Something to think about when writing: striking a balance between description of place — to put the reader there — and developing the character who interacts in that place. How does the character feel about the scenery, how does it affect the character? “Scenery is fine — but human nature is finer.” —John Keats
Tag: poetry
Life Imitating Art
I push in the tape and I lie on the bed alone, eroded by a glacier of memories. I have chosen a love story, though I never would have when we were together. The movie begins, a technicolor dream, figures arise before me, you and I. A passionate kiss lingers between lovers. So soon torn apart…
boyfriend
your eyes are a pale-green altar. a torture device of worship, love. I hide my face when I look at you and see my own inadequacies, complicities to the war-torn vestige of our former years. Poisonous memories choke my throat and I cry tears, a sacrifice.
The unhung door
so much undone, so much on the list the unhung door, the unglazed window the wheelbarrow filled with rain that taunt purposeless, mocking
The thesaurus is out to get us
As writers, it’s easy to get in the habit of relying on words. These words are old friends we know well and they work for us. I know—when I search one of my manuscripts for over-used words, I find some favorites over and over and over. Yikes! It’s time to treat that well-worn word as…
A Day with a Universal God
Listen for my voice in the crashing waves, And in the call of the wild wind, You can hear it there, too. I am the monk locked in silent solitude, I am the crying infant. Listen for my voice in your favorite melody, in a child’s rhyme. My voice is as endless as the seas….
Writing a character you don’t like
Sometimes a story or poem requires a character (or narrator) you don’t like. In fiction it’s often the antagonist. While this person isn’t always evil, s/he is generally unlikeable. After all, the antagonist is thwarting your main character for some reason. So how do you approach writing a believable character you don’t like? Here’s how…
Consciousness of a Flat Planet
She wants to float above him, beyond his reach. As he splits the water with his sleek form, the specter of his voice echoes around her. Washed by his waves, she lulls her head toward the stars. Obscured by a canopy of gray mist, the stars dance a…
The proof is in the reading
Proofreading. Oy. Yet we all know those people. They seem like they can spot a transposed i and e from a football field away. Well, most of us are not those people, so we have to work just a bit harder to do a great job proofreading. When proofreading your manuscript (or anything), here are…
The power of words
The written word is not tantamount to symbols and letters strung together; it has the ability to sway opinions; to declare wars; to create imaginative worlds to visit; and to help us empathize with someone we’ve never met. I think those who have a real love for language appreciate many aspects of how words fit…
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