-
- Follow us!
Ploughshares is the award-winning non-profit literary magazine based at Emerson College in Boston. Most of our print issues are guest-edited, and our mission is to present varying viewpoints. Our blog is an extension of our print publication, and so we feature writing from guest-bloggers. We present their opinions to our readers in order to foster a lively discussion, but do not necessarily endorse all viewpoints published on our blog.
Comments: We moderate all comments on this blog, both to prevent spammers and keep the conversation civil. Comments will be published whether they agree or disagree with the post, as long as they are expressed respectfully and without personally attacking the author or other commenters.
-
-
Tag Archives: writing
Writing is Like Mixing a Drink
Mixing a drink is seductive in a way writing will never be. The ice sweating in the glass. The chucka, chucka of the metal shaker growing cold in your hands. The invisible melding going on inside that shaker, alcohols blending … Continue reading
Posted in Ploughshares Bloggers
Tagged advice, Caitlin O'Neil, cocktails, craft, drinking, process, writing
3 Comments
“It’s Not You, It’s Me” & Other Reasons We Don’t Finish Good Books
You’re sitting across from someone you really dig. One of you is fiddling with a napkin edge or straw wrapper, avoiding eye contact. One of you finally says: It’s not you. It’s me. And then the unraveling begins. One-sided endings … Continue reading
It’s About Point of View
Note: Following the Marathon bombings, and the subsequent citywide lockdown, we took a conscious decision to keep the blog free of commentary about both—despite several contributors volunteering. A literary journal isn’t the place for punditry or analysis of current events, … Continue reading
Posted in Ploughshares Bloggers
Tagged Boston Marathon, Boston Strong, Sarah Martin Banse, writing, writing proces, writing process
1 Comment
New Blog Feature: Writing Lessons
We’re excited to announce a new feature for the Ploughshares Blog geared towards writing students: “Writing Lessons.” In this feature writing students will discuss lessons learned, epiphanies about craft, and the challenges of studying writing. The exciting part of this feature … Continue reading
Episodia 1.5: Mad Men’s Tell-Tale Heart
For six seasons now, television viewers have been transfixed by advertising phenom Don Draper’s troubled smolder as he winds his way through Manhattan’s boardrooms, bedrooms, and bars. Each episode is loaded with literary jewels for writers to fawn over: the … Continue reading
Posted in Ploughshares Bloggers
Tagged advice, Dave Eggers, Edgar Allan Poe, Episodia, Mad Men, music, narrators, rules of writing, television, writing
6 Comments
Riding In Cars With Words
On long car rides with my father, you could count on hearing three questions: What kind of cow is that? What kind of roof is that? Is the moon waxing or waning? My answers were always as follows: a Holstein, a mansard, and … Continue reading
Posted in Ploughshares Bloggers
Tagged Caitlin O'Neil, cars, language, questions, writing
2 Comments
For Those About To Write (We Salute You) #4: Go Big
For Those About To Write (We Salute You) will present a writing exercise to the Ploughshares community every few weeks. We heartily encourage everyone reading to take part! It was mid-morning but there were no shadows on my wall; the … Continue reading
Roundup: Spring Cleaning
In our Roundups segment, we’re looking back at all the great posts since the blog started in 2009. We explore posts from our archives as well as other top literary magazines, centered on a certain theme to help you jump-start your week. This … Continue reading
Posted in Roundups, Uncategorized
Tagged advice, fresh, prompts, Roundup, Spring, Spring cleaning, tips, tricks, writing
Leave a comment
Episodia 1.4: Survival Archetypes
Whether it’s in the wake of a zombie apocalypse in “The Walking Dead,” on an electro-magnetic island in “Lost,” or on Capitol Hill in “House of Cards,” any television show that portrays the fight for survival always seems to need … Continue reading
Posted in Ploughshares Bloggers
Tagged characters, Episodia, House of Cards, survival, television, The Walking Dead, writing
3 Comments
For Those About To Write (We Salute You) #3: Letters
For Those About To Write (We Salute You) will present a writing exercise to the Ploughshares community every few weeks. We heartily encourage everyone reading to take part! Well, my plan was to do a prompt a day since the … Continue reading
