Because It Works!

About the Book

“Do you like my story?” “Did I write my personal essay right?” “What do you think of my poem?” “Why is my work being rejected?” If you’re asking these questions and not getting helpful, constructive answers, try asking the only question that Glenda Baker and the editors of New England Writers’ Network ask: does it work? Because It Works! is a compilation of over 40 articles and exercises on the elements of writing fiction, personal essays, and poetry. Originally published in NEWN magazine, these articles are designed to help you determine if your writing works—and if it doesn’t, how you can make it work. Because it Works! shows you: 8 ways to characterize When not to use description Point of view—simplified! What to show; what to tell The 10 dialogue commandments How and where to begin How to prop up the sagging middle The 8 awful endings You’ll also learn how to critique and be critiqued, the writing process will be demystified, and you’ll understand that writer’s block is not a writing problem! www.newnmag.net “I’ve just read your article on point of view. WOW. Clear, concise, to the point, and in no way confusing . . . this is the best and easiest explanation I’ve seen.” —Arline Chase, author and instructor for Writer’s Digest School.

About the Author

During the fifteen years Glenda Baker was the publisher and editor-in-chief of NEWN, she read and critiqued hundreds of short stories. She also wrote many of her own. This volume contains twenty-two of Glenda’s stories—from short (21,000 words) to short-short (about 1,000 words) to flash fiction (52 words total) in which Glenda addresses subjects such as: After doing a favor for his boss, how does a man end up in an maze he can’t find his way out of? What would happen if a contemporary kid created a golem? What secrets do three generations of women learn each about each other while on a weekend trip to Cape Cod? How far will a passive-aggressive woman if pushed to the limit? Glenda Baker is a graduate of the Famous Writers School, Clark University, and the 2001 Maui Writer’s Retreat, and a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild and Sisters in Crime. She has won prizes for her fiction, poetry, and personal essays. She is the author of Because It Works!, a compilation of articles on all elements of writing fiction and personal essays. Visit Glenda at www.nenmag.net and at www.glendabaker.com.