“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” Erich Fromm
Sarah’s & Cynde’s Blog
The Trust Muscle
Today’s quote from author Elizabeth Gilbert–“To sit patiently with a yearning that has not yet been fulfilled, and to trust that, that fulfillment will come, is quite possibly one of the most powerful ‘magic skills’ that human beings are capable of. It has been noted by almost every ancient wisdom tradition.” Today’s challenge: Warm up your trust muscle and let it support you and your creative projects.
Songwriting on a Lark
If you can’t get past the first page of your story, try songwriting. Seriously, write short, not long. Even if it’s only on a lark, it’s great practice for prose writers to work in poetry and song. If you’re interested, check out the Singer/Songwriters Telesummit.
Make Believe, Believe…
Mentoring from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan: “I’ll teach you to ride on the wind’s back, and away we go!”
CHARACTERS’ ADVOCATE
I came across this quote from actor Holly Hunter: “I always feel that I am the advocate for my character. More than anyone else on the set, including the director. I’m there to protect my character, in any way.” As writers, we might consider it our job to find an inner advocate for every character on our pages, even–especially–the least sympathetic. Remember the fiction writers’ “P” word: parity.
Bunny on the Rocks: Story Resolution
The day after we discovered that Pearl’s favorite stuffy Chocolate Bunny was missing–left behind on the rocks near a remote campsite about sixty miles from Taos–Michael put in a call to the forest service office near Tres Piedras. Sure enough, someone special answered: an officer named John. When John heard that a five-year-old girl was grieving her lost bunny he said he’d do what he could to help. News came within hours: Chocolate Bunny was safe, recovered from the rocks, and now awaiting a ride home from Tres Piedras. She should be home by the weekend. Rescued by a “local …
Attachments,Yearning, and Chocolate Bunny
My five-year-old daughter took a camping trip with her dad this weekend. They returned home early–both with colds–in part because it never stopped raining. This morning, when we searched for Chocolate Bunny, Pearl’s most treasured stuffy was nowhere to be found. Pearl tearfully remembered that she and her five-year-old friend Hawk had taken Chocolate Bunny out to play just before departure from the campground. And, yes, she thought he might have been left behind. It was a heart-rending moment for all of us. Pearl began to weep, her grief deep and real. We went into action, calling a company in …
Relationship, narrative, reciprocity, and David Abram
If you accept that story lives in relationships, in the push-pull of people with each other, within themselves, with their environment, then read David Abram’s mesmerizing and brilliant book, THE SPELL OF THE SENSUOUS. “Late one evening I stepped out of my little hut in the rice paddies of eastern Bali and found myself falling through space. Over my head the black sky was rippling with stars, densely clustered in some regions, almost blocking out the darkness between them, and more loosely scattered in other areas, pulsing and beckoning to each other. Behind them all streamed the great river of …
PAGE BY PAGE
My daughter announced today that she’s making a 3,000-page book. The word count will be light but it will have scads of pictures. She’s five years old. She asked me to contribute a drawing. When I complied, she added finishing touches. And then she marked off three more pages. “I’m doing four pages a day,” she said, placing her palm firmly over the rest of her notebook. “Why four?” I asked. “Because that’s just enough,” she said. “You’re right,” I said. “When will it be done?” “Soon,” she said. I don’t doubt her for a moment. If you’re writing a 300-page book, …
NO SLUGS, NO SLACKERS…
Today’s quote comes from Thomas McCormack’s excellent book: THE FICTION EDITOR, THE NOVEL, AND THE NOVELIST. “Character is most keenly revealed when it’s confronted with crisis, hard choices, urgent decisions. Thus, insofar as he’s interested in revealing character, the author’s job is to construct setting and circuitry that will call for decisions, for actions.” When you sit down to write today, ask yourself what your characters want and how far they will go to get what they want? Ask what they do about getting what they want–and also what effect their actions have on others? Finally, ask if the reader …