M.J. Steinbach

Incredibly grateful to be one of the @PENamerica PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize winners! And thank you again to @RaleighReview for publishing Rescued Late!

@Sylvia147225911 “When Augustus came out in the porch the blue pigs were eating a rattlesnake—not a very big one.”

#booktwt Drop the first line of book you are currently reading? No titles allowed

@JaycelAdkins @zenahitz Not profundity, per se, but it can signal a depth and complexity of characters and story that is hard to achieve in shorter formats. I’m thinking specifically about the Kirstin Lavransdatter trilogy you have pictured here

Least interesting thing about a book is its length, very confused that people are taken in by the idea that length equals profundity. Not hard to read a 1000 page text, just keep turning pages without quitting.

@narrenhut @jozefandrew1 They ripped off Avril Lavigne

I'll be honest - I didn't think they were capable of conceiving of something like this in the 18th century

@LandCruiserCab Agreed. The best writers are thoughtful about every word they use

The best writers make the best word choices.

@shainreads Not today 😃

Is it possible to read 2 pages in one day?

@ornithopteryx Because you need to assume your readers are smart

I know the rule is “show don’t tell” but why not show AND tell?

beatitudes 🕊️

@AlyssaMatesic This is exactly why I do writing “exchanges” to get feedback: we both exchange a piece we are working on, so it feels much less vulnerable (or, at least, mutually vulnerable)

Can we normalize talking about how emotionally vulnerable writing a book is? It's something I've been thinking about a ton as I count down the months until my book comes out. I can't wait for people to finally read it, but...the thought of people reading it also TERRIFIES me. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, you're putting pieces of yourself on the page and inviting the world to read (and judge) it. There are few pursuits as personal and intimate as writing. So whenever the scaries start creeping in, remember: The act of sharing a book with readers takes enormous courage. What you're doing is brave. And that vulnerability is precisely what gives you the opportunity and power to make a profound impact.

@SDDonovan Also, limit (if not completely avoid) flashbacks

What's a piece of advice that got you to change how you approach writing?

@SDDonovan You don’t have to plot everything out. Just write and discover what the character does as the reader does. No surprise for the author equals no surprise for the reader.

@Kacey_Combs -experiential writing vs didactic -how to read with a critical eye and use what you learn in your own writing -how to use subtext and symbolism while avoiding cliches -related to last point: assume you’re reader is smart!

If you were assigned a writing class of aspiring writers, what topics would you ensure are in your curriculum? #WritingCommunity

@angelynchs Hear me out…

okay does anyone have book recs with a cast of characters thats super messy and they all have complicated dynamics but they’re still so tethered to each other and don’t say if we were villains or the secret history because i’ve read both

Sometimes reading Steinbeck is like getting kicked in the chest

@ToLiveInBloom @theoeides4 Me too! ❤️

@theoeides4 @MJSteinbac So cool! I love Flannery O’Connor

View of the Cathedral in Savannah from Flannery O’Connor’s childhood bedroom.

Some gifts I received from a writing workshop I attended last week ❤️ Let me know if anyone has thoughts/opinions on any of these! 📚 #writing

"Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to. You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and my self is the earth's shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon"

Love this quote. She never holds back. Also check at her prayer journal: “Dear God, I don't want to have invented my faith to satisfy my weakness".