“I wish I knew exactly who I was. I was talking to a friend earlier about the advice people give each other, advice like "just be yourself," and how this is particularly awful because it presumes we know who we are. As if people are static and unchanging.” PeopleIfsKnowsGivingWishTalkingAdviceAwfulBeing YourselfWho We AreStaticJust Be YourselfUnchanging Author:Mary J. Miller
“A story works when there's momentum, life behind the words. Some stories have this and others don't, and it's difficult to say why this is. If all stories "worked," though, writing wouldn't be much of a challenge; it wouldn't be art.” IfsWritingArtStoriesDifficultChallengesBehindsMomentum Author:Mary J. Miller
“Sometimes the way comes later, when I'm not working or thinking about it at all. When stories don't work, you try to convince yourself that all of that time and energy wasn't wasted, that it will make you a better writer, if nothing else.” IfsThinkingWayTryingSometimesStoriesEnergyConvinceTime And Energy Author:Mary J. Miller
“Perhaps adding a line or two of dialogue to try to better capture an emotion. But I've found that if the story isn't there in the beginning, right from the start, I generally can't beat it into shape no matter how much rewriting I do.” IfsTryingTwoMatterStoriesFoundLinesEmotionShapesBeatsDialogueCaptureRewriting Author:Mary J. Miller
“It's definitely about the rhythm of the words and how they sound together, writing one sentence and then another and another and cutting something immediately if it doesn't feel true. I come from a family of musicians and - while I have no musical abilities of my own - I think I inherited a good ear.” IfsThinkingFeelsWritingTogetherSoundMy OwnAbilityCuttingMusicianEarsMusicalSentencesRhythmOne SentenceMusical Ability Author:Mary J. Miller
“"There is no analysis here," the most brutal of them wrote. Now I wonder if my papers lacked critical thought, or if it was really more about my inability/refusal to write in the convoluted style that they wanted me to. I remember the initial shock upon reading my peers' papers. I seriously could not understand them, and I couldn't understand why the writing had to be so unclear in order to be considered smart.” IfsWritingWantedRememberOrderReadingWonderStylePaperSmartCriticalAnalysisShockBrutalPeersPapersInabilityInitialsRefusalUnclearConvoluted Author:Mary J. Miller
“I've learned a lot about language from reading slush. You can immediately tell if a writer is in control of the narrative. This writer will avoid using too many words like "possibly," "probably," "maybe," "perhaps," etc. He/she will avoid using clichés, as well as a lot of metaphors, and won't take four sentences to say what they could in one (or write a great sentence and follow it up with a bunch of stuff that just weakens it).” IfsWritingWellsReadingLanguageStuffFourMetaphorSentencesBunchNarrativeI've LearnedEtcSlush Author:Mary J. Miller