Before I begin, I'd like to apologize for not doing my usual Thursday night writing posts. I have been without internet at my town home for the past two weeks, which has made writing a bit more challenging. Luckily we should have our services up and running by tomorrow afternoon, so you can expect my … Continue reading Lessons to Practice #8: The Compelling Protagonist
Month: March 2017
Lessons to Practice #7: The Essence of Setting
Tonight I have setting on my mind. Not just its importance or its definition, but its essence. What makes a setting? Is it a specific physical location? A staging ground for the characters to interact and develop? Or the ways in which a particular place triggers our five senses and evokes our emotional response? For me, … Continue reading Lessons to Practice #7: The Essence of Setting
Lessons to Practice #6: Opening Lines
You've thought of your story idea, devised your main character and your supporting cast, created a basic outline, and maybe even written down your story's central themes. Yet all of that work, as rewarding and powerful as it is, still feels like you're holding your breath. When does the exhale finally happen? When you dive … Continue reading Lessons to Practice #6: Opening Lines
Reflections on Defeat and Embracing the Writing Life
As I settle in to my role as a full-time writer, one obstacle after another has tried to chip away at my hope and chipper ideals for my future as a published author. I've had my fair share of personal losses, bouts of self-doubt and futility, and looming questions about which career path I'm meant to … Continue reading Reflections on Defeat and Embracing the Writing Life
Lessons to Practice #5: Mapping Out Subplots
Subplots. Themes. The amalgam of every side story and secondary character can become a beautiful and multilayered work of art that carries readers through a story with ease - or it can devolve into a nasty mess of confusing or ill-developed themes and forgettable characters. Yikes! Last week I wrote about the topic of theme, which I'm expounding … Continue reading Lessons to Practice #5: Mapping Out Subplots
Opening Quotes and Their Importance
Fools leave too soon Built to fill roles And fall, standing alone again Distant and dissatisfied These four years And how we say goodbye to these four years A long goodbye with mixed emotions Just fragments of another life Not dead yet But the regrets (are killing me) - American Football, “But the Regrets are … Continue reading Opening Quotes and Their Importance
