Tension

Neil Waldman’s first picture book cover

.

why would indian

and deer go in opposite

directions?      downwind?

Definition # 66 Storytelling, Slowed Down: On Writing Vertically

Vertical Story Telling for Pre-schoolers

Ripatrazone talks about his own writing habits,

and his attraction to moving down within the page, rather than across it:

I write vertically.

I have never been a writer with a lot of time to write.

I am thankful for that. I am not sure what would happen if I had hours to work.

 It makes me not want to squander the moments when I sit with a story.

This is a necessary tension.

I am not a writer first.

I have a family, and without them I would have little reason to want to write — or to do anything else.

My desire to create is held in silence during the day, so that my literary moments can be focused and absolute.

“Gestation of Ideas: On Vertical Writing and Living” is a lovely read, no matter if you’re a writer of fiction or nonfiction.

Ripatrazone shares insights on the writing life,

the benefits of slowing down and letting ideas unfold naturally,

and the importance of time and perspective when telling the stories within us.
Storytelling, Slowed Down: On Writing Vertically
by Cheri Lucas Rowlands