Creatively Genuine https://creativelygenuine.podbean.com The journey of writing a creative nonfiction novel about parents, children, and the search for someone missing for 60 years. Tue, 09 Jan 2018 06:04:59 -0500 https://podbean.com/?v=3.2 en Copyright 2017 . All rights reserved. Arts:Literature 1440 episodic Follow the journey of a creative nonfiction novel writer from opening scene to publication with Creatively Genuine. Follow the journey of a creative nonfiction novel writer from opening scene to publication with Creatively Genuine. Creatively Genuine explores the highs and lows of book writing in today's world, what techniques have worked, encouragement for your own writing. North Arch Media LLC North Arch Media LLC dave@creativelygenuine.com No No http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/feed/ http://deow9bq0xqvbj.cloudfront.net/image-logo/2320630/CG_Podcast.png Creatively Genuine https://creativelygenuine.podbean.com 144 144 From Pantser to Plotter http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/from-pantser-to-plotter/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/from-pantser-to-plotter/#comments Tue, 09 Jan 2018 06:04:59 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction Stories Behind the Story creativelygenuine.podbean.com/from-pantser-to-plotter-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 When I sat down for my first writing session of 2018, I came with all the enthusiasm inherent with a new year. I figured I could pick up where I left off 10 days earlier, when I shut down all manuscript work in favor of the Christmas holiday. 

An all-too-familiar panic, however, set in rather quickly. 

Every time I’ve gone to write a draft of my creative nonfiction novel, I manage to navigate deep into the story, but eventually, I find myself intellectually and emotionally lost. Why? I lose sight of the greater context, the big picture. 

It’s frustrating. I know the story, after all, I lived it. So why did I struggle to finish it?

Simple — I was a pantser. And it held me back.

Writers find themselves in two camps; either you are a pantser or a plotter. Pantsers write by the seat-of-their-pants, simply winging it to see where the writing and their creativity takes them. They have no patience for the focused practice of mapping [...]

]]> When I sat down for my first writing session of 2018, I came with all the enthusiasm inherent with a new year. I figured I could pick up where I left off 10 days earlier, when I shut down all manuscript work in favor of the Christmas holiday. 

An all-too-familiar panic, however, set in rather quickly. 

Every time I've gone to write a draft of my creative nonfiction novel, I manage to navigate deep into the story, but eventually, I find myself intellectually and emotionally lost. Why? I lose sight of the greater context, the big picture. 

It's frustrating. I know the story, after all, I lived it. So why did I struggle to finish it?

Simple -- I was a pantser. And it held me back.

Writers find themselves in two camps; either you are a pantser or a plotter. Pantsers write by the seat-of-their-pants, simply winging it to see where the writing and their creativity takes them. They have no patience for the focused practice of mapping out every plot point and character sketch; in other words, what plotters do.

Today on Creatively Genuine, I discuss my metamorphosis from pantser to plotter and how that's impacted my writing. I also discuss a book called The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson, which you can find right here.

Are you a pantser? A plotter? How has either one helped or held you back? Leave a comment and let's start a spirited (and respectful) discussion.

Dave is a professional writer and photographer from Lancaster, Pa. His writing podcast, Creatively Genuine, is available on iTunes and Google Play.

]]> When I sat down for my first writing session of 2018, I came with all the enthusiasm inherent with a new year. I figured I ... When I sat down for my first writing session of 2018, I came with all the enthusiasm inherent with a new year. I figured I could pick up where I left off 10 days earlier, when I shut down all manuscript work in favor of the Christmas holiday. 
An all-too-familiar panic, however, set in rather quickly. 
Every time I've gone to write a draft of my creative nonfiction novel, I manage to navigate deep into the story, but eventually, I find myself intellectually and emotionally lost. Why? I lose sight of the greater context, the big picture. 
It's frustrating. I know the story, after all, I lived it. So why did I struggle to finish it?
Simple -- I was a pantser. And it held me back.
Writers find themselves in two camps; either you are a pantser or a plotter. Pantsers write by the seat-of-their-pants, simply winging it to see where the writing and their creativity takes them. They have no patience for the focused practice of mapping out every plot point and character sketch; in other words, what plotters do.
Today on Creatively Genuine, I discuss my metamorphosis from pantser to plotter and how that's impacted my writing. I also discuss a book called The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson, which you can find right here.
Are you a pantser? A plotter? How has either one helped or held you back? Leave a comment and let's start a spirited (and respectful) discussion.
Dave is a professional writer and photographer from Lancaster, Pa. His writing podcast, Creatively Genuine, is available on iTunes and Google Play.
]]> North Arch Media LLC No No 00:19:28 11 full Five ways to keep your writing on track in 2018 http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/five-ways-to-keep-your-writing-on-track-in-2018/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/five-ways-to-keep-your-writing-on-track-in-2018/#comments Tue, 02 Jan 2018 05:49:03 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing creativelygenuine.podbean.com/five-ways-to-keep-your-writing-on-track-in-2018-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 It’s the first Creatively Genuine pod for 2018, and in this one, I offer five ways to keep your writing resolutions on track throughout the year.

