Laura’s Blog

“If you don’t face the dangerous in your writing, you won’t change other people, because you’re not changing you.” —Naomi Wolf Brainstorm a list of things that would be dangerous to face in your writing. Then write about one of them.

“If you travel far enough, one day you will recognize yourself coming down the road to meet yourself. And you will say—YES.” —Marion Woodman Tell me about a time you said yes to yourself.

“There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside the dullest exterior, there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.” —Mark Twain Tell me about a great dramatic moment in your life. A comedy. A tragedy.

“Writing is a struggle against silence.” —Carlos Fuentes Tell me about all the different kinds of silence you have known. Start each paragraph with the words, “There is the kind of silence…”.

“One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment.” —Hart Crane Over the next week, compile a list of ten-twenty of your favorite words. You can love them because of their sound, their resonance, their meaning, their specificity—or for

“The past actually happened, but history is only what someone wrote down.” —A. Whitney Brown Tell me about a historical event you lived through or witnessed—the story of where you were when it occurred. Choose one you remember well.

“It only takes a reminder to breathe, a moment to be still, and just like that, something in me settles, softens, makes space for imperfection. The harsh voice of judgment drops to a whisper and I remember again that life isn’t a relay race; that we will all cross the finish line; that waking up

“A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said, ‘I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one.’ “The grandson asked him, ‘Which wolf will win the fight in your