Writing the World, the Official Website of Kay Kenyon

15 Joyful Things

Anyone else been waking up at 3 o’clock in the morning lately?

There’s a lot to worry about with so many people going through heavy cares or acute stress over health, family, and employment. Even if I’m not experiencing these things outright, it’s hard to watch this happening to so many others.

But it’s important that we keep our spirits up. Not only for our own sakes but so that we can be supportive emotionally and materially to others; that is, present, balanced, and compassionate instead of blameful, pessimistic, and fearful.

And it’s important to us as writers, if circumstances allow, to keep going, even though it might seem all we’re doing is telling stories. It’s what we do, and it’s not irrelevant.

Here’s one way I’m staying present and optimistic. I’m thinking of things that are still good, still working, still bringing me (or should be bringing me) joy. Read More…

Nest of the Monarch in paper

In trade paper January 14. Also in eBook & hardcover.

A top ten fantasy read of 2019. —Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

“Riveting.” — Publishers Weekly

Trade paper edition arrives on Tuesday January 14.

Berlin, 1936. Winter and fascism descend on Europe. Kim Tavistock has put her life at risk before . . . this time it’s her very soul.

A few questions come to mind: Why does Kim’s Berlin station handler say “Everyone has their limits”?

Can a British spy trust the British Intelligence Service? Can she even trust herself?

Is the man she’s living with going to help her or kill her?

What’s it like to be both less than human and more than human at the same time?

Who’s the last person Kim could ever expect to meet on Christmas eve among monsters?

Find Nest of the Monarch at these fine retailers:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

The wandering novel

A novel is complex, if only because it’s so long. It can so easily wander off course, fall into episodic events and feel scattered.

To maintain unity in a story, create or discover the novel’s dramatic purpose, whether it’s the human value at stake or the theme related to a human value. To write at our best, the challenge is to know in the simplest terms, what larger issue the story is about.

This dramatic purpose can shape our decisions about what events to portray and which to leave out. Making it more likely that readers will experience a cohesive, fulfilling story.

Getting to Meaning

Examples of human values explored in novels: The Kite Runner: atonement; The Titanic (film): to be loved for oneself; The End of the World Running Club: spiritual renewal; A Discovery of Witches: self-knowledge. These are universal human issues. In these best-selling stories, fictional events and characters are chosen to dramatize these human issues. Read More…

Character in a nutshell

Can you describe your character’s essence or their raison d’etre, in a short phrase? How about Sam Gamgee’s “Some things are worth fighting for.” Or Scarlett O’Hara’s “I’ll never be hungry again!”

Our major characters are usually so deep we need a whole novel to flesh them out. But haven’t we chosen a character because she or he embodies a specific dramatic purpose? If this is true, we should know what that is. We should know it so well, we can say it in a phrase.

Sounds hard, but bear with me. Ask yourself what does my character want or believe in their very core? Read More…

I’m teaching a novel seminar

Creating the Novel

I’m giving a 7-week novel seminar for Write on the River!

For beginners and mid-career writers wishing to pursue a publishing career. The class is limited to six students and will be held in Wenatchee, WA. Sessions consist of an hour of instruction and an hour’s critique of a student manuscript by the instructor and the other students.

The sessions will be designed to deepen students’ abilities to evaluate their writing with an eye to marketplace considerations as well as compelling fictional elements.

Some of these are useful tools.

DATES AND REQUIREMENTS

DATES: Sessions will be held every other Wednesday, February 12 through May 6.

TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 PM

COST: $300

REQUIREMENTS

Please apply to attend. Details here.
Membership in Write on the River.
18 years of age or older.
Have at least 30 pages of a novel written and ready for critique by February 12.