Once upon a time, I taught cartooning and storybook illustration to elementary school children. At our first class meeting, I came prepared with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and inanimate objects like a stapler, a bottle, and a cup. I lined these objects up on a raised box and invited the children to tell me…
Tag: inspiration
Understanding the Assignment
Think back to the last time you sat down to write and the words simply wouldn’t come. Maybe it was your mood, or the surrounding circumstances: poor lighting, dreadful coffee shop tunes, or a pet/child/partner demanding attention. Perhaps a prompt left you uninspired, or a looming deadline paralyzed your imagination. Whatever the cause, as writers,…
Whoa! Never Saw That Coming!
Great twists need plausibility. Don’t try to fool readers.
Real Writers Top Three
One If you told me thirty years ago that Rick Rubin would one day be my spirit guide, well, I would have laughed pretty hard. Yeah, the guy who has produced albums for Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Slayer, The Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joan Jett, Johnny Cash, Nine Inch Nails and many others. But…
The “What If” List
How many of us writers are perfectionists? Oh, look, all of us. Honestly, who sits down to create the most mediocre story possible? Striving to write something great isn’t the problem. The issue arises when we demand greatness immediately, in the first draft. The next time you find yourself paralyzed by lofty literary ambitions or…