On this list, you will find sequels, alternate universe retellings, modern retellings, crossovers containing all the best characters, and mysteries with Austen herself as sleuth.

One aspect they all share is humor, wit, and portrayals of her characters that I believe Austen might have approved.

I feel honored to have a panel for this article consisting of a trio of Austen’s most beloved busybodies. They graciously assented to give us their impressions of the books. 

Our Panel

Mrs. Bennet – Wife and mother of five daughters (!). Receives no help in the onerous task of marrying them off from a sarcastic husband. 

Miss Bates – Longtime denizen of Highbury. Well respected by all (except Emma Woodhouse once). Thinks no one in the world is as wonderful as her niece Jane Fairfax, except maybe the person she is currently talking to. 

Mrs. Norris – Sister to Lady Bertram. Widow of Mr. Norris, the parish curate. Has plenty of time to help out at Mansfield Park and with this column and thank heaven for that. None of it could get done otherwise. 

Mr. Bennet and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, benefactress to Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, also make cameo appearances. Without further ado, let us indulge our Austen-mania, crime fiction-style. 

Pride and Prejudice Pastiche

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

James brings a darker atmosphere to an intriguing murder mystery set at Pemberley, the home of Mr. Darcy and the former Elizabeth Bennet. On the eve of the Darcys’ annual ball, a carriage races up the drive, alarming everyone. Inside is Lydia Bennet Wickham, an unexpected guest, screaming that her husband lies murdered in the woods of Pemberley. 

Darcy and several other men go to investigate and find instead the body of Wickham’s friend Denny with Wickham very much alive. Wickham confesses, is arrested, and put on trial. But despite his dislike of Wickham, Darcy does not believe him capable of murder. 

I found this book gripping, due to the dark atmosphere and excellent writing. P.D. James was an admired and bestselling writer, as well as an ardent Austen fan, so it is no surprise that she turned out such a satisfying Austen mystery. The TV adaptation was also excellent with perhaps the best cast Elizabeth Bennet I’ve ever seen. 

Mrs. Bennet: Our dear Wickham a murderer? Something must be done! Surely he is innocent. Mr. Bennet, you must do something!

Mr. Bennet: (Turns page of book.) It’s a book. It’s fictional, my dear. But rest assured, if our “dear” Wickham was ever really to be on trial, I certainly would do something. 

Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mysteries 1) by Tirzah Price

I’ve long wanted to read Price’s Austen retellings. This column helps so much with prioritizing my TBR! (Price’s series currently includes this work and a retelling of Sense and Sensibility described below. Manslaughter Park will arrive in 2023.) Price’s takes on Austen’s stories and characters were not what I expected, but I found them a pleasant surprise. Price puts an alternate universe spin on Austen’s stories. 

Elizabeth Bennet wants to work at her father’s law firm Longbourn and Sons. Mr. Bennet has chosen the odious Mr. Collins to take over eventually. Collins is incompetent and rude, but Mrs. Bennet remains dead set on Lizzie marrying him. 

Mr. Bennet tells Lizzie he will consider her for the open solicitor position and train her if she shows she can solve a case purely with logic, no hunches. She finds out that Mr. Bingley, head of Netherfield Shipping, stands accused of the murder of his brother-in-law George Hurst. He found the body and spent time with him the night before. Hurst was drunk and he helped him home from his club. 

Bingley has already engaged Mr. Darcy of the Pemberley Associates Law Firm to be his solicitor. But he agrees to have Lizzie investigate. Lizzie is determined to do whatever it takes to find the real killer, not just win the case against Bingley, but she soon isn’t sure who she can trust or if she will even make it to court alive. 

Mrs. Bennet: (Sniffs.) My husband and daughter as lawyers. I would die of shame. Whoever heard of such a thing?

Miss Bates: A lady lawyer! How very novel!  I would like to see her argue before the court. 

Mrs. Norris: Women shouldn’t be lawyers. But if any of them were, it would be me. I have a deep understanding of people. 

Sense and Sensibility Pastiche

Sense and Second-Degree Murder (Jane Austen Murder Mysteries 2) by Tirzah Price

This is the only Sense and Sensibility retelling I’ve encountered so far. I liked it very much, even better than the first in the series Pride and Premeditation (described above). 

In this retelling, Mr. Dashwood supports his family by working as a private investigator. Marianne is very eager to follow in his footsteps and helps him with cases sometimes. Elinor is passionate about science, particularly chemistry, while younger sister Margaret spends her time reading and writing novels. 

After Elinor finds Mr. Dashwood dead in his study, her sister-in-law Fanny unceremoniously removes the Dashwood women from their home. Marianne suspects that their father’s death wasn’t natural and John and Fanny’s eagerness to move into the family home increases this suspicion. Elinor will have none of this until she remembers the open window in Mr. Dashwood’s study. When she and Marianne discover a mysterious substance in his teacup, the investigation begins. But will Marianne’s passion prove her downfall when her new love Willoughby seems to be involved? Will Elinor save the day with Science or will she blow up the kitchen? Or both? 

Never fear, alternate versions of Colonel Brandon and Edward Ferrars (renamed Farrows for some reason) both play important roles in the story. 

Mrs. Bennet: What if this happens to me after Mr. Bennet dies? Living in a flat? My daughters working?! (Shudders and faints, falling on Miss Bates, who fans her anxiously.)

Mrs. Norris: If they were better people, this wouldn’t have happened to them. I am indispensable at Mansfield, but I would never enter a profession. 

Miss Bates: (Struggling a bit to hold up Mrs. Bennet) Those young ladies are so plucky! And really remain so genteel, no matter the circumstances. (Author reminds her of some of Marianne’s behavior with Willoughby.) Oh, well, youthful high spirits. We can’t condemn young love. I’m sure my niece Jane would say the same. 

Crossover Pastiche

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

George and Emma Knightley host a house party at their home Donwell Abbey. Their two children are at the seashore with the Westons, but we soon meet Jonathan Darcy (oldest son of Darcy and Elizabeth) and Juliet Tilney (daughter of Henry and Catherine from Northanger Abbey). We are also reacquainted with Darcy and Elizabeth, Marianne and Brandon, Anne Eliot and Captain Wentworth, and Fanny and Edmund Bertram. And Wickham, of course. (The Eltons, Miss Bates, and Harriet Smith all make cameos, since the book is set in the Knightleys’ home village.) Frank Churchill and his daughter Grace also play important roles in the story. (Jane Fairfax died in childbirth and Lydia Bennet Wickham died of smallpox three years before the events of this story.)

