Writing a manuscript? Get tips and insights to help your work take wing!
Writing a manuscript?
We’ll depart from our usual craft book selection and discuss James by Percival Everett. Published in 2024, this Pulitzer Prize winner is “A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view” (Penguin Random House). Interest in this title surfaced during our recent…
Great songs are composed by great storytellers. In Lyrical Musings, we take a deeper dive into how good lyrics fit a storytelling structure, exploring the way the song’s musical arrangement heightens the listener’s experience of the story. Together, we create an inspiration playlist to make getting back to the page and in the flow feel like…
Focused creative writing sessions with a spontaneous, come-as-you-are feeling. There is nothing needed to prepare for the event – through prompts and spacious listening, we’ll rediscover the joy and fun of writing that may have gotten lost working on a project or in the daily grind. This live Zoom meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m….
Focused creative writing sessions with a spontaneous, come-as-you-are feeling. There is nothing needed to prepare for the event – through prompts and spacious listening, we’ll rediscover the joy and fun of writing that may have gotten lost working on a project or in the daily grind. This live Zoom meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m….
In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron nurtures, then shoves, Recovering Creatives out of the nest. The fledgling Creative is torn between expression and safety. Let’s see which way she flies, to the tune of a great Frank Sinatra standard. The whole trip takes about three and a half minutes. The song’s opening beat is the…
That’s the job of moviesand literature, and art and dance:to remind people that we’re human beingsand that every one of us has dignity,and every one of us is valuable.That’s the job, right?!It’s a compassion engine at its best. – Ethan Hawke
From spark of an idea to published book, I witnessed the span of the writers’ life one sunny Saturday. I started my day leading a writing retreat in a beautiful space on the banks of the Meramec River. A dozen writers had gathered to reflect and find a quiet spot to put pen to paper….
Recently the Muse has made her presence known through sudden losses, in spaces that somehow love fills again. Musician JD Souther passed one week ago today. Oh, how I love his voice, especially on his CD Natural History. Here’s an excerpt from a 2011 NPR interview: Melissa Block: J.D. Souther collaborated on many of The Eagles’ hits…
I needed a reset and a creative boost. I had to do something to get back in the flow. A poem by David Whyte invited me to: Start close in,don’t take the second stepor the third,start with the firstthingclose in,the stepyou don’t want to take. The first thing close in for me is my phone—and…
A moving conversation between Nick Cave and Stephen Colbert, spanning music, creativity, and grief. When asked about the power of music, and what it means to him, Nick replied, “music is a thing that makes things better. It’s one of the last legitimate opportunities we have for a transcendent experience really left to us.” The…
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All events from MRO’s Creative Space are free! When you sign up here, you’ll receive new event announcements, as well as reminders with meeting details when an event is approaching.
You’ll also receive “News from the Muse,” containing inspiration for writers, editors, and more!
