TALKING WRITING

Talking Writing Inc. is a (501)(c)(3) public charity founded in 2011 to support writers. Our primary activity is the production of a free digital magazine, also called Talking Writing, that provides both a way for creative writers to publish their work and a forum for thoughtful discussion of the craft of writing. Great writing makes us want to sing or shout or argue, and TW's innovative format opens virtual doors to readers and writers everywhere. The magazine features essays, first-person journalism, visual art, poetry, and interviews with well-known authors. TW's themed issues take on provocative topics such as "Writing and Faith" and "Truth-telling." As the publishing industry continues to transform itself online, Talking Writing exemplifies the impact luminous stories and well-executed journalism can have in the new media world. It's also an educational resource for creative writing and journalism teachers, providing material that complements and adds value to writing curricula.Each TW issue contains a mix of essays or personal stories on an issue theme, along with poems, short fiction, and interviews with well-known writers such as Jennifer Egan, Robert Olen Butler, and Natalie Goldberg. We also have a group of regular columnists, who often write on the issue theme, and a section called “Why I Write," in which we invite emerging authors to define what motivates them to write.In 2013, for example, our four scheduled issues addressed the meaning of fame for writers; writing about nature; the many distractions to writing; and why writing is such a powerful tool for soul searching, creating meaning, and defining one's spiritual beliefs.Our staff of writers and editors, nearly all of whom work on a volunteer basis, understand TW's readers and their struggles. Columnist Steve Lewis puts it this way: “I grumble about the great, misunderstood American novel still sitting in my hard drive; I howl and hiss into the maw of the universe about my daily failures, real and imagined. Then, like any creature that roams the earth or sea, I get back to the real work, to the keyboard, noting the wind, the currents, the scent, hunting and pecking, staving off hunger for one more day."Writing is a solitary business. Regardless of the success of an author, the hard work of writing is done in private, guided by the drive to craft out of words a poem, novel, short story, play, or essay that will provide a window for readers into the thoughts and experiences of people who may or may not be like them.As one of our other contributing writers has said of Talking Writing, “It's a grand place, this cyber big tent, isn't it? Especially when you can find such sublime expression and exchange as we have here."