Ever wonder when to apply for the MFA? Wonder about my before-MFA journey?
Excellent news: my article, “When’s the Right Time to Pursue an MFA?” was published this morning at NUNUM. Ta-da! :)
Photo: part of my Artifact Series. :)
Sneak-Peak #3 from my Particle Series :)
Amped to share another poem from my Particle Series, illustrated by the super-talented @annabelle_fern ; commissions available by request. :)
Another from Particle: "Awake" :)
Thrilled to share another illustrated poem from my poetry-project collaboration with the uber-talented artist (and fellow writer— check out her exquisite poems, too!) @annabelle_fern.
This poem’s called: “Awake.” Enjoy! Stay tuned for more. :)
Announcing: Particle! First Poem Share: "Spun out: We Can't Always See around Corners"
Super excited to announce one of the literary/artistic projects I've been working on since winter.
I'm writing a book of illustrated poetry, entitled Particle, and I'll be sharing exclusive excerpts of poems from time to time.
Thrilled to get to collaborate with talented visual artist/illustrator/poet extraordinaire @annabelle_fern , who is a dream to work with and brought all of the illustrations to glorious life; can't wait to see her next visual magic!
For commissions and to check out more of her amazing artistry: @annabelle_fern .
Publication of 5 Photos from My Artifact Series :)
A new series featuring utilitarian objects that have had great meaning in my life has been published today at The Local Train Magazine.
To catch the first five photos in the series that I started this spring, please visit the magazine link above. More to follow in this series! Stay tuned. ;)
Below, one of my favorites, “Sugar Bowl Smile.”
New Video :)
Check out this cool new video my publisher made with a quote of mine on the theme of why reading is vital to our lives.
photo by Thought Catalog at unsplash.com
"Break Out Your Cameras to Enhance Your Image Writing" by Yours Truly
My craft article appeared today at Women on Writing. Ta-da! :)
Photo by Vera Ja, https://unsplash.com
“Break Out Your Cameras to Enhance Your Image Writing”
By Melanie Faith
For a year, off and on, I shot a series of photos called "In the Green." The series included many different subjects, some that you might expect (from an emerald, leafy landscape to the green whirls of a decorative cabbage I saw at a farmer’s market), and others that might surprise. A perfect example of the latter was the mint-hued upright piano I spotted at a craft store in the Midwest while visiting my sister one summer. Needless to say, I couldn’t let that piano, which also sported a giant ivory stencil of a splash of roses above the keyboard, go undocumented.
Not all of the elements in each shot were green—such as three clover-shaped skeleton keys I couldn’t resist from an auction—but I incorporated a Kelly green into the background.
Each image, several of which have been published over the past year, including in Fourth & Sycamore, includes at least one aspect of the color I’d chosen, which also happens to be my personal favorite. (A little trivia for you.)
My photography practice has enhanced my writing practice for years, and vice-versa. What can photography bring to enhance our writing skills on the page and screen?
- Photography is imagery-focused, just like writing. Do you like to take photos of your family dog or cat? How about landscapes? Or food shots from restaurants or your own kitchen? What about your children or grandchildren? Or sports? In each of these types of shots, and more, there is a subject in your composition that you zero in on, to the exclusion of other details in the shot. The same is true for our writing. In our writing practice, we narrow down the subject we’d like to explore and the best genre to explore it (poetry, nonfiction, fiction, and flash, to name a few options).
Just as in our compositions we decide if we want to take a long, wide view (as in a landscape) or the close-up view (as in a macro or micro shot), in our writing, we make choices about how we will present the protagonist(s) or antagonist(s). What will be their main motivations? What action will be the catalyst for beginning the story in conflict, in media rest? What word pictures will bring to life the tone and theme in our poem?
- Photography evokes numerous senses within visual imagery, just as good writing does. No, we don’t have scratch-and-sniff photos yet, but a great photo of a box of popcorn triggers our memories and associations with the scents and textures of popcorn just as multi-sensory imagery in prose or poetry within the minds of readers.
- Photography teaches us about connections, symbolism, and resonance. Just like in our writing, in photography there’s the surface subject—perhaps a platter of enchiladas—and then there’s the deeper meaning of the picture—your grandfather taught you to include a lime wedge to garnish them and so you always make yours with limes at the ready. The evocative personal and background details in such a shot will influence not only why you chose to document your delicious dish, but also will affect the way that viewers approach and appreciate the composition, even if they don’t know 100% (or any) of the backstory. Good photos, just like good writing, reveal key, carefully-selected details that draw in the audience.
- Photography, much like writing, is self-expressive and just plain fun. It can be easy, amidst craft talk, to forget that there’s a magical and exciting sense of exploration in both art forms. Many times, I’m surprised and entertained by the subjects and themes that both my lens and pen create and how much they share in common.
Try This Prompt! Choose a color from the ROY G BIV spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Make a photo every day for four or five days of something with this color. Warning: it’ll only take a day or two until you notice the color everywhere.
Feel free to use the camera on your phone, if that’s easier than hauling around a larger camera.
On the last day, use one of the images from your photos as a prompt to kick-start a new poem, short story, scene, or essay. Include unique descriptions to denote each color in your writing. Thesaurus.com is a wonderful resource for hue synonyms.
Consider continuing to take photos in your series for as many days or weeks as the idea appeals, and then repeat this exercise as often as you’d like with a piece of writing inspired by your new photo compositions.
Need more inspiration? Consider my upcoming Imagery Power: Photography for Writers class.
My Next Book! Drumroll, Please... :)
Marvelous news! I’ve just received an acceptance letter for my next craft book for writers, Photography for Writers, from Vine Leaves Press.
My book’s birthday will likely be in December, just like mine and my darling birthday-twin niece! Couldn’t resist sharing.
Photo courtesy of: Jim Strasma, Unsplash, https://unsplash.com
A sneak-peek at the content and concept:
"Calling all shutterbugs! At last! Here's a craft book about photography specifically written from a writer's POV. Brimming with insight into image-making process and prompts to motivate, this down-to-earth, expressive guide is directed towards developing your writing and visual arts skills concurrently.
Written by a published photographer and writer who has been there, rest assured: this isn't a dusty technical jargon-filled tome of F-stops or aperture priority, and no previous photography skills are necessary to jump into this adventure. Love taking pictures? Have a passion for writing? Dig self-expression? This book is for you.”
Photo courtesy of: Roven Images at Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/