Wickham shows up uninvited during dinner the first night, causing great upset. And not just to Darcy, Elizabeth, and their son. It turns out everyone there, except for Juliet Tilney, has a connection to Wickham. When foul weather traps them all under the same roof the next day and the next, someone snaps. Juliet finds Wickham dead in the portrait gallery. Which of Austen’s beloved characters is a murderer? And will they get away with it? I mean the author making a loved Austen character into a murderer. (I kid. Partly.)

Mrs. Bennet: Wickham again! Why must everyone besiege poor Wickham? I’m sure all of these other people are not so very agreeable. 

Mrs. Norris: If I had been in charge of this house party, this never would have happened. I would not allow a murder at my house party. And there was no need to invite Fanny.

Miss Bates: Oh, but they are all such lovely people! I cannot believe any of them a murderer. I cannot believe anyone a murderer. At least I can be sure it wasn’t my niece Jane Fairfax, since she died in childbirth in this story. (Wipes away a tear.)

What Happened on Box Hill (Austen University Mysteries 1) by Elizabeth Gilliland 

Austen University in Highbury, Louisiana, boasts a thriving Greek system. Freshman Caty Morland is thrilled to get into the Kappas along with her new best friend Isabella Thorpe. 

On Initiation Night, Isabella plummets to her death at the after-party on Box Hill. Everyone thinks it’s an accident except true crime aficionado Caty. With the help of new friend Tilney, she sets out to find justice for her best friend. But many secrets are revealed before the killer is, including incidents between Caty and Isabella. Isabella had a secret life and one of those secrets might have killed her. 

Lady Catherine de Bourgh: I run this university, yet I don’t appear in the story. I cannot countenance this insult. I demand this be rectified in the next installment. 

Mrs. Bennet: My daughter. At university. I – I (Begins wailing incoherently.)

Mrs. Norris: How dare they besmirch Maria’s reputation? As if calling her Marla fools anyone. 

Miss Bates: My dear Jane studying music! Nothing else suits her so well! I am so gratified. 

Austen Cultural Impact

Midnight in Austenland (Austenland 2) by Shannon Hale

Charlotte Kinder needs to occupy herself while her kids stay with her ex James and his mistress turned fiancée Justice for a month this summer. She finds a list of “Things to do before I’m 30” that she wrote in middle school. One of the unfinished goals is to read Jane Austen.  So, after devouring and thoroughly enjoying all of Austen’s books, she finds out about Austenland and books a stay. 

Austenland is fun, if strange. As Charlotte works to overcome her nervousness about being charming enough for her assigned romantic interest, one of the other actors introduces an old mystery into the proceedings. Charlotte, desperate to keep her mind off her nerves and her worry about her kids, latches on to the problem to solve. But a secret room and a real corpse weren’t supposed to be part of the package. 

Author Shannon Hale, who writes the Princess in Black children’s series with her husband Dean Hale, is a favorite of mine. So, I was delighted to see she is the author of this series. The same cheeky humor and heart pervade the story, but with romance and murder added. 

Mrs. Bennet: None of us are in this. And I find it confusing. They dress and act like us for amusement? 

Mrs. Norris: I like this idea. I wonder if I could start something similar at Mansfield? Perhaps they could pay to pretend to be Americans? 

Miss Bates: Such a lovely story. Such a comfort to know the future isn’t that different. I must write to Jane about it this minute. 

Fictionalized Versions of Austen’s Life

The Being a Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron 

I have read many installments of this series and enjoyed them all. I think this is still my favorite Austen pastiche. (I previously profiled the first book Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor in my “Famous Authors as Sleuths” column.) In this series, mystery novel manuscripts written by Austen based on mysteries she solved in real life have been discovered in a coal cellar in Maryland. Austen is an amateur sleuth who stumbles upon mysteries going about her regular life, in the grand tradition of amateur sleuths everywhere. 

Barron’s Austen is an eager, incisive sleuth while staying true to what we know of Austen’s personality. Barron also uses some of the events and travels of Austen and her family in the series, as well as beautifully imitating Austen’s writing style while slightly modernizing it. 

Mrs. Bennet: Who is this Miss Austen? I’m sure I never heard of her. She and her sister are still unmarried? Their poor parents. 

Mrs. Norris: I could catch murderers just as well. But I don’t need to. No one in our acquaintance would ever stoop to murder. 

Miss Bates: Ohhh, I enjoyed this very much. So scary. Miss Austen must be very brave. Such an elegant writer. Just like my niece Jane. Let me read you her latest letter. 

Tell us in the comments: What is your favorite Austen pastiche?

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-Blooded: Jane Austen Mysteries appeared first on DIY MFA.

I find myself reading writers’ memoirs, pen in hand, underlining something on most pages. Ones that are especially useful, I go back through with a notebook and take down notes of the things I’ve underlined for quick reference later on.

For this #5onFri I’ve listed my five favorite writers’ memoirs and explained what I love about each. A quick note about the order. They are listed in alphabetical order of author’s last name, not in the order I read them or the order of preference. I find that in lists, alphabetical order is the most democratic.

1. Bukowski in a Sundress by Kim Addonizio

This memoir was so entertaining that it was like meeting a gal pal for endless martinis and swapping insane story after insane story. Addonizio’s memoir is really about the perseverance it takes to carve out a career as a writer, in particular as a poet.

There are a ton of great anecdotes about her adventures on the road at writing conferences and readings, as well as lessons about juggling real life and writing. She approaches it all with humor and grit—which are two crucial characteristics you need to be a writer.

This collection is definitely not for the faint of heart. Language and sexploits abound in this wild romp. But, for me, it was a super accessible memoir in that nothing was sugar-coated.

2. I Came All This Way to Meet You by Jami Attenberg

This is the most recently published of these writers’ memoirs. One of the blurbs on the back sums it up quite nicely: “A love letter to work and to friendship.” A lot of the book is grounded in road trips Attenberg took to promote one book or another and how grueling they were, but also the sights she saw and the things she learned about herself on the way.

She talks about books she wrote that didn’t do well and how she didn’t understand why, and I really appreciated that kind of honesty. This whole writing and publishing thing is a fickle mistress, which is why we really should just focus on the bit we can control, the writing.

This one made me realize that as hard as it all is, if you love the work (and surely you must, otherwise why do it?), it really is worth it. 

Plus, who doesn’t love a good road trip book?

3. How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

I loved this memoir in essays. It is so poetic and beautiful. This book is a manifesto on the interconnectedness of life, art, and politics. Good writing encapsulates all three.

Chee does a wonderful job of balancing writing about his life and how that informed his development as a writer. Just when you think you’re reading an essay about writing, you realize that it’s also about life. And when you think you’re reading about Chee’s political activism, you also catch glimpses of writing advice.

