“Literature was not born the day when a boy crying "wolf, wolf" came running out of the Neanderthal valley with a big gray wolf at his heels; literature was born on the day when a boy came crying "wolf, wolf" and there was no wolf behind him.” Vladimir Nabokov, Lectures on Literature Take us to the moment … Continue reading cry wolf
writers on writing
twitter recap
For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter @ebszabo here's what you missed. Enjoy: #6WordStory Plot in six! “Failed SAT. Lost Scholarship. Invented Rocket.” #WilliamShatner @WilliamShatner #SaveSciFi #CliFi #CreativeWriting #SixWordStory Plot in six! “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” #ErnestHemingway #ShortShortFiction #FlashFiction #CreativeWriting #Fiction #6WordStory Plot in six! “Longed for him. Got him. … Continue reading twitter recap
reason enough
“The verb is the heartthrob of the sentence” Karen Elizabeth Gordon And that is reason enough to avoid passive voice.
write madly
What do Lady Gaga and 2002 Nobel Prize winner in economic science Daniel Kahneman have in common? An appreciation for the heat of emotion. In his research, psychologist Kahneman has explored “hedonic psychology”: the science of happiness. His book, Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow, describes two systems of information processing: emotional/intuitive (fast) and rational/deliberative (slow). Kahneman … Continue reading write madly
why write?
Write to discover the value. Write to give the struggle meaning and purpose. Words matter. Find out how: read Opening UP: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions by James Pennebaker. Consider that this is true for fiction as well as nonfiction, and write to feel better.
words to write by
Great Rules of Writing - by William Saffire: "Do not put statements in the negative form. And don't start sentences with a conjunction. If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing. Never use a long word when a diminutive one … Continue reading words to write by
the beginning starts in the middle
Starting a story can be daunting, when you think about all of the characters, their complex relationships, the plot twists, the dramatic action and whether or not you even have a reasonable ending. Give yourself something simple to begin with,and capture interest by starting in the middle of things - don't get bogged down by unimportant … Continue reading the beginning starts in the middle
rise above cliche
There are some characters you are likely to enjoy more in fiction than you would in life. These are the dysfunctional characters who make stories interesting by behaving badly for good reason. As the writer of these characters it is your job to understand, even if they cannot, why they do what they do. One … Continue reading rise above cliche
it’s like this
A metaphor is an implied comparison between two things that are unlike each other but have something in common. When used with restraint, metaphor is a way of conveying depth and complexity without ‘telling’ your reader what to think. “Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space” Orson Scott Card … Continue reading it’s like this
don’t waste regret
Sometimes life gets the best of us - and some of our best material comes from life. Don’t waste regret. Write it. Writing Prompt: Make a list of 10 things you’ve lost. Then write a 250 word story based on something you did that you no longer understand. Begin with "It's not over yet…"
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