by Mary Ann on September 14, 2009
Besides being MAD about Words, I’m mad about the movies. I often take The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film, by Michael Ondaatje down off my bookshelf and read it again to feed my two obsessions. Murch is an Academy Award winning film editor who worked on “The Godfather” and many other [...]
by Mary Ann on August 17, 2009
I saw the Julie & Julia movie yesterday. Julia Child’s fearlessness, her joyful energy and passion, drove her to success. Author Annie Dillard doesn’t hold back either. Isn’t interesting how often good writing advice makes good life advice, too?
“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play [...]
by Mary Ann on July 20, 2009
The road to a complete written piece is rarely smooth and straight from beginning to end. It’s bumpy; there are detours and dead ends; and your windshield is more likely than not to get muddy. Instead of freaking out when the end is not in sight, how about enjoying the ramble? Take side trips and [...]
by Mary Ann on May 10, 2009
In the midst of puzzling and fretting over a writing issue the other day, I remembered for the zillionth time that writing is a metaphor for living. And so I decided: keep on puzzling and stop fretting. [read on...]