WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
A phrase that troubles me when I’m either taking or giving a creative writing class is when someone blurts out about a piece of writing: “But that really happened,” or “But it’s true.”
When anyone says that, I get the feeling that the writer believes that real life – or faction – is in some way better [...]
Posts in category WriteSpa (newsletter)
WriteSpa # 54 – Why I Love Fict...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
A phrase that troubles me when I’m either taking or giving a creative writing class is when someone blurts out about a piece of writing: “But that really happened,” or “But it’s true.”
When anyone says that, I get the feeling that the writer believes that real life – or faction – is in some way better [...]
WriteSpa #53 – Three Wishes
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
When you make a wish, where does that wish really come from? Where does it go?
Imagine that you really did find that magic lamp, or the talking flounder, or a mysterious ring … and you were able to wish for whatever you wanted. What would it be?
You might begin with the desire for something personal and i [...]
WriteSpa #52 – The Art of Face ...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
When my brother and I were young, my parents took us to museums. Often. As art critics and lovers, they would stand in front of just one painting, sometimes for several hours at a time. We would listen to stories they would tell us about an artist or a story surrounding a particular scene, or we’d [...]
WriteSpa #51 – Thanksgiving
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Although Thanksgiving appears to be a uniquely American holiday, the mood now all over the world feels hectic, festive, familyish, planning ahead to the end of the year – and it sometimes can feel dark. Very few holidays are not based in some way on seasonal or pagan rituals – whether they are secular [...]
WriteSpa #50 – Inspired by Fragrance
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Your sense of smell is possibly the oldest of the five primary senses, and, fascinatingly, it is most intimately associated with the formation of memories. In those old days (a million years ago), it was crucial to forming our experience of food and sex; but by now it’s evolved to an art of perfum [...]
WriteSpa #49 – Getting to the Essence
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Every few years I play this game with myself: If I were on a deserted island, and could have with me only twelve objects for the rest of my life, what would they be?
FAQ:
No, no one else is around and unlikely that they will be.
Food and drink are not necessary – essential nourishment is supplied. (But yo [...]
WriteSpa #48 – Great Dialog Part 3/3
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Just as in life itself, there are three key components to every story, no matter how short or long, or simple or complex: People. Space. Time. In other words, characters, situations, events. For a story to work well, all three of these have to connect with each other in a relevant way. If you include a [...]
WriteSpa #47 – Great Dialog (part 2/3...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Last week you listened, you eavesdropped – you were surprised by nuance, misunderstanding, flow, pitch, tone… Now it’s time to write purposeful dialog. By ‘purposeful’ I mean dialog that
illuminates characters
moves the story along
and is fun (or harrowing) to read.
How?
(more…)
WriteSpa #46 – Great Dialog (pa...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
We talk most of the time – except for when we’re not. The gift of language is part of our existence. We communicate with words far more often and easily than we do through writing or even through an expression like a glare or a smile. And yet much of the time, in conversation as in life, things are not wh [...]
WriteSpa #45 – Napping Makes You Smar...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Almost a year ago I wrote how “nonsense makes you smarter.” Now here’s another one I like: A new study by Harvard University researchers claims that taking a nap makes you smarter!
It’s been known for a while that a good night’s sleep makes you think and act more clearly and quickly. While you sle [...]
WriteSpa #44 – The Soul of Colo...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Most of you know that each day of the week is connected to a planet, which is in turn connected to a god or goddess. Each of these relates to a color, a metal, a crystal, a personality. It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe these soul qualities are or are not ‘real.’ What matters is that color can help [...]
WriteSpa #43 – Assonance
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Assonance
What a lovely word!
All writers have a natural instinct for using and appreciating assonance, which means to create a resemblance of sound in a phrase by repeating the same or similar vowel sounds.
Sometimes I imagine that language was birthed through assonance – that exquisite, subtle combinati [...]
WriteSpa #42 – Put Your Creativ...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
When I worked at the last stressful job I hope I’ll ever have, a sensitive and intelligent board member pointed out the reason I was having such a hard time: “Since you’re constantly trying to fend off the alligators, you have no time to drain the swamp.”
Take a look at your day. Most of us are fending off alli [...]
WriteSpa #41 – Why I Dance
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
One of the most well-known cards of the Tarot is the Magician, or the Juggler. Every esoteric path begins with the Magician, who teaches that what is essential in the beginning of any journey is learning to accomplish the task at hand with effortless concentration. This effortless concentration, o [...]
WriteSpa #40 – Stream of Consciousnes...
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
I know it’s summer, and today it’s particularly hot and drowsy, but it occurred to me that deep thinking and drowsy summer afternoons are not necessarily incompatible.
Stream of consciousness: Basically, it’s eavesdropping on the heart and mind of a character – being privy to his or her innermost private [...]
WriteSpa #39 – Lost in Thought
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
For about a third of our waking day, our minds are lost in a world that has little or nothing to do with the task at hand. That’s about five hours a day of daydreaming, and if that’s really the case, I figure it had better be good for us.
Interestingly, neuroscientists describe our brain as having two [...]
