Southern Literary Review Expands Staff and Contributors

Here's an update:

Southern Literary Review

Southern Literary Review (SLR), the most comprehensive and current online source for interviews, profiles and reviews on southern authors and their contributions to American literature, adds award-winning editor and writer Adele Annesi as managing editor.

SLR, led by Editor-in-Chief Julie Cantrell, features the works of classic writers who have defined southern literature, and highlights emerging and established authors from the south. "I've worked with SLR as a contributor for about a year, and very much appreciate Julie's diligence and the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the southern writing tradition embodied by today's southern writers," Annesi said.

A former development editor for Scholastic, Annesi is a book editor specializing in nonfiction and memoir. Also a press correspondent and writer, she has contributed to newspapers, magazines, blogs and literary journals. Her "After the Sunflowers" essay is part of Press Pause Moments: Essays About Life Transitions by Women Writers. She won Poetic Voices of America's editor's choice award, and teaches The Art of Editing in Writing workshops. "I look forward to fostering the work of fellow writers with such a rich legacy," Annesi said.

Founded in 2004 by author, editor and teacher Jamie Cox Robertson, SLR came under the leadership of Julie Cantrell in 2010. "We're pleased to provide profiles of novelists like Tom Wolfe and Wendell Berry, as well as interviews with emerging southern writers by the likes of Kevin Brockmeier, Mark Richard and Karen White," Cantrell noted. "With a substantial body of original content, SLR is dedicated to engaging and insightful content. We don't limit ourselves to the slim list of bestsellers, so we're able to explore a broad range of southern writing. We're always looking for talented writers and serious readers to contribute to the site."

For more information, contact Julie Cantrell or Adele Annesi.   

A Fresh Start: When Not to Edit, and Start From Scratch Instead

An editor by trade would have to be crazy or willing to commit career hari-kari to say there's ever a time not to edit. But there is a time — two in fact — when you're completely stuck for an idea and when you want an organic scene that tinkering with what you've got won't do.

Just do it - write!

One of the scariest things for a writer, especially one like me with a background in journalism or any nonfiction form, is to leave the familiar — the facts, the outline, the first draft — for the unfamiliar. Yet, only in uncharted waters is discovery made. Take that first example of being stuck for an idea. It could be for a story or a scene; it could even be for a character. Recently, a friend told me over lunch that she has a career military officer character for whom she needs to write a difficult scene that reveals an inciting incident from his past. Since she was having trouble with what the incident produced in his life, she was having trouble figuring out what could have precipitated it. My prescription? Just sit down and write it.

At first she looked aghast, but as she stared into space over a plate of pasta a mischievous grin spread across her face. "I have an idea," she said. "Want to know hear it?" "No," I answered. "Surprise me." The more she considered what might have prompted the officer to reach this crossroad in life, the more she looked forward to writing the scene. Writers, it turns out, can enjoy a surprise as much as readers. When the unknown becomes known, it becomes invention and ceases to be scary.

Another instance where you don't want to edit, or continue editing, is when you've written a scene that only becomes more stilted and contrived the longer you tinker. What to do? Stop editing and open a new document. Put the scene away and start writing. This was the advice I got from writer and teacher Peter Selgin on my first novel. "Consider this your master's thesis, put it in a drawer and start over. You know the story," he said. "Just write it." It was true; I knew the story. I was simply afraid of where starting over would lead, like when I learned to swim. To get beyond the shallow end of the pool and the shallows of the Atlantic off Fort Lauderdale beach, I had to let go and get my feet off the bottom. I've never regretted it.

Happy writing and happy Fourth!

Seeing Double, Triple: Getting Into Each Character's Head

There's nothing necessarily wrong with a scene where one character dominates, but there may not be enough right with it either. It's fine for one character in a scene to stand out, especially if he or she is the story's main squeeze. But if the character dominates every scene, or most throughout the story, try editing the scene once for each character.

Here's a case where the best way to learn is by doing. Select a scene from a story you're working on now or a scene you've been mulling over. Edit it first from the mind-set of the main character. Then edit from the mind-set of the next most prominent character on down the line until you've edited the scene once for each major character. The result will be a richer exchange with deeper characters who know and engage each other on a deeper level, and who may surprise the reader, possibly even the writer.


Here are a couple of caveats:

• Don't view this as a major rewrite of the scene, but more of a way to refine it to reveal the essence of each major player, and some minor ones, too.
• Don't let surprises throw you. Instead, step away from the work. When you return, if there still seems to be a major shift in character or plot, list the ways this will impact the story and where. Review the list to see if the changes are worth making.

Happy writing!