We all begin a new year with hope and ambition, but let’s face it — within a few weeks, our drive begins to diminish. Life challenges us. Other priorities have a way of, well, getting in the way.

Here are five ways we can all stay focused on our writing so we don’t lose momentum after January 1.

Also today, for all the new listeners, a roundup of what Creatively Genuine and my book, For Him I Sing, is all about. I look at where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going so you know what to expect.

I’m so excited for 2018 to begin. Much more to come. Hope you enjoy the start to the new year.

Dave is a writer, magazine columnist, blogger, podcaster, and photographer from Lancaster, Pa. His writing podcast,  [...]

]]> It's the first Creatively Genuine pod for 2018, and in this one, I offer five ways to keep your writing resolutions on track throughout the year.

We all begin a new year with hope and ambition, but let's face it -- within a few weeks, our drive begins to diminish. Life challenges us. Other priorities have a way of, well, getting in the way.

Here are five ways we can all stay focused on our writing so we don't lose momentum after January 1.

Also today, for all the new listeners, a roundup of what Creatively Genuine and my book, For Him I Sing, is all about. I look at where we've been, where we are, and where we're going so you know what to expect.

I'm so excited for 2018 to begin. Much more to come. Hope you enjoy the start to the new year.

Dave is a writer, magazine columnist, blogger, podcaster, and photographer from Lancaster, Pa. His writing podcast, Creatively Genuine, is available on iTunes and Google Play.

]]> It's the first Creatively Genuine pod for 2018, and in this one, I offer five ways to keep your writing resolutions on track throughout the ... It's the first Creatively Genuine pod for 2018, and in this one, I offer five ways to keep your writing resolutions on track throughout the year.
We all begin a new year with hope and ambition, but let's face it -- within a few weeks, our drive begins to diminish. Life challenges us. Other priorities have a way of, well, getting in the way.
Here are five ways we can all stay focused on our writing so we don't lose momentum after January 1.
Also today, for all the new listeners, a roundup of what Creatively Genuine and my book, For Him I Sing, is all about. I look at where we've been, where we are, and where we're going so you know what to expect.
I'm so excited for 2018 to begin. Much more to come. Hope you enjoy the start to the new year.
Dave is a writer, magazine columnist, blogger, podcaster, and photographer from Lancaster, Pa. His writing podcast, Creatively Genuine, is available on iTunes and Google Play.
]]> North Arch Media LLC No No 00:16:29 10 full The three effective strategies for productive writing in 2018 http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/the-three-effective-strategies-for-productive-writing-in-2018/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/the-three-effective-strategies-for-productive-writing-in-2018/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 11:13:06 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction Journalism Productivity creativelygenuine.podbean.com/the-three-effective-strategies-for-productive-writing-in-2018-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 2017 draws to a close, and I’m stopping by Creatively Genuine to talk about three productivity strategies I tried in 2017 that will make me a better writer in the year ahead.

Give one or all of these a try. And if you discovered a technique or strategy that improved your productivity in 2017, I would love to hear about it. Tell me in the comments or on Twitter at NorthArchDP. 

]]> 2017 draws to a close, and I'm stopping by Creatively Genuine to talk about three productivity strategies I tried in 2017 that will make me a better writer in the year ahead.

Give one or all of these a try. And if you discovered a technique or strategy that improved your productivity in 2017, I would love to hear about it. Tell me in the comments or on Twitter at NorthArchDP. 

]]> 2017 draws to a close, and I'm stopping by Creatively Genuine to talk about three productivity strategies I tried in 2017 that will make me a ... 2017 draws to a close, and I'm stopping by Creatively Genuine to talk about three productivity strategies I tried in 2017 that will make me a better writer in the year ahead.
Give one or all of these a try. And if you discovered a technique or strategy that improved your productivity in 2017, I would love to hear about it. Tell me in the comments or on Twitter at NorthArchDP. 
]]> North Arch Media LLC No No 00:13:39 9 full AWOL at the Holiday Inn http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/awol-at-the-holiday-inn/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/awol-at-the-holiday-inn/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:10:00 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing Stories Behind the Story creativelygenuine.podbean.com/awol-at-the-holiday-inn-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 How do you take a family legend that no one alive can truly confirm, and then turn that legend into a scene in your creative nonfiction novel? The backstory of whether a family member deserted the Marine Corps during Christmas 1942.

]]> How do you take a family legend that no one alive can truly confirm, and then turn that legend into a scene in your creative nonfiction novel? The backstory of whether a family member deserted the Marine Corps during Christmas 1942.

