Ben East Books

Tag: Writing

  • The Non-Business Plan

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    Ben East
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    Fellow blogger and author C.S. Boyack found the right word to describe what many might otherwise call a New Year’s resolution (he wisely disavows the concept). Rather, Boyack puts forward a ‘business plan‘ for the year ahead—which platforms he’ll look to and why, beta readers and critique groups, ideas for the next narrative, etc. With…

  • Idling through the Shut Down

    Idling through the Shut Down

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    Ben East
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    Revisiting publication credits to stimulate and inspire 2019 projects. I’d like to make it a year of broader platforms with more non-fiction. The days ahead, if the Grinches in DC keep Grinching, might provide both the means and the need to fulfill that prospect. Non-fiction The Card from Kabul—The Foreign Service Journal May 2018 Transition Brief…

  • New Middle Grade Fiction

    New Middle Grade Fiction

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    Ben East
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    Appreciated the chance to chime in on Robbie Yates latest release, The Kooky Kids’ Club, and honored to have a blurb on the cover. I found the story relatable and empathetic, the story-telling spare and true. In the author’s own words: Maxine is smart, quirky, and a bit of a misfit. One day, she receives…

  • Today’s Coffee…

    Today’s Coffee…

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    Ben East
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    …mightier than the sword. Terminal 1D Indira Gandhi International Airport ert Dehra Dun in the foothills of the Himalayas. #amwriting #amtraveling #Diwali       ##

  • Foreign Service Writings

    Foreign Service Writings

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    Ben East
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    My favorite Foreign Service Journal issue of the year is out! All the recently published books by writers affiliated with America’s proud diplomatic corps are listed in one tight package this month. Pick up a few titles and learn about the Foreign Service. Read about how we promote U.S. interests and protect our citizens overseas.…

  • The Writer Is…

    The Writer Is…

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    Ben East
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    …the woman at the stove adding cups of this and teaspoons of that to the soup while strange faces emerge in the place where her recipe should be recalled… …the man at the sink washing egg-yolk from the breakfast plates while the doctor, lawyer, hero, villain, sidekick, loser introduce their problems but the egg won’t…

  • Everyday Life

    Everyday Life

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    Ben East
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    The novelist is exhausted. Whole worlds suggest themselves to her but that is all. The worlds do not appear. They do not come ready-made. They do not exist. They require focus and time and attention. The worlds must be pulled forth. Forged. The novelist is exhausted. Characters whisper in his ear and run through caverns…

  • The Story Belongs to All

    The Story Belongs to All

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    Ben East
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    In search of distraction from my low mood, and the month of foul headlines that created it, I turn to the library of familiar books recently arrived to the shelves of our Mumbai flat. Narratives on writing by V.S. Naipaul catch my eye. The author’s self-indulgence aside, he shares my way of thinking when it comes to…

  • Question for Writers

    Question for Writers

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    Ben East
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    Do you find more relevant blogs when searching under ‘writers’ or ‘writing’? Better question: what word do you search when you want to see what others are posting with regard to craft? I’ve also used ‘books’ and — yes, ‘literature’. Obviously genre names work, but its narrow.       ##

  • Writing for Children

    Writing for Children

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    Ben East
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    HarperCollins India, Avid Learning, and Mumbai children’s book promoter Lubaina Tyebji Bandukwala put together an informative workshop on writing children’s literature this weekend. As I begin the search for a home to publish my own middle grade novels, I thought I’d confirm my take on the genre with people who actually know what they’re talking about. A…