STORIES WITH METICULOUS CREATIVITY.
I was that child perched high in a tree, a basket of pens and snacks beside me and a notebook in my lap. I’ve always dreamed big. Sometimes, overwhelmingly big. As I grew up and eventually majored in writing, I discovered new ways to shape my ideas into stories. Now I am a writer, a freelance editor, and a writing teacher. Here at CCrawfordWriting, I am on a continual quest to improve my understanding of the craft of writing.
THE WRITING WORLD IS CHANGING.
Or is it? Even if there were no readers left in the world, writers would still write. It’s what we do. But the presentation of stories is changing. While classics will always hold value, many modern readers prefer to devour flash fiction and novels with brief, fast-moving chapters. Text-message stories are gaining popularity, interactive story apps are a thing, and the average human has an attention span more fleeting than a goldfish. Does this mean that the art of writing is dying? Some would say so. I say no. All the elements of what make a good story are still the same. But now the ways to present a story are expanding. This isn’t a sign of impending doom; it’s exciting. To tell a story well in some of these formats, though -- isn’t that the challenge? What I seek as a writer is an endlessly creative artform, where I can create a full world out of nothing. But to do it well takes practice and knowledge of the craft. This is my crusade. I am constantly striving to learn and grow, and I love helping other writers to succeed at this also.
I WRITE BECAUSE
I MUST.
There was a period of time in my life when I had stopped writing. I felt like I had all these ideas, but I couldn’t control them. I would sit down to write and hit wall after wall. My plots would spin out, my characters would be roaming lost – I felt overwhelmed. So I set the stories aside. But every time I watched a good movie or read a good book, I felt a sense of loss. They inspired me to create but I pushed the feeling down because I was afraid I couldn’t get anywhere.
Seeing the natural creativity in my children made me realize what I had lost. This was a turning-point for me. I had the ability, I just wasn't using it. This realization sparked my stubborness, and I jumped back into writing with more determination than ever. My children impacted me, and now I pass that on to others. I love when my readers connect with my stories. I’m fueled by the gasp and the “Me too!” I write to remind myself and others of the joys and passions life may have tried to choke out, and to awaken things in us. For me, writing is about connection and embracing a part of myself I had very nearly forgotten. This is why you can also find me active on Facebook, my VIP Readers Group, and my newsletter, and to a lesser degree, Twitter and Instagram.
I WRITE
TO
CONNECT.
My brain has always honed in on how to improve things. I was that kid in school who had to bite my tongue to keep from correcting my friends’ grammar or suggesting a better way to do their homework. Now I work freelance as a writing tutor and editor, mostly for nonfiction but occasionally for fiction, too. I help writers improve their content and style while staying true to their authentic voice. I love grasping the feel of an author’s piece and helping the author perfect it.
I EDIT BECAUSE
I CAN’T
HELP IT
I TEACH BECAUSE
IT INSPIRES
I love watching worlds come into being as students’ ideas emerge. One of my favorite classes I teach is a Collaborative Novel Writing class for high schoolers. The impromptu creativity of that class is a rare and sacred magic, and you can’t help but be changed by it. Teaching that class is like captaining a careening ship. I stand at the helm of brainstorming sessions, waves of ideas crashing around the room as characters and settings appear from thin air. Storms of indecision buffet our sails and plot holes appear in the hull, and we frantically bail out the water. We plug the holes with a plot twist or two and some characters may even fall overboard, but we make it to publication. I love being the captain of that crazy ship, and I cheer my students on as they pull the ropes and patch the holes and chart new routes of travel. Watching them create inspires me to create more, too. I teach to help them grow as writers, but I am a better writer for every class I teach. You can find some of the tips I share with my students on my blog and social media.
I AM MORE THAN A WRITER
I step over toys on the way to my desk, and many nights I write my stories between loads of laundry. I hash out ideas with my husband over dinner. There is an art to being able to quickly immerse yourself in a creative world, and just as quickly pull out again when a small voice calls, “Mommy, play with me!” I’m still working to master that art, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I can find time to write later but my children won’t always be this small. I am a wife and mom first.
I AM METICULOUS CREATIVITY.
I AM CCRAWFORDWRITING.
That is what you will find here. I enjoy a good challenge, especially if it takes meticulous attention to detail. Creativity is its own brand of challenge. Like learning to solve a puzzle, writing has pieces that you must place, frame, turn, and match. I not only love breaking this down and understanding it, I love creating with it and helping others to be creative with it, too.
