Reading Like a Writer

Reading Like a Writer
The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts and Purposeful Ambiguity
I love how we linger on it for a moment, before it connects to a body, before it connects, specifically, to Lele’s body. Or is it her body?
Allison Wyss
Jul. 3
Reading Like a Writer
Children of the Jacaranda Tree and Three Kinds of Feeling
"When you put on a play, you get to build the sets ahead of time. But in fiction the world must be constructed as the reader watches, sentence by sentence, line by line."
Allison Wyss
May. 12
Reading Like a Writer
The Quantum-Cosmic Writer’s Journey: "Reading Like a Writer" Guest Blog by Richard Liber
Mystery and calculus have more in common than you might think. But what can quantum physics teach us about fiction?
Allison Wyss
Mar. 10
Reading Like a Writer
Fruit of the Drunken Tree and a Reciprocal Gaze
“I think intimacy is a special kind of connection—perhaps it is always a mystery. It’s not only seeing or being seen, but seeing that you are seen, knowing that you are known.”
Allison Wyss
Feb. 28
Reading Like a Writer
Fruit of the Drunken Tree and Setting That Is Alive
"And, of course, the garden is not described as green or pretty or alive—but an abyss. A more inviting description would have created a warm atmosphere between these characters and set them up for an easier friendship. This is something else."
Allison Wyss
Jan. 7
Reading Like a Writer
“All’s Well” and Dialogue Beyond Words
A story doesn’t have to solve anything, but it might let us poke at something that can’t be named.
Allison Wyss
Oct. 31
Reading Like a Writer
Transplants and Change Through Intimacy
When one character opens up to another, either physically or emotionally, they become vulnerable in a new way
Allison Wyss
Oct. 1
Reading Like a Writer
The Office of Historical Corrections: Writing Effective Flashbacks and Memories
“What is the emotion tied to the moment when they reflect on their past? What is their process for retrieving it?”
Allison Wyss
Aug. 26
Reading Like a Writer
Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe and Time Magic
"As a storyteller, to include terminology from your own era is a way to claim the story as your story too."
Allison Wyss
Jun. 1
Reading Like a Writer
City of Dancing Gargoyles and the Decentering of Humanity
Monsters, Memory, and a Masterclass in First Lines: why starting with confusion can be a brilliant craft move.
Allison Wyss
Apr. 29
Reading Like a Writer
The Real Within the Surreal: Humor, Chaos, and Truth in Flash Fiction
Lit!Commons subscriber Aimee Johnson treats us to a close reading of the flash fiction piece "You To Can Have a Pass Rate Like Mine" by Swati Sudarsan.
Allison Wyss
Feb. 21
Reading Like a Writer
Reading Like a Writer: What Would the Aliens Think? by Ekpenyong Kosisochukowu Collins
Lit!Commons subscriber Patty Bohart investigates the supernatural and conditional verbs in flash fiction.
Allison Wyss
Jan. 28