We talked recently about the importance of ridding a story of whatever isn’t absolutely necessary and/or doesn’t advance the story. This “excess” can be anything from losing a line of description to cutting out a character. Or a scene. In the case of novels, entire chapters. But once we’ve reduced a story to its bare … Continue reading Open the Doors. Walk Right In!
story
Story Surgery
I re-read a short story recently that I had put away because I didn’t know what to do with it. I’d submitted it a few times with no luck—a sign the story isn’t bad, but it’s not as good as it could be. I had never been satisfied with the ending, so I started there. I … Continue reading Story Surgery
Crossroads
Crossroads, Corinth, Mississippi / Gerry Wilson Last spring, I attended a family reunion, a gathering of distant cousins who were mostly strangers, all linked to my great-great-grandfather who settled in middle Tennessee in the early 1800s. We cousins are a diverse group--all ages, many different professions, some with strong genealogy interests and knowledge and some, … Continue reading Crossroads
Gerry Wilson 