According to Chris Baty, the creator of NaNoWriMo, “The biggest thing separating people from their artistic ambitions is lack of a deadline.” That’s why the plan to write a novel in a month works so well. The event creates a … Continue reading
Category: Word Wise
Words Per Day
Embody the Image
I first learned about making the abstract physical during a seminar offered by Paul Lisicky, one of my instructors at Antioch University. We took the study of “show don’t tell” deeper, looking at how writers make the body–its sensations and movement– integral to … Continue reading
Coining a Word
I’ve always been fascinated by the fluidity and flexibility of the English language. While other English teachers found the use of contractions and slang in student papers a fault, I wanted to take a closer look and see if perhaps … Continue reading
Naming
In her book Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg has a chapter called “Be Specific” in which she tells writers about the importance of naming: Give things the dignity of their names. . . It is much better to say … Continue reading