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WRITES
OF LIFE - CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION:
A Different Path 1
ONE:
Our Life Experiences, Our Stories 6
Cultivate the rich fields of your inner, outer, imaginative, spiritual
and emotional lives to uncover ideas and stories — then develop
and apply them.
TWO:
The Circle of Life 14
Many facets of ourselves are available and accessible every moment: Dreams,
Intuition, Presence, Observation, Senses, Imagination. Utilize all of
these aspects for your material.
THREE:
The Creative Dream 26
Journey to a sacred junction of creativity, skill and intuition where
time stands still, ideas and stories flow freely, characters blossom and
disparate concepts connect.
FOUR:
Practice Presence 35
In any art, the point of power is in the present. Tips and techniques
to turn your writing into a celebration of the present moment —
whether it be "live" essays or historical fiction.
FIVE:
The Perpetual Voyage of Discovery 43
Regard every life experience as a discovery, adventure, or voyage and
enter into the core of authentic writing — the journey.
SIX:
Microscopes & Telescopes 51
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The core of nature is in the heart of
every man." Use the art and craft of inner and outer observation
to breathe life into what you are describing.
SEVEN: Your 12 Senses 61
Anthropologist Rudolf Steiner explored the idea that we have 12 senses,
not five. His descendant educational system, the Waldorf Schools, incorporated
12 senses into its curriculum. Explore how the 12 senses enliven and amplify
your stories, essays, journals and poems – and put them into action.
EIGHT: Tap Your Gold Mine 70
We carry thousands of stories with us. Tap your gold mine of memory –
ancestral, cultural, personal, cellular and intuitive–and weave
the emergent stories into your work.
NINE: The Art & Craft of Storytelling 80
Use your life experience, skills and imagination to write non-fiction
and fiction stories that guide readers into the fire of your words–and
keep them coming back for more.
TEN:
Finish! 88
The world's file cabinets, closets and attics are filled with half-completed
manuscripts. Why they were never finished? Ways to keep the motor running
strong for a book or writing project, featuring secrets from literature's
best "finishers."
Experience the writes of your own life!