Breathe. Pay attention and tell the truth. ~ Maxine Hong Kingston The writer within you has seen it all—the majestic and the senseless and the silence of a star-filled midnight. She stores a landscape of sensory elements—bruised and cobalt skies, mountain trails and waterfalls, a sleeping child, a lover’s skin, an ocean’s shore, a snowfall, […]
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The Call of Story
Jessica P. Morrell Sometimes just being alive feels like raw flesh-vulnerable, responsive, irritable, in constant danger. Those are the times when I most need to sense my place among other people, to hear their stories and know they are mine as well. I badly need to be sure someone can hear me; I need to […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bitter Truth
(a new short column whereby I dispense harsh truths about the writing life. Because sometimes we need harsh) Writing can be an inky, bottomless dungeon of frustration. As it should be. Rewards that come easily aren’t always the most satisfying. Most activities in life will not require multiple revisions, begging for a chance in the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Connecting the Dots
Jessica P. Morrell© “Writing is a highly complex act that demands the analysis and synthesis of many levels of thinking.” ~Donald Graves When I’m editing a manuscript I can separate it in one of two categories: the projects that feel like I’m reading a coherent, publishable story and the ones that feel like I’m reading […]
Read the rest of this entry »Registration still open
For the fifth annual Summer in Words Writing Conference until June 12 Keynote speaker is best-selling author Chelsea Cain. Inspiration, craft and information on the real business of writing. Dates are June 15-17. Located at Hallmark Inn & Resort, Cannon Beach Oregon. Details are here. Join us. You’ll be amazed at how […]
Read the rest of this entry »Moment to Moment
Sometimes the smallest moments remind us of how fortunate we are to be writers. I’ve been thinking about this ever since I was down in Tallahassee last weekend teaching at a writing conference. My plane arrived late on Thursday night and Roberta, a member of the Tallahassee Writer’s Association, picked me up at the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Maurice Sendak Dies
Maurice Sendak will never be forgotten. His life and body of work are inspiration for writers everywhere. He wrote from the dark places of childhood and fears and longing. Thanks for the magic Mr. Sendak. Rest where the wild things are. Here is his obituary. To hear his thoughts on writing in an interview with […]
Read the rest of this entry »Going Home
Going Home €Jessica P. Morrell Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days. ~Doug Larson Almost two years ago I went home to the small town in northern Wisconsin where I lived until I was fourteen. The occasion was my father’s 80th birthday and I found a place changed […]
Read the rest of this entry »Summer In Words 2012 at a glance
Summer in Words Writing Conference 2012 You don’t want to miss the stellar line up of professionals and bestselling authors so register soon. Expect craft workshops that you can immediately put to use and inspiration that will propel you to your next steps. If you’re staying at the Hallmark Inn & Resort, register by […]
Read the rest of this entry »A Few More Thoughts on Resonance
I keep circling back to the idea of resonance in writing, especially lately since it’s going to be one of the techniques explored during my upcoming Summer in Words Conference. For years now I’ve been trying to puzzle out exactly how writers achieve resonance in their stories. By resonance I mean the many layers of […]
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