Whether you’re enrolled in Creative Writing 101 or you’re working on your tenth novel, you’ve probably been told to “show, don’t tell.” But what does your teacher/editor/agent/critique group actually mean when advising you to show rather than tell?
What is “Reflection” in Creative Nonfiction?
For the most part, novelists and memoirists use the same set of tools to tell their stories. They both create vivid scenes, develop three-dimensional characters, and evoke a strong sense of place. They rely on dialogue, effective pacing, and themes. But there is one tool that is used almost exclusively…
A Plot Is Not Enough
I’m re-reading Vivian Gornick’s The Situation and the Story for my writing group. I’ve only made it to page 26 so far, but already I’m reminded of why this book is so highly regarded in creative nonfiction circles. It’s because Gornick is able to explain what essayists do in a way that…
The Fallibility of Memory
I was reading Poets & Writers last night and was surprised (and happy) to see Anna Keesey featured in an article highlighting the best debut novels of 2012. I met her eight or nine years ago, when she was a guest in my undergraduate nonfiction workshop. She was tall and blond…
The Importance of First Lines
Compare: Gregor Samsa was a cockroach when he woke up one morning. vs. As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. Same idea, but a world of difference. Read them out loud. (Go ahead — nobody’s listening.)…