Craft Essays :: Dialogue and Hidden Gems

Glimmer Train Bulletin #144 continues to offer free craft essays from writers, some of whose works have been published in Glimmer Train Stories.

In his essay “Dialogue: Something to Talk About,“ Gregory Wolos writes: “Like everything else in a work of fiction, quoted words and phrases are inventions created to serve the purposes of the author. Paradoxically, because the meaning behind spoken language may be subtle, understanding it might demand more, not less, of the reader.”

“Playing the Odds” by Melissa Yancy [pictured] is a uniquely grounding and encouraging perspective on writers keeping their eye on their own hidden gems rather than the prizes of others: “We read author bios, convinced that Iowa, the Stegner, or the right borough in New York City will increase the odds. Then what is already in hand becomes currency that we trade in for that gamble.”

Readers can access the most current as well as a full archive of the Glimmer Train Bulletin here.