I think I heard that he has another collection of essays coming out and I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us. He’s also the guest editor of this year’s Best American Essays, out in the fall.

4. On Writing by Stephen King

This was the first writers’ memoir I read cover to cover and I read it when I wasn’t really into Stephen King’s novels. This volume is broken into three parts: C.V., Toolbox, and On Writing, plus a couple of recommended reading lists.

In C.V., King presents his curriculum vitae, his bona fides, his path to writing. He delves into his childhood spent shuffling around and living with various relatives and how he eventually discovered he kind of liked this thing called writing. 

He is really honest about his struggles with and recovery from addiction and how it has shown up in his writing. Plus, he reveals how writing brought him back to life after his near-fatal accident in 1999.

This one provides another glimpse at the level of dedication it takes to become a master of the craft of writing. It is entertaining and inspiring.

5. Just Kids by Patti Smith

When I first saw this memoir, I had no idea who Patti Smith was, but I saw this memoir EVERYWHERE, so I eventually broke down and bought it. Naturally.

This is a love story by Patti Smith about her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe. They lived together when they were struggling artists in New York City in the late 1960s and early 70s. Smith does an amazing job of exploring the depth of that relationship. 

But she also writes a beautiful account of the devotional aspect of being an artist. And that’s my biggest takeaway from this memoir—the importance of truly living your art.

You’ll have to excuse me for not writing much of a conclusion to this post. I am struggling to decide which of these writers’ memoirs I’m going to revisit first!

Tell us in the comments: What are your favorite writers’ memoirs?

Lori Walker is the Operations Maven at DIY MFA. Though she’s fallen off the wagon as a writer, she’s hoping to return to writing essays (perhaps even a novel!) through her involvement with DIY MFA. She is also Launch Manager, Web Editor, and Podcast Producer for DIY MFA and a Book Coach. She resides in Smalltown, Oklahoma, with her husband and their cat, Joan Didion. You can follow her on Instagram at @LoriTheWriter.

The post #5onFri: Five Writers’ Memoirs You Should Check Out appeared first on DIY MFA.

Last year taught me to be content with the good memories, and to be grateful for those who were with me in the low moments. 2021 was, for me, a year of adapting, of being flexible and taking things as they come, to let go of the way I thought things should be.

This year my focus is on rituals, nourishment, and slowing down. I want to celebrate the simple joys each new day brings. I am learning I can’t control anything except my own breathing, and what I choose to focus on. And that’s okay. That’s enough.

Haiku as Self Care

In that spirit, for the month of January, I focused on the Japanese poetry art form of Haiku. If you’ve never heard of Haiku—it is a type of short-form poetry. Traditional Japanese Haiku usually consists of three phrases that contain a kireji, or “cutting word” that either finishes the poem or when used in the middle cuts the stream of thought. It is usually in a 5, 7, 5 syllable pattern. 

But don’t get too caught up in the rigors of the form. Haiku is meant to be enjoyed like a good sake. On its surface, it is a simple and humble celebration of the ability to focus on the present moment. And then there are layers, meanings that float up to you out of the darkness of your own mind like a shimmering flash of gold from the depths of a Koi pond.

For me, reading Haiku is a form of self-care. A retreat from the world of fast and loud and over-stimulation. Even in the middle (hopefully the end?) of this pandemic, I think everyone feels overscheduled and overcommitted from time to time. Reading Haiku is a great way to give yourself a small bubble of stillness, even if you’ve got young kids around and it is never actually silent. (I hear you stay-at-home-parents.)

Three Simple Lines

Here is an example of a wonderful and ancient Haiku poem from Masaoka Shiki that is now one of my favorite translations:

Peeling a pear –

a trickle of sweet juice

along the blade

Thank you to Natalie Goldberg whose book, Three Simple Lines – A Writer’s Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland, this translation is taken from. Half poetry, half memoir, this book has got me sending the kids to Walmart with their dad so I can sit down and read just a few more pages the way this book was meant to be read: gratefully, in stillness, in the quiet reflection of solitude.

Sitting alone now, after all of the holiday hubala has faded and the guests have gone home (and the kids are at Walmart with their dad) and the decorations are put away for another year—this book, these poems, are what my heart needed. I am comforted and at peace, my haywire-holiday brain aligned and focused on the three simple lines. The rest of the world falls away.

I am not exaggerating when I say Natalie’s insights into writing and reading Haiku have changed how I see the world. Everything is Haiku now. The mug of tea steaming in the sunlight, the dog curled up at my feet. You don’t need a master’s degree or a writing technique to memorize to do this. You just need stillness, and the courage to experience profound moments of joy (or grief) in everyday scenes.

Putting the Spirit of Haiku into Action

Usually, at this point in the article, I go on to talk about the other books I am reading but I’m not going to do that this time. I am going to honor my focus for the year, which is to slow down, self-nourish, be present, do one thing at a time. Breathe in, breathe out. Read the next three lines. 

All you need for this self-care ritual is a pot of tea and a couple of Haiku poems. 

How are you going to take care of yourself better this year? What rituals or books are you looking forward to opening for yourself?

Tell us in the comments: How are you going to put the spirit of haiku into action?

Angela Yeh hails from Atlantic Canada but lives and works in Texas – after her liberal arts degree she wandered into Corporate America but managed to escape. She is a staunch advocate for writers and literacy/learning with her online writing community at DIYMFA.com. She lives with her husband, two lovely human children, and two cranky fur babies. You can check her out on Twitter and Instagram or on her website.

The post The Spirit of Haiku: Finding Nourishment and Joy in Daily Life appeared first on DIY MFA.

To celebrate the almost end of this particular chapter of my life, I thought I’d share some of the books on the craft of poetry that influenced me the most over the past three years in grad school. In compiling this list, I wanted to focus on books that might be useful to brand new poets, as well as anyone looking to brush up on their knowledge. 

It was hard to narrow my list down to the five poetry books included below, but I think they offer a great starting place for beginning and experienced poets alike.  

1. The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux 

This was the first book on the craft of poetry I bought as a graduate student and one that I recommend to almost everyone who tells me they’re interested in writing poetry. 

When I first started grad school, I quickly realized that I didn’t have a lot of background knowledge on the nuts and bolts of crafting a poem. Sure, I could write poems, but ask me to explain how or why I made certain choices, and I’d be at a loss for words. 

Enter The Poet’s Companion. Divided into four parts, Addonizzio and Laux’s book includes chapters on subjects for poems, the craft of poetry, the writing life (including dealing with writer’s block and self-doubt), and a section of writing exercises. 

