Author: Marcás P. O'Dea
Award-winning writer, educator, artist, and freelance professional.
Writing as Therapy – Graham Greene
Kurt Vonnegut: Shape of Stories (subtitulos castellano)[video]
Even if you don't read Vonnegut's writing, this is a witty explanation of the art and craft of storytelling.
Write to Heal
The Age of Throwaway Literature
French writer Claude Simon, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1985, would not be published today, according to an experiment conducted by one of his fans. Writer Serge Volle sent 50 pages of Simon's 1962 novel, The Palace, set during the Spanish Civil War, to 19 French publishers. The verdict was damning: Twelve … Continue reading The Age of Throwaway Literature
Writing and the Creative Life
4 Tips On Creativity From The Creator Of Calvin & Hobbes I saw this article in Fast Company a few months back and in reading it, I realized how important comic strips had been in my adult life. Doonesbury. The Far Side. Bloom County. And, of course, Calvin & Hobbes. Calvin & Hobbes was created by … Continue reading Writing and the Creative Life
The Craft 002: Word Counts (Words Count)
Started the day with just over 6,000 words on The Things We Hide. Plan to top 10,000 before I have to leave for the day job later this afternoon. When I first began considering myself an actual writer, I had idealized it in my mind, thinking that I wouldn't have to work anymore, be financially set for the rest … Continue reading The Craft 002: Word Counts (Words Count)
The Craft 001: In the Beginning
I write novels, and I write screenplays, but I think in novel form. I have never mastered the art (or the understanding) of short fiction. I have had exactly one short story published. Conveniently, I have taken it and made it into Part One of my latest novel project. However, I love the long-form essay, and have … Continue reading The Craft 001: In the Beginning
How Things Change
Remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz where little Toto figures out that the wizard wasn’t real and revealed the man behind the curtain? Just prior to that there was a mystique that the ordinary man created by pretending to be the Wizard of Oz. Even though it was all a dream created by … Continue reading How Things Change
Time Management
I get asked an unusual question fairly frequently. To my way of thinking, I wouldn't consider it anything different than anyone else does, but I suppose that once I scrutinize it, it does come across as a rather interesting trait. Time management. When it's brought to our attention, we might suddenly think, Hmmm, I … Continue reading Time Management
What’s It (Really) Like Being a Writer?
Those who sometimes get asked that question have a steep advantage over the rest of us. They've "made it." It's like asking Brad Pitt what it's like being an actor. Or Tom Cruise. Audiences want to hear about the new house they just bought in Aspen, or the new Ferrari they added to their collection … Continue reading What’s It (Really) Like Being a Writer?
7 (Not So) Surprising Reasons Your Dog Should Sleep On Your Bed Every Night
by ALLYSON SOUZA for http://www.LittleThings.com We’ve all heard that we shouldn’t do it: inviting your dog into your bed. People believe it’s dirty, and it’s just not good for you. People have been saying it for years. But, what if we told you that maybe that isn’t entirely true. There are actual health benefits to letting your four-legged … Continue reading 7 (Not So) Surprising Reasons Your Dog Should Sleep On Your Bed Every Night
Give Yourself a Chance
Life lessons are rarely easy. If they were easy, they would never have become lessons. Why is that? Why must we be tested so severely in order to grow as humans? I am a student of the multiverse. Once upon a time I called myself “atheist.” The problem I found with that way of thinking … Continue reading Give Yourself a Chance
Manifesto for the 21st Century
There’s no such thing as a “real” man or a “real” woman. We are non-binary, gender-fluid humans who try to label everything so that our brains can believe it understands. It doesn’t. All labeling does is provide the illusion of linear order and sense. Only when we’re able to step away from the need to … Continue reading Manifesto for the 21st Century
