Seana Moorhead – Page 5 – Ascribe Writers

Finding Lost Words

November 25, 2019November 24, 2019 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

A friend recently leant me a book called “The Lost Words”. This book lists twenty words relating to the natural world that were taken out of the Oxford Junior Dictionary (OJD)—a reference book aimed at young children and contains about 10,000 words. The book, beautifully illustrated by Jackie Morris and written by Robert Macfarlace, highlights twenty of the removed words, all connected to nature.

Obviously, when deciding upon what 10,000 words to use in a dictionary, choices have to be made. What would you pick? What would you leave out? Dictionaries have been doing this for years, adding in new words or new spellings, often to outraged critics. The editors of OJD decided to drop certain words relating to nature and added in new “modern” words. For example, “acorn”, “buttercup” and “starling” were all dropped. The words added were “blog” (ah, the irony in writing a blog about this) and “voice-mail” and “chatroom”.

Discovery and Architecture

September 23, 2019September 23, 2019 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

I’ve struggled with the labels, “planner” (or sometimes referred to as “plotter”, which sounds even worse) and “pantser”. For me, a planner sounds boring even though I love plans and structure. But in writing context, the term conjure up images of plodding along like the fabled turtle and although you might win the race, it’s kind of a boring journey. Where’s the excitement, the thrill? A pantser should be more fun but in the writing context, it sounds irresponsible. Like a partier who may be having the time of their life while writing their book but will wake up the next morning with a wicked hangover and realize most of what they wrote had nothing to do with their book and rambled in nonsensical manner in the light of day. I don’t like either label.

Then I heard someone use the words: “a discovery” writer verses “an architect” writer in an online lecture. These are the same concepts but the words helped me understand why and when you may choose one method over the other. Most of us are likely somewhere in between or may vacillate between these two methods in different stages of writing. Moreover both words sound so much better than planner and pantser.

Exploring the House of Eternal Return

July 29, 2019August 1, 2019 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

I recently got lost in the House of Eternal Return. I should not have been surprised. After all, when I opened the refrigerator, instead of shelves with packaged food was a dark narrow hallway. I bent my head and stepped into the fridge (a weird experience itself). And then, most alarming was that I eventually ended up in a cave with a giant woolly beast towering over me.

Meow Wolf is an art collective based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 2016, they opened their “The House of Eternal Return” — an interactive, multimedia art experience. Vince Kadlubet, one of Meow Wolf’s co-founders, refers to as “immersive storytelling.” George Martin (of Games of Thrones), provided substantial funding to help the over 133 artists create this art installation in a former bowling alley.

Failures and Follies

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

I’ve had a recent run of small failures.

I had a goal for my dog Ruby and I to qualify at the Ontario Regional Agility competition this May. I trained with her for the past year with this goal in my mind, taking courses and practicing runs with clear and focused handling. Despite these efforts, we failed to met our goal in the competition early this month. I blame my foot which had developed severe planter fasciitis in the weeks leading up to the competition making it difficult for me to walk, much less run. It’s still a disappointment.

Surprise! How to write a plot twister (and I’m not talking about the weather)

April 8, 2019April 7, 2019 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

I like a good surprised twist in a book. I love it when a book puts in a major twist that is both believable but that I did not see coming. It’s a tricky balance to manage well. Usually I can spot a plot twister before the wind even gets brisk; mostly because they are set out as if they are slowly spewing volcano.

The smoke is obvious, the billowing soot a give way, so I am not surprised when the volcano “suddenly” spits out the “surprise”.

I am looking for the kind of twist that makes a reader exclaim out loud while reading. A moment that compels a reader to tell the stranger sitting next to them, “do you know what just happened!” It’s the whoa – everyone is a ghost – kind of surprise.

Winter is for Writing

February 18, 2019February 17, 2019 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

February’s weather has been like a stew pot–snow flurries, ice pellets, freezing rain, more snow, bitter winds–and rarely a glimpse of the sun as if it’s the bay leaf in the meal. The days still feel too short with the grey skies and whiteout blizzards and the nights are long and chill the bones. Snow days cancel plans and keep us home. Forget snow shoveling and chipping away the ice built up on your step. It’s a perfect time for writing.

Second Book Syndrome

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

I’ve been struggling with the second novel of my planned trilogy. I have all the words but it doesn’t feel like it holds together and I have no idea when or how to end it. My two main characters split up and I don’t know how to structurally deal with that. I try to console myself that the middle book of a trilogy is supposed to be the hardest to write.

Here’s my theory on why that is: a common problem with any novel is that the middle can sag. We spend so much time developing a great beginning and the perfect ending that the middle often drags. Magnified into a trilogy, the middle book struggles to compete with the fantastic first book and the final resolution of the third. Like a “middle” child, it can feel neglected, having neither the attention of the first child nor spoiled like the youngest.

This distresses me since I am a middle child. I am personally invested to have my middle book to soar. But here’s the hard truth: I feel like I am failing it. I have read many trilogies where the second book is weak; even with trilogies that I love, I often suffer through the middle book. Their flaws can be many: Read more

Walking Stories

October 29, 2018October 28, 2018 Seana Moorhead 1 Comment

I live along the Bruce Trail. The route passes along the road in front of my house and in the summer and fall, I often see people hiking along it.

While planting tulip bulbs, I spotted a man and woman along the trail. I assumed a young couple. The man was lagging behind, dragging his feet. The woman strode twenty feet in front of him, her boots spitting up the gravel on the road. It has started to rain about thirty minutes previous and she was soaked, her hat blown from her head. He had his hood up, his chin down. They had argued, I guessed, and I began to wonder about their argument – what was it about?

Had the hike been the woman’s idea or the man’s? Had one of them told the other that it was a bad day for a hike, the forecast calling for steady rain although it was still warm for autumn? Or perhaps the rain was a catalyst for a deeper disagreement.

I imagined what this might be.

Author: Seana Moorhead