Sue monk kidd author informational writing examples

The award-winning novel spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list and sold more than eight million copies worldwide. Her character-driven stories are said to allow readers to deal with societal ills and cruelties. I have to remind myself all the time to show up in my moments with all my antennae switched on.

Sometimes as a writing exercise, I walk around practising paying attention. I try to really see the thing before me with new eyes, to find a fresh meaning for it, or a unique way to describe it. How would a Martian describe an umbrella? A dentist drill? A manatee? Whenever my mind slips out of its habitual way of perceiving life, my writing perks right up; I am given some realisation, a little gift from the muses.

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Ask: What does my character want? For me that is the single most important question to ask when writing a novel. I need my main character to want something very badly, and I need to understand completely and utterly what it is.