Do you pick up on symbolism in the books you read? Do they ping at you like little neon lights for the book’s themes, or do they bob past you innocuously, and only subtly and subconsciously exist? Or are you reading this thinking, Whaaaa??? There are themes in books? Haha! There’s no right or wrongContinue reading “On symbolism and reading books you don’t like”
Category Archives: writing
Dirt Healing
— a poem by Claire van Ryn for Australia Day.
Speak, Dirt! Hold up your story! Dream-tell!
Etch your wisdom through the soles of our feet, drawing up through bloodlines.
What’s the deal with writers’ retreats?
Perhaps you’ve heard me swoon about heading away on a writer’s retreat and wondered what that’s all about. Here’s why it’s a crucial part of my writerly life.
Creating a book is teamwork
I could fill a room with the people who have helped me complete my book to where it is now. And I’ll fill another room with the people who see it to publication. When I started out on this writing-my-first-novel journey, I had in mind that it would essentially be a solitary exercise. Me andContinue reading “Creating a book is teamwork”
Just write, for goodness sake!
When I think back to those first days of beginning my novel, I recall a familiar message being delivered to me over and over again. It came as posts on social media land, as a main theme in the books and articles I was reading, as encouragement from my husband, and as a whisper inContinue reading “Just write, for goodness sake!”
Claire van Ryn 