What Makes a Story Feel Like a Story?

Susan DeFcraft, fiction, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

young woman with bangs holding a red phone up to her ear

What’s the difference between a story and a narrative relating a series of events? Once upon a time, dear reader, I might have answered, “Causality.” Because it’s a basic truth I’ve discovered as a book coach and editor: if you have plot that’s basically episodic—this happens, then that, and then this thing over here—the single most effective thing you can … Read More

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Susan DeFUncategorizedLeave a Comment

I. Is a path, presumably, one must stick to. II. Or else succumb to the fathomless depths of despair. Or else agree to a devil’s bargain. III. Does the Devil haggle? Robert Johnson would know. He went down the crossroads at midnight and sold his soul so he could play guitar. IV. Or so the story goes. To hear Son … Read More

Earth Day 2020: Endless Summer

Susan DeFUncategorizedLeave a Comment

This year, in honor of Earth Day 2020, I’m sharing a new poem and a creative writing prompt. The poem is called “Endless Summer,” and in it, I’m attempting to grapple with the enormous differences between how I’ve seen the season of summer, growing up, and the way I’ve begun to see it, in the face of climate change. In … Read More