Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
As a young teacher I had a sign above my blackboard (back in the day when we still used chalk!) that said Class Rules: 1. The teacher …
Continue reading “Ho-Hum, I’ve Got the Editing Blues”
Imagination is a uniquely human gift. Every one of us has used this talent at some point, and for a variety of reasons. We’ve all been actors or writers at times. As children we attempt to be more brave, powerful, beautiful, or smarter than we are, sometimes as a game—just for the pure joy of …
Continue reading “Write Your Story from Start to Finish: Thwart Your Internal Antagonist!”
I loathe homework. I always have. I know that sounds ludicrous coming from a former teacher and assistant principal. I’m reminded of that old cartoon—a woman is standing at the foot of the bed, hands perched atop her hips and says, “Time to get up, you’re going to be late for school!” A muffled voice …
Continue reading “My Dreaded Homework Assignment: The Scene Outline”
I haven’t seen the movie, mostly because I don’t have any little children in the house, but the media buzz is touting the amazing and empowering story of Frozen. I’m only paraphrasing what I’ve heard on TV, but it seems like this Disneyesque story doesn’t rely on the usual trope of Prince Charming swooping in …
Continue reading “On Being Brave: Or Are We Frozen in Fear?”
I love this expression! Jumping the Shark is an idiom crated by Jon Hein to identify the moment when a television show begins to decline in quality and can frequently be identified by a particular scene or episode. The writer uses some type of gimmick in a desperate attempt to keep the viewer from losing …
Continue reading “Jumping the Shark: When to Quit Your Story”
I’m stepping away from writing craft today in order to discuss the horrid situation in Nigeria. The morning I awoke to the Today Show reporting 234 girls had been abducted from a boarding school in Nigeria, I gasped. Not just at the occurrence of such a despicable act but over the fact that it had …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: The Right to an Education”
The other night I watched the movie, The Lone Ranger, starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp. Before the movie premiered I saw the trailer and was eager to see it, as I’m a fan of both actors. The movie got generally panned, which I usually ignore when making my viewing choices, but I never did …
Continue reading “Perverting Tonto: Magical Realism?”
The other evening I was watching Scandal. Admittedly I came late to the party, missing the first season, then watching it on demand and jumping into season two enthusiastically. But the other night I very nearly turned it off. Aside from the constant snarl on Olivia’s face—which irritates me to no end—the relentless arguing, fighting …
Continue reading “Creating Tension: Can There Be Too Much Conflict in a Story?”
Ever see that old movie, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH? Of course this phrase has become a cliché and even though it is based somewhat on research, it serves to remind us that change is good and boredom is the death knoll of our existence. At least it is for me. Being an Aquarian, I’m particularly …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: The Seven Year Itch and New Beginnings”
Phew! We did it! The 2014 A-Z Blog Challenge is completed! What a trip! This was our first year, as we debuted our blog in August. When we started blogging we were incredibly insecure—check out Robin’s first post! What if we write something stupid? What if there’s a typo? A grammar error? But we held …
Continue reading “Done! We Survived the A-Z Blog Challenge”