It was really hot today. I needed to walk around town, dropping of fliers for our new studio and classes, so I slipped into The Griffin to order a frozen berry smoothie. There on a low shelf, I noticed The Practical Writer. I own way too many writing books, but I couldn’t resist.

Now I can’t put it down.

“Think of The Practical Writer as a five-star-writers’ conference, minus the salad bar and the steep enrollment fee,” says Wally Lamb.

Julie Checkoway’s suggestions on beginnings and endings make me want to dig out that short story I wrote and tackle it again.

The book was published in 2004 by Poets & Writers. Some of the publishing advice is somewhat dated, but that won’t keep me from putting it on my studio shelf.

Hooray for small-town bookstores, and coffee shops, and butchers, and art studios!