Chalky skies in the Pacific Northwest this morning and I want to pass along a few ideas about writing fiction, using characters crossing thresholds to thrust stories forward and create resonance. And I’d like to recommend that most stories contain more than one threshold or portal. I finished working on a client’s manuscript last week […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Jessica Page Morrell' Category
Recommended: Blue by Richard Bausch
On days when the international news is unbearable, our democracy is rotting, and my stomach has been unsettled, I’m thrilled when my inbox delivers a gem of a short story. Electric Literature has a recommended reading feature and today’s recommended short story Blue by Richard Bausch is one that has stayed with me for the past […]
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Been madly busy, but in good ways. Last weekend attended a wedding in Cancun that was so lovely and joyful that I’m still dazzled by it. And that’s not to mention the tropical views and lapping ocean, food, and lots of dancing. But mostly the just-right-happiness of the beautiful couple. Back in Oregon I’m tackling […]
Read the rest of this entry »Gathering–words, that is
I just wanted to drop in and remind, nag, and exhort writers to gather words wherever you find them. I woke too early so lounged in bed reading news stories on my iPad. And since I was reading online, a New York Times headline was set amid a film of giant birds gliding and cavorting […]
Read the rest of this entry »How Are You Showing Time Passing in Your Stories?
Pale skies with an overlay of chalk here this morning that gave way to fine, spring day. Of course, rain is arriving later, but there’s time for work, a walk, and weeding. I turned on my TV earlier as I exercised, and HBO was playing a Game of Thrones episode. It’s the epic fantasy based […]
Read the rest of this entry »Wonder is a liberation practice
It can feel foolish to pause to marvel at the stars when the world is burning. or to find the world beautiful when you’ve known it to betray you. But wonder is a liberation practice. A reminder that we contain more than tragedy. Beauty is our origin and our anchor. ~Black Liturgies, Cole Arthur Riley
Read the rest of this entry »Richard Bausch on finding out your base matter
You do not have to be particularly smart, or fast, or even very widely and deeply knowledgeable in any way the world considers ‘useful.’ You need only to be willing, and pitted, and stubborn enough to find out the base matter on which you are building your story. Finding out what you need to know […]
Read the rest of this entry »Yes. Disturb.
The first people a dictator puts in jail after a coup are the writers, the teachers, the librarians–because these people are dangerous. They have enough vocabulary to recognize injustice and to speak out loudly against it. Let us have the courage to go on being dangerous people…. So let us look for beauty and grace, […]
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