Peter Mountford

Seattle

Novelist and Short Story Writer at Freelance

Writing coach & writer with 2 novels out. Shorter stuff in Paris Review, The Atlantic, The Sun, NYT (Modern Love), & elsewhere. Faculty at UNRT’s Low Res MFA

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Articles

Queen Bette | Stage Whispers

Sep 26, 2024 | stagewhispers.com.au | Peter Mountford

Queen Bette is a compelling one-woman show that delves into the extraordinary life and career of Hollywood legend Bette Davis. It explores her influences, setbacks and challenges and includes iconic dialogue from her illustrious career. Jeanette Cronin, who takes on the formidable task of embodying the iconic star, delivers a vibrant and engrossing performance that effectively captures Davis’s fierce independence, sex appeal, and undeniable talent.
Writing Big Feelings (Minus the Maudlin)

Jul 20, 2024 | writersdigest.com | Peter Mountford

If you’ve ever been in a writing workshop, you’ve probably heard the conversation wander into some version of “But how does the character feel?” Whenever I’ve been asked a version of this question—or told, more bluntly, that the reader can’t tell what my character is feeling—I’m stricken with panic.
Summer 2024 - Ploughshares

Jul 9, 2024 | pshares.org | Peter Mountford |Rebecca Makkai

$8.99 – $18.00 Product Type Clear Description Description The Summer 2024 Issue, guest-edited by Rebecca Makkai, features prose by Dur e Aziz Amna, Ramona Ausubel, Peter Mountford, Khaddafina Mbabazi, DK Nnuro, and more. Additional information Product Type Digital, Print Issue Number 160 Decade 2020s ISBN 9781626082182 Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry...
Prolific Donor - Ploughshares

Jul 9, 2024 | pshares.org | Peter Mountford |Rebecca Makkai

My brother—ever emotive, ever sentimental—did one of those 23andMe tests, which I had advised against, but that’s Harlan. Harlan and I are twins, extremely NOT identical—and were supposedly the product of donated sperm, plus a donated egg, which were combined and gestated in a surrogate mother. Three strangers, none of whom were our parents. We should have figured out that this was at least partially untrue—it’s a bizarre and improbable setup.
Five Tricks for Writing a Great Opening to Your Short Story

Jun 14, 2024 | mountfordwriting.com | Peter Mountford

First Opening: Just Set Up The Story SimplyGet the reader (and yourself) oriented first and foremost. And it’s a great process-approach. Just lay out the facts for yourself as a writer. This is the opening of “Brokeback” and “Nemecia,” mentioned above. Quite a few New Yorker stories do this, too. They do NOT start with a bang. Neither of the aforementioned stories has a tremendous hook, but they’re engaging and clear, and they very clearly set up the environment, the people, the overall situation.
Peter Mountford: Three wishes for freelance agency briefs

May 30, 2024 | mediaweek.com.au | Peter Mountford

By Peter Mountford, freelance senior copywriter at AFFINITY Agency GroupAs a freelance copywriter, you get to see how lots of agencies work. They all have their quirks. Some are run with German precision; others are run with seemingly no processes at all – a blur of frantic energy and creativity. Some have beer fridges that would put your local to shame; others start Mondays with a group yoga session.
Using Plot in Short Stories: Essential Techniques For Longer Stories

May 20, 2024 | mountfordwriting.com | Peter Mountford

Plot is so often misunderstood to be a series of things happening in a sequence over a confined period of time. But yesterday a series of things happened in a sequence over my day (breakfast, shower, taught a class, tried taking the cat on a walk using a leash, washed the dirt off of the angry cat, did some gardening, and then attended to email). That’s not a plot. It’s not remotely interesting.
What You Don’t Know About Publishing (Could Ruin Your Book)

May 8, 2024 | brevity.wordpress.com | Peter Mountford

What You Don’t Know About Publishing (Could Ruin Your Book) By Peter MountfordThe publishing business is vast and byzantine. What does it mean that your agent is “taking your book to Frankfurt,” or what do you know about the mysterious film/foreign scout network, or Goodreads giveaways, or regional sales reps? Unfortunately, most aspiring authors don’t understand the publishing world.
Writing Big Feelings: Writer’s Digest Craft Article

Apr 28, 2024 | mountfordwriting.com | Peter Mountford

I’ve long been fascinated and troubled by the question of how to do two separate but connected jobs as a writer: Evoke a strong feeling within the reader (to make them cry is a kind of peak, I think). Describe a character who is experiencing huge feelings in a way that doesn’t feel maudlin, or cheesy. A lot of the best stories, fiction and nonfiction, focus on the major moments of life—intense moments.
Surviving the Second Act: How to Make it though the long middle of a novel or Memoir

Mar 7, 2024 | mountfordwriting.com | Peter Mountford

Every summer, I teach a class called “Finishing Your Book,” which is built upon on my awareness that people tend to struggle to survive the second acts of their books. I’ve been there. The first 40-50 pages is a hoot. No outline required! You’re just having fun, building voice, characters, story-elements, and everything is a delight. But then you hit a point where it’s hard to see the whole book at once.