I just finished Suzanne Collin's first book in the Hunger Games Trilogy. It was a compelling, fast-paced read in an intriguing world with chilling rules and political complications that captivate the reader. I found our main character, sixteen-year-old Katniss, to be a strong-willed, tough and likeable character. She is not without her weaknesses. Soon after the story opens, her love for her little sister, Prim, forces…
Be impeccable in your word. This is the first of The Four Agreements. In the context of the book's philosphy this is a determined truthfulness and also a dedicated integrity. If you say you will do something, it is tantamount that you do this. Otherwise, your word becomes useless. More on the Four Agreements coming for future posts. For now, it is enough to bring these up and remind myself…
A friend of mine recently noticed that a painting in my dining room was an original with my name in the corner. He told me that he wanted to know more about the part of me that studied and loved painting, not just the isolated section of me that identifies with stories and being a wordsmith. Another friend asked me, how does my love for painting,…
I recently encountered a technique for fleshing out a scene that has blown my mind with its insightful attention to detail. Whether writing the scene for the first time or rewriting it because it needs more substance or just plain rewriting the scene because something isn't working, this technique can be used for any of these purposes. I have a tendency to sink heavily into one or two of the six…