Recently, my Memoir Writing II class workshopped a story written mostly in past tense, until the final scene, when the writer shifted her verb tense from past to present. We agreed unanimously—we loved the switch. It made an already arresting moment even more breathtaking. Continue reading “Changing Tense”
At the climax of the animated film Ratatouille, a restaurant critic is served a plate of ratatouille prepared by Remy, a new chef who happens to be a rat. The dish, simple but sublime, transports the critic to a childhood memory of the meal, prompting him to write an ecstatic review. Continue reading “Pursuit of the Past”
I’m always of two minds when folks call in with this question. On the one hand, it’s really putting the cart before the horse. It feels best to advise people to focus on the writing first and not worry about getting it out there or whatever drama that might entail. Continue reading “How do I protect my work?”