Rule for writing and life: A flim flam man (or woman) cannot work in a vacuum. It takes at least two participants for flim flam to be successful. So, when a character (or you)is bamboozled, there will be plenty of red flags in the field. They will look something like this: photo: Justine Belson In writing, … Continue reading foreshadowing flim flam
imagine
hello? are you there?
Think about how much of what we say and hear is channeled through electronic devices. Our relationships exist as vibrations and visuals, often without physical contact or presence. The electronic mediums we use have become story channels, often defining our relationships. We've grown so accustomed to relating through vibrations and visuals that we frequently lose awareness of … Continue reading hello? are you there?
your words here
Writing Prompt: Take twenty minutes to write yourself into this empty classroom. Who shows up? What happens? Incorporate at least two of the senses: smell, touch, taste, hearing, sight. Don't think, keep writing whatever comes.
choreographing the Aleutian cackling goose
Exposition is risky - and necessary. At it's best exposition provides critical back story, or foreshadowing, it can enhance character development and help to convey place, time, and atmospheric subtleties that are not appropriate for dialogue. Used with patience, pacing and economy, exposition feels 'invisible' to the reader, it enhances story without intruding. A good way … Continue reading choreographing the Aleutian cackling goose
fire
In 150 words, write what is left after the destruction of all else. Begin here: "But now we are lit from within..." photo: Rob Wood, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
texture of loss
list all you've lost in your lifetime. list all you've found. join them: lost found lost found lost found lost found..... photo: Titus Tscharntke all that we've lost and found becomes the textured backdrop for the stories we live and tell, and think we don't tell.
Frankenstein and redemption
Think of your stories as your Frankensteins –made from the lost limbs stitched together, and animated by the cell memories, of people you’ve known. What shape will they take, grafted together in a plot that requires they move in synchrony. Built into this unnatural union is the tragedy and yearning it takes to invent redemption. photo:Rosendahl
why write?
The best way to predict the future is to create it. Writing is a way to figure out who we are, how we got here, what matters, and then, to envision how we can do better. Cly-Fi needn’t be apocalyptic. While it may be difficult to imagine a kinder gentler outcome, it’s worth a try. … Continue reading why write?
Szabo Creative Consulting 