One of my favorite short stories is Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, which is probably one of the most tightly plotted narratives of all time. Barely two pages long, this story incorporates all three acts, plus the pivot points, midpoint, climax, and denouement. It doesn’t miss a single beat and it does all… Read more »
In my last post, The Three-Act Structure, I talked about how this storytelling framework works. Today, I thought I would do a three-act analysis of Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite books of all time. Spoiler Alert! Obviously, we can’t talk about the structure of a book without mentioning the ending and giving away… Read more »
Yes. The answer is yes. I give you permission to be creative. If you’re looking for a sign, this is it. I grew up a few hours’ drive from cozy PEI, the crags and cliffs of Newfoundland, and the bustle and hustle of Halifax, Nova Scotia. People from this part of the world pride themselves… Read more »
I’ve stated before that I’m a voracious reader. My love of books was definitely inherited from my mom, I mean, I pretty much grew up in a library, but it was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Janovik who allowed that love to blossom. While the rest of my class was running around at recess or… Read more »
This post is filled with love and packed with things that I either couldn’t wait to share with you or ones that you can utilize for learning over the next several years. If you would like to see similar content (3 short things, that are often educational but not limited to literature), sign up for… Read more »
On the eve of Justin Torres’s new release, Blackouts (coming October 10, 2023, from Farrar, Straus and Giroux), I’m reminded of his first novel, We the Animals, and what a powerful advocate it is for queer storytelling and for the creative memoir and (auto)biographical novel genres. Justin Torres’ We the Animals (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011)… Read more »
Welcome back to The Messy Middle, where we focus on crafting complex characters and building dynamic worlds that connect with readers from marginalized communities. In a previous post, The Messy Middle: Cultural Content Fender Benders, we explored a framework for responding to readers’ concerns about representations in our writing. In this post, we will continue… Read more »
A couple of years ago, deep into my journey for spicy romances that don’t center heterosexual relationships, I stumbled upon what I hold up as the gold standard of romance: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, published in 2021. I loved it. I read it first on my Kindle as a library book, then went… Read more »
Word nerds, thank you for joining me in what is my most favorite post of the year: Leisure Learning: Spooky Edition. This month, readers can peruse Mary Shelley’s (actual!!) Frankenstein notebooks, become unmoored by art inspired by Poe, and hopefully, add one of the best darkly academic podcasts to a playlist or two. Since we… Read more »
I can’t encircle the trunk with my arms or see the top. Douglas Fir trees are like that. 500-year old giants, they stretch straight to the sky, snag clouds, and create their own weather. The bark smells of cinnamon and moisture, and if I am not careful, it will leave a scratch or two on… Read more »
