CARMEN GOLDTHWAITE – AUTHOR, TEACHER, STORYTELLER. And yes, 7th generation Texan, descendant of TCU (formerly AddRan College) founders. Now book author, writing teacher, short story writer, magazine and newspaper journalist (formerly).
Dear Reader…
Yes, I know that’s a bit strange on a web site but it’s how I’d like to address you – a conversation – to let you know what I’m about here as “Author – Teacher – Storyteller.” As such, this page of my site will vary from “stuff” (a favorite word of mine) about any or all of these roles. That’s because these roles emerge from a lifelong passion as writer (at least since age 9).
And so…writer’s borrow from living life and the journeys found along the treks of decades: experiences, people, feelings, decisions and the results or consequences of all the above. Sometimes those go into an essay, perhaps one at a time, perhaps a pattern throughout their times. They also can fuel the imagination for character and plot and setting and situation of a story.
Premise Polly’s here to point you in the right direction, introducing theme and character, plot and premise and not to forget setting and situation.
And then there’s the all important “discovery” of something new. That brings forth the music of the story, the “I’m not quitting until I get this story nailed” attitude. Discovery. Curiosity. The primary fuels for writing followed closely by observations, seeking the fine details that define a person place or situation. Another “keeper” of a writerly asset is listening. How do the people of your story (fact or fiction) speak? The language? Vocabulary? Voice inflections? (Yes, words and sentence structures go into that. Part of our fun as writers.)
Plotting Penny, our teaching aide for the big middle – call her my “scruffy sailor. – Your story takes shape with her getting across points about plot such as suspense and surprise and necessary “other” characters, actions and more.
PUBLISHING PAULA will make sure my classes know the “tricks” of crafting a page turner and its satisfying ending for publishing and reading “ports of entry” by your story.
So on this Its Personal page, I’ll introduce you to thoughts, feelings, background(s), activities in case there’s a budding writer out there or maybe an ‘ol’ pro’ seeking new juice. And sometimes, like now, I can’t resist dropping in a writerly tip or two.
If you’d like, please respond. Argue, lament, question, discuss.
And because my experience and my belief about writing is that “IT”S FUN! I’ve brought These Teaching Triplets to:
- lighten learning with a grin perhaps AND
- point toward segments of teaching materials I believe are most important.