The Necessity of Character Arc
In any story, the main character needs character arc; that is, he has to change. This weekend I saw the new Coen Brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis. I enjoyed the cinematic material, the visuals and soundtrack, for instance. I thought the characters were well-acted. I...
Memory & Story: A Writing Exercise
This past week I taught a workshop on Memory and Story through the Hennepin County Library and St. Louis Park Senior Program. I announced right away that this was a workshop and we were going to learn by doing–and boy, did we! Seventeen writers, two days, and...
Writing Classes: Story & Memory, Time & Place
I’ll be teaching two writing classes in St. Louis Park, MN in the coming weeks. Story and Memory is first at the St. Louis Park Library and the Lenox Community Center. Here’s the workshop description: Story and Memory: Are you full of interesting memories,...
Writing in –isms
I recently wrote on a manuscript, “Is all this realism necessary? I feel like it’s too much information, too many details. What about writing it as impressionism or expressionism?” Scott loves Impressionism. He’s always talking about light. You know, Rembrandt...I'm Alida
I help people express their gifts to the world.
I do not believe in formulas. I believe that the stories we are compelled to tell the world make demands on us, and it is our privilege to meet those demands in order to reach the most people in the most authentic and compelling way possible.