I found the language of The Poet’s Companion to be warm and inviting, which makes this an excellent book for poets who are just starting out. The writing exercises are also very helpful and can be used in the classroom or workshops.  

2. A Little Book on Form: An Exploration into the Formal Imagination of Poetry by Robert Hass

Over four hundred pages long, Hass’s Little Book on Form is anything but little. Expansive and covering almost every form imaginable, this book has been an excellent reference to me as I read and attempt to deconstruct and analyze the books on my reading list. 

How is a sonnet constructed? How might we analyze a prose poem? What does “scanning” a poem mean? And what the heck is a variable stanza? Hass covers all these subjects and more. 

What I really appreciate about this book is that it doesn’t read like a glossary, but more like a conversation. The chapters consist of short, informal “notes” on each form discussed, and I found Hass’s analyses to be especially helpful as I work to develop and hone my own understanding of poetic form and structure.  

3. A Beautiful Marsupial Afternoon: New (Soma)Tics by CAConrad

Overwhelmed and looking for reading recommendations in my first semester of grad school, I visited one of my professors and asked for “something different.” CAConrad’s A Beautiful Marsupial Afternoon is one of the books my professor handed me.

I would argue that this book isn’t necessarily a book on the craft of poetry (not like The Poet’s Companion, anyway), however, it is a great book of exercises, and it is deliciously unconventional. 

To give you a little taste of the wonderfulness of this book, here’s an excerpt from one of the writing exercises: 

“What is the best Love you’ve ever had in this world? Be quiet while thinking about that Love. If someone comes along and starts talking, quietly shoo them away, you’re busy, you’re a poet with a penny in your mouth. . . . Now get your pen and paper and write about POVERTY, write line after line about starvation and deprivation from the voice of one who has been Loved in this world.” 

If you’re interested in experimental poetry or are looking for less conventional writing exercises, then CAConrad—and this book—are must-reads. 

4. The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within by Stephen Fry

In his foreword to The Ode Less Travelled, Stephen Fry writes: “I have a dark and dreadful secret. I write poetry.” 

So begins a humorous, and very practical, guide to reading and writing poetry. This is another book I like to recommend to beginning poets, as Fry’s tone is incredibly encouraging and easy to understand. Like The Poet’s Companion, there are plenty of writing exercises included throughout the book, however, Fry focuses more on craft elements and form rather than subject matter. 

5. Madness, Rack, and Honey: Collected Lectures by Mary Ruefle

I cheated a little by adding this book to the list since it’s technically not a craft book, but Mary Ruefle’s lectures on poetry, literature, and writing are absolutely captivating, and I really enjoyed the inclusion of personal anecdotes, as well as the instructive quality of the lectures. 

I actually stumbled upon this book when I was researching witchcraft and poetry, and though Madness, Rack, and Honey is definitely not a book about witchcraft, I think it captures the strangeness and magic of poetry in a way that feels a whole lot like witchcraft. 

For instance, check out this beautiful gem from Ruefle’s “Poetry and the Moon”: “I am convinced that the first lyric poem was written at night, and that the moon was witness to the event and that the event was witness to the moon.”

Magical, right? 

Conclusion

Back to you, poets!

Tell us in the comments: Are there any books on the craft of poetry I haven’t mentioned here that you’ve found particularly helpful?

Manuela Williams lives and writes in Nevada. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks and one paranormal fiction novella. When she’s not writing, Manuela loves reading romance novels, drinking *all* the coffee, and playing video games.

The post The Poet’s Toolbox: Must-Read Books on the Craft of Poetry appeared first on DIY MFA.

If I’m not reading, I have to listen to whatever drivel is on the TV at night.

Even when I experienced bouts of insomnia, I couldn’t really focus on what I picked up to get me through the night.

I feel like I might be making a slight comeback since work is starting to slow down for the rest of the year. Fingers crossed because I’m about to go stir crazy!

C’est la vie.

The December Books

A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris

I finished this one and it was amazing. And I felt a little sad at the end. This collection takes us through 2020, meaning it’s going to be quite a while before Sedaris accumulates enough diary entries for another volume. That said, I saw he has a new collection coming out in May 2022. Yes, I already pre-ordered it.

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

The thing I like about Sally Rooney is that her writing is smart but fun. A lot of times when I read “smart” writing, I feel dumb because the books are a slog to get through. Not here. It’s like a huge gab-fest with your best friend, where you talk about intellectual, important things, and in the next sentence, you talk about sex, pop culture, or whatever.

I didn’t finish this one because it didn’t quite fit with my mood, but I definitely can’t wait to get back to it.

The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Like I said last month, I really wanted to re-read this one after reading Towles’s newest book. I had forgotten how much I love this story and the writing in it! This one takes you through New York City in the late 1930s and it is just exquisite. A working-class girl finds herself rubbing elbows with the upper class. 

Again, I set it aside, but I can’t wait to go back to it. (I’m noticing a theme here…)

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

I re-read this one in a day. Once upon a time, Nora Ephron was married to Carl Bernstein and their marriage totally crashed and burned. Then she wrote a hilarious novel about it. Revenge might just be a dish best served by Nora Ephron.

I love how she took a painful experience and rendered it in a humorous way. It definitely got my wheels spinning about a novel I’d like to write.

The Fran Lebowitz Reader

This past month I wanted to laugh and read smart things (which maybe wasn’t the best impulse to follow because my concentration was nonexistent). This volume pairs two collections written by Lebowitz. Her pieces are short, funny satires that are definitely a style to aspire to.

I also love that she is a notoriously slow writer. It gives me hope.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

As I was trying to make progress on a project for NaNoWriMo, I was reviewing Save the Cat Writes a Novel, which gives examples of the different types of novels. I was looking at road trip novels and this was a suggestion. I don’t typically go for YA, but this sounded like a lot of fun.

Amy has just gone through a family tragedy and has to make her way across the country where her mom has taken a new job. She doesn’t want to be in a car, let alone drive. So her mom finds a friend’s son who needs to get across the country as well to drive with her. The route is planned out, but they decide to go on an adventure instead. 

I definitely want to get back to this one because it’s just cool. Also, I get the sense that there’s more going on than we’re told, so I want to get to the bottom of it.

The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder

One of the new perks of my job is getting to read for work! I got access to an arc of this one for an upcoming episode of the podcast and was thrilled to sit down and read it. I haven’t finished yet, but I think this one is going to be a blast and that you should definitely keep an eye out for its release next month.

The Bone Spindle is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some Indiana Jones thrown in. Oh, and Vedder flipped the genders of the main characters. I am super excited to read about how the female rescues the male. And it’s a great buddy tale of the treasure hunter and the bookish historian. This is absolutely the type of book I hope we’ll see more of in the future.

