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 [...]

Jun

30

paper-making

June 30, 2007 | 1 Comment

[-craft, tutorial-] Making handmade paper is an artform. In the hands of an experienced artist, the paper can be thin and smooth, molded to wonderful shapes or scenes and made into elaborate sculptures and vessels. However, the good news is that making paper is just as rewarding for a beginner. Last summer, I finally—after many [...]

Mar

21

What's missing?

March 21, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-writing fiction -] Are your stories missing the mark? This article may help you to understand what isn’t there that needs to be. by contributor, Russ Kremer Many of the stories we read, including most of the good ones, follow a fairly simple formula, one that’s easy to learn — but difficult to master! We [...]

Feb

12

Growing Inspiration

February 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-inspiration, practices-] While we all love the feeling of being suddenly and unexpectedly filled with inspiration, people working in creative fields, can’t wait around for those moments. There’s too much work to be done. Luckily, there are ways of cultivating inspiration. To grow inspiration you need to: Clear a plot – make a special space [...]