Poetry, Writing

#99lines of poetry

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Poetry wins!

Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on what the next project should be. 99 days of poetry has commenced on Instagram, now through October 31. If you want to instafollow, find me @mamezirro or search #99lines.

I wish you a life less blah, more grand 
A story less abridged, more annotated 
Love more complete, less complicated
Less rain, more sun
Less pain, more fun
A life less or, more AND.
Writing

Writing class 101: 4 dramatic elements

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Writing Class Lesson 1.1

So the prof—Él Professorino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing— kicks off the old online writing class with four dramatic elements necessary to storytelling: Passion. Theme. Character. Premise.

  • Passion: a strong belief. From the context of the course material, I understand this to be my belief, not my character’s. Hmm…
  • Theme: the message to share with readers. Again, presumably my message, not my character’s.
  • Character: the protagonist, whose personality serves as a vehicle to carry the theme.
  • Premise: which begins with the phrase, “What if?”

All of a sudden, I feel I have no stories to tell. Because the stories I dream about telling aren’t about what I get passionate about. Like, I’m passionate about my kids, but I don’t think they’d make particularly arresting protagonists. I’m super passionate about telling the truth, but who wants to read a story about a prissy pants truth seeker?

How does this strike you guys? Does Él P. think writers want to write a good story, or just propagandize?

I feel like my homework is to shoehorn a passion and a theme into the story ideas I have. When what I really wanted to do was write.

Stay tuned…

Writing

Freshman orientation 

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Hey guys! 

I started an online course today, which looks to be pretty awesome. I have no idea how to tell you how to find it. My library calls them Gale courses and offers them for free. They’re owned by a company called Cengage. Their website is ed2go.com. However you find them, see if you can join! It starts today.

I’m doing Write Fiction Like a Pro, taught by Steve Alcorn— a name I KNOW I know, but haven’t been able to place yet. Whatevs, even the first lesson has proven useful and I’m looking forward to writing novel number two according to an outline, rather than pantsing like the first one. DUDE, I am NOT a pantser. 

Anyhoo when I org my notes later I’ll fill you guys in on the highlights so you can vicariously live out your writerly/educationary dreams. 

Let us know in the comments if you’re in, and look for me, username: Mame.

from zero to author in 40 years flat