Gather 'round…
Natalie Goldberg - the same Natalie Goldberg that challenged me to attack the why of my writing life - is nothing, if not full of challenges. If you haven't picked up Writing Down the Bones yet, you should. For a bit I used each 1-2 page essay as a writing prompt, but sometimes I just needed to keep... Continue Reading →
Three times it has snowed on the backs of the robins; Julio counted. Still, I'm not sure we're done with winter; the week ahead looks bleak. But today, after a week of bizarre blizzards and derechos, has been another wonderful respite from the cold, another taste of the coming spring. It is the Third Sunday... Continue Reading →
Language. It is intrinsically valuable and, used correctly, purely beautiful. Words have the power to break and the power to heal. My tongue, as James says, ... is a fire... [it] sets on fire the course of history. ~ James 3:6-10 How much more powerful is the written word? Easier to tame, yes, but just... Continue Reading →
We've camped cold before. It is one of our favorite ways to camp, actually, especially along Lake Superior where the cold can be as pristine as the waters of the mighty lake. We're no strangers to sleeping beneath seven layers, with winter hats protecting the only possible exposure. We kind of like getting up and... Continue Reading →
Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life by Douglas Wilson My rating: 5 of 5 stars You know it's a good one when you abstain from reading just to make it last longer. I'm not saying that Wordsmithy was one of those intense keep-you-up-at-night page-turners, or that I had to exercise any superhuman feats of... Continue Reading →
Hero's Journey: Complete. Writer's Journey: Complete. Whatever you want to call it, we made it through. Wasn't too painful, was it? Yet another disclaimer, as the series comes to a close: contained herein are my notes on Christopher Vogler's work. Some it is verbatim from his book. Some of it I have taken great liberties... Continue Reading →
Time to bring the boon back to the Ordinary World. New life - for the Hero, for his world - is ever changed. The Ordinary World is no longer as Ordinary. Return with the Elixer Tying up loose ends – closing the circle New questions OK, but all old must be resolved, or at least... Continue Reading →
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz My rating: 5 of 5 stars Hi-Larious. Truly. I am a sucker for a book that can have me snorting in the lawn chair, drawing the attention of confused passers-by. Make me cry with laughter and you've really got me. The Spellman files had me. I'm a slow reader.... Continue Reading →
For a complete story, reader needs to experience an additional moment of death and rebirth similar to the Supreme Ordeal, but different – Climax (not crisis) The Resurrection Final purging and purification before re-entering Ordinary World – Once more they must change Show change by behavior or appearance, not by just talking about it Demonstrate that... Continue Reading →
New experiment: Book Reviews via Goodreads. While I've been using Goodreads intermittently for a while, I've been trying recently to be more faithful (and accurate) at logging my reading fits and frenzies. And they have this neat little app that allows my book reviews to post automatically to my blog. Woah. Sweet. Let's try it!... Continue Reading →
And now it's time to return to the Ordinary World, and leave the magic of the Special World behind. The lessons have been learned, the growth attained, the boon recovered. But we are not done yet, and neither is our Hero. The Road Back A few heroes stay in the Special World, but most head... Continue Reading →
We made it! Our Hero has survived the Ordeal, and is now ready to take possession of that which he has been seeking all along. How exciting! Seizing the Reward Survival of Death - Big Deal! Taking possession of whatever hero was seeking – Seizing the Sword Not passive – generally active, aggressive even Sword... Continue Reading →
Tales From the Nexus 