The sad part of all of this is that I am certain I started more books, but I just can’t remember what they were! That said, I know I didn’t finish more than I did. Here’s hoping next month goes better. I should probably focus on finishing all of these half-read books.

Total Books Read in 2021: 36

Tell me in the comments below: What’s on your TBR for December?

Lori Walker is the Operations Maven at DIY MFA. Though she’s fallen off the wagon as a writer, she’s hoping to return to writing essays (perhaps even a novel!) through her involvement with DIY MFA. She is also Launch Manager, Web Editor, and Podcast Producer for DIY MFA and a Book Coach. She resides in Smalltown, Oklahoma, with her husband and their cat, Joan Didion. You can follow her on Instagram at @LoriTheWriter.

The post Book Nook — December Edition appeared first on DIY MFA.

Anyway, this year, I thought we could go around the DIY MFA family table and share something genuine—what book we are most thankful for. When I set this assignment, I didn’t give any parameters to guide their answers. This is off the cuff what some of our Team Awesome members had to say about the book they are most thankful for. 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Gabriela Pereira

Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat by Bill Watterson

The Calvin and Hobbes comics were game-changing for me. They made me realize that I wasn’t weird for talking to the weird characters inside my head or imagining epic space battles while walking around the neighborhood. While all the books in the collection are excellent, I love this one in particular because it includes the sequence in which Stupendous Man goes to school and also the storyline where Hobbes sends Calvin encoded messages with a cool skull and crossbones insignia for the return address.

Lori Walker

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Talk about coming down to the wire! I kept putting off scheduling this post, in part, because I had no idea what to say. Really, I put it off until the last responsible moment. Fortunately, a throwaway comment last night when talking with a friend led me to my answer. This collection of stories and essays opened so many doors for me. It introduced me to one of my favorite writers. It introduced me to a genre that I love and have decided to devote my time to writing. This, in turn, led me to many other writers and books that have become favorites. So I’d say this slim little volume, which I reread every year, has had a pretty big impact on me.

Jeanette Smith

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

There’s a reason it’s one of the top 10 most checked-out books from the NYC Public Library. Carnegie presents story after story to illustrate his basic principles; principles that remain true and timeless in both business and personal life. I think even the best of us can learn from this book. I can certainly say it has influenced my life for the better.

Angela Yeh

“Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are so many books that have come along at just the right time for me. But for sheer, overall, long-term helpfulness, it would be “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I’ve read it in all my low points and have internalized a lot of what he had to say. One of my favorites is “Your goodness must have some edge to it—else it is none.” To me, this means in order to make real change my voice has to be heard. And I can’t do that by mumbling in a corner. Also, that it is alright that I love you when I meet you, but if you mess with my friends, it is also okay to kick you off the island.

Sara Farmer

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 

Anne changed my life and gave me hope. She is a best friend and guide. I never grow tired of rereading her adventures and learning more about her and her creator L.M. Montgomery. 

Carol VanDenHende

No Turning Back by Sgt. Bryan Anderson

I’m thankful for this memoir by a Purple Heart decorated soldier. In it, he documents his life after being “blown up” by an IED in Iraq. I’m grateful for his generosity as a sensitivity reader for my work, which is inspired by combat-wounded veterans. #veteransday

Melanie Marttila

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

The plot is a multi-layered fantasy mystery, but the heart of the story is trauma and recovery. It’s a gentle hug, a nod. It says, “I understand what you’re going through.” Also, I found this article in The Guardian, in which Clarke discusses her battle with chronic fatigue syndrome, and this lovely 5 X 15 Stories conversation between Neil Gaiman and Clarke. Both enhance the experience of reading the novel.

Stephanie BwaBwa

The Host by Stephenie Meyer 

I’ve loved this book for many years. The older I get, the stronger it resonates. A book about selflessness, purity of heart and character, true love, finding love in unexpected places, perseverance, and hope, I absolutely adore The Host. It’s been a comfort book for me to reread time and again in dry spells, to break out of book slumps, or when my heart is just heavy. I first read it as a young teenager, and till this day as an adult, it’s still one of my favorite novels ever written.

Ambre Leffler

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is sentenced to live out his days at the Metropol Hotel, but in spite of being confined, he develops a rich life with the staff and guests of the hotel who bring the outside world to him. One of my favorite scenes is the dark night of the soul, when he is convinced to keep going after handyman Abram shares honey from the rooftop that tastes of the apples Count Rostov fondly recalls from childhood. It perfectly captures how these connections with nature ground us with our local history.

As I read through these responses, I loved how varied the responses were in terms of the books chosen and the reasons for choosing them. Books are such a personal experience, yet they have such an impact on our writing and on how we relate to the world. Before I get too sentimental, I’m going to sign off.

But before I go…

Tell us in the comments below: What book are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

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First off, I want to talk about the poetry collection What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer. Then I want to delve into a classic book on poetry as a craft, A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver. We’ll follow that up with a quickie poetry prompt for your writing practice pleasure. Sounds good? Excellent, let’s go!

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

A New York Times bestseller published in 2020, Kate Baer’s debut poetry collection is both remarkable and relatable. As a mom of two young kids, this collection hit home for me. We’re struggling here and Kate captures the mood of a generation of women caught between the old guard expectations of what marriage and motherhood should be like, and the new internal expectations of looking for equal footing and missing a step. 

Baer writes in a style that is both irreverent and refreshing. For example, “Like a Wife” takes some terrible wedding day advice and ends in a fun cannibalism for the giver of that advice. 

There is something about her style that on the surface seems simple and straightforward, but underneath there is a complexity and creativity that begs for a second and third reading. 

If you’ll forgive me for taking poetic license here, her words taste like dandelions (I see these words everywhere) but once in your body burst in your nervous system like a firecracker (why am I crying right now?).

These are brave words, set down by someone who has suffered but who has turned that pain into a weapon to curve back the curtain and shine a light on how powerful women can be. There is hope here. 

Her poem “On the Evening of Her Birth” captures the overwhelming emotions brought on by tucking her newborn under her chin, “even the glass of water is poetry now,” perfectly captures the mysterious intersection of the miracle of motherhood and the persistent reality of practical matters.

Her newest collection of poems—I Hope This Finds You Well—will be released in November, and you know I have a copy on order already! (I order all the best poetry books)

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver

I am personally drawn to Mary Oliver in the same way I am drawn to the poems of Robert Frost. Often their poetry focuses on the quiet happenings in nature. I will never write The Iliad, but when I see the willow tree in my backyard pick up her tresses in a gust of wind and the setting sun shines through, I feel like this is what miracles look like. 

