I recently ran a workshop on Guiding Questions for my teacher peers. While the aim was to teach fellow educators how to support English as Second Language (EAL) students across disciplines, I thought later that this tip may also be handy for writers. So, I dedicate this blog to teaching it to you. What is …
Author Archives: Louise Crossley @Crossley2010
Writers Life | Tarvydas or Temptation?
When writers think characterisation, they seldom think clothes designers. Whereas my peculiar imagination immediately connected them. Context It all began last Monday, while I fondly folded my 20-year-old Ruth Tarvydas designer dress into an envelope, wrapped it in fancy tissue paper and sealed it closed. Scene-by-scene of my life with this dress unfolded as I …
Writers Life | Stepford Stories
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.” – Maya Angelou The Future of Storytelling Until last week, my niggling concerns for the future of storytelling were contained. Sure, I have anxiously anticipated the loss of the long sentences of Virginia Woolf, the simplified prose of Ernest …
Writer’s Life | The Inspiration of Imperfection
It is the happiest of times. It is the saddest of times. It Is a period of genius. It is a period of ignorance. We are the epitome of empathy. We are a disgrace of indifference. It is a decade of growth. It is a time of regression. We are the enforcers of justice. We …
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Writers Life | Closet Meringue
At first glance, this middle-aged mother-of-three divorcee may seem a little ordinary. But like the humble onion, I can make your eyes water when I peel the layers away. Don’t be alarmed though, dear writers, my intention is not to horrify. It’s merely to make you teary-eyed with satisfaction for being exactly, unapologetically, no more, …
Writers Life | Karma Chameleon
The unlikely inspiration for my blog this quarter is my teenage crush, Boy George. I’m sure you’re baffled and wondering, dear writers, what on earth a left-of-centre singer of the 80’s has to do with Christian writing. Let me tell you. What’s in a Title? But first, allow me to fill you in on the …
Writers Life | Close Encounters of the Written Kind
To legitimise his very existence, 17th Century philosopher, Rene Descartes said, ‘I think, therefore I am’. It’s indisputable that books make us think, and applying Descartes philosophy makes reading more than a pastime. We ‘are’, by our encounters with words, existing in the worlds of the texts, and so are our audience. From this perspective, …
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Writer’s Life | A View of One’s Own
What does Anno Domini (AD), Virginia Woolf and modern society have in common? Read on to find out. Stereotyping; the bane of our existence By now, we all see the stark reality that only a portion of us is represented in literature. And from that portion, only a portion is represented authentically. As a teacher …
Writers Life | Mending Holes, Writing Whole
Imagine trying to open your front door with someone else’s key. Cutting, sharpening or lubricating it will likely prove futile because it’s not your key. In the same way, attempting to mend holes in your writing schedule with strategies that have worked for other writers may not always unlock your specific-to-you writing best. A Hole …
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Writers Life | Language or Literature?
To any avid reader, characters Dumbledore and Ishmael are household names. Whether you like wizardry and whales is beside the point, the ‘Harry Potter’ series and ‘Moby Dick’ are familiar titles. Unfamiliar to some is their status; while both novels use engaging language, only one is considered literature. Is one more important than the other, …