Thanksgiving week is a time to show gratitude and reflect on all our blessings. The past couple of years have been challenging to say the least. In addition to pandemic restrictions that we all endured, I lost my mother and took a hiatus from writing. My husband has stood by my side throughout these years of turmoil. For that I am grateful. Family My first blessing is family. In Mom’s final days she was surrounded by her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. We had casual conversations, reliving childhood exploits and sharing long-held secrets all as Mom listened from her bed. We took turns holding her hand, stroking her hair,…
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All Dogs Bark
Four dogs loped toward us. I walked along a country road with Dusty, my Husky Lab mix. Public lands spread out to the left, the back side of a rural neighborhood to the right. The four dogs looked friendly enough. I led Dusty down to the wire fence for a sociable sniff. The middle-sized dog suddenly lunged at the fence, finding an opening almost big enough to penetrate while barking fiercely. We backed up and continued along the road which paralleled the dogs’ enclosure. All four dogs continued to bark as they matched our progress along the fence. The largest dog, maybe seventy-five pounds, let out a single woof every…
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Language of experience
Every once in a while, you come across a line so powerful it smacks you in the face. In the craft book, Wired for Story, the author Lisa Cron writes “Story is the language of experience.” Take a moment to absorb that. Good writing compels the reader to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel what the character does. In other words, the reader lives the words on the page. Limits Capturing the fictional character’s experience in words allows the reader to inhabit that character. Even readers limited by age, ability, and income can fall passionately in love, conquer mountain summits, and indulge themselves in luxuries they will never have in…
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Bird by Bird Review
Recently my critique group decided we would benefit from reading books on writing. Our first selection was Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, subtitled Some Instructions on Writing and Life. The book gets its name from an anecdote about her then ten-year-old brother. He was overwhelmed by a report on birds he had put off. It was due the next day, and he was in tears. Their father counseled him to prepare the report bird by bird, instead of worrying about the entire report. Books on Writing I’m a pragmatist. When I read books on writing, I want step-by-step guides that will improve my writing. I want writing exercises; I…
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Empathy in Writing
What does empathy in writing look like? The readers see and hear what the character does, as a result readers also feel what the character feels. How do you as a writer achieve this? You have to know your character’s wants, needs, fears, and motivations inside and out. Empathy is the act of feeling what others feel. Empathy and Desire Every well-written character wants something. Your job is to convey that to your readers in a visceral way. Make your readers ache along with your character. As obstacles thwart your character’s desires, readers will slip into the character’s skin and experience pain and loss, love and longing as if they…
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Head Hopping
Head hopping is the act of being in more than one person’s mind at a time. Why does this matter? Several reasons. First, it is confusing to the reader; second, it robs the reader of getting to know a character through his or her thoughts, history, and actions; and third, it interferes with the storytelling. Paragraphing Paragraphs are the writer’s friend. They organize chunks of text so the reader can better digest them. We learned in school that paragraphs start with a topic sentence and every sentence that follows must pertain to that topic sentence. We also learned, when writing dialogue each time the speaker changes, a new paragraph is…
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Charismatic Characters
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about charismatic characters. They can be heroes or villains; sometimes they are both. Love him or hate him, President Trump is a prime example. What makes him irresistible to so many people? Like all charismatics he has an over-size personality, a willing audience, and a message. Oversize Personality Charismatic characters are larger than life with confidence levels off the charts. They model attributes desired by their followers, whether it’s wealth, power, or spirituality. Stung by their peers’ rejection, these individuals channel exuberant confidence to cultivate a space where they are revered. This space is occupied predominantly by politicians, religious and cult leaders. Willing Audience…
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Idioms
What do I’m all ears, step on it, and cool as a cucumber have in common? They are all idioms. What is an Idiom? Idioms are expressions whose meaning comes from a concept, not the actual words. Often, they make no sense at all. For instance, the idiom “I’m all ears” means you have my full attention, not that I have grown extra ears all over my body! An idiom is an expression understood by native speakers that can seem complete nonsense to nonnative speakers. Let me give you an example. If you and I are on our way to the store and I want you to hurry, I may…
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Do As I Say
Flex your writing muscle. This is definitely a case of “do as I say, not as I do.” In February I suffered a personal loss. Writing took a back seat to making final arrangements, commiserating with and comforting family members, and notifying the appropriate people and agencies. In March the Coronavirus turned the world upside down with its shelter in place orders, social distancing, and constant stream of deadly statistics. My writing routine suffered. Atrophy and Entropy My writing muscle is in a state of atrophy. In other words, by not pushing myself to write regularly, the quality of my writing is diminishing, to say nothing of the quantity. So,…
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Symbols and Symbolism
Symbols and symbolism took a leading role this past week with world-wide protests of police brutality against minorities. So, this week I want to address symbols and symbolism in your writing. Symbols are a kind of shorthand to the reader. Without explicitly stating something the author conveys a message or a meaning. Examples of Symbols and Symbolism Let’s look at Harry Potter’s Hogwarts. Membership in Gryffindor symbolizes bravery and courage; Hufflepuffs are loyal; Ravenclaw represents wisdom; and the House of Slytherin symbolizes cunning. Each time J.K. Rowling mentions one of these houses, the reader instantly accepts the defining characteristic for its members. Because Draco is a member of Slytherin, there…
