Emily Hanlon is a writing coach, a creativity coach and novelist. As a writing coach, Emily demystifies the writing process with her two pronged approach of teaching technique and unleashing creativity. In addition to private coaching, she offers, workshops, retreats, teleseminars and teleworkshops. Also writing prompts and books.
Her work as a creativity coach is based on her belief that the multifaceted journey of creativity is not limited to the arts, but nurtures life at its most profound depths. The creative journey is a template for leading a more creatively fulfilling, aware and meaningful life. Emily offers two Mentoring Programs: Creativity as A Wellspring of Life and Writing Your Story, Creating a Tapestry of Your Life: Memoir Writing as a Healing Journey
As a novelist, she had seven works of fiction, including the bestselling novel, Petersburg. And a book on writing, The Art of Fiction Writing or How to Fall Down the Rabbit Hole Without Really Trying.
Point of view one is of the fiction writer's most powerful techniques. Writing from your character's POV means that you get inside the main character's head, heart and gut --literally see the world through the character's perspective. So, for example, when you are in the "bad guy's" POV, be true to that POV. An excellent example of this is Crime and Punishment where Raskolnikov thrusts an ax into his landlady's head. Thus begins one of the greatest novel ever written. Did Dostoevsky have to put an ax into anyone's head to write this? Clearly not. And neither do you. But Dostoevsky needed to experience Raskolnikov's physical journey as a murderer as well as his emotional journey from darkness to redemption.
William Faulkner wrote: "... the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself... alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the sweat and the agony." Faulkner has given us a tough assignment, yet it is an assignment at which we much excel as fiction writers. The best way to succeed at this is to leave behind what you believe to be "true" and open yourself to the vast possibility of life experiences outside your own. For it is not true that we can only write what we experience. As writers, we access the imagination, that cosmic place where everything is possible and the great expanse of human emotions resides.
One of the best ways to experience the power of point of view is to write an emotionally strong scene between two people who, when they tell their story, have very different versions of the experience. For example, write a fight between two people, perhaps a mother and a daughter or a father and a son. A fight has built in tension, which makes the scene easier to write. You also have opportunity to use dialogue - when people fight, they usually have a lot say! Begin by asking yourself what is the issue between the mother and daughter (or father and son, or any two people). First write the scene from the daughter's point of view. This means you get inside only the daughter's head. The reader can hear what the mother says and see how she acts, but cannot know her thoughts. This exercise brings you totally inside the daughter. The only inner thoughts you use belong to the daughter.
Then put the daughter's story aside and write the scene from the mother's point of view. You need not have the exact same dialogue and almost certainly the story will be very different from the mother's point of view. This time around, you show the reader only the mother's inner thoughts. The daughter speaks and acts but we do not know her motivations other than by what she says and does.
This is a great eye opener of an exercise geared to deepening your understanding of the writer's technique of point of view. It also encourages dialogue. Even if you've never written dialogue, give it a try. I've worked with a lot of people who think they can't write dialogue -- only because they've never tried. The truth is everyone can write dialogue So can you!
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Fiction Author William R. Potter
By: William | 04/07/2009LIGHTING THE DARK SIDE is a collection of six stories. Each selection features leading characters that live their lives as normally as possible and then suddenly find themselves in extraordinary situations.
If only..
By: Paulina Boadiwaa Mensah | 02/07/2009This is a story about a girl whose village is torn apart by war and family killed in the war. She has plans to survive, build her village and help orphans like her also survive but can she make it? Read this interesting, compelling story written by a girl of 11 years.
Drama Queen
By: Priya Chandramouli | 17/06/2009The pondering of a confused young girl, unable to define relationships and love. Thoughts bothering her about her affair, even though she knows her secret is completely safe. An incident not unlike today's reality, that we may relate to.
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By: Charles Jackson | 11/06/2009Have you ever wanted to write a fantasy novel, construct a detailed and believable world for it or even create a language? If you have, then read this article, for any fantasy / science fiction writer or those interested in world design for any other reason.
The Traveler’s Imagination – A Short Story!
By: hasan yahya | 09/06/2009Another short story for the author. This time take us into travelling adventure again but not without danger and risk..
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By: hasan yahya | 09/06/2009A short story about love and trust which is not always cherished by some. This story describes some situations between Boy-Girld friend relationships.
In Bible versus Quran: The Voice of the LORD is over the Waters
By: Prof.dr. Ibrahim Khalil | 09/06/2009The Bible says that the voice of the LORD is over the waters; the voice of Jehovah is on the waters. In the Quran: this is not mentioned therein.
Creative Writing is not a Linear Process
By: Emily Hanlon | 01/02/2008 | FictionYou need both left and right sides of the brain to be successful with your writing and creativity. But if you start with your left brain, or the linear, thinking part of your mind, you will run into your Inner Critic. And that's trouble. All creativity begins in the right side or intuitive part of brain.
Creativity and the Power of Play
By: Emily Hanlon | 01/02/2008 | FictionWe can learn a lot about creativity by watching children play. For children, play is work; it's serious, but it's also fun. When we grow up, having fun with our creative passions often requires a leap of faith. This is particularly true for writers.
Ten Tips on Writing and Creativity
By: Emily Hanlon | 21/09/2005 | WritingAs a spark or image. Like dreams, they will make little sense. Followed, they will hold the key to the creative unconscious. 2. Creativity is cyclical. You cannot and will.