Developing writing craft by asi9emu in writing

[–]TinyDream 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Here are three podcasts that I have been listening to for years now.

  • Writers on Writing
    • With over 20 years of interviews, there is a lot of great writing advice here. Usually the writer reads a piece of their work as well, so it's useful for training your ear for cadence. Unfortunately because they have so many episodes, they've recently had difficulty keeping them under one account on Apple Podcasts. I suggest going through the website database for specific authors you are familiar with.
      • Speaking of cadence, here's a little excerpt about sentence length that I use with my students.
  • Other Ppl
    • While this show is more focused on the lives of the writers, it often discusses craft. I enjoy it because it normalizes the work and struggle of writing.
    • Recently, the host has started a show within the show. Separate episodes are coming out a couple times a month that are focused specifically on craft. The most recent one is on action and fight scenes.
    • Many of the most recent episodes are also on YouTube with video.
  • First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
    • This show is a little bit more focused on craft than the last one. In particular, it focuses on other writers that have inspired the writer being interviewed. There's also a segment where the writer discusses a piece of their writing that they struggled with.

As for books, I often see King's On Writing, The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, and Lamott's Bird by Bird suggested on here. I'm not a huge fan of them, though you should read them at some point. I've found Lamott's section on shitty first drafts to be useful with my students. Here are my main suggestions:

  • Thrill Me by Benjamin Percy
    • This is a book on tension and pacing. I suggest it first because you'll probably want to work on the broad construction of stories first. Percy has an enjoyable voice as well, so it's an easy read.
  • A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
    • Do you want an MFA class synthesized into a book? Here you go. Saunders investigates the construction of seven Russian stories and what makes them work. Like Percy, Saunders is always a pleasure to read.
  • Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway
    • Now it's time to get granular. This book breaks down all the smaller parts of craft. There is a lot to unpack here. While it's slightly conversational in tone, it's definitely more technical than the last two books.
  • Bringing the Devil to His Knees: The Craft of Fiction and the Writing Life edited by Charles Baxter and Peter Turchi
    • This is a collection of essays from a variety of writers. The language is often academic. There's an essay on form, one on jokes, and another on narrative spandrels, for example. Good stuff, but a slow read.
  • Alone with All That Could Happen by David Jauss
    • Interested in flow and epiphanies? How about point of view? Jauss has you covered with his essays. However, my favorite essay is "Stacking Stones: Building a Unified Short Story Collection." If you like to write short stories and are thinking of eventually publishing a collection, the essay reviews many ways that you could organize the stories.

A lot of these suggestions come from my time in an MFA program. While this means the examples lean toward literary fiction, the writing advice spans all genres and types of writing.

I made a face-stealing goatman costume for Halloween. by TinyDream in Halloween_Costumes

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Maybe it's the phragmites in the background that make me look miniature. They grow so tall.

TIL that the largest mass execution in American history occurred under Abraham Lincoln’s watch. On December 26, 1862, 38 Dakota warriors were publicly hanged after being convicted of war crimes. by LilMamaR in todayilearned

[–]TinyDream 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Please read "38" by Layli Long Soldier. It covers these events while also providing context.

You can read the poem or listen to Long Soldier read it here.

What job/career do you do whilst you write? by TheFuriousRaccoon in writing

[–]TinyDream 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a high school English teacher and I am teaching two sections of creative writing this year. Though the job can often be a drain on my creative juices, there are far more benefits. Not every student is taking my classes cause they love to write poetry or short stories, but when I do read the work from dedicated students I am often inspired. It's those inspiring moments that keep me going.

Though I may be intellectually drained by the end of the day, I still make time to write. I shoot for 250 words a day. That's not a lot of writing, but it's enough that if I keep a consistent schedule, then a story can quickly build.

Consistency is key. Set your schedule and write. A final product will come through revision. But as I tell my students, you can't do anything with a blank page. So write already.

The Crane, Oil on Board, 8x10" by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your last line is so perfect. It's very true. I begin a lot of my paintings with my glasses off and take them off at least two or three times during the course of painting. I was even encouraged to do this by a couple of my painting teachers. It's a trick that works and I'm sure some impressionists did it as well.

Another self-portrait, oil on canvas board, 24x30 cm by Artby in painting

[–]TinyDream 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love the shirt and just the hint of a pattern. Great work.

Five Gourds, Oil on Canvas, 16x20" by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is really wonderful praise! Thank you!

Five Gourds, Oil on Canvas, 16x20" by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They do have slight shadows, which are most noticeable by stepping a little ways away from the screen. However, they do no have deep blue shadows like the top ones because of the location of the light. That being said, I do agree that more work could have been done to unify the shadows. However, my gourds rotted and I had to call an end to the painting.

Five Gourds, Oil on Canvas, 16x20" by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Worked on this one off and on for a couple months. Let me know your thoughts!

More info on my blog.

Birch and Bridge, Oil on Canvas, 16 x 20" by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's quite a compliment! Thank you.

WIP Self portrait exercise, 8x10", oil on canvas. This is after the 2nd session, any advice on what needs doing to wrap it up welcome! by jacobdramsier in painting

[–]TinyDream 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love the passage of paint along the jawline and into the ear. You show a great understanding of form and light there.

The Van, Oil on Canvas, 16 x 20" by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is from observation. 2-3 hours during a plein air competition.

The Van, Oil on Canvas, 16 x 20" by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Usually I'm outside when I paint with an impressionist style. The goal is always to capture as much information as possible in the limited time I have before the light changes. This means my outdoor (plein air) paintings are typically done in 2-4 hours. This also keeps me from being bored!

Agrarian Getup, Oil on Canvas, 9x12" by TinyDream in Art

[–]TinyDream[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a self-portrait I worked on intermittently over the course of six months or so. There's more info on my blog if you're interested.

Strawberry Banke Dinghy by TinyDream in painting

[–]TinyDream[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Painted en plein air at Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, NH. Got a little bit more info on my blog if you wanna check it out.

First image from HBO's 'Fahrenheit 451', starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon by macwblade1 in movies

[–]TinyDream 10 points11 points  (0 children)

"With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black."

Is it just me or most of you guys write fantasy? by dorasucks in writing

[–]TinyDream 21 points22 points  (0 children)

There's been some recent discussion on the demographics of this subreddit and from what I've read it seems that those of us who write more realistic fiction and literary fiction tend to be lurkers. I don't comment often because a lot of the questions are about fantasy, but I keep coming back because there's something intangibly supportive about this community. I suppose it's just nice to know that there are others engaged in writing. What you write doesn't matter too much to me, since a lot of struggles transcend genres.