I found this in my online travels, and since I'm not much for the "traditional" Western Christian version of Christmas, I thought - here's an actual useful lesson for the holiday that purports to be about lessons: It's okay to hold onto anger. You are not obligated to forgive. Not "because it's family." Not "because … Continue reading Give yourself the gift of anger
I Remember… [writing exercise]
Part 1: Start out every line/phrase with "I remember" and see what emerges. They key is not to think about it too hard - just write. My "I remember" exercises tend to be a mix of my own memories and things that emerge from the worlds and characters I create. Feel free to write this … Continue reading I Remember… [writing exercise]
A-ego
I remember back in my first grad school program in the early 00s, we explored the idea of whether or not something can exist outside of language. And yes, of course it can objectively, but if there's no language to describe it, does it really exist? What does it mean to exist? Does it mean … Continue reading A-ego
Unmoored
Every time I finish a writing project and put myself on hiatus, I end up feeling all weird and anxious and like I'm forgetting to do something really important. It's much worse this time, because I've become so disciplined about writing that now I feel almost a bit lost. I have other writing projects I'm … Continue reading Unmoored
Music to write novels to
Do any other artists find that creating is easier with the right music? I have extensive playlists named after various characters that I use when I need to get into a particular character's point of view. I have playlists that elicit setting for me in some way. And I have some that simply evoke a … Continue reading Music to write novels to
It begins… [writing exercise]
[Instructions: Begin writing with the words "It begins..." When you get stuck, or come to the end, start over again with "It begins." Lather, rinse, repeat.] It begins with a subtle shift – so subtle that it’s barely perceptible. A glance, or lack thereof; a sigh, an averted gaze. Then it widens. Silence where there’s … Continue reading It begins… [writing exercise]
Re/action
In my wanders as a writer, beta reader and editor of fiction, I've recently come across several drafts of stories with the same major issue: Unrealistic emotional reactions from characters. This is a common early draft issue, so no need to beat yourself up if your first passes through character reactions don't sit well with … Continue reading Re/action
Know she breaks my siren
It started with a song. With many songs, luring us away from our quotidian world and into some sort of liminal space, some sort of dangerous borderlands, a place it's easy to get lost in. There have been so songs. So many beginnings, and so many endings. Each one is a different lifetime, a different … Continue reading Know she breaks my siren
Inspiration is Bullshit
I've been thinking about someone I knew years ago, who - like me - was a writer. And I've been thinking about how she quit her job one day, and packed up her car and drove halfway to a new place, a place she thought she could really put her all into writing and perhaps … Continue reading Inspiration is Bullshit
There’s life in a fairy tale
"When a boy changes his life, it's called an adventure. When a girl does the same, it's only a fairy tale." - Emma Donoghue I recently listened to Emma Donoghue speak through Denver's Pen & Podium series, and she's lovely. And her books are dark twisted places that always manage to surprise me in various ways, which … Continue reading There’s life in a fairy tale
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