]]> How do you take a family legend that no one alive can truly confirm, and then turn that legend into a scene in your creative ... North Arch Media LLC No No 00:17:25 7 full Messing with timelines. Non-linear story telling takes over. http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/messing-with-timelines-non-linear-story-telling-takes-over/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/messing-with-timelines-non-linear-story-telling-takes-over/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:08:51 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing Stories Behind the Story creativelygenuine.podbean.com/messing-with-timelines-non-linear-story-telling-takes-over-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 The movie Dunkirk had a profound inspiration on how I tell the story of my father’s abduction and the investigation into what happened 60 years ago. Why? Messing with the chronological proved to be advantageous and profound.

]]> The movie Dunkirk had a profound inspiration on how I tell the story of my father's abduction and the investigation into what happened 60 years ago. Why? Messing with the chronological proved to be advantageous and profound.

]]> The movie Dunkirk had a profound inspiration on how I tell the story of my father's abduction and the investigation into what happened 60 years ... North Arch Media LLC No No 00:10:35 6 full Based on a True Story http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/based-on-a-true-story-1513692373/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/based-on-a-true-story-1513692373/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:06:13 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing Stories Behind the Story creativelygenuine.podbean.com/based-on-a-true-story-1513692373-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 This is a good one. If you walked into the nonfiction section of Barnes & Noble and pulled a book out from the memoir shelf, and you read that the book is “based on a true story,” how would you feel? Today on Creatively Genuine, I’m talking about the creative part of creative nonfiction novel writing.

]]> This is a good one. If you walked into the nonfiction section of Barnes & Noble and pulled a book out from the memoir shelf, and you read that the book is "based on a true story," how would you feel? Today on Creatively Genuine, I'm talking about the creative part of creative nonfiction novel writing.

]]> This is a good one. If you walked into the nonfiction section of Barnes Noble and pulled a book out from the memoir shelf, ... North Arch Media LLC No No 00:13:26 5 full Don’t Overlook the Second Hook http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/dont-overlook-the-second-hook/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/dont-overlook-the-second-hook/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:04:40 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing Stories Behind the Story creativelygenuine.podbean.com/dont-overlook-the-second-hook-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 Your opening scene to the first chapter isn’t the only hook you should be concerned about as a writer. There’s another hook just as vital to keeping the reader interested. 

]]> Your opening scene to the first chapter isn't the only hook you should be concerned about as a writer. There's another hook just as vital to keeping the reader interested. 

]]> Your opening scene to the first chapter isn't the only hook you should be concerned about as a writer. There's another hook just as vital ... North Arch Media LLC No No 00:09:55 4 full It’s Not Journalism http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/its-not-journalism/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/its-not-journalism/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:03:25 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing Stories Behind the Story Journalism creativelygenuine.podbean.com/its-not-journalism-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 Saturday morning, and after finishing Chapter One of the manuscript, I discuss the difference between straight journalism and creative nonfiction and why for my book I chose the latter.

]]> Saturday morning, and after finishing Chapter One of the manuscript, I discuss the difference between straight journalism and creative nonfiction and why for my book I chose the latter.

]]> Saturday morning, and after finishing Chapter One of the manuscript, I discuss the difference between straight journalism and creative nonfiction and why for my book ... North Arch Media LLC No No 00:18:31 3 full “I Will Kill The Boy” http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/i-will-kill-the-boy/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/i-will-kill-the-boy/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:01:56 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing Stories Behind the Story creativelygenuine.podbean.com/i-will-kill-the-boy-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 I bet that title caught your attention. Today, I continue work on Chapter One of my creative nonfiction novel, in which my grandmother in 1957 allegedly threatens to kill the baby my grandfather has with his teenage mistress. I also discuss why I reject the idea of daily word counts for writers and focus instead on writing scenes.

]]> I bet that title caught your attention. Today, I continue work on Chapter One of my creative nonfiction novel, in which my grandmother in 1957 allegedly threatens to kill the baby my grandfather has with his teenage mistress. I also discuss why I reject the idea of daily word counts for writers and focus instead on writing scenes.

]]> I bet that title caught your attention. Today, I continue work on Chapter One of my creative nonfiction novel, in which my grandmother in 1957 ... North Arch Media LLC No No 00:14:30 2 full My Father’s Kidnapper http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/my-fathers-kidnapper/ http://creativelygenuine.podbean.com/e/my-fathers-kidnapper/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 08:54:25 -0500 creativelygenuine Creative NonFiction For Him I Sing Stories Behind the Story creativelygenuine.podbean.com/my-fathers-kidnapper-24b00f90dd1700f333f1ee8f1a4eedd1 It’s day one of the effort to write a review draft of my creative nonfiction novel, For Him I Sing, and it begins with a kidnapping. My father’s alleged kidnapping in 1957, to be specific. On this episode I explore that story, why I use it for my opening, and even read the first page and a half. 

]]> It's day one of the effort to write a review draft of my creative nonfiction novel, For Him I Sing, and it begins with a kidnapping. My father's alleged kidnapping in 1957, to be specific. On this episode I explore that story, why I use it for my opening, and even read the first page and a half. 

]]> It's day one of the effort to write a review draft of my creative nonfiction novel, For Him I Sing, and it begins with a ... North Arch Media LLC No No 00:17:22 1 full