can treat my inner child to the tea party of her dreams. This post is about the newest one of those places—The Stove. The Henderson restaurant opened a month ago and already is a happening hotspot (does anyone still say happening or hotspot? I guess there’s a seventy-year-old woman inside me right next to the little girl) for brunch. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations for parties under six people, so expect to wait a while to be…
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Reading: Redundant & Repetitive
Full disclosure: I didn’t exactly pick this book. I’ve recently joined a book club (for the first time ever) and this was next on their list. I’ll also admit to initially not recognizing Shirley Jackson’s name. She is, of course, the mind behind one of the most famous short stories of all time—“The Lottery”, a tale that is a masterpiece of gothic horror and social commentary. After realizing who the author was, my expectations definitely changed. This might be unfair to Jackson, but such is our reality, if one produces exceptional work all consequent pieces are measured against it. And for me, “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” did…
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Afternoon at Loftti Cafe
My bestie lives in the South West and I have driven past Loftti Café many times, always making a mental note to visit one day. I’m a sucker for cool looking logos and the art deco Loftti logo looks particularly fun lit up in bright round bulbs at night. Visually speaking it’s the complete package, appealing, stylistically correct, and eye-catching. This past week the stars finally aligned and I was able to see more than just Loftti’s signage. The interior is a hipster wet dream filled with Edison bulbs, twinkle lights, industrial fixtures, crisscross cobblestone flooring, and quirky knick-knacks. Large floor to ceiling windows occupy half the space, creating two…
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Looking for Culture in Vegas? Dime Grinds has You Covered
A common complaint from those who move to Vegas from other cities is the lack of cultural activities. I always thought that was a load of hooey, but after attending several Dime Grinds events I know it is. Hosted by Joe Maxx Coffee in Henderson and organized by the Henderson Writers Group, Dime Grinds is a monthly event that combines: authors (aspiring and accomplished), 10 cent coffee, and three readings. Walking into Joe Maxx Coffee on the first Sunday of every month feels like visiting a friend’s house. The coffee shop itself is airy and spacious. With a variety of comfortable seating options and featuring a rotating selection of local…
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Flash Feature: Noa Sivan
You should be reading flash fiction. I’ve seen it defined a few different ways, but the one which seems most consistent is that flash fiction is fiction with a word count under 1,000. Good flash fiction packs the entire emotional journey of a short story or a novel in a tight space. But it doesn’t feel rushed or unfinished; it feels like you’ve opened a window into something unexpected and quick. We keep hearing about how our attention spans are shorter, how we’re bombarded with more content than ever before. If reading a novel is docking your ship in a friendly port after a terrible storm, then reading flash fiction…
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Where to Buy Books in Vegas
In my first blog post, I discussed my hatred of Amazon and love of libraries. I also tapped The Writer’s Block as #TheVegasILove. And as much as both libraries and The Writer’s Block are wonderful they’re not the only game in town. I’m going to assume you enjoy supporting local businesses rather than large corporations (because you’re a good person, right?). So to aid you in that support, here are profiles on three amazing locally owned bookstores. Dragon Castle Books (Used) This used bookstore is owned and operated by a mother/son team: Carla and Danny. As soon as I walked in, Carla greeted me from behind a counter surrounded by…
