Writing What You Know by Files, Meg -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Acknowledgments Contents Introduction 1. Truthtelling: Finding the Best Story Material

What Are Our Stories? How Do We Know Our Stories?

2. Facing Down the Monsters: Quieting the Fears That Hold Back Stories

Stop and Write Monsters Stop and Write Name Those Monsters The Inner Mom Bare Naked Cannibals Born Too Loose Roadkill Point Blank Fear of Not Flying Stop and Write Facing Down My Monsters Facing Down Your Monsters Talk Back Eat Up Bring on the Judge Raise the Dead Shoot Collect Frequent Flyer Miles The Meaning of Writer’s Block Stop and Write Playing With Blocks

3. Jumping Into the Abyss: Understanding the Creative Process

Magnetism Gravity Bait Here, Kitty Kitty Kitty Care, Feeding, and Training Bring on the Catnip

4. Willing the Flesh: Applying Methods of Strong Storytelling

Language Matters I Feel Your Pain The Truth Is in the Details How Do You Know Which Details to Include? Tell, Don’t Show But Really—Show, Don’t Tell The Truth About Details Show Yourself Saying the Unsayable

5. Telling It Slant: Using Indirection to Reveal Truth

Do Facts Matter? Telling It Slant What I Did on My Summer Vacation And so She Told Him … No Cheese, Please From a Distance Writing Slant The Ladder of Tears Can You Hear Me Now? Practicing Slant

6. Choosing Directions: Considering Genre Choices

Put Yourself on the Stand Poetry or Prose? Fiction and Nonfiction: The Three Differences The Truth Voice Structure Fiction or Nonfiction? Reasons for Telling Nothing But the Facts The Voice of the Story I’m Gonna Te-elll Morphing Genres Listen to Me

7. Splashing in the Abyss: Applying Special Technical Tips

Swimming Pool Lessons Voice Speaking in Tongues It’s All About You Voice Lessons Other Voices He Said, She Said (Take 1) He Said, She Said (Take 2) Beginnings Middles Endings Structure Of Refraction and Diffusion: Poetry Lessons Image = Truth Line Breaks and Stanzas Rhyme and Rhythm Form Playing with Form Leaps and Surprises Making Leaps

8. Listening to the Critics: Dealing with Readers

Who Are Your Best Critics? How to Play Critic Dos Marginalia Don’ts Workshop Hazards Hard Hat Zone Meg’s House Rules When Workshops Go Bad Back to the Workshop

9. Knowing What’s True: Revising Stories

The Purpose of Drafts From Draft to Draft The Big Questions Spray and Wash Unnecessary Words Redundancies Oops The Unengaged Brain Mixed Metaphors Clichés Writerisms Body Parts Bad Images, Bad Metaphors Turning Purple Practicing Purple Knowing When to Quit

Permissions About the Author Index

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