If you’re looking for a craft book on poetry, no matter what your favorite subject matter, you can’t go wrong with Mary Oliver.

Her philosophy on writing and improving the craft is simple—conductors, painters, and musicians are taught step by step ways to improve their passions, and building a poem is no different. The desire to write a poem in the first place may be mysterious, but the techniques to get those words polished and impactful are things anyone can learn, and she can teach you those things. I am still finishing this one but my biggest takeaway so far is her advice about poetry workshops. She says if we have a choice between reading poetry and taking a workshop on poetry, read the poetry. Some solid guidance.

Last but not Least—Quickie Poetry Prompt

Now I am veering from poetry books, but this is still poetry adjacent! Recently I splurged on some magnetic poetry tiles to put on my fridge. Almost every day this week as I’m filling a glass of water I pull out a sentence. Just one. Here are a few:

when will the whisper roll into a kiss

barefoot sky clouds bring rain thoughts

They’re silly and fun, but also inspiring. The trifecta. I also like that I’m forced to use only the words in front of me. It is a wonderful way to tune in, focus, and be reminded that poetry is everywhere: in the words of the street signs we pass, in the graffiti on the railway overpass, and even on the magnetic tiles on our fridge. 

Next time you’re out for a walk, take note of the street names. Could any of those be the start of a poem? Bring those words in, work them around like a jigsaw puzzle until you find the pattern. It doesn’t have to be a Shakespearean sonnet, but it does have to be fun. I would love to hear what you come up with! 

Share a line or two in the comments below.

Happy writing (poetry) and reading! 

Tell us in the comments: What poetry books have you been loving lately?

Angela Yeh hails from Atlantic Canada but lives and works in Texas – after her liberal arts degree she wandered into Corporate Canada but managed to escape. She is a fantasy author who is gobsmacked she gets to work for and with writers from all over the world at DIYMFA.com. She considers it a personal challenge to find an article or podcast that will answer any question you ask us. Bring it on! She lives with her family, big Texas pine trees, and three cranky fur babies. You can check her out on Instagram or Twitter.

The post Gushing about Poetry Books appeared first on DIY MFA.

It’s hard to express how much I love Lumberjanes. Yes, it’s technically a comic book for children about summer camp, but it’s so much more than that. It’s heartwarming, it’s funny, it’s exciting, it’s so much more than the sum of its parts than I could describe in one column. But here’s to trying!

About Lumberjanes

I came to Lumberjanes specifically for Noelle Stevenson, one of the original writers of the series, who made a weird, surreal piece of art I stumbled upon on the internet and bought years and years ago. I heard that Noelle was involved, I saw the art, and I was sold. I bought the first three trades (books that group six issues of a comic together in a paperback book) at once, and dug in. The other original creators are Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Brooklyn A. Allen. The team has shifted and changed over the years, but the quality has stayed high.

Lumberjanes debuted in April 2015. It’s about a summer camp—to be specific, Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types (motto: friendship to the max!). The campers are known as Lumberjanes, and our heroines are the campers of Roanoke cabin: Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley, plus their ever-frazzled counselor Jen. Some of them know each other from before, most don’t, and they immediately become fast friends and, as it turns out, adventurers. The series just ended in December 2020 and encompasses stand alone graphic novels and, fingers crossed, an animated tv show to air on HBO.

But wait! There’s magic!

So, you may be thinking, it’s a comic about a bunch of girls at camp? Well, yes, but what if I also told you that the camp was magic? As soon as the campers arrive, weird stuff starts happening. And, as it happens, our Roanoke crew is just the crew to figure out what’s going on. 

The first series of issues is essentially a giant magic scavenger hunt, which they try to solve as they avoid getting in trouble with Jen and Rosie, the camp director. But Rosie knows that there’s something strange going on in these woods too, and she tells our girls that as long as they stick together, they’ll be alright. By the end of the first trade, the campers have fought three-eyed foxes, battled a river monster, and fallen into a cave where each girl must use her specific skill to pass a test, be it physical or intellectual. 

The antics only get crazier from there—they must deal with Diana, the Greek goddess, who has disguised herself as a camper to prove a point to her brother, find their way out of an alternate dimension, complete with dinosaurs, and, my personal favorite, save an underwater mermaid punk show from both a sea monster and a friendship in peril. All while trying to get camp badges (they do not get many badges).

The Roanoke Girls

From the beginning, one of the largest draws is the characters. Not only are the Roanoke girls diverse, in background, gender and sexual identity, and body type, but each of them has a clear character that interacts with the other in very specific, real ways. Just like in real life, there are individual relationships and difficulties within the group of five. 

April and Jo are friends from home, and they go through growing pains as they form friendships outside of each other. 

Molly doesn’t have many friends at home, but she and Mal form an immediate bond, which we get to see turn romantic in a very sweet arc. (Molly also has a raccoon she wears as a hat. His name is Bubbles and he’s extremely cute). 

Ripley is a ball of energy—sometimes a literal ball, as she can scrunch up to be launched at enemies by a friend—and the smallest of the group, who loves her friends, loves Jen, and comes from a giant family. All of her siblings are named after sci-fi heroines, my personal favorite detail.

There’s so much to love about Lumberjanes. It’s the perfect mix of adventure and earnestness, and there is a good deal of action even if, at the end of the day, most of the conflicts end up being misunderstandings that can be solved with the power of friendship. But real stakes, both physical and emotional, do arise, such as when Rosie must try to defeat her former best friend and current nemesis, whose philosophy about the magical creatures in the woods differs greatly from Rosie’s own, or Parent’s Day, which some of our heroines spend happier than others. 

Plus the ART! It’s colorful, it’s expressive, it’s charming and evocative and everything you could want from a story like this.

Lumberjanes is the media I wish I’d had growing up. No shade to Disney and the multitude of fantasy romances I read, but when this elder millennial was a child there weren’t too many groups of badass girls saving the day with the power of friendship and absolutely zero help from men. I’m so excited for the kids growing up on this now—I think they’re going to be really special.

Marina is a West Coast native living in Washington, DC. She loves writing anything, from sci-fi to creative non-fiction to romance, often drawing inspiration from the frequent travel required by her day job. Her work has appeared in such literary magazines as DistrictLit and Corner Bar Magazine. When she’s not writing, you can find her hosting bar trivia, baking something involving peaches, or bothering her extremely patient dog, Daisy. You can read more of her work at marinabarakatt.com and find pictures of Daisy on Twitter.

