Dreams are a big part of my personal life--I've recorded my dreams
since I was in college. But I use them very sparingly in my writing.
Why?
Friday, October 28, 2016
Friday, October 21, 2016
Using Poetry Even If You're Not a Poet--What Poems Do for the Creative Brain
I'm only a marginal poet. I've had one poem published and written
maybe ten others, kept in a drawer. But I love reading poetry. It does
something weird and wonderful to my brain.
In honor of Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize for "having created new poetic expressions," I wanted to share this poetry experience and an exercise for this week.
In honor of Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize for "having created new poetic expressions," I wanted to share this poetry experience and an exercise for this week.
Recently a poet friend moved. I visited her and took home two bags
full of poetry books. Collections from some of my favorite poets but
also books on why we write and read poetry. I'd just sent in my novel
and was waiting for agent feedback so I felt kind of dry--desert-like,
actually. I wanted to get moving on the next book, all set up in
Scrivener and waiting for me. But I needed a little inspiration.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Paragraph and Line Lengths--How They Affect Your Story's Pacing
I
never paid much attention to paragraph or sentence lengths. I just
wrote, felt satisfied if I got the story down. Then, in the late
eighties, I got a job as a editor at a publishing company in the
Midwest.
As an editor, I noticed that I had a visual reaction to a person's writing: how it looked on the page, how dense or light. How much white space or how much text. Even before I began to read, I had a sense of whether I would be engaged, just by how the text looked.
As an editor, I noticed that I had a visual reaction to a person's writing: how it looked on the page, how dense or light. How much white space or how much text. Even before I began to read, I had a sense of whether I would be engaged, just by how the text looked.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Kid Lit! Writing for Different Young Readers--Who Is Your Best Audience?
Many writers want to write for kids. They raised their own children on books, maybe thought I can tell a good story, too!
Or they love to illustrate for kids and want to fashion a story around
their illustration. I get lots of questions about kid lit, what ages to
gear a particular story to, how to sell your children's, middle-grade,
or young adult book these days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)