Customer Reviews

Movies in the Mind, How to Build a Short Story

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I am a writer and frequent buyer of writing books, and Colleen Rae's Movies in the Mind is a wonderful book for any writer to have on her bookshelf. Movies in the Mind will guide a writer through the creative process that leads to literature in a way that many how-to writing books seem to miss. Creating a story is compared to sculpting from clay, that is, to take an idea and carve away the excess then refine the detail until you end up with the final piece of art. Colleen Rae is an excellent writer as well, and her book reflects that. It is a pleasure to read, unlike some writing books that tend to read like a textbook. I buy many writing books, but only a few of them do I set aside as special books that I will turn to for help when I am stuck, and Movies is one of these. Theresa Foley

Before I finished the first chapter of this book, I saw a dramatic difference in my writing. If you want to learn how to connect with the mysterious well where all of our stories come from, if you want to understand what really grabs your reader and connects him/her with your story, read this book! It's not just for short story writers. It's for writers. Period. Look through Colleen Mariah Rae's eyes as you devour this book, and you'll see your creative world in a whole new light!

"Movies in the Mind" has helped me understand more clearly and practically the process of going within, "digging the clay," as Ms. Rae so aptly calls the process of finding the story. Looking at the movies in my mind, then using method writing to capture what I see, hear, taste, touch, smell, and feel in those movies, develops the characters and uncovers the stories that want to be told. As Ms. Rae says in her first chapter, "this book is about getting out of your own way so that the storymaker inside of you can tell its stories." She accomplishes that goal wonderfully by drawing upon her teaching experience and creativity to offer reassuring encouragement, friendly guidance, and knowledgeable tips galore. In a word, "Movies in the Mind" is an eminently useful book for would-be fiction writers.

we need to learn how to work with them and how to make them work, this is in part what Colleen tells us here. Very nice book indeed and not the usual one. She doen't promise to become wealty by getting published, yet between the lines I think there is a hope for everyone of us becoming richer in the spirit. And this is why many of us write: to live a fuller life by reflecting on it. This book helps us in both ways - to write for the entertinment of others and for the deepening of one's thoughts - and I'm eagerly waiting for a second and third book with more entertaining tips and insight! Thak you Colleen.

THREE QUICK POINTS:
* Rae's approach to writing is organic rather than formulaic.

* It's all about the action. Each chapter has a set of exercises designed to get you doing rather than reading about doing.

* Expansive. While the focus is on building short stories, the approach could easily be expanded to include writing longer works.

CHAPTER BREAKDOWN:
1. Entering the Storymaker's Realm; 2. Fiction's Building Blocks; 3. Participatory Art; 4. Digging the Clay; 5. Whose Story is It Anyway?; 6. Unlocking Your Story; 7. How to Birth a Story; 8. There's Always a Critic

MY THOUGHTS:
When I began reading the book, I was immediately surprised. The writing was clear and contained an aura of stillness...but still waters run deep.

Each chapter builds on the previous and the entire book focuses on writing from a place within yourself, or rather, a place within your character. It's also a style very much based on writing with a certain physical and emotional feeling, thus forcing your story to become a living entity unto itself. In other words, Rae's approach to crafting a story is organic rather than formulaic: let the story grow naturally, rather than plot its course, and groom it when finished.

While such an approach may seem cryptic, Rae provides the tools for easily achieving it. There are exercises at the end of each chapter designed to help you discover the thread of your story, get to know your characters intimately, decide on the right perspective, and melding it all into something profound which will resonate with readers.

Some of the exercises and tips have been discussed in other writing guides, but Rae frames them in such a way that it becomes an enlightening experience. For instance, in the chapter called Participatory Art, she urges you to write from a place of pure emotion--whether happy, angry, sad, etc.--and *only* from that emotion in order to see the rhythms different emotions produce; these rhythms will naturally be picked up by the reader who will in turn feel the emotion. Or in the chapter Whose Story is It Anyway?, she offers up a tool for discovering your characters' strength and shortcoming, which are often two sides of the same coin. These are tools that I will be using for *every* story I write (short and long alike).

But nothing is ever perfect. When reading a book on writing, I have higher expectations for editing and there were a few egregious errors, but not many, and the instruction did become slightly repetitive toward the end. These faults, however, were minor and I still consider the price paid money well spent.

It's rare that a book on writing touches me emotionally, but through her style of writing Rae manages to do exactly that. Not only does she explain how to harness your creativity, but she urges you to actually do it. Movies of the Mind has earned itself a coveted spot on my must-be-within-arm's-distance bookshelf next to titles such as What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter, Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale, Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell, and a few other notables.

This book is great, will really rev up your writing, and I'm not the only one who says so. The February 2001 issue of Wisconsin Bookwatch has the review : With "Movies In The Mind: How To Build A Short Story", Colleen Rae provides the aspiring writer with compendium of sound advice, techniques, and strategies for writing plausible, believable, resonating fiction. Each informative chapter is a gem of sound, practical, illustrative, and occasionally inspiring instruction and includes: Entering The Storymaker's Realm; Fiction's Building Blocks; Participatory Art; Digging The Clay; Whose Story Is It Anyway?; Unlocking Your Story; How To Birth A Story; and There's Always A Critic. Very highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve the quality of their fiction," Movies In The Mind" is further enhanced with a section of Exercise Pages, a Reading List; and a user-friendly index.

With Movies In The Mind: How To Build A Short Story, Colleen Rae provides the aspiring writer with compendium of sound advice, techniques, and strategies for writing plausible, believable, resonating fiction. Each informative chapter is a gem of sound, practical, illustrative, and occasionally inspiring instruction and includes: Entering The Storymaker's Realm; Fiction's Building Blocks; Participatory Art; Digging The Clay; Whose Story Is It Anyway?; Unlocking Your Story; How To Birth A Story; and There's Always A Critic. Very highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve the quality of their fiction, Movies In The Mind is further enhanced with a section of Exercise Pages, a Reading List; and a user-friendly index.

As a former student of Colleen Rae, I've benefited from her excellent teaching skills. She's been able to translate those skills onto the written page in _Movies in the Mind_. It's a how-to-write book that actually teaches you how to: how to develop interesting characters and substantive plots, how to write in a way that draws the reader into the movie you see in your own mind. Colleen also addresses how to take care of yourself as writer, an excerpt that was re-printed in The Writer. If you're feeling stuck in your writing process, try reading this book. It's guaranteed to get you rolling again.

Colleen Mariah Rae is masterful at entertaining at the same time as educating. This book is extraordinarily helpful to any writer, aspiring or successful. Anyone should be able to write a well crafted piece after working with this book. Bravo, Colleen! Keep writing.

Movies in the Mind is an amazing book for writers as well as readers interested in the craft of prose. Among the bejillions of bits of the book's practical advice, one gem that particularly sparkled was the concept of the image. That's what it's all about. And this book was like ice cold lemonade for writers wandering the Sahara. A glass raised in praise of Colleen Mariah Rae.