Category Archives: Creative Writing

Story Structure can be a straight-jacket for your Muse. On the one hand, structure is necessary for a story to have a point or even just to make sense!  But on the other hand, structure tends to channel ideas down … Continue reading →

Sweet potatoes are the best.  And they are best described in Ralph Ellison’s story of a black man coming to terms with his identity entitled “Invisible Man,” in which he has always avoided eating his favorite childhood food, hot buttered … Continue reading →

By Melanie Anne Phillips In story structure there is a dramatic element called the Story Limit.  It has two varieties: the time lock and the option lock.  Some stories come to a climax because they run out of time, others … Continue reading →

By Melanie Anne Phillips The Muse explodes outward into a world of passion and possibilities. As a teacher of creative writing for twenty-five years, my experiences with many types of writers tell me that one should never consider structure at … Continue reading →

By Melanie Anne Phillips Remember blowing bubbles with that solution in the little bottles and the plastic wand? The craft of writing is a bit like blowing bubbles (life is like a box of chocolates!) This holds true not only … Continue reading →

By Melanie Anne Phillips Who are you, really? Do you even know? Or do you just think you know? At the center of our beings, at the heart of our souls, can be found the truth of our identity: our … Continue reading →