Tag: writing community
The overwhelming awe of betrayal
A year ago, someone accused me of something in a bit of a bizarre way. I shoved it aside for a while, but it turned up in my brain again recently. Brains are strange like that - pulling up things you thought you'd moved past, or had completely forgotten, dusting them off and handing them … Continue reading The overwhelming awe of betrayal
“Sometimes an accusation is a confession”
Have you ever read something that hits you hard and you can't stop thinking about it? Usually that happens to me with novels, but I came across this quote somewhere in the wilds of Instagram recently. It struck a certain chord because there's a real-life theme here that many of us encounter in our lives. … Continue reading “Sometimes an accusation is a confession”
Through the screen doors of discretion
I woke up this morning with a Dar Williams song stuck in my head, which is never a bad way to wake up. The specific song dredged up by my subconscious was Iowa, one of my favorites from her. The internet informs me that it came out in 1996, which was a pinnacle year in … Continue reading Through the screen doors of discretion
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]
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
I made a thing.
I really am good at going silent. I think of things constantly that I could bring here, write about, poeticize, eulogize. But I don't, because here's the thing - I wrote a book. More specifically, I wrote a book while living with an incurable chronic illness that's slowly eroding away at my energy level. (I … Continue reading I made a thing.
Sensitivity readings: An essential part of writing
So you've spend a lot of time writing and revising a story. You're getting to a point where it's in pretty good shape. Maybe you've had some beta readers look through all or part of it. Maybe you've workshopped it. Before you release it upon the world (or upon literary agents), consider pausing for a … Continue reading Sensitivity readings: An essential part of writing
Write badly
One of the things that's been joyously freeing about my writing program is that we're given permission to do something important: Write badly. In order to create a sculpture, you have to start with a big block of clay, or a stone, or a chunk of wood. At first, you're just hacking pieces away and … Continue reading Write badly
In the coffeehouse
Killing time before my writing class, perhaps waiting for something in the way one waits for Godot. A blue-haired girl with large, round rimmed glasses is to my left, Misfits sticker prominently placed on her laptop, studying for what I think is a chemistry exam with a raven-haired girl with thick-rimmed black glasses. To my … Continue reading In the coffeehouse
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