Craft and Creativity
Craft essays, criticism, and creative pieces. To get them in your inbox for free, join our newsletter.
Newest Features
On Making What’s Familiar Feel New
Do you ever read a poem, and it makes you see something normal and everyday in a new and strange light? Great poetry has the power to completely shift our worldviews, to make the familiar seem strange and the strange, familiar. Poets accomplish this feat through close attention to craft and to the images they…
Profiles in Craft: Ollie Schminkey
For you, what defines good writing? For me, good writing is writing that emotionally connects with your audience. Everything is in service to that goal; fresh metaphors matterbecause they help to keep folks engaged in the poem, an effective form heightens the content and connection of the poem, etc. What craft advice is most useful to…
On Eccentric Protagonists
Think of some of your favorite characters in literature. Chances are, they’re probably a little odd. Well-developed characters are often strange and complex, because people in real life are also strange and complex. A dash of eccentricity goes a long way in crafting memorable characters. Let’s take a closer look at how authors wield weirdness…