How to Write Like Hamilton
Three tips on how to write like Alexander Hamilton the person from watching the Hamilton musical.
3 Writing Lessons from GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee
The beloved classic To Kill A Mockingbird has a sequel. Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee was released on July 14th. In its first week of publication, Go Set a Watchman sold 1.1 million copies, the most ever sold in a week by Harper Collins.
The Writer’s Formula to a Captivating Setting
I’ve been thinking today about what makes a setting like Hogwarts so great.
We’ve all spent a lot of time at school, many years of our lives. School is familiar, relatable, “homey.”
Thus it makes perfect sense to set a young adult novel series in a school. And many writers have done this, not just J.K. Rowling.
Why Your Character Needs a Revelation
When I attended the writer’s retreat with Wild author Cheryl Strayed a few weeks ago, I learned a lot about writing and storytelling. I learned about leaning into subjectivity and the power of objects.
I was also struck by two points Cheryl made about revelations.
How Everyday Objects Can Help You Write Better Stories
In my last post I talked about the writer’s retreat I attended recently taught by Wild author Cheryl Strayed. I learned so much about writing stories from hearing her speak, including how to lean into subjectivity, and I plan to share as much with you as possible.
Today’s Lesson from Cheryl Strayed: How to use everyday objects to imbue your stories with meaning.
Jack Kerouac’s 31 Beliefs about Writing
I came across Jack Kerouac’s list of thirty “Beliefs and Techniques for Modern Prose,” and unsurprisingly, if you’ve read Kerouac, it’s less of a list of techniques and more a poetic riff on the writing life itself.
Some of my favorites are, “Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind,” and (of course), “Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition,” and, “Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven.”
Here’ the full list…
