So You Want to Write a Novel: Obstacles (http://ping.fm/g4J5X)

So You Want to Write a Novel: Obstacles (http://ping.fm/fMlMO)

So You Want to Write a Novel: Obstacles

Every good story needs an interesting and compelling character, centered in a riveting set of events that force her or him to reveal their best, and worst qualities.

What do we call these set of events that push and prod the major character to show her or his mettle, their tenacious and persevering personality?

Obstacles. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/6NECo

So You Want to Write a Novel: Obstacles

Every good story needs an interesting and compelling character, centered in a riveting set of events that force her or him to reveal their best, and worst qualities.

What do we call these set of events that push and prod the major character to show her or his mettle, their tenacious and persevering personality?

Obstacles. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/JsHk4

So You Want to Write A Book: How Did It Come to You? (http://ping.fm/1AgXs)

So You Want to Write a Book: Why? (http://ping.fm/gyAbz)

So You Want to Write A Book: How Did It Come to You?

So you want to write a book. How did it come to you?

Did you receive the urge to write your book through an image? Or did you get the idea from an article you read?

Perhaps a movie held a theme that stimulated you to create your own story? Or have you, for quite some time, been carrying around with you the plot and movements of a story? Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/CC2W4

So You Want to Write a Book: Why?

The idea for your story has come to you. Images are filling your head. You cannot get a free thought that is not related to the theme. While driving you find yourself writing in your mind.

This may sound a bit crazy, but I raise the question, Why do you want to write this book?
Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/xJEzM

So You Want to Write a Novel: Situation and Story (http://ping.fm/rFrHb)

So You Want to Write a Novel: Situation and Story

If you want to write a novel then you must begin to think of the situation, and the story.

Situation is context, the nature of events that brought about the story. Story is sequence of events regarding the preceding change. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/iSZdT

So You Want to Write a Book: Why?

The idea for your story has come to you. Images are filling your head. You cannot get a free thought that is not related to the theme. While driving you find yourself writing in your mind.

This may sound a bit crazy, but I raise the question, Why do you want to write this book?

From: http://ping.fm/NSlGZ

So You Want to Write A Book: How Did It Come to You?

Did you receive the urge to write your book through an image? Or did you get the idea from an article you read?

Perhaps a movie held a theme that stimulated you to create your own story? Or have you, for quite some time, been carrying around with you the plot and movements of a story? Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/va1eV

Radio Show | Clare Langley-Hawthorne: Ursula Marlow and Lord Oliver Wrotham

Edwardian mystery writer, Clare Langley-Hawthorne, discusses her novels, The Consequences of Sin, and The Serpent and The Scorpion, and the chemistry between her protagonist, Ursula Marlow and Lord Oliver Wrotham.

So tune in.

From: http://ping.fm/9AtDM

The Courage to Dance and Write

Writers dance with our characters.

The words we write are the music delivering rhythm by which our feet move.

The sentences and paragraphs that follow spin a melody, the context and situation wherein we in crafting our stories offer not only a depiction of transformation and change, but also the epiphany and transcendence of our protagonists.

From: http://ping.fm/8uaPT

Masks and Crutches

joesflikr II

Like the crutch used by the dancers in the video, The Dance, we all wear masks. Yet unlike the dancers use of the crutch, free and willing to share, too many of us cling to the mask, hide behind it, make it the one, and only face we show the world.

Writers, like all people wear masks.

All too often we use our role as writer as a persona. The words of our stories become walls we hide behind, rather than steps upon the crutch on which to ascend to the epiphanies rooted in the depths of our souls. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/lpF4H

Inspiration

The Dance, a video that my friend who is a dancer sent me is still churning my unconscious and causing me to reflect upon my own life story.

Like most writers I suffer from depression. And not unlike many writers, my childhood was not the idyllic one American culture says we are to have. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/UJobZ

Inspiration

acceptance, adolescence, children, crutch, family, husband, inspiration, love, masks, The Dance, video, writing

From: http://ping.fm/fEoYG

“The Dance,” Courage and Writing

A friend who is also a dancer sent me this video, The Dance. After Tweeting it, I now have to say that the story told in the video is so much like writing.

What you see is a woman in her 30’s performing a modern dance routine with a man who has one leg. Surprisingly it was not until the middle of the routine that I noticed the woman had only one arm.

And that was only after reading the story of the couple listed in the sidebar of the video. I was so captivated, mesmerized, by the intricate moves each dancer made.

From: http://ping.fm/i8R9k

Making Soup

Screenwriter, and Creative Writing teacher of Morningside Writers, Kendall Williams, likens crafting stories and novels to setting about to make soup.

We discussed the two processes in our a today’s special segment of Book Talk, Creativity and Family Matters, Savory Writing: Character and Plot.

Two essential ingredients to a savory and aromatic story or novel are characters that jump off the page and who entice the reader to care about them, and a suspenseful and riveting plot. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/HVU2Z

War, and Standing �In the Shadow of Suribachi�

Ever wondered what war is like for those who survive the physical batter and yet lay shattered beneath the psychological impairments of their battle?

And what about the family members unable to fit the pieces together and create a lifeline of continuity for their loved ones who returned confused, bereaved and mournful at the loss of their comrades, and bereft in trying to resolve why the fates of life determined they should live? Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/f2IBb

Spiritual Awakening: Every Story is a Journey

Good stories and novels thrive on conflict and tension. All are headed for a climax, an arc, the mountain top experience of transformation.

And yet the writer must travel in the opposite direction, deep within her or himself, to cull out the true meaning that supports and belies the words and actions of our protagonist and supporting cast. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/wdZSd

Writing and Egolessness

Crafting stories is the perfect opportunity, offers a wonderful experience, to practice egolessness.

The words our characters speak, our prose that describes their actions and feelings are but soldiers in the army of our thoughts.

How fleeting. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/gdJkq

The Suffering of Our Protagonist

The word protagonist is rooted in the word agony, pain, and suffering. Protagonist means principal, or leading character.

Good stories depict a central character in struggle, usually a fight for her or his life on some level. Memorable stories depict this main character rising above their pain oftentimes by helping others. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/mWHPr

No Escape

Writing is exhilarating. Crafting stories holds a rare type of excitement. And yet it can, and often stirs a fair amount of discomfort within the writer.

Much of the angst we experience when writing relates to the aspect of revising, choosing the write word and phrasing, re-ordering paragraphs, re-scripting and re-organizing scenes. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/fP0hu

Radio Show | Lorraine Edey: Money and Relationship

Licensed Social Worker, Certified Imago Relationship Coach, and Certified Money Coach, Dr. Lorraine Edey discusses Wake Up Women: Be Happy, Healthy and Wealthy, that she co-authored, and how opposites attract and frustrate in the context of money and relationship.

So tune in.

From: http://ping.fm/QVlXi

Our Bodies, Our Temples

We go through this rhythm as writers and artists–that of taking in and then purging or rather creating.

Reading fiction and also poetry, visiting museums, listening to music–all of these activities are the various wells from which we draw water and replenish our unconscious. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/EUTbX

Our Characters’ Fears

Identifying our character’s fears is like uncovering the groundswell of what drives her or him to act and speak as she or he does in order to accomplish their larger goals. On another level it’s like discovering why we feel compelled to write. Read the rest of this entry…

From: http://ping.fm/TYgdo

Uncertainty (http://ping.fm/36ro5)