Hello. This is not the first part of the new series I promised. This is a one-off about the importance of taking time for creative retreats. My brother (the resident poet) and I took three days of his spring break to drive up to Port Townsend, a little Victorian town on the Puget Sound, where … Continue reading Retreat.
inspiration
Expansion.
“Expansion. That is the idea the novelist must cling to. Not completion. Not rounding off but opening out.” E.M. Forster, "Aspects of the Novel" This seems to me to be a good quote to end my Forster series on. When our stories have been told, if they have been told well, the readers will be … Continue reading Expansion.
Go For It.
Photo by Riccardo on Pexels.com Hello. This post was supposed to go live much earlier today (It's currently about two in the afternoon for me), but I got sidetracked by a fascinating discussion with my historian brother about Napoleon's unorthodox battle tactics, and how they play into the plot and themes of War and Peace. … Continue reading Go For It.
I Want (Reprise).
"...to the end of time good literature will be made round this notion of a wish." E.M. Forster, Aspects of the Novel This magnificent statement sums up an analysis of a novel based around the concept of a ring that grants wishes, but it immediately captured me, and I thought, "huh. It's like the 'I … Continue reading I Want (Reprise).
Half-Baked Thoughts On Completeness.
Photo by Mariana Kurnyk on Pexels.com Half-baked as in I haven't really planned this post before sitting down to write it people, not me having thoughts while I'm half... Never mind. Anyways. So the other day I joined a little seven-part online lecture series on Hamlet and The Tempest (as you do). In the introductory … Continue reading Half-Baked Thoughts On Completeness.
Respect Your Readers.
Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com "Writing, when properly managed (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation. As no one, who knows what he is about in good company, would venture to talk all; -- so no author, who understands the just boundaries of decorum … Continue reading Respect Your Readers.
Suffering ≠ Greatness.
Photo by Victor Freitas on Pexels.com A week or so ago, I found myself in a very familiar place: Sprawled across a chair at the dining table I used to do my schoolwork on, whining to my mom. On this particular occasion, my subject was the massive artistic slump I found myself in. I’ve spoken … Continue reading Suffering ≠ Greatness.
Hidden Transformations.
Photo by le vy on Pexels.com "We say that an author is original when we cannot trace the hidden transformations that others underwent in his mind; we mean to say that the dependence of what he does on what others have done is excessively complex and irregular. There are works in the likeness of others, … Continue reading Hidden Transformations.
The Hope of Suggestion.
Photo by zhang kaiyv on Pexels.com "Writing is neither vibrant life nor docile artifact but a text that would put all its money on the hope of suggestion."-Mary Oliver, "Upstream" Just a little bit to think about this weekend. Oh, and a book recommendation. If you haven't read Upstream, Mary Oliver's collection of essays, you … Continue reading The Hope of Suggestion.
A Caution About Words.
Photo by Fernando Arcos on Pexels.com Most of us probably know Dorothy Sayers as the writer of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. And if you don't, ummm... go familiarize yourself with her. I'll wait. Okay, now that you've done that, I can continue by asking if you also know that she wrote a number of … Continue reading A Caution About Words.
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