Word by Word

Practical insights for writers from Jessica P Morrell

Archive for the 'Jessica Page Morrell' Category

What Inspires You?

We’re blanketed in fog on the hill where I live in Oregon. The roofs are coated in frost, the tall Douglas firs at the end of the block are muffled and spooky, and the kettle is boiling for my second cup of Earl Grey. For months now I’ve been pondering the question of what inspires […]

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Instructions for Living a Life

Instructions for Living a  Life Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. Mary Oliver Check out the Poetry Foundation for more about Oliver. I’ve been reading a lot this winter, but haven’t read much poetry lately. Going to remedy that and suggest writers everywhere devour poetry and song lyrics and forage for metaphors and figurative […]

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After nourishment, shelter and companionship,  stories are  the thing we most need in the world. Philip Pullman

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A New Year’s Wish

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January

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Light, Lists, and Good Wishes for 2023

As the year wraps up I wanted to wish writers everywhere light, success, and wonder. This time of year I ake stock, make plans, and peruse the ‘best of’  lists, especially when it comes to books. Here are a few you might enjoy: Former president Barak Obama shares his favorite books, music, and movies here. […]

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December

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November

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A starting place for fiction writers

Well, we’re galloping through October and the region is finally getting real, soaking, save-our-parched-earth rainfall around here. In fact, we had a booming thunder storm–a rarity in the Pacific Northwest. But since November and NaNoWriMo {National Novel Writing Month} are just around the bend, I wanted to mention a few things about starting a novel. […]

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The books I reread form a scaffold for my time

“The books I reread form a scaffold for my time and also a scaffold for my thoughts. I reread to mark the progression of my own thoughts, to agree or disagree with a sentence or passage, to further a conversation begun in the previous reading. Sometimes–this is rare though it happens–rereading does come to a […]

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