Category Archives: craft of writing

the forgotten waltz and voice

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

Really? you might be thinking. More on The Forgotten Waltz? Yes, there’s more. Consider the following: …there was no doubt that we felt easier about the world, for the fact that our father was no longer in it. We loved … Continue reading →

Posted in Anne Enright, craft of writing, details, novels | Tagged | 2 Comments

my writing notebook: the forgotten waltz

Posted on February 18, 2012 by

Here are some examples I’ve just added to my writing notebook– On chronology: Still, I can’t be too bothered here, with chronology. The idea that if you tell it, one thing after another, then everything will make sense. (55) On … Continue reading →

Posted in Anne Enright, craft of writing, my writing notebook, novels | Tagged | 3 Comments

the forgotten waltz, unreliability, and wine lines

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

If you were to ask me to recommend a novel written in the first person, I would say Anne Enright’s The Gathering. I’ve read it twice and I’m thinking about reading it again. But I just finished her most recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Anne Enright, character, craft of writing, journeys, novels | Tagged | 5 Comments

about so many things

Posted on January 31, 2012 by

New essay by Pam Houston–now up at Hunger Mountain. Here’s the first paragraph: When I was four years old my father lost his job. We were living in Trenton, New Jersey at the time, where he had lived most of … Continue reading →

Posted in craft of writing, essays, Pam Houston, truth | Tagged | 4 Comments

volt

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

I want to slow things down. I was planning on writing a post on several stories in Alan Heathcock‘s debut collection, Volt, but I think I’ll just look at the first story. “The Staying Freight”–I love the title–was first published … Continue reading →

Posted in catching moments, character, Contrary, craft of writing, details, first sentences, stories | Tagged | 5 Comments

I second that emotion

Posted on September 28, 2011 by

In a stack of books I wanted to write about, I found Elizabeth Strout’s Amy & Isabelle that I reread in November of 2010–almost a year ago. (I really should clean out my study more often–yes, I’m still going–down to … Continue reading →

Posted in craft of writing, novels | Tagged | 6 Comments

in flux

Posted on September 20, 2011 by

Just a quick update: the rearranging of my study is temporarily on hold (things still sit in laundry baskets and all around me is still a HUGE mess) as I work on the revision of my novel like someone who … Continue reading →

Posted in craft of writing, my writing | Tagged | 10 Comments

to do today

Posted on September 12, 2011 by

write blog post read over 5 pages of novel-details (every day 5 pages) make airline reservations for Oct trip to California out buy birthday gifts (8 birthdays in 10 days in sept) exercise grocery (supper!) make copy of photo call … Continue reading →

Posted in craft of writing, details, the day, time | Tagged | 8 Comments

await your reply 4: image

Posted on August 18, 2011 by

From Dan Chaon’s Await Your Reply, how an image can make words come alive: Without the image: Her thoughts were not clearly articulated in her mind, but she could feel them moving swiftly, gathering. “What are you thinking about?” George Orson said, … Continue reading →

Posted in Contrary, craft of writing, dialogue | Tagged , | 8 Comments

await your reply 3: repetition with new detail

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

In Await Your Reply, published in 2009, Dan Chaon uses repetition in a very cool way. Instead of bogging down the original scene, he pushes the action forward first, then a bit later, moves in for a close-up or two, … Continue reading →

Posted in Contrary, craft of writing, details, novels | Tagged | 3 Comments