“I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. “ Michelangelo “If people knew how hard I worked to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful […]
Key Steps for Finding Story and Structure in Memoir (or Fiction) Read More »
If you are coming here from my newsletter, scroll down to the last, bold paragraph . . . Writing happens first in the unconscious mind. In From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction, Robert Olen Butler says to write first thing, before you encounter language in any of its analytical or “useful” or logical modes.
My Wild, Secret Discovery Read More »
We’ve been looking at motivation in Craft Class, and one thing that is evident is that motivation is expressed in action. We all know this. We do not believe what people proclaim, we believe what they do. Self-analysis goes only so far, and the more it goes on, the less we rely on what we
3 Ways to Get Yourself and Your Characters into Action Read More »
What drives your character? Story involves characters who have some motivation, something that moves them forward. Desire, wish, need, problem and the motivation to seek a solution. This can’t simply be announced: we wouldn’t believe it. It has to be felt and enacted. Motivation is the agent of change, and change is the key to
Motivation and Change Read More »
All of us need structure and inspiration, from the most well-published, best-selling, award winning authors to the hopeful who barely dares to set pen to page. We do not write in a vacuum. We write as readers inspired by what we love, as thinkers grappling with ideas, as human beings entangled in stories, entangled in
A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Exercises to Inspire You to Write Your Best Read More »
My kids and I are reading the Harry Potter books for the first time. One of the techniques J.K. Rowling uses again and again is this: something is happening, characters are reacting to it, but we readers don’t quite know what is going on. We are catching up. The reason I know this happens again
Try This at Home: Harry Potter Read More »
My book group met Sunday night to discuss Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. We noticed that, as in The Goldfinch, the resolution seems to hinge on the narrator becoming a writer and writing a book—the very book we are holding! Although I loved this in Penumbra, the rest of my writing group did not. Perhaps it
Why Characters in Books Become Authors Read More »
Our garage flooded a couple of weeks ago in the heavy rains our county so desperately needed (and still needs). This is a new house to us, so we did not know that a river would seep under the side door and swiftly cross the garage. The garage has been the secret weapon of our
Touchstone: What Do You Love When No One Is Watching? Read More »
Please confirm you want to block this member.
You will no longer be able to:
Please note: This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.