In fiction the cauldron or crucible is a setting or situation that forces characters to change or make difficult decisions; to face what they’d rather not face. I’ve written about cauldrons before and mentioned how they must be inescapable. Two powerful examples come to mind–the islands in Lord of the Rings and Jurassic Park. Let’s return […]
Read the rest of this entry »Author Archive
More writing contests & resources
The Writer has posted more writing contests and resources here including their upcoming contest judged by Colum McCann that awards a first prize of $1,000. But enter soon since the deadline is midnight December 6. The fine print: Entry fees: one story for $25, and up to five additional stories for $15 each on the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Giving Tuesday: In Case You Missed It
As always, keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart
Read the rest of this entry »“Language is a living thing. We can feel it changing. Parts of it become old: they drop off and are forgotten. New pieces bud out, spread into leaves, and become big branches, proliferating.” – Gilbert Highet
Read the rest of this entry »Quick Take: Tough Choices
People are defined by their choices. This applies to poker players and politicians, world leaders and criminals, parents and coaches. Fictional characters are also defined by the choices they make. Choices start off a story because a character needs to respond to the inciting incident and first plot point. In Act two when the protagonist’s […]
Read the rest of this entry »NaNoWriMo Hacks & a Bit of Tough Love
Thirty days has November and for thousands of writers around the globe, that means NaNoWriMo or National Writing Month, a giddy, exhausting yet exhilarating, marathon and communal activity where writers jam on the page, producing a 50,000-word novel in a month. It teaches writers discipline, commitment, and how to survive on not much sleep. A […]
Read the rest of this entry »Poets & Writers on indie publishing
Happy to announce that I’m in the latest issue of Poets & Writers in The Savvy Self-Publisher column by Debra Englander. It features the fabulous successes of Portland local William Hertling with me and Jessica Glenn of Mind Buck Media weighing in. A caveat, however, there are several typos or misquotes in my piece. The […]
Read the rest of this entry »Quick take: Take a cue from film directors
Fiction and memoir writers take a cue from film directors: In each moment and scene understand where you want to focus your reader’s attention. The director, and later the editors, have a distinct purpose for every shot, along with every detail, sound, color, tone, lighting, motif, subtext, and symbol. Without knowing it, the audience is […]
Read the rest of this entry »
