“This man, I think, wanted to enchant the reader, to set in words certain amorphous and important sensations he had experienced…. “He wanted to transcribe his own inchoate experience. He wanted it to become art. He felt, as many of us do, that he had a right to that. Perhaps he wanted to feel his suffering had been worthwhile, was
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“…life does not move in the same way as a group of clouds; From your work, you will be able one day to gather yourself.” – Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936), trans. Robert Bly And what is our work? The great Spanish writer and poet Unamuno said “sowing yourself.” “Throw yourself like seed as you walk, and into your own field,”
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So there’s an image I’ve wanted to explore for a while. (It’s not this one, though I like it…) I call the image “the fear box.” (Not that picture. The mental image I have. Clear on that?) It’s made of a type of protective, soft material, but very strong. We’re all raised in this sort of cage, and it’s
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Fine. I admit it. I get frustrated by all the charlatans willing to take advantage of writers searching for a formula for writing well. There’s no law against it, of course, and I suppose there’s an argument that it’s dishonorable not to take stupid people’s money. But come on, people. Even if someone could simply hand you a map to
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The exceptionally observant reader may have noticed that last week, in my big post, 8 Reader Questions – 8 Parts of Speech, the question of “Really?” is set apart and above the others. That’s because if there’s one cardinal rule for storytellers, it probably has something to do with this–make sure it’s believable. And while there are several key elements to
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