Writers can be an egotistical bunch. I should know. I’m one of them.
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Writing Life
Is Writing Something You Do or Something You Are?
“Is writing something you do or something you are?” The question’s an interesting one, and my answer may be at odds with the majority. Writing is something I do. While it’s extremely important to me and I love it, it isn’t who I am.
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Themes and Topics
Topics are high-level in their aim. They are the general subject. Themes, what I sometimes call “angles,” are different. They’re targeted. They’re a subset of the larger subject at play.
Always Seek What’s Better
“Never want to say anything so strongly that you give up the option of finding something better. If you have to say it, you will.” – Richard Hugo, “Nuts and Bolts”
When you start writing a piece, you have a certain direction in mind. You know you want to talk about a specific idea. You may even have some thoughts regarding how to write about that idea. If you aren’t careful, those thoughts will imprison you. You will be stuck with a darling that will kill your writing if you don’t kill it first.
What Book Made You Fall in Love with Reading?
Second grade. The Indian in the Cupboard. The first, “big” book I read all by myself. The first that introduced me to the world of words and the adventures contained therein. The first to capture my fancy and make me fall in love with reading and writing.
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Are Your Characters Round or Flat?
Fiction houses two characters: round and flat. Both have roles to play in a story. The problem, except in the case of a plot-driven story, occurs when the main character, usually the protagonist but sometimes an antagonist, never leaves the realm of flat.