About a year ago Gwyn went to the doctor for an annual check-up and received her two-year immunizations. She screamed the entire visit. Shortly afterward she began requesting the story—“Tell the story about going to the doctor”—three, four, even five times a day. Almost twelve months later we still tell the story with countless variations; […]
Gnawing on Stories Read More »
My mother-in-law’s church has issued a spiritual challenge to its members: Buy nothing new for a whole year. In response, support groups have sprung up like weeds. There are purists whose underwear will grow thin, there are realists who gather to weigh alternatives before making a purchase, and there are new communication networks to facilitate
Modern Spiritual Discipline (12/15/11) Read More »
After dropping Gwyn off for her first morning of preschool—she was too interested in the puzzles to say goodbye—I came home and cried. I was proud that she was eager and ready; I was thrilled for some extra time in my week; I grieved the seven hours I now won’t see her; and I ached
God’s Great Faith (11/15/11) Read More »
9.15.11 Despite our determination to teach Gwyn to pick up her toys, our house is littered with things: paperclips moved from the office to her toy kitchen, a nickel on the back of the toilet, Mardi Gras beads in the mixing bowl—you get the picture. I spend a ridiculous amount of time putting things away.
Great premium is placed on language in our literary culture today. Is it fresh? Is it witty? Does it dazzle? The question I wish reviewers and publishers would ask about language is “Is it true?” We need writers who name the vast diversities of our reality with language that illuminates rather than obscures. Truth, of
Language 2: The Right Word Read More »
I’m a great proponent of the triage method of revising: Take care of the big problems first and gradually work your way down to the details of language. In the abstract, this is a great philosophy. If there’s such a thing as a time-saver, prioritizing like this is it. And generally writers DO pay more
Language 1: Triage Read More »
A critical but usually unspoken component to writing well is the quality of the human being who writes. Is he or she smart? Thoughtful? Curious? Provocative? Original? Has he or she done emotional research to undergird the story? “Living a conscious and reflective life is a prerequisite for writing a memoir of substance,” writes Judith
Life Behind the Writing Read More »
The last thing that we find in making a book is to know what we must put first. –Blaise Pascal Why do new writers assume they must begin writing at the beginning and end at the end? Of course this is a silly question. We read from beginning to end, so this order seems obvious.
Beginnings and Endings Read More »
The structure of a creative work is discovered, not imposed. Consider the architect’s mantra, “Form follows function.” A skyscraper exists because of land limitations, population density, and the nature of business relations; its inherent qualities (its purpose, its limitations) distinguish it from a bungalow or a Carnegie library. Likewise each piece of prose has a
Structure Discovered Read More »
The more I revise and the more I help new writers learn to revise, the more I’m convinced that good revision, like any good writing, is essentially play. Robin Marantz Henig’s recent article in the New York Times , “Taking Play Seriously,” looks at recent scientific studies that ask, What is play’s role in
Playing with Revision Read More »