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For some reason, I find myself reading more during the warmer months. Probably because I suffer from seasonal depression, so when it’s cold and dark, I end up staring into the distance trying to summon the willpower to make it from one day to the next. 

But no matter. It’s reading season! And I have a few gems for your May TBR pile.

The May Books…

Recollections of My Nonexistence by Rebecca Solnit

I’ve been reading this one for a while, and I really wanted to finish, so I bought a copy for a friend and suggested we do a read-along. I think she’s blown past me, and I’m still not quite halfway. But that’s not a reflection of this book. It’s me. I need to be in a particular mindset to read this book because it speaks so directly to me that I don’t want to miss anything. 

I’ve been very interested lately in memoir, and this is a very powerful one. Solnit details her development from a young girl to a writer and feminist in a world that prefers women to be silent. It’s made me think a lot about my own growth as a person.

The Hard Crowd by Rachel Kushner

This is a fabulous collection of essays that spans twenty years, multiple continents, and various cultures (and subcultures). Each piece is like a different chocolate in the box, but without any of the gross ones that you leave for somebody else. The topics range from an unsanctioned motorcycle race to an ode to a deceased writer to a refugee camp and so much more.

I’m still reading this one, but it’s a true delight, so I’m not looking to race my way through it. Rather, I’m taking each piece one-by-one and thinking about it before moving on. However, I can definitely tell it’s a collection I’ll return to again and again.

Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth Pickens

This was a recommendation on Instagram, and I’m so glad I picked it up. The subtitle of the book is “Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles.” Each chapter tackles a different hurdle that artists face in making, prioritizing, and professionalizing their art. 

It’s been pretty eye-opening for me as I consider my writing. Not all of the chapters have applied directly to me (naturally, the ones that don’t apply are less interesting than the ones that do), but they’ve all had great wisdom and have taken away the excuses we make to not create. I definitely need to re-read the chapter on priorities because that’s where I fall short. I continually say I need to do this and that before I can write, and by the time I’ve finished those things, I’m too worn out to write.

Let Me Tell You What I Mean by Joan Didion

Ah, my Queen. This was her latest collection of essays spanning the 1960s to the early 2000s, and it covers a wide variety of topics from Gamblers Anonymous, to Hemingway, to Martha Stewart. This was another collection I nibbled at instead of devouring. Didion just has such a way of approaching a topic. I wish she would teach a master class on her approach. 

Hawaii by James Michener

I have been reading this novel for many years. Initially, I was going to spend the spring working on finishing Moby Dick, but then I realized that I have 200 pages left, not 100 like I had been thinking and that was a huge bummer. So I shifted gears to Hawaii. I had 300 pages left of that, but those were a more enjoyable 300 pages than various chapters on marine biology. I digress…

I haven’t been reading much fiction lately. I’m not really sure why. But this book, which details the formation of Hawaii over the millennia, is a lot of fun to read. Michener is a master at weaving together multiple stories and cultures and adding those rich and nuanced details in a way that’s not totally overwhelming. At this point, I have just under 200 pages left, and that’s OK by me. Maybe next month I’ll be able to report that I finished.

Total Books Read in 2021: 10

I can say that I’ve already finished a couple of books this May, but you’ll have to come back in June to find out what they are. I’m devious like that.

Tell me in the comments below: What have you been reading?

Lori Walker is the Operations Maven at DIY MFA. Though she’s fallen off the wagon as a writer, she’s hoping to return to writing essays (perhaps even a novel!) through her involvement with DIY MFA. She is also Launch Manager and Podcast Producer for DIY MFA and a Book Coach. She resides in Smalltown, Oklahoma, with her husband and their cat, Joan Didion. You can follow her on Instagram at @LoriTheWriter and on Twitter at @Lori_the_Writer.

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When I became a Certified Story Grid Editor in 2019 (Story Grid is an editing methodology that provides practical tools and tips to help writers in the writing process), this understanding became crucial for my ability to:

1. Edit a client’s work with a sharp eye.
2. Communicate why certain elements in their scenes weren’t working.
3. Discuss how they could revise their scene by using Story Grid’s practical scene analysis template. 

Sharing Story Grid’s scene analysis template has also been invaluable in teaching my clients and students how to participate in deep discussions about their work on the scene level. For further study, we use the scene analysis template and Socratic Learning Method to explore what makes masterworks great. Note, reading with an analytical eye is also a HUGE pillar for DIY MFA’s philosophy, and the cornerstone of all the columns I contribute to DIY MFA.   

Being a Word Nerd, you know how important it is to Read With Purpose. That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate my next handful of articles to breaking down scenes using Story Grid’s Scene Analysis Template, so you can learn how to read like a writer instead of a reader. It’s my hope that by sharing this, you’ll get excited about studying scenes from masterworks and comparable titles from an analytical perspective—all while leveling up your writing craft by learning how to edit your scenes with intention and purpose. 

The Essentials of a Story Grid Scene Analysis

It’s important to understand what a scene analysis template consists of. There are four parts:

• A summary of the scene
• An analysis of the scene
• How the scene follows the Five Commandments of Storytelling
• Notes (anything additional you want to jot down) 

In this first article, I’ll take the time to explain exactly what these elements are and how you can apply them to your breakdown of a scene. In future articles, I’ll dive deep into specific scenes from beloved and current stories so that you can grow more confident in your ability to analyze published works (and revise your own!). 

Something Additionally Important to Remember: It’s vital to recognize that while a scene analysis can be explored with practical tools and principles, each analysis uses the Socratic Learning Method—a cooperative, argumentative dialogue between individuals who ask and answer questions to stimulate critical thinking and draw out underlying presumptions—to do this. 

This learning method is most successful when learners prepare by closely reading and researching first. Ultimately, it helps learners take subjective material and explore it with a critical eye, thus allowing them to share ideas based on trained and sophisticated perspectives rather than opinion alone—i.e. your opinions gain credibility because you can support them with a common language and system. 

Determining the Story Event

A Story Grid scene analysis identifies whether or not a scene makes sense (is it confusing or not) and if it works (does the scene show a change from beginning to end).

To do this, we need to determine the Story Event. This is an active change in a life value for one or more characters that happens as a result of conflict (one character’s desires clash with another’s). A “Working Scene” contains at least one Story Event.

To determine a scene’s Story Event, Story Grid encourages readers to answer these four questions.

1. What are the characters literally doing?
2. What is the essential action in the scene? (In other words, what does the POV character driving the scene want?)
3. What life value has changed for one or more of the characters in the scene? (Life values are determined by a change in the scene from positive to negative or vise versa. An action or revelation in the scene causes this turn because it forces the POV character to make a decision—they must do something in order to advance the plot and/or develop their character. Stasis = death.) 
4. Which life value should I highlight on my Story Grid Spreadsheet? (If you like to use Story Grid as the editing tool for your manuscript, this spreadsheet breaks down each scene with the most important elements to consider, including the value shift.)  

