When I read, I am often stopped by a line or a paragraph in a book that triggers a sensation in my brain. Maybe some of these will provide something for you to ponder. Rex felt as if they were moving through space, that they were giant spacemen, threading in and out among trillions of tiny, luminous stars. (they are in snow) The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard, p.19 A rainbow of colored umbrellas punctuated by black bumbers favored by the suited class. Assault & Pepper by Leslie Budewitz, p. 214 Words or fists, it didn’t...
I have the distinct privilege of working with third and fourth grade writers in two local school Working with kids writing using their creativity keeps my writing fresh. Their imaginations go to places we’ve long forgotten to explore. Watching them plan out their stories, watching them smile when they find a funny/curious/outlandish idea and watching them put their ideas down is a highlight of each week. My goal is to encourage them to add details, write complete thoughts and find endings that ‘close’ their stories. It only takes them a few minutes to grasp the idea of ending rather than...
Right now I’m close finishing When the Music Stops, book two in my ballet trilogy. It’s funny; the closer I get to finishing the more questions I find I need to resolve. I question my tension and my problems strewn across their lives. Since my characters become as real as my friends, I know their strengths and weaknesses, their hot buttons and their fears. Often I become overprotective of their “lives”, unwilling to let harm approach them. I always hope I have provided the promise of a good story but fear I may have fallen short. It’s a writer’s curse....
I love the book Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan (Writers Digest, 1999). She writes about the power of description, calling it one of the 3 parts of a story along with exposition and narration. Here are a few of her ideas. “Description is an attempt to present as directly as possible the qualities of a person, place or object.” She goes on to suggest that we work to evoke a visual or other sense as much as we actually share it. She believes impressions of our senses have power. “A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a scent is worth...
We use our sight every day but often only see the common place: trees, roads, houses, children, dogs. If we are to see the world more clearly, we need to pay closer attention. What kind of trees? What does the bark feel like? Are there cones or berries or blossoms? Is the road newly paved or rutted? Are the while side lines worn? How about the center lines: did the painter keep them straight, leave any residue or streaks? Are the houses row houses? two-story? brick? wood? well-maintained? in need of sprucing up? Are the children playing on their way...
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