Act One: Elements of Story

The latest WINE AND WRITING WISDOM video is now available and it’s one you don’t want to miss. We continue the discussion on the importance of recognizing and applying structural elements into our writing. We explore the set up, the inciting incident and the doorway of no return. If you enjoy the video, leave me […]

Writing Inspirations: An Act of Rebellion, An Act of Freedom

Writing eases my suffering . . . writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence. -– Gao Xingian Toni Morrison gave a recent interview to American Theatre in which she was asked to discuss her writing: (Write, Erase, Do Over: On Failure, Risk and Writing Outside Yourself). As usual, her discussion about writing craft […]

Writing Inspirations: Stick to your process

Inspiration usually comes during work, not before it. -– Madeleine L’Engle Writers write. Writers stick butt to chair and fingers to keyboard daily. Writers write whether there is inspiration or not. One of the biggest lies I tell myself is that it’s okay not to come to the computer today because I can’t think of […]

Writing Inspirations: Baby Steps

If you’re going to write a good book, you have to make mistakes and you have to not be so cautious all the time. -– Zadie Smith My son was a little over 11 months old when he took his first steps. He was in the living room, contentedly playing with his Shrek toy and […]

Writing Inspirations: The Power of Words

Which of us has not felt that the character we are reading in the printed page is more real than the person standing beside us? -– Cornelia Funke That’s the power of strong and compelling writing, isn’t it? The writer composes a narrative so true to life that the characters live on the page. Lee […]

Writing Inspiration: Keep Going

Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes; work never begun. -– Christina Rossetti Horrified by the racial prejudice, bigotry, threats, violence, threats of violence – displayed during the primaries leading up to the 2008 Presidential election, I was desperate for comfort and hope. I prayed that the behavior displayed by some of my […]

Settings – A Celebration of Memphis

I love my hometown of Memphis TN. I’ve lived in various places around the country but when it was time to settle, I chose home. Memphis figures prominently in both my novel as well as many of the short stories I’ve published over the years. Part of me rebels that the only thing people think […]

Writing Inspiration: A Room Of Your Own

Writing is finally about one thing: going into a room alone and doing it. Putting words on paper that have never been there in quite that way before. -– William Goldman One of the scariest parts about writing fiction? Being in a room alone with nothing more than you and a blank computer screen. But […]

Writing Inspirations: What’s Your Story?

Don’t forget — no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.-– Charles de Lint Several years ago, early into my fiction workshop at VONA, our facilitator expressed a similar sentiment. He started the discussion: “Why are you the one who […]

Sensations

A successful life is one that is in balance. My soon-to-be-completed novel, KAOS, features not only a protagonist, as mentioned here last week, but also his nemesis, not to be confused with the antagonist, who I’ll introduce at a later date. By definition: Nemesis, winged balancer of life, dark-faced goddess, daughter of Justice, Other definitions: […]