Creative Writing Resources From the Pros

Welcome to the website for We Wanted to be Writers, a blend of interviews, commentary, advice, gossip, anecdotes, analyses, history, and asides with nearly 30 graduates and teachers who were at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in the mid-70s. They include John Irving, Jane Smiley, T.C. Boyle, Allan Gurganus, Sandra Cisneros, Jayne Anne Phillips, Michelle Huneven, Joe Haldeman, Jennie Fields, Marvin Bell, and many others. Here we will continue conversations begun in the book with regular blog posts, a word from the eds, and more. We Wanted to be Writers is full of insights and inspiration for readers, teachers, and anyone who ever “wanted to be a writer.” (Buy the book.)

Books by David Davis' Bed 05/18/2012: David Davis is the author of Showdown at Shepherd's Bush: The 1908 Olympic Marathon and the Three Runners Who Start...
A Fred Setterberg Reading 05/17/2012: Fred in the Flesh By Cheryl Olsen When virtual and veritable collide, the result is frequently disappointing—both...
Books by Brian Meeks' Bed 05/11/2012: Brian D. Meeks is the author of Two Decades and Counting: The Streak, The Wins, The Hawkeyes: Thru the Eyes of Roy ...
At Home with John Irving 05/09/2012: No doubt there will be miles of video footage of John Irving now that his 13th novel is out, but this intimate look...
Review of In One Person 05/07/2012: Last month the inimitable Harvey Freedenberg shared the books by his bed. Now the National Book Critics Circle ...
Books by Lynne Perednia's Bed 05/04/2012: Lynne Perednia is sysop and book reviewer at CompuServe Books & Writers Community, the oldest continually opera...
If There Were a Literary Draft 05/02/2012: Mixed Reviews on 2012 Literary Draft By Ross Howell Ross Howell is a non-fiction and fiction writer teaching at E...
Our May e-Newsletter is out! 05/01/2012: The We Wanted to Be Writers e-newsletter has been sent to subscribers, with links posted on Facebook and Twitter. I...
May Calendar 05/01/2012: "Slow Dance of the Heart," a short story by Geri Lipschultz, has won the 2012 fiction prize from So to Spea...
Books by Matthew O'Brien's Bed 04/27/2012: Matthew O’Brien is an author and journalist who’s lived in Las Vegas since 1997. His first book, Beneath the Neon: ...