Jan

20

The Crafty Songwriter - Tip #1

January 20, 2008 | 2 Comments

[tutorial, songwriting]

Show don’t tell
by Carson A. Metzger
Exercise #1: Practice writing a song where you avoid telling entirely
How do you do this?
Be descriptive.
Avoid universal statements by grounding or dramatizing your song in the details of a particular scene, character, or relationship between characters.
Avoid using “to be” verbs.
Forgo clichés and truisms by translating things you have […]

Nov

18

Writing Like the Wind

November 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment

This is National Novel Writing Month.
I like to put in a plug for it every year, but at over 90,000 participants (it started in 1999 with around 25 people), maybe that’s the last thing they need. That, at least, is how I’m justifying not mentioning it until past the middle of the month.
If […]

Jun

30

other-handed

June 30, 2007 | 3 Comments

[-journaling, c-mindfulness-]
Next time you are writing in your journal, switch the pen to your other hand and write.
I know. I know. You can’t write with your other hand. Never mind. Go on and do it anyway.
Writing with our non-dominant hand can have interesting results because it confuses our brain. Part of that protest […]

Jun

1

PCQuills: letting go

June 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-writing, exercise-]
Writing takes activity. You have to write the words down on the page. Everyone knows that. But what’s going on inside as you make that effort to put a story together? Think about the issue of control and how it does or doesn’t work for you. We tend to think of energy, activity, the […]

May

3

Metaphors: creating illusions

May 3, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-writing, technique-]

by Nancy Waldman
“…the successful use of metaphor is a matter of perceiving similarities.” ~ Poetics, Aristotle
Metaphors are magic. The right metaphor in the right place transforms a felt hat into a black rabbit, a silk scarf into a flower, solid reality into illusion. In magic, however, tricks can be spoiled […]

Apr

16

Creative Writing

April 16, 2007 | 3 Comments

[-writing, motivation-]

Creative Writing

Originally uploaded by maher berro.

This photo speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
Maybe I chose it because it’s Monday morning, the sun isn’t shining so brightly today and I’m feeling at a lower ebb than I have for a while. It’s so pleasing to be […]

Apr

12

Found Poetry, a primer

April 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-poetry, how-to-]
by Nancy Waldman

detail, Genji Scroll, Goto Museum, Tokyo, Japan

I recently returned from a Writing Retreat planned and presented by the members of my local writing group. One of our participants, Krista MacKeigan taught a wonderful workshop on poetry and inspired me to try some found poetry.
I chose the words for my poem from […]

Apr

12

reNEWals

April 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-commentary, writing, process-]
by Nancy S.M. Waldman

When I was a
child, going to the library was about third on the ‘as good as it gets’ list for an activity that had the chance of coming along often. Only swimming and playing outside after dark could beat the joy of coming home with an armload of new books.
Libraries […]

Mar

29

Necessary Things

March 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-writing fiction-]
by contributor, Russ Kremer
In Elements of Style we’re warned that unnecessary words are as useless as extra parts on a machine. While food processors come with a multitude of dubious attachments and socket sets contain sizes we mostly lose and never miss, remote controls don’t have buttons that don’t work and the handles and […]

Mar

21

Poetry: Exploration And Experience

March 21, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-essay, poetry-]
What makes good poetry is a bit of a mystery to many of us. This chocked-full of tips article can help you make yours good enough to publish.
by guest contributor, Mary Diane Hausman
Are you ready to abandon your poems? Before you toss your newest poem away, revisit it using some exercises that have proven […]

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