“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” - Eleanor Roosevelt People are always talking about how they need to be better, to improve …
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Plot versus Theme
Plot versus Theme Any writer can experience that moment where you suddenly realize that your “idea” of the story isn’t going to get you to the end. Maybe you had a plan, but now the characters have …
Stay Out of the Result
For any writer, here’s a question to ask yourself: “Why do I want to write this?” A student told me recently that he was writing his first novel in order to sell it for a lot of money. Though I …
The Necessity of an Outline
“The outline is 95% of the book. Then I sit down to write, and that’s the easy part.” - Jefferey Deaver Many writers resist story structure because they fear it will limit their creativity and …
On Certainty in Writing
There is a particular comfort that comes from being certain. We can shut out the world, with all of its noise and confusion. And we rest in the assurance that we are right. Except that certainty …
Writing the Reluctant Protagonist
“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.”- Ernest Hemingway Allow the Protagonist to Feel Reluctance No one likes change. The unknown is scary. The …
Finding Home
“Home is where one starts from.” - T. S. Eliot There’s nothing more primal than our quest for home. The dilemma is that our childhood homes may have been confusing, chaotic, or even violent. …
Humor Is Not About Writing Funny
Humor connects us. It makes us care. I don’t mean one-liners. Humor is not about jokes, but it is about human behavior. It’s a vital aspect of any story, adding depth, richness, and humanity. Drama …
Why We Go on Retreat
For years, my students had been asking me when I was going to take them on a retreat. Frankly, I'd been on creative retreats, and while I enjoyed the camaraderie, I was never a big fan of …
Memoir: Mastering the Impossible
“While they were saying among themselves it cannot be done, it was done.” - Helen Keller The purpose of art is to illuminate the possibility for transformation. The goal of memoir is to make the …