The Five Commandments of Storytelling 

After you identify the big picture of a scene, it’s important to take a look at the scene’s five commandments. Personally, I consider Story Grid’s Five Commandments the cornerstone of Story Grid’s resources. These five elements identify if a scene works (something to look for in your own scenes!). 

The five commandments are the following:   

Inciting Incident: The inciting incident is the disturbance or inciting event that sets your scene into action. In other words, what forces you character to move, but doesn’t necessarily cause them to do something that changes the scene from a positive to negative, or vice versa. Inciting Incidents are Causal (a person causes a disturbance) or Coincidental (a coincidence, like a hurricane, causes a disturbance).

Progressive Complication Turning Point: This is the most important commandment in the list of five because this is the Action or Revelation your POV character experiences, and that forces them to make a Crisis Decision about what to do next. 

To abbreviate this commandment, I like to call it the Turning Point. The first part–the progressive complication–is a conflict that causes a negative or positive obstacle for a POV character but doesn’t necessarily demand they do something about it. However, the Turning Point is the complication that can no longer be ignored because ignoring it causes inevitable consequences. The Turning Point is what ultimately causes the value shift. Without a Turning Point, the scene holds no purpose because it does not advance the plot and/or develop a character—i.e. it doesn’t work.    

Crisis: A Crisis Decision is the Best Bad Choice or Irreconcilable Goods decision a character must make because of the Turning Point. A character is forced to either make a decision that will result in negative outcomes for them regardless of what they decide to do next (Best Bad Choice), or it will benefit them but negatively impact others (Irreconcilable Goods–the inverse of a BBC). These decisions are subtle, but knowing that a character undergoes one raises the stakes and defines how a character changes the scene (and the outcome). Thus, the characters become active instead of passive.

Climax: This is the action the character takes as a direct result of their Crisis Decision. We see the character make their decision within the context of their actions, which changes the value shift that provides purpose for the scene.  

Resolution: The outcome of the climax—i.e. how has the scene changed? If you can’t identify a resolution that signifies change at the end of your scene, it probably lacks one or more of the five commandments, and will likely disengage the reader.   

Putting the Template Into Action 

Because today’s article focused on explaining how Story Grid’s scene analysis template worked, I’m going to use a movie clip to break down today’s scene. In my next articles, I will deliver full scene analysis templates—the summary, analysis, five commandments, and notes—for scenes from published works.

Before diving into my scene analysis template for today’s scene, give it a quick screen here: The Burning Bush Scene from The Prince of Egypt.

For a quick overview: In this scene, Moses (the Prince of Egypt) encounters a burning bush when tracking down one of his sheep. He investigates the bush and is introduced to the Voice of God, who calls Moses to lead his people out of Egypt.   

Prince of Egypt Scene Analysis  

To determine the scene’s Story Event, we’ll answer these four questions:

1. What are the characters literally doing? Moses watches his flock when one sheep wanders off. He leaves to collect the sheep and encounters the Voice of God. 
2. What is the essential action of what the characters are doing in the scene? Moses wants to retrieve his sheep. God wants Moses to lead his people out of Egypt, and Moses (initially) does not want this because he’s afraid.  
3. What life value has changed for one or more of the characters in the scene? Moses begins his day content and naïve, following through with the quiet and routine work of his new life. He’s learned about God at this point, but his understanding of his personal relationship with God is thrown for a loop when, after chasing a wandering sheep, he encounters a burning bush. Through the bush, God speaks to Moses and calls him to lead God’s people out of Egypt. Moses doesn’t want to do this, but is eventually comforted by God and persuaded that—with his faith—he can do this. 
4. Which life value should I highlight on my Story Grid Spreadsheet? Some words that could work as Value Shifts for this scene could include, but are not limited to: Naïve to Cognitive Dissonance, Alone to Spiritually Accompanied, Content to Afraid to Encouraged, Complacent to Enlightened (Notice how it’s not so important that you choose the perfect word to define your Value Shift, but rather you indicate how a Value Shift turns the scene from positive to negative, negative to positive—or in some cases like this scene, Positive (+) to Double Positive (++).)

The Five Commandments of Storytelling in the Prince of Egypt Scene

• Inciting Incident: Coincidental. One of Moses’ sheep wanders from the herd.   

• Turning Point: Action. God calls Moses to lead His people out of Egypt.

• Crisis: Best Bad Choice. Moses can reject God’s command and suffer supernatural and internal consequences, or he can accept God’s calling, which means facing his brother and the inevitable hardships ahead.   

• Climax: Moses rejects God’s calling but is quickly reprimanded for challenging God. Afraid, Moses is comforted by God, who encourages him that He will be with Moses when he faces pharaoh.   

• Resolution: Enlightened, Moses returns to camp and enthusiastically shares his experience and mission with his wife. 

The Big Takeaway

Understanding how to use Story Grid’s scene analysis template will strengthen your ability to dissect scenes so you can identify why and how a scene advances a plot and/or develops a character (i.e. why it “works”). Also, embracing the Socratic Learning Method encourages writer-readers to engage in discussions without fear of rejection of sounding “wrong.” Story Grid’s scene analysis exercise is not about creating arguments about “who analyzed the scene best,” but rather helping you understand how to read like a writer and editor–so you can become both for your own work! 

If you’d like to learn more about Story Grid’s scene analysis tools or continue this discussion, I’d love to hear from you! Visit my website at www.abigailkperry.com to connect. Until then, enjoy analyzing your favorite story scenes, and look for my next DIY MFA article, which will analyze the first scene in JoJo Moyes’ historical fiction release, The Giver of Stars.  

Happy reading and writing!

Abigail K. Perry is Teacher-Turned-Certified Story Grid Editor with literary agency, publishing, and production experience. With a B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film from Syracuse University (Newhouse) and a Master’s in Secondary Education from Endicott College, Abigail created and taught three creative writing and film courses at the high school level for several years, and she continues to teach writers at her local bookstore, her DIY MFA column, and her services and podcast, Story Effect (all found on her website, www.abigailkperry.com) 

Although trained in multiple genres, Abigail specializes in Scripts, Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Upmarket Fiction, Historical Fiction, General Fiction with Magical Realism, and YA Fantasy, many of which she reviewed (and loved!) as the editorial intern for P.S. Literary Agency’s VP and Senior Literary Agent, Carly Watters. She currently works at P.S. Literary as the Agency Relations Assistant.

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