…ekphrasis–using a piece of art to inspire the narrative. If you want to try it, take a painting, sculpture, photo, or anything you see as art and begin studying it. Just spend time with it, looking closely, asking what the story might be.
Pin the Scene on the Story
Today’s adventure in novel writing felt like the childhood game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. As soon as that thought landed, I felt transported to the land of fun. A moment before, and most of the last day or two before that thought, I wasn’t so sure. I confuse myself with all the ideas I allow to run freely across the pages, both when I’m writing and reading. I like experimental methods and modes of creation. Yesterday I printed the scene synopses in prim little boxes and cut them out. They represent what I’ve got so far in the modern part of my dual timeline novel. I’m not quite clear yet on how they weave together with the 19th century France part of the novel. Part of me wants to know exactly how this is going to work. Another part of me wants to believe it will all organically find its way. That…
Tackling the Missing Scenes List
Having a list of what to do next helps, but there’s still a matter of figuring out what it means to “list all the scenes that need to be cut,”
Revision: Returning to Intentions for DIY Book Finishers
Like the kid who can’t keep the sand toys separated from the indoor toys, I get things all get mixed together. Instead of 4 neat notebooks, I’ve got 12… plus the sandbox.
Bootcamp Finale: Title Time
We love books in our family and have opinions about titles. We sometimes sit around and toss out titles, or bad ad slogans.
Book Finish Bootcamp on Sunday: Rest & Retreat
Sunday was and is a day of rest, so even though I show up for Bootcamp today I have a more laid back feeling about it, ready for the rest part of the DIY retreat.
The Miracle of a DIY Writing Retreat & Bootcamp
Book Finish Bootcamp kicked off on Wednesday…the middle of the week to untangle a muddle of a novel from the inside out.
Interviews and Other Views
Women-On-Writing’s Renee Roberson asked some fun questions that made me think about ekphrasis, the writing process, and the novel I’m working on. They do this when you win a story award. Take a quick break and enjoy The Muffin, with coffee or tea, and me! https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2022/04/interview-with-lori-lynn-greenstone.html
Ekphrasis of the Schuffeneckers: Gifts Bestowed wins award
Stare at a painting and eventually it will begin to tell its story- that’s ekphrasis, my favorite way to write. I’ve been working on the novel, An Ear to Hear, about the woman, Rachel, who received the gift of Vincent’s ear after it was sliced from his head. Many secrets surround this historical, almost mythical story. Rachel was not only the recipient of the ear, but also did laundry for the artists, Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in Arles, and became their model. An aspiring artist, she kept a sketchbook and journal which has been passed on to her great granddaughter in America (my fiction). Only recently translated, Rachel’s sketchbook and journal gives a different voice to the generally accepted story of how Vincent lost his ear. I sometimes need a break from the long work of the novel, so I turn to writing short stories and essays. Sometimes…
The Laughing Giraffe Draft
How an art installation can help you trust your creative process- Do you ever get a vision of something you’d like to create but don’t know the process that might turn your idea into a reality? I envisioned a life-size giraffe grazing on the tree tops in my yard, a spirit animal* with a whimsical neck and winsome body. When we moved from southern California to the Pacific Northwest, where forests meet yards, even in housing developments, I thought about how I might construct one of these stately, elegant creatures to view out my window. The idea first occurred to me when we moved to Bend, Oregon; a local artist constructs larger than life horses from lost and found pieces of metal. My hub was learning to weld so we started collecting rusty objects in hopes of constructing our own sculptures. Collecting and constructing are two different activities; we never…