Play Nice…. Because if you don’t, the sad truth is that it will come back to bite you. I’m no Miss Manners, nor a saint, never will be, never aspire to be. I’m opinionated, I interrupt, I procrastinate, and I complain too much. This is just a small sample of my maladies. So we can […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for April, 2014
Writing Advice from Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon I wasn’t sure how to start this, so I did anyway. I’ve faced plenty of writer’s block in my time, though maybe less than some. I’ll lay out whatever rules for dealing with it that come to me. I think I’ve already laid out the first. Control your environment. No one comes or […]
Read the rest of this entry »Quick take: Conflict = Test
While conflict is the basis for fiction, a plot builds by adding on complications, surprises, and developments that add more tension and forward motion. Plots are not drawn as a straight line; instead there are zigzags, dead ends, sidetracks and crooked paths. Each of these elements adds more obstacles, more decisions to be made, paths […]
Read the rest of this entry »From Idea to Story workshop on May 3
In case you missed it, I have a fabulous, practical, get-it-done workshop coming up. We’re going to brainstorm, problem solve a lot. Hate to use buzz words, but the truth is, authors who attended this workshop have gone on to publish their books. And it’s in Manzanita, Oregon. If you’ve never spent time in lovely […]
Read the rest of this entry »Now Write!
This collection of storytelling secrets from top genre writers–some of them winners of the Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Bram Storker awards–is essential for any writer looking to take a leap beyond the ordinary.
Read the rest of this entry »telling stories….
We tell stories for so many reasons; to entertain, to be understood, to explain, to engage, to re-visit the past, to imagine the future. Every child ever born anywhere in the world at any time loves to hear a story. It may be that storytelling is the best thing we can do for our mental […]
Read the rest of this entry »April is National Poetry Month
“We also recognize that imagination has to struggle with the dragon of time afresh each day. Poetry must be written, continued, risked, tried, revised, erased, and tried again as long as we breathe and love, doubt and believe.” ~ Adam Zagajewski
Read the rest of this entry »From Idea to Story workshop in Manzanita on May 3
From Idea to Story May 3, 9-4:30 The Center for Contemplative Arts, Manzanita, Oregon Taught by Jessica Morrell Writers have long grappled with the problem of taking a flash of inspiration through the marathon process of completing a finished work. That flash is your premise. But a premise on its own is flimsy, must be […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bitter truth: Haste leads to rejection
I sometimes hear from writers who have written a manuscript, then immediately contacted an agent or editor with plans for getting published. They believe they’re (whoopee!) on their way to publication. Problem is, the manuscript is nowhere near ready for the bright lights of a publishing house. Too many writers fall into the common […]
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