Writing about place, people, and whatever parts of the universe I'm lucky to see.
In the huge range of texts we write, distinguishing among them helps us know what we are writing, helps readers know what to expect, and helps us connect our pieces to readers who will enjoy them. Today we'll discuss three central ways texts are distinguished from one another: mode, genre, and form. These tools help... Continue Reading →
Good things take time. Good writing is no exception. I tell my students that the best draft is almost always the next one, with more distance, more perspective, the images distill into something sharper. We're able to write closer to what we mean, or then, what we mean to say becomes clearer to ourselves. In... Continue Reading →
This week's post is part of the monthly Author Toolbox Blog Hop. On the third Wednesday of each month (except for November and December), check out the blogs of other great writers to learn about writing craft, process, and business. For years, flossing my teeth was never going to happen. The morning of a dentist's... Continue Reading →
When we write, if we tape our feelings down to the page, if we do it with any thoroughness and honesty, they become rapidly an artifact. Later, we return to them like reading history. Those were the things in my mind that day. We can see the way seas of our thoughts change, and yet... Continue Reading →
How much I have written for this post and discarded. Feelings swell, crests of thought in one direction, then the next, another. I believe in nonviolence. I believe in taking the lead from people of color, whose experiences in these matters are the important ones to hear and to uplift. Ordinarily, these two beliefs I... Continue Reading →
These enormous slugs. Disgusting, beautiful, unassuming, and everywhere. If self-judgement is alive, it is a pathogen. Risk factors for infection include writing. The exposed words form a nutrient-rich agar for the viral body, which divides and grows from word to paragraph to the whole self. Treatment is haphazard. We manage with uncertain steps. Some say... Continue Reading →
This week's post is part of the monthly Author Toolbox Blog Hop. Check out posts by other writers about writing craft and industry. It is a good community and a good resource. #AuthorToolboxBlogHop The longer I poke at things I long believed about writing, the more they crumble like a log long on the fire.... Continue Reading →
When a story gets stuck, I try to see it as an invitation. Amid the frustration, I seek what I have missed. What central element have I bypassed in this story that makes it tick slower, slower, slow until it halts? Often for me, the culprit is the undeveloped character. I plan the story and... Continue Reading →
I had a good reminder yesterday. The UWC network has been running a series of webinars these past few weeks from alumni, teachers, National Committee representatives, bringing the community together for discussions and presentations. It's been incredible, seeing the community come alive in this way--I've never felt so connected to the larger UWC network, one... Continue Reading →
Last week, I wrote about reading Shakespeare with my second-year literature students who, no longer bound by the IB exams, are exploring new terrain. My English-language students too have been exploring. We've had some marvelous philosophical discussions, and students have brought in articles, poems, and videos they would like to discuss. Although not many students... Continue Reading →
Jimmy Kindree 