Overview

Millions of Suns is an open invitation for all writers to create something new. Each chapter features a pair of essays-in-dialogue between two working artists, Sharon Fagan McDermott and M. C. Benner Dixon, which addresses a specific writing element such as metaphor, inspiration, place, surprise, or imagery. These hybrid essays reveal how two very different writers approach the building blocks of their craft. Explore how white space intersects with grief, how the act of reading changes over a lifetime, or how “familiarity, in life and in stories, invites us in and gives us a hand to hold.” Witness the ways that race and climate change find their way onto the page. Learn how memory can be an act of betrayal or healing. With decades of combined teaching experience, McDermott and Benner Dixon share practical craft-of-writing advice with the reader, including over fifty engaging writing prompts to spark the creative process. These prompts guide readers toward the freedom and joy that comes with finding one’s authentic voice. Embracing both the painful and the playful, Millions of Suns is an ideal text for classrooms, professional development, or daily writing practice. Through humor, lyricism, and poignancy, the fundamental message of the book remains the same for newcomers and career authors. Let Millions of Suns open a door for you into your creative work, inviting imagination, memory, and inspiration into your writing life.

Full Product Details

9780472076475

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""During my decades of teaching creative writing, I've often longed for a book like this--not a dull craft book, a how-to book that turns writing into a math problem, but a lively invitation into the magic and wonder of it, as well as the frustrations and self doubts. The warmth and humanity of these writers comes through every page as they welcome us into their writing lives. The collaborative nature of this work, with separate essays by both authors, offers a fresh, unique perspective--there is not just one way to write. This book provides comfort in that knowledge, allowing readers the flexibility to explore, to chart their own paths. These two honest, intimate, and at times vulnerable voices offer constant assurance--even in the writing prompts!"" --Jim Daniels, Thomas Stockham Baker University Professor of English Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University--Jim Daniels ""In clear radiant prose, McDermott and Dixon create a dialogue about the role that art, nature, family and friendship have played in their respective writing practices. They courageously discuss elusive concepts such as inspiration and transcendence, as well as sharing their skepticism about beauty, but these skilled wordsmiths always bring our attention back to the practical business of writing and revision. Each chapter includes inspiration-prompts to nudge us forward in our own attempts to write and explore. Millions of Suns is much more than a guide to writing, although it does a credible job at that task; it is a gift that inspires us to find grace in the world and forgiveness for ourselves."" --Michael Simms, author of The Talon Trilogy--Michael Simms ""This book is just what I've been looking for! Filled with essays that dive into writing craft and the writerly life, with fresh and unique prompts, this book offers real encouragement and wisdom. I'll be assigning it to the MFA students I teach and recommending it to friends. I needed an updated, contemporary, inspirational, and honest book--and, in particular, was looking for one that spoke to environmental and social justice. This book fits the bill."" --Laura Pritchett, Director of the MFA in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University, PEN-USA award winning author--Laura Pritchett"

“During my decades of teaching creative writing, I’ve often longed for a book like this—not a dull craft book, a how-to book that turns writing into a math problem, but a lively invitation into the magic and wonder of it, as well as the frustrations and self doubts. The warmth and humanity of these writers comes through every page as they welcome us into their writing lives. The collaborative nature of this work, with separate essays by both authors, offers a fresh, unique perspective—there is not just one way to write. This book provides comfort in that knowledge, allowing readers the flexibility to explore, to chart their own paths. These two honest, intimate, and at times vulnerable voices offer constant assurance—even in the writing prompts!” —Jim Daniels, Thomas Stockham Baker University Professor of English Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University “In clear radiant prose, McDermott and Dixon create a dialogue about the role that art, nature, family and friendship have played in their respective writing practices. They courageously discuss elusive concepts such as inspiration and transcendence, as well as sharing their skepticism about beauty, but these skilled wordsmiths always bring our attention back to the practical business of writing and revision. Each chapter includes inspiration-prompts to nudge us forward in our own attempts to write and explore. Millions of Suns is much more than a guide to writing, although it does a credible job at that task; it is a gift that inspires us to find grace in the world and forgiveness for ourselves.”—Michael Simms, author of The Talon Trilogy “This book is just what I’ve been looking for! Filled with essays that dive into writing craft and the writerly life, with fresh and unique prompts, this book offers real encouragement and wisdom. I’ll be assigning it to the MFA students I teach and recommending it to friends. I needed an updated, contemporary, inspirational, and honest book—and, in particular, was looking for one that spoke to environmental and social justice. This book fits the bill.”—Laura Pritchett, Director of the MFA in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University, PEN-USA award winning author

Author Information

Sharon Fagan McDermott is an award-winning Upper School English Teacher at Winchester Thurston School. Her books of poetry include Life without Furniture, Bitter Acoustic, Alley Scatting, and Voluptuous. M. C. Benner Dixon is an editor, writer, and writing coach. Her book The Height of Land is the winner of the Orison Fiction Prize.

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