Through What Lens Should I Tell the Story?

How deep do I dig into my own experience, in my own voice, when crafting a story? If I go too deep, will the reader disconnect?Take The Fish Dress, where a mother caught in an abusive marriage tries to hold the family together for the sake of the child and in a needy way, the …

Meet Winter’s Seasonal Archetype

As writers, we use broad character types to show aspects of human nature that follow a pattern over time, place, and circumstance. It is natural to want to apply the same thinking to the seasons: Spring, the Innocent archetype with new beginnings. Summer, the Warrior, ready for empowerment. Autumn, the Transformer, turning obstacles into steppingstones.  …

Why Archetypes?

With the shift from summer to autumn upon us, I’ve been thinking about nature’s seasonal archetypes. Winter, the Sage, the wise woman elder; she discards all that no longer serves her and holds onto the powerful life force necessary for rebirth. Spring, symbolized by New Beginnings. Summer, with its bold Warrior spirit, and soon to …