Writing from The Heart: May 2022

Writing from The Heart

"Writing from The Heart" is a workshop on creative writing, creative drawing, and creative drama. There are three available versions of this workshop: one for beginners on the secondary, tertiary, and graduate levels, and another for practitioners. A third version of this workshop is designed as an outreach program to disadvantaged and underserved audiences such as the disabled, the poor and the marginalized, victims of human trafficking, battered women and abused children, drug rehabilitation center residents, child combatants, children in conflict with the law, prisoners, and gang leaders. This third version incorporates creativity and problem awareness, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, trauma therapy, and peacemaking.

Saturday, May 14, 2022

The process of painting is a joy only when you know exactly what to do next in your work in progress.

Rediscover Edna Ferber and reread her works. Her power of description is superb. She is perhaps the only writer I know of who can arouse a gamut of emotions by sheer description alone.

When a writer cannot handle description well, his work will tend to be boring.

Then try this exercise:

Write a short story using description alone. For example, describe a tree. Or the night. Or the facade of a stranger's house.

See how you can infuse a descriptive paragraph with action, narrative, and conflict.