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Or, why you should listen to your English teacher Early in the morning, when my kids are asleep, I’m a writer of science-fiction novels for middle-grade readers. My first book, IN THE RED, will be out on March 24 from HarperCollins. It’s the story of two kids living on Mars who get stranded during a […]… Continue reading How Writing Is Like Video Game Development by Christopher Swiedler — MG Book Village

Plotting is difficult for me, and always has been. I do that before I actually start writing, but I always do characters, and the arc of the story, first… You can’t do anything without a story arc. Where is it going to begin, where will it end. 26 Elizabeth George Quotes – Inspirational Quotes at […]… Continue reading You Can’t Do Anything Without A Story Arc — Rolando Andrés Ramos

Use this brilliant quote from Ira Glass I recently stumbled upon a quote by Ira Glass — the famous producer and host of This American Life. It changed my life, and it changed the way I view creative work. The quote is pretty famous among creative types. So famous, that Ira fears “it might be… Continue reading How To Upgrade Your Creative Life — Sergey Faldin

Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived. Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian, diplomat, politician, historian, philosopher, writer, playwright and poet via “Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a… Continue reading “Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.” — Art of Quotation

When a poem is really finished, you can’t change anything. You can’t move words around. You can’t say, ‘In other words, you mean.’ No, that’s not it. There are no other words in which you mean it. This is it. W. S. Merwin, poet via “When a poem is really finished, you can’t change anything. You… Continue reading “When a poem is really finished, you can’t change anything. You can’t move words around. You can’t… “ — Art of Quotation

Society takes what it wants. The artist himself does not count, because there is no actual existence for the work of art. The work of art is always based on the two poles of the onlooker and the maker, and the spark that comes from the bipolar action gives birth to something – like electricity. […]… Continue reading “…it is always posterity that makes the masterpiece.” — Art of Quotation

With Donald Trump’s election, I knew I could not remain silent. I in no way considered myself an activist. But in January 2017, just after the inauguration, I opened my computer and worked late into the night setting up a nonpartisan Facebook group for myself and a few like-minded friends. I wanted to create a […]… Continue reading “We will not be complicit by being complacent” — Art of Quotation

There exists, for everyone, a sentence – a series of words – that has the power to destroy you. Another sentence exists, another series of words, that could heal you. If you’re lucky you will get the second, but you can be certain of getting the first. Philip K. Dick via ”There exists, for everyone, a… Continue reading ”There exists, for everyone, a sentence… that has the power to destroy you. Another sentence exists… that could heal you. If you’re lucky you will get…” — Art of Quotation

Seeing the world anew, as if it were new, is as old as writing. It’s what all painters are trying to do, to see what’s there, to see it in a way that renews it. It becomes more and more urgent as the planet gets worn flat and forest after forest is slain to print […]… Continue reading “As the planet gets progressively less innocent, you need a more innocent eye to see it.” — Art of Quotation

A record … is a statement, it’s its own statement, its own entity, rather than being about something else. If I was a painter … I don’t paint the chair, I would paint feelings about the chair. Bob Dylan, poet via “If I was a painter … I don’t paint the chair, I would paint feelings… Continue reading “If I was a painter … I don’t paint the chair, I would paint feelings about the chair.” — Art of Quotation