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Posts by Carly Sandifer

Jun 13

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Challenge your writing mind with free online short story and poetry classes

I’m a learning junkie, so I’m always excited to find new resources.

A One Wild Word reader alerted me to Academic Earth, which features a collection of free online courses from top universities, including MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

While it’s not the same as sitting in the classroom, and you don’t receive college credit, you’ll find class notes, suggested reading, and videos of lectures.

Here are several classes in the humanities category:

Writing and Reading Short Stories

Modern Poetry

The American Novel Since 1945

While you’re at it, check out this 2-minute video about the late Ray Bradbury’s book Fahrenheit 451: A Novel.

Jun 12

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Immerse readers in your stories by using micro details

Have you ever analyzed which qualities of a piece of writing draw you into a story?

One way writers can immerse readers into their stories is by using micro details. Something about these details makes a setting or character so real and authentic that the reader can’t help but sink into the story. Read more

Jun 4

Satisfy your writer’s curiosity and change your brain

“You never graduate from learning. There is always more to discover.”

This sentence, in an e-mail update from author Jeff Goins, made me think about how much I love to learn, especially about writing.

One of the reasons I love learning is that it feeds my curiosity. Every time I learn something new from a book or a writing workshop or conversation with my writer’s group, I feel a charge. After periods of intense learning and mental stimulation, I even feel like my brain has changed, as if I’ve expanded my thinking.

Turns out, there’s science behind this.

In a post at Psychology Today, neuropsychologist Ian H. Robertson hypothesizes that education and stimulation repeatedly trigger a chemical messenger in the brain called noradrenaline. The brain releases this chemical when you face a challenge, figure out something new, or are surprised by something — all things that happen during the learning process.

So how does this help writers? Read more

May 31

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Trust in randomness and mine your subconscious with this writing exercise

Poet and teacher May Swenson said, “The best poetry has its roots in the subconscious to a great degree. Youth, naivety, reliance on instinct more than learning and method, a sense of freedom and play, even trust in randomness, is necessary to the making of a poem.”

In the spirit of being random, turn up your observation skills and as you go about your day, note 12 phrases or words that strike you. You might see something in an e-mail, a text, or an overheard conversation at the tea shop. Use them to spur the writing of a poem or flash fiction.

For inspiration, read Earth Your Dancing Place and other poetry on Poets.org, the website of the Academy of American Poets. Learn more about May Swenson.

May 30

Write about pivotal moments instead of the story of your life

One of my friends came to me recently feeling overwhelmed about writing her life story. She struggled with knowing where to start and what to include. I advised her to approach it as a group of stories about the big, pivotal moments in her life instead of trying to write the “story of her life.”

I figured this technique out when I helped my uncle write his personal story. He focused on key moments that caused a shift in how he looked at life and how he matured as a man, including: time spent on the battlefield in World War II, meeting and marrying his wife, and the birth of his sons. These moments were the catalyst for change, which is something we want our characters to do in stories, whether they’re real-life people or imagined characters living out the plot we create.

If you’re struggling with how to write your personal story or memoir, set your focus on the big, memorable moments.

In the end, you’ll have a group of stories that you can weave together to form a whole. Here are several tips and prompts to help you start:

  1. Excavate memories by using the words, “I remember.” Riff on this question to unearth important memories. Read more

May 29

Three top tips for children and young adult writers

Are you writing for children and young adults? Success may be yours with the right mix of plot and writing finesse. The Greenhouse Literary Agency, which specializes in children and YA writing, lists these tips as part of a top 10 list. These are three of my favorites:

  1. Find out what books today’s kids are buying and enjoying. Absorb contemporary culture and literature, but never try to copy anyone else’s voice or concept because you think they’re successful right now. What’s hot today may be stone cold in a year’s time and it will take at least this long for your book to be published.

  1. Publishers publish into age categories – young fiction, middle grade and young adult.  Be very clear who you are writing for; many novels never find a home because they don’t speak clearly enough to any section of the market. Read more

May 23

What’s your writing call to arms?

What is your writing watchword — the guiding principle that drives your writing life?

Writing has always been a central focus of my life. As a writer and reader, I love words and the power they have to move people and create change. So I was intrigued to see what entrepreneur Gianni Vega does to create art out of words and inspire people to commit to their passion and goals.

Vega, who calls himself a “Thot Provoker,” named his business Knots Thots. His artistic products are boards with quotes meant to spur people to, “live a life with no regret, no exceptions.”

Customers pick a board or have one custom-made with a quote that has meaning to them. The boards, which come in three sizes, include operating instructions: He urges customers as an act of faith and commitment to write down their dream or goal on the back of their board, sign their name, and date it. Read more

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