In broad terms, yoga separates the mind into three aspects: the conscious, the subconscious, and the superconscious. • The conscious mind is concerned with the senses and evaluating relationships. • The subconscious mind stores memories and issues about the self. • The superconscious mind, above the other two, offers a dispassionate awareness concerned with … [Read more...]
Using Transparency to Understand Storytelling
When I teach storytelling, I'll often start by using an example from a well-known YA novel like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Hugely successful novels like these are often transparent about introducing a story's promise and setting a story into motion through what I call character's dramatic truths, those issues that define a character and what they seek in the … [Read more...]
Turning Your Kids Into Writers
One of the things I like to talk to kids about when I make author visits is how much storytelling they already do, even if they never write anything down. Even very young children find themselves daydreaming about people and things around them. At the grocery store they see a guy with an unusual hat and start to wonder where he got it? Who gave it to him? What is that strange … [Read more...]
What’s the Story about Stories?
When it comes to story tellers, Patricia Fripp would be on any meeting planner’s short list. Now, storytelling is all the rage. I interviewed Ms. Fripp recently on how to use stories to leave a lasting impression on your audiences. She is doing a three-day coaching session on this topic. For info click here: http://www.fripp.com/getcoachedtospeak.html Here is a brief segment … [Read more...]
On Writing: The Elements of Fiction and Memoir
The elements involved in writing Fiction/Memoir are quite straightforward. They include brainstorming story ideas, writing a rough draft, exploring vivid description, developing characters, creating a setting, devising a plot and nurturing the themes. Each is explained below. Of course, knowing them is only the beginning. Learning how to successfully pull off the following … [Read more...]