On Good Writing

Cy.press Studios with Bret Lott
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Each week, Bret Lott shares a quote from creators about making things that are true and good and beautiful. As a bestselling writer and having taught creative writing for over 40 years, he shares his thoughts on these words by masters who have come before us. In teaching himself from the wisdom of creators who have mastered their craft, he hopes to encourage others in creating things that are lasting and real.

Episodes

  1. 16h ago

    Getting Published - Bret Lott

    We write to express in words what we feel so deeply and want to share. But are we willing to face what is required to find a home for our work? Are we willing to get rejected? Bret Lott shares a quote from a rejection letter he received, just one of the 629 rejections he has accumulated over a long writing life. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ancient Highway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Hunt Club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Southern Review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Good Writing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cy.press⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The music in this episode is " Never Stop" by Tyler Brown Williams / Musicbed.com.

    9 min

  2. Jun 6

    Destroying Everything - Alberto Giacometti

    This week, Bret Lott invites us to consider the mysterious process of creating in the face of self-doubt. He quotes the 20th century artist, Alberto Giacometti. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ancient Highway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Hunt Club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Southern Review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. ⁠⁠⁠⁠On Good Writing⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cy.press⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The music in this episode is " The Bible Belt" by John Lucas /Musicbed.com.

    11 min

  3. May 23

    Two Problems - Annie Dillard

    Welcome to On Good Writing, hosted by Bret Lott, a pocket podcast on what it means to make good and true and beautiful writing. A quote by Annie Dillard is up this week. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠⁠⁠⁠Ancient Highway⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Hunt Club⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewel⁠⁠⁠⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Southern Review⁠⁠⁠⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. ⁠⁠⁠On Good Writing⁠⁠⁠ is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠cy.press⁠⁠⁠⁠. The music in this episode is "Yellowstone" by Astro Diver/Musicbed.com.

    10 min

  4. May 16

    Sentimentality - Richard Hugo

    Welcome to On Good Writing, a pocket podcast where we touch on writers and artists about what it means to make true and good and beautiful work. This week we have a quote from the American poet, Richard Hugo. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠⁠⁠Ancient Highway⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠The Hunt Club⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Jewel⁠⁠⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠⁠⁠The Southern Review⁠⁠⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. ⁠⁠On Good Writing⁠⁠ is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠cy.press⁠⁠⁠. The music in this episode is "Closer to the Flame" by John Lucas/Musicbed.com.

    9 min

  5. May 9

    That’s the Trouble - Eudora Welty

    Welcome to On Good Writing, a pocket podcast where we touch on writers and artists about what it means to make true and good and beautiful work. This week we have a quote from the great American writer, Eudora Welty. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠⁠Ancient Highway⁠⁠, ⁠⁠The Hunt Club⁠⁠, ⁠⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Jewel⁠⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠⁠The Southern Review⁠⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. ⁠On Good Writing⁠ is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at ⁠⁠cy.press⁠⁠. The music in this episode is "Turning Page" by Cathedral/Musicbed.com.

    7 min

  6. May 2

    Putting Things Together - Toni Morrison

    Welcome to On Good Writing, a kind of pocket podcast on the writing life. Each week, host Bret Lott offers a quote and a few thoughts to carry with us into the work of writing or any good endeavor that occupies our waking hours. We like to think of this as the start of a conversation on writing and art and what it means to pay attention to the preciousness of life. This week, we hear a quote from Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize recipient and author of Beloved, a Pulitzer Prize winner. Return to On Good Writing next week to hear a quote from Eudora Welty. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠Ancient Highway⁠, ⁠The Hunt Club⁠, ⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠, and ⁠Jewel⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠The Southern Review⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. On Good Writing is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at ⁠cy.press⁠. The music in this episode is "Stories" by Judah Earl/Musicbed.com.

    9 min

  7. Apr 25

    Makeshift Things - Richard Ford

    “Stories and novels are makeshift things,” says Richard Ford. “And there is nothing wrong with that.” This week, host Bret Lott shares a longer quote from Ford and reflects on what it has to say to us about the messy process that is writing. Return to On Good Writing next week to hear a quote from Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize recipient and the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Beloved. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠Ancient Highway⁠, ⁠The Hunt Club⁠, ⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠, and ⁠Jewel⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠The Southern Review⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. On Good Writing is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at ⁠cy.press⁠. The music in this episode is Drifter Hymn by Lane King / Musicbed.com.

    10 min

  8. Apr 18

    Stare - Walker Evans

    In this first episode of On Good Writing, Bret Lott quotes Walker Evans, 20th century American photographer. He invites us to see that a writer or an artist or anyone who wants to make something true and good and beautiful is someone who stares and stares, trying to understand what’s going on, instead of assuming you know. “Assuming shuts down discovery and smothers it,” Bret Lott says, “which will kill a book or a story before the first sentence is ever written.” Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels Ancient Highway, The Hunt Club, A Song I Knew by Heart, and Jewel (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of The Southern Review, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. On Good Writing is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at cy.press. The music in this episode is Birds in The Clover - Instrumental by Thomas LaVine / Musicbed.com.

    7 min

  9. Apr 4

    Credo - Bret Lott

    Here at the start of this podcast On Good Writing, Bret Lott shares a kind of credo, words to guide us in the art of creative writing. We hope you will find some sustenance in knowing that you are not alone in this often lonely and shaky work that is writing. This is a conversation on creative writing, art, and what it takes to make good work. By sharing quotes of great artists and writers who have come before us, we look for guidance and wisdom in the long apprenticeship of becoming better writers. New episodes release on Saturday mornings. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠Ancient Highway⁠, ⁠The Hunt Club⁠, ⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠, and ⁠Jewel⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠The Southern Review⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. On Good Writing is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at cy.press. The music in this episode is Manna or Poison - Instrumental by John Lucas / Musicbed.com.

    5 min

  10. Apr 4

    Introducing "On Good Writing"

    This is a conversation on creative writing, hosted by Bret Lott. By sharing the words of writers who have mastered their craft, Bret Lott guides us in the long apprenticeship in the art of writing truthfully of the human condition. Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including the novels ⁠Ancient Highway⁠, ⁠The Hunt Club⁠, ⁠A Song I Knew by Heart⁠, and ⁠Jewel⁠ (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of ⁠The Southern Review⁠, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He taught creative writing for nearly forty years at the College of Charleston. He and his wife, Melanie, live in the country outside Charleston, South Carolina. On Good Writing is a Cy.press Studios production. Cy.press Studios is a project of the Cypress Writers’ Workshop, a creative writing program supporting writers who seek to master their craft and cultivate the unity between art and reverence. Learn more at cy.press. The music in this episode is Let The New Begin (Reset) - Instrumental by CHPTRS / Musicbed.com.

    2 min
  • 10 Episodes

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Each week, Bret Lott shares a quote from creators about making things that are true and good and beautiful. As a bestselling writer and having taught creative writing for over 40 years, he shares his thoughts on these words by masters who have come before us. In teaching himself from the wisdom of creators who have mastered their craft, he hopes to encourage others in creating things that are lasting and real.

Information

  • Creator
    Cy.press Studios with Bret Lott
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Cy.press Studios with Bret Lott
  • Show Website
    On Good Writing

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