As a writer, I am constantly reaching toward understanding other people, if only because creating convincing fictional characters depends on it. I have to imagine what it would be like in their place, even if their perspectives, lifestyles, and backgrounds are not my own. But it is hard. The illusion that I am the center […]
Shortly after college I read an article about how a hopeful graduate of a creative writing program had sent a manuscript to an editor. The editor responded that, although the writer had followed the technical rules of fiction writing, his prose suffered from a lack of “life experiences.” Her advice to him and all writers
What Kinds of Experiences Does a Writer Need? Read More »
I like to imagine a hidden world that I can enter whenever I am standing in a long line, waiting out a traffic jam, or any situation where I feel trapped. If I close my eyes, unseen layers of experience become apparent: birds chirping, clocks ticking, motors rumbling, or the drone of a distant jet,
Writing From The World Beneath Sight Read More »
What if you could write your way into a better life? What if you could invent yourself as you would a fictional character? In my new e-book released on Amazon, one of my characters does. My short story collection, Becoming the Story and Other Tales, is a mix of science fiction, fantasy, and personal prose. The book
I just released “Becoming the Story and Other Tales” for the Kindle Read More »
To return to Part I click here To return to Part II click here Last sentences from Part II: I was alarmed at how callously the students and even established employees treated some of the patients, especially the ones who were least able to defend themselves. One incident in particular still haunts me. When the
Confessions of a Bad Monkey Part III of III Read More »
Click here to view Part 1. Final sentences from Part I: When I graduated I had no idea what I was going to do with my art degree, so I enrolled in a two-year training program at my local hospital to become a radiologic technologist. Bad idea. I found myself in a class full of
Confessions of a Bad Monkey (Part II of III) Read More »
