creativity – Author | Laura Valeri

Story Makers and Story Chasers – a theory

This came up because I was reading a book by Stephanie Feldman titled The Angel of Losses. I really liked it, in spite of the fact that it was kind of a mess, structure-wise, meandering and digressing at every turn, and I could feel at times the frustration of the writer trying to contain thisContinue reading “Story Makers and Story Chasers – a theory”

Story Makers and Story Chasers – a theory

Best Indie Documentaries on Creativity

For some reason, now that 2015 started, I’m in a mood to take stock of things. Last year I taught for the first time a class on creativity and writing, and I’ve had the pleasure of watching some truly inspiring documentaries on the creative process. Here are a few that are worth seeing. Indie Game:Continue reading “Best Indie Documentaries on Creativity”

On Creativity and Vulnerability

I had the fortune of finding a link to this wonderful interview between Seth Godin and Debbi Millman, and in the first ten minutes you might see why I am reposting it here. Let’s just say it has to do with Dr. Seuss and the answer to the question: “Why write another book? Why bother,Continue reading “On Creativity and Vulnerability”

Some Thoughts on The Creative Process

So I’m gearing up to teach an undergraduate class on Creativity and The Writer. I don’t know what possessed me to propose it: I have a pretty cushy setup at this point in my career. I’ve been teaching the same four courses over the past five years and I’ve chiseled and polished them down prettyContinue reading “Some Thoughts on The Creative Process”

Want A Dream? Do Your Homework

I was recently at a conference. It was a relatively new conference and it looked like the organizers were still trying to figure it out: self-published writers are together with trade publishers, young adult merges into adult fiction, into Christian romance, into children’s book, all thrown together without thought. Still, it’s nice and informal. There’sContinue reading “Want A Dream? Do Your Homework”

Composite Characters: Fantasy Meets Real Life, Real Life Alters Fantasy

In formal venues, I have presented and written about the necessity of research in fiction, the caveats, the immersion process, the repercussions of altering history or fact, the responsibility of writers to glean detail in the most absolute accuracy. But for this post, I want to talk about the fun part of interacting with facts (orContinue reading “Composite Characters: Fantasy Meets Real Life, Real Life Alters Fantasy”

Why Do I Write?

This is a question I ask my students to pose themselves when they take my creative writing class. I want them to be clear about why they do what they want to do right at the start of the semester because so many people have this idea that creative writing is so much fun andContinue reading “Why Do I Write?”

The Biology of Writing (Or Not Writing) Creatively

I love brain science. Ever since I was a child and I heard that human beings use only 10% of their brain’s capacity (since proven to be a myth) I wanted to have a job where I would get to study the brain all day long. I didn’t become a neuroscientist — in part becauseContinue reading “The Biology of Writing (Or Not Writing) Creatively”

Creativity, Education, and the Economy

I’ve been an educator for almost fifteen years. When I was a student, school teachers and professional administrators emphasized that my college education was meant to expand my mind, make me a global citizen, and teach me nothing if just the ability to teach myself. However more and more, as an educator, I see bothContinue reading “Creativity, Education, and the Economy”