I find it interesting that I came across this article (of course through Twitter serendipity) just as I was–I am—in the process of editing a personal essay titled “The Soul of the Sea” (to be posted soon) which touches on some points raised below.
If an artist is to truly understand and empathize with another then he or she must also be willing to feel and understand how another judges him or herself. Something many are too afraid to do for the fear of coming across as judgmental. It is not easy to practice discernment which is not the same as judgment. Moreover, I am not sure if one can write fiction without ... read more »
Tagged authors, books, Naipaul, process of writing, words
Because we can’t do this alone.
In 2006 while I was working in South Africa, my first visit there, not knowing and fully knowing it would be followed by many more, my father sent me Orhan Pamuk’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech. It was a 10 page, single spaced word document. I read it. I re-read it. I read it again.
It was in 2006 I began collecting for my current manuscript. I read something from it to my father. My father, out of love for me but also admiration for what he had heard, remained silent. And I could hear his words from over two decades ago in that silence: don’t do ... read more »
Tagged art, books, life, process of writing, questions, words
“
We cling to a fixed idea of who we are and it cripples us. Nothing and no one is fixed.“ ~ Pema Chodron Mariana N. Blaser wrote
Jealous? Hell, yeah! where she bravely confronts a feeling of jealousy after coming across another’s work. I appreciated not only her honesty but other readers’ thoughts which echoed her sentiments and illustrated the fine line between envy and jealousy.
That same night I mentioned her post to my brother Zain over the phone and we discussed the perpetual tug of war between brilliant and never good enough. A quick example: I am a huge fan of my brother’s art, music, and his other “gifts”. Zain is an ... read more »
Tagged art, process of writing
Discovered @Story_Craft on Twitter. They host #storycraft which is a weekly chat on Sundays about the craft of writing fiction. You can check them out here. Their May 16th, 2010 Flash Fiction Challenge was as follows: “excerpts rather than short pieces complete unto themselves which highlight the craft of exposition. It must be under 200 words (though if it is more than 100 it better be DAMN good lol).”
I decided to use a “WIP” (work in progress) of my fiction manuscript titled Her Sizwe.
Sizwe is a Zulu word which means “nation.” It is also a name given to male children. So, naturally, it can mean Her Sizwe or ... read more »
Tagged fiction, stories
Below is an excerpt from a short fiction story titled “Red Tape” which I am working on for the collection Augury.
Sharing it here after having discovered @Story_Craft on Twitter this week. They host #storycraft which is a weekly chat on Sundays about the craft of writing fiction. You can check them out here. Their May 9th, 2010 Flash Fiction Challenge, which I took upon myself to push “Red Tape” along, was as follows: Tell a story in 300-500 words of dialogue. Tags and action description are okay, but no exposition! Wordcount: 300-500.
Thanks,
~a.q.s.
Note: It did not make the challenge because it has to ... read more »
Tagged fiction, story
