by J.M. Lacey | May 19, 2024 | Writing
“Listen, and you will realize that we are made not from cells or from atoms. We are made from stories.” — Mia Couto, Mozambican writer If you are a writer, especially a novelist, you’re probably familiar with story arcs or narratives. In brief, an arc is a rise to the...
by J.M. Lacey | May 12, 2024 | Writing
Whenever I listen to speeches, the figurative red pen is moving furiously in my head. The speakers often give me too much to work with. For example, they add illustrations and stories that do not fit the theme and instead, are focused on them. They likely reason that...
by J.M. Lacey | May 10, 2024 | Writing
Not long ago I sat to write a thank you card to a dear friend. It’s a mental process, really. It begins with the card or letter I receive with a small gift in the mail. My heart is instantly warmed when I see our handwritten address and the return address of the...
by J.M. Lacey | May 1, 2024 | Writing
Have you noticed that the products you are used to buying, whether food, clothing, or appliances, have not only been more expensive, but the quality has declined? I shop every week for groceries, so I know how much the prices have skyrocketed. But I also know that I...
by J.M. Lacey | Mar 24, 2024 | Writing
Recently, I was chatting with a friend about the pros and cons of artificial intelligence and its associated tools, such as ChatGPT and all the other copycats. Technology has its place in a writer’s life. After all, I would rather type out a story on a computer rather...
by J.M. Lacey | Mar 17, 2024 | Writing
My first writing coach was my editor back when I was a newspaper reporter. He taught me how to structure my stories better; write openings that were effective; and how to use quotes to bring out the interviewee’s personality, for good or for bad. He’d make me rewrite...
Recent Comments