Happy All Saints Day!
This morning, on the way to Mass, I thought of a story I started in graduate school for a fiction-writing class. The memory inspired me to revisit the characters in the novel I will write this month. I found the draft dated October 25, 1995. The folder contained numerous copies with comments from my classmates. One particular draft had a sea of blue ink--comments, corrections, critiques--from one of my peers. The final remark, Reread and think about what you want to do with this as a storyteller. Then write and explore!--AZ
My biggest hangup with writing fiction has been my resistance to the role of storyteller. I am too nice to my characters. I protect them. I help them avoid danger. I help them make good choices. Then, I run out of story before it begins.
Thank you, AZ, for telling me 18 years ago to think about how I want to approach the story. I took your advice and reread. I see an opportunity here! And once it's written, I may seek you out and send you a manuscript that you can cover in blue ink.
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