Setting can make or break a story. Setting can be so important to story, in fact, that the setting can almost become a character itself. So when looking for story inspiration why not start with setting? The DaVinci Code begins with a murder in the Louvre. The story of Sarah’s Key had to take place in … [Read more…]
One way to fire up your imagination? Creative writing exercises focused on the first line of a story. Below is a list of first lines for you to use to hone your storytelling and writing skills.
New Year’s Resolutions? Goals? I know, I’ve heard all the “goals aren’t good” and “resolutions set you up to fail” and wondered why I enjoy making them so much. In an earlier post, I wrote about goal setting in terms of making them into dreams (see Dreaming Wide Awake), which for me is what goals truly … [Read more…]
By Mary Caelsto I’m giving a class this weekend about how your muse acts as a guardian and how you can tap into its power. One of the themes that keeps coming up is when I offer tip number one, which is get rid of guilt, there’s a lot of issues surrounding that action. Writers … [Read more…]
By Mary Caelsto As writers we are constantly setting boundaries in our careers without our even knowing it. We decide which publishers to write for and which stories we want to write. Even the groups we network in or the organizations we join are decisions made based on the boundaries. We utilize boundaries in our … [Read more…]