Jan 13, 2014What are you talking about?Theme is a loaded word. In fiction, it aroused the suspicion that we’re preaching about something. Can’t we just give the story a...
Jan 23, 2013The Hidden ThemeTheme is a loaded word. It conjures up middle school English classes where you have to cough up what the writer was trying to say in...
Dec 10, 2011What is the job of a storyteller?This week I’m so pleased to have a guest blog from Brian McDonald. You can hear more from Brian at his blog and website. Brian McDonald...
Jul 12, 2011Sometimes a great nudgeI was listening to Bob Mayer give a workshop on writing the novel and I heard the voice of God. Now, I like Bob Mayer very much, but it...
Jul 1, 2011Writing PromptsI’ve been working so hard on novels the last few years that I’ve forgotten how useful it is to write short. Very short. If you’re having...
Nov 21, 2010The Heart of Your StoryToday I’m putting down yet another book that I hoped would grip me in a dramatic embrace. Nope, it didn’t. I’m quitting on page 80. If...
Sep 7, 2010What’s It All About?In all of the frenzy to lock down the elements of story craft, we often forget what we’re talking about in the first place. That is, what...
Jun 5, 2008Thoughts on Story ThemeTheme is a loaded word. It conjures up middle school English classes where you have to cough up what the writer was trying to say in...