Story and Storytelling :: Divining The Muse

The Creative Power of Empathy

Empathy, the least comfortable of human emotions. ~Frances Gray Patton~ An important technique of fiction writing is Deep POV (Point of View). This technique uses the third person point of view in such a way that the reader feels as if she is inside the person’s head—or heart—for that scene. Which means, as you read, page after page goes by,…

What Books Introduced You to the Magic of Story?

Posted on May 20, 2016

I love books, in any format. If you are a writer, then you love books too. And, I bet you were introduced to their magic early in your childhood. I also bet that, like me, you have memories of several favorite books that introduced you to that magic and set you on the path to storytelling. Three of my favorite…

Don’t Know What to Write? Look Out…

Posted on March 30, 2016

Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact. -Robert McKee Now that we are formally into spring, I’ve enjoyed a full week of watching birds at the feeder just outside the window where I work at my computer. The red-winged blackbirds, the true harbingers of…

The Power of Story to…

Posted on December 2, 2015

After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world. ~ Philip Pullman~ This past Thanksgiving, Bob and I traveled to Virginia to be with our oldest son, his wife and his two sons, all of whom were struggling with a virus that resulted in stuffy noses and coughs. In addition to preparing the feast,…

Are You an Illusionist or a Magician?

Posted on September 2, 2015

The Magician of the tarot is number one in the Major Arcana (Arcanum = secret knowledge), often called the Fool’s Journey. The Fool travels through consciousness (outer concerns of life), to the subconscious (the search inward) and finally to the superconscious (spiritual awareness). Most people travel through these stages more than once as their lives and circumstances change. Writers and…

The Power of Your Story

Posted on July 8, 2015

The Universe is made of stories,/ not of atoms. ~Muriel Rukeyser Our oldest son and his wife came for a visit recently, bringing our grandsons, one-year-old Ryan and three-year-old Andrew. Andrew went home at the end of his visit with us with a fine collection of stories. Stories about roasting marshmallows over a big fire with family and friends. Stories…