Hi friends. It’s Carnival season in New Orleans, although of course there will be no parades with floats this year on Mardi Gras Day. What has popped up instead are these colorful and inventive house floats all over the city, residents turning entire blocks of homes into parades in their own right. It is tremendously entertaining and inspiring to take a walk every day through my neighborhood and also those in different parts of the city. I am grateful for them.
Love this, Jami. Thanks for dedicating one of these Craft Talks to structure — and what a beautiful way to do so. This line was more illuminating for me than some whole craft essays or even books: "A structure had to be put in place in order for the houses to be enjoyed in a specific way." 🙏
This is so helpful to me right now. I will save it, refer back, and chant this as a mantra as I dive in to my second novel, first draft, and especially,
"The plot, surely, is part of the structure, but the way I write, I never know how it’s all going to play out till I get to close to the end. (If I relied on the plot for the structure, I’d never finish a book!)"
I'm early in a novel draft at the moment and questions of structure are giving me the hardest time. Thanks, Jami, for writing this. This is a fantastic and organic metaphor to meditate on.
Love this, Jami. Thanks for dedicating one of these Craft Talks to structure — and what a beautiful way to do so. This line was more illuminating for me than some whole craft essays or even books: "A structure had to be put in place in order for the houses to be enjoyed in a specific way." 🙏
What a happy sight I saw when I opened your newsletter. Color, creativity, and resilience. Plus your good advice. Thanks, Jami. You made my day.
This is so helpful to me right now. I will save it, refer back, and chant this as a mantra as I dive in to my second novel, first draft, and especially,
"The plot, surely, is part of the structure, but the way I write, I never know how it’s all going to play out till I get to close to the end. (If I relied on the plot for the structure, I’d never finish a book!)"
I'm early in a novel draft at the moment and questions of structure are giving me the hardest time. Thanks, Jami, for writing this. This is a fantastic and organic metaphor to meditate on.