Notes jotted in the margin in a different colour ink reminded me of ways of crafting early drafts of stories that I’d learned at a writing workshop by Vivienne Plumb, a New Zealand poet, playwright and author. She shared some great suggestions, and I have subsequently added more of my own ideas for writing short stories, such as character development, enriching themes and meanings in stories, and writing dialogue.
Category: writing
Crop Circles
We know August by how yellow our bedroom at dawn, how rich the paints nature daubs outside our window – blue slash of sky, ribbons of hedge, poppies, gold flag of corn. Our bedroom eyes this van Gogh view, our window a silent watcher of that instant our eyes never capture when the golden flag…
Writing Retreats and Activist Writers
Writing, by its nature, is a solitary activity. If you’re someone who thrives on a busy environment, that can be difficult. Unless you’re collaborating on a project, the actual finger-to-keyboard/pen-to-paper part of writing tends to involve hiding yourself away in a quiet corner so you can focus on your current creation. But it doesn’t have to…
What Ifs
All that could protect them was pure blood… I don’t know how it was discovered that their blood was an antidote to the contamination, but a pint of it pumped through the veins of the contaminated could stop them turning for several tides.
An Ordinary Rebel
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be alive at a pivotal moment in history, and, in some subtle but significant way a catalyst for dramatic, desperately needed changes? If you would have had the courage of those ordinary people who took risky action – like Rosa Parks sitting down on a bus,…
Perfect Ways to Write Imperfect Characters
You know when you’re reading a book and it’s just not grabbing your interest the way it should? The title was quirky, original, eye-catching, enticing you to stop at that exact place in the bookshop or library and pull it off the shelf. The blurb promised everything you like best in a book, and a…
Finding Ideas
Clouds billowed in from the north today, hiding the critical sun, with its nasty habit of shining a light on my housekeeping deficiencies. They are many, and the sun is far worse than my mother ever was at pointing out cobwebs in the corners, and streaks and smears all over the ranch-sliders. On a dull…
Surprise Gifts
I have gift giving on my mind. I have bought nothing yet. No cards, no wrapping paper. Not even a bag of chocolate money, which is one of my favourite treats of the year! It’s not that I don’t like Christmas. It’s just that… well, my homage poem to William Carlos Williams explains it best. I…
Moonlight on Broken Glass
Most writers know that procrastination is one of the biggest issues to stare down. Somehow, especially if you write directly on your laptop, Twitter always beckons with its enticing maze of opinions, arguments and random thoughts. Pinterest can soak up hours of time. You know if you just give it five minutes, you can beat…
Channeling Chekhov: 4 tips for writing
You know that feeling when your fingers are itching to pick up a pen, or rattle across the keyboard, pouring another creation onto the page? Ideas trip over themselves in your mind and words dance. You’ve carved out a generous slice of interruption-free time. Your favourite music plays in the background. You’ve plenty of water…
Verve 