What place does place have in your writing? This video from @Eleanor Anstruther is a marvel. I'm a self-taught writer (hence a self-taught teacher of writing), and I feel that I've just been given a very fine master class. Be sure to see Eleanor's teaching partner @Mary Tabor's accompanying video with her stellar advice and examples from other writers, along with her conversation with Eleanor. Talk about a dynamic duo! And both of them so generous with their skill and time and experience. I can't wait for the next one.
This is such thoughtful, clear instruction. How to make a scene come alive through different lens. Writing is a never-ending adventure and I've just begun. Thank you - I'll try these approaches out this week.
Anne Lamott's one inch frame, love that! I'm also reminded of a story by Roberto Bolano that made me suddenly remember to look up, look down, sideways, forward and back - through a window, through a door - to place the immediate setting in the context of a greater landscape. :)
Fantastic post Eleanor and very helpful. Thank you for mentioning Bird by Bird—a classic in the art of writing. One of the reasons I love prose poetry is that zooming into the moment and adding that "sense" of place that the writer feels while also respecting the character.
"Your question makes me think of Henry James, and his description of the five positions of the writer to the text, from God to the subconscious via landscape, physical action, and conscious thought. Each of these is a place for you to stand, a frame within which to set and develop a story." Now you've made me want to go back and re-read all of Henry James 🙂 Thank you for this brilliant essay on creating a sense of place.
I enjoyed this so much. I just published a memoir based on early childhood memories that were so far away (in years) and buried so deeply in trauma, I literally and metaphorically had to return to the land where events occurred and mine the landscape for them. As I wrote about the setting in the desert where I was born and where I lost half my family within a few months, I discovered the sky, the wind, the plains and surrounding mountains seemed to release the stories for me. It was quite an experience! Now, when facilitating writing groups, I always ask writers to set the story in "place," to allow the richness of the tale to unfold.
Thanks for this advice Eleanor. Near the end of your comments, you use the word omniscience, which of course relates to point of view.
With "In Judgment of Others," I believe you use close third on a rotating basis. Correct me if I'm mistaken.
So, my question (you asked for a POV question!) is if you have a novel without a single dominant protagonist, say a story with two or three, how do you assess the pros and cons of omniscient vs. rotating close third of rotating first?
Or can a writer slip in and out of omniscience vs. inhabiting someone's inner thoughts?
Oh, and where is that Henry James from? I'd be curious to follow that up.
This was a fantastic post — it helped me in ways I didn’t even know I wanted to be helped.
What place does place have in your writing? This video from @Eleanor Anstruther is a marvel. I'm a self-taught writer (hence a self-taught teacher of writing), and I feel that I've just been given a very fine master class. Be sure to see Eleanor's teaching partner @Mary Tabor's accompanying video with her stellar advice and examples from other writers, along with her conversation with Eleanor. Talk about a dynamic duo! And both of them so generous with their skill and time and experience. I can't wait for the next one.
This is such thoughtful, clear instruction. How to make a scene come alive through different lens. Writing is a never-ending adventure and I've just begun. Thank you - I'll try these approaches out this week.
These conversations are gold. I really enjoy the insights you both bring to the craft. I always learn so much.
What a wonderful session--just every bit. Thanks to the both of you for bringing this to life!
Anne Lamott's one inch frame, love that! I'm also reminded of a story by Roberto Bolano that made me suddenly remember to look up, look down, sideways, forward and back - through a window, through a door - to place the immediate setting in the context of a greater landscape. :)
Fantastic post Eleanor and very helpful. Thank you for mentioning Bird by Bird—a classic in the art of writing. One of the reasons I love prose poetry is that zooming into the moment and adding that "sense" of place that the writer feels while also respecting the character.
"Your question makes me think of Henry James, and his description of the five positions of the writer to the text, from God to the subconscious via landscape, physical action, and conscious thought. Each of these is a place for you to stand, a frame within which to set and develop a story." Now you've made me want to go back and re-read all of Henry James 🙂 Thank you for this brilliant essay on creating a sense of place.
I'm in awe. How did all of this roll seemingly effortlessly out of your mind and onto a computer screen? Thank you for your insight!
I enjoyed this so much. I just published a memoir based on early childhood memories that were so far away (in years) and buried so deeply in trauma, I literally and metaphorically had to return to the land where events occurred and mine the landscape for them. As I wrote about the setting in the desert where I was born and where I lost half my family within a few months, I discovered the sky, the wind, the plains and surrounding mountains seemed to release the stories for me. It was quite an experience! Now, when facilitating writing groups, I always ask writers to set the story in "place," to allow the richness of the tale to unfold.
Thanks for this advice Eleanor. Near the end of your comments, you use the word omniscience, which of course relates to point of view.
With "In Judgment of Others," I believe you use close third on a rotating basis. Correct me if I'm mistaken.
So, my question (you asked for a POV question!) is if you have a novel without a single dominant protagonist, say a story with two or three, how do you assess the pros and cons of omniscient vs. rotating close third of rotating first?
Or can a writer slip in and out of omniscience vs. inhabiting someone's inner thoughts?