Writing Muse & Writing Mentor with Jeannette de Beauvoir

What's the Problem with AI, Anyway?

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2023

It's not as if we're going to stop the forward march of AI: lawsuits and enraged authors don't count for much in the advance of technology, and as a society we don't have a good track record of asking whether we should do something; we're only interested if we can. Ethics will never precede innovation for obvious reasons.

ai ethics

Can Literature Change the World? Can it Change You?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2023

Stories are what make us human. Ever since we had proper language, we've been telling stories to each other to overcome our fears, to understand the world better, to become better humans. So reading isn't just the best thing you can do for your brain, but also for your soul.

stories literature change the world

Where Do Writers Go For Ideas?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2023

Art is about showing the invisible, expressing the unconfessed, and comprehending the incomprehensible. Or, as George Bernard Shaw said more eloquently, “without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.”

art ideas writers george bernard shaw

Towards a Philosophy of Writing

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2023

Art is about showing the invisible, expressing the unconfessed, and comprehending the incomprehensible. Or, as George Bernard Shaw said more eloquently, “without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.”

art writing philosophy george bernard shaw

When Art and Science Merge

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2023

Many people would say that art and science live in completely different areas in the brain, and in people's consciousness. I know you take issue with that assumption. Let's talk about it.

merge art and science

Can Literature Change the World? Can It Change You?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023

Roland Barthes has famously remarked, Literature is the question minus the answer. So you have to be ready for some challenges, some ambiguity, some blank walls. Literature isn't a main course of a lovely dinner; you have to embrace it, interact with it, internalize it.

literature change the world roland barthes

The Joys of English Country Murders

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023

It's probably true, as they say, that every story has already been told... and retold... and retold. Like the people in marketing say, though, it's all about spin. And you could do worse than to re-spin some of the classics. I'm not talking Shakespeare: he's a little cliché by now. No: I'm going further back, to the fertile ground of Greek and Roman mythology. If you want stories with passion, humor, love and death, look no further. I'll just take one example to whet your appetite: one version of the Minotaur story goes like this...

english murder greek shakespeare joys minotaur

Can You Separate Art from the Artist?

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2023

It's probably true, as they say, that every story has already been told... and retold... and retold. Like the people in marketing say, though, it's all about spin. And you could do worse than to re-spin some of the classics. I'm not talking Shakespeare: he's a little cliché by now. No: I'm going further back, to the fertile ground of Greek and Roman mythology. If you want stories with passion, humor, love and death, look no further. I'll just take one example to whet your appetite: one version of the Minotaur story goes like this...

artist greek shakespeare separate minotaur

Creativity and Community: Interview with Jung-Ho Pak

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2023

It's probably true, as they say, that every story has already been told... and retold... and retold. Like the people in marketing say, though, it's all about spin. And you could do worse than to re-spin some of the classics. I'm not talking Shakespeare: he's a little cliché by now. No: I'm going further back, to the fertile ground of Greek and Roman mythology. If you want stories with passion, humor, love and death, look no further. I'll just take one example to whet your appetite: one version of the Minotaur story goes like this...

community creativity greek shakespeare jung minotaur

Mining literature's classics for novel ideas

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2023

It's probably true, as they say, that every story has already been told... and retold... and retold. Like the people in marketing say, though, it's all about spin. And you could do worse than to re-spin some of the classics. I'm not talking Shakespeare: he's a little cliché by now. No: I'm going further back, to the fertile ground of Greek and Roman mythology. If you want stories with passion, humor, love and death, look no further. I'll just take one example to whet your appetite: one version of the Minotaur story goes like this...

greek shakespeare literature classics mining minotaur novel ideas

You Are What You Read—Maybe!

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2022

Here's what happened. My mother was American, but my father was French and I grew up living in France. My mother was, however, a voracious reader, about 98% of which was in English, and we always had English-language books around the house. She also had two subscriptions: Time Magazine and Reader's Digest, and they constituted the principle reading in the various bathrooms in our house. Make of that what you will.

american english france french reader time magazine digest

Writing and Politics

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022

What is considered “political” when we're writing fiction? Are we just talking about works dealing with topics like war, oppression, instability, or injustice? Or is it also anything regarding social identity and issues—like race, gender, and economic class?

politics writing

Reading as a Meditation Practice

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022

There may be things in your world that are stormy or sullen, but you can break through them and discover another world. And the rest disappears. The thoughts about checking your email or what time it is or all the myriad things that are interruptions…. They disappear. You are in a new world. You are in a different kind of consciousness.

reading meditation practice

How Visual Art Can Inspire Your Writing

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2022

Vision is our primary sense, and 70% of our sensory receptors in the body are in the eyes. So it's no wonder that what we see can dramatically affect us and our emotions. The Greeks considered ekphrasis important for developing written and perceptual skills, and contemporary writers have adopted the technique to improve their writing.

vision writing greek inspire visual arts

Why Should Writers Meditate?

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2022

It's really easy for creative people to self-sabotage. We work in isolation, which can sometimes lead to discouragement. But there's hope! Meditation creates an inner sanctuary where you can protect your best writing self from your worst writing self.

meditation writers meditate

How to Deal with Despair

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2022

Our writing practices are filled with moments of jubilation—and of dark despair. We don't succeed where we thought we would. We are disappointed—in how to world deals with our writing, and in how we ourselves sometimes feel about it. But despair, while part of the writing life, doesn't have to dominate it. Here's how!

despair

How to Find Inspiration for Your Writing Practice

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2022

Just as you can't be madly in love all the time, you also don't always feel inspired to write. In this podcast, Jeannette helps writers kickstart their imaginations and find the inspiration that provides the greatest “rush” of all by identifying what works for their particular practice.

find inspiration writing practice

Navigating Writer's Burnout (Writing Mentor)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022

We've all experienced it to some extent, and it's cost us all hours of fatigue, distress, and even despair. Writer's burnout is a state of exhaustion that manifests as making you physically, mentally, and emotionally incapable of doing the most basic of writing tasks well. It's caused by trying to do too much to the point of becoming overwhelmed. In this podcast, Jeannette helps you identify the causes of burnout, avoid it before it happens, and deal with it once it attacks.

navigating writer burnout writing mentor

How to Write (Writing Mentor)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2022

Jeannette discusses what makes a writer, how language evolves, removing "should" from your vocabulary, and why you should read... a lot!

write writing mentor

How the mystery genre changed from Sherlock Holmes to Father Brown

mystery evolution muse sherlock holmes father brown writing mentor

Being Inspired by a Writing Tradition (Writing Muse)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2021

This week, the Writing Muse talks about being inspired by a tradition that's meaningful to you. Who are your mentors? What are your areas of inspiration? What can the voices of others—dead and alive—tell you to inform your own writing practice?

writing tradition muse

The Mystery of Creativity (Writing Muse)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2021 7:35

Much of being creative is mysterious. In fact, creativity is in a sense a mystery religion! And humans by their nature want everything to be clear and understandable. But touching our innermost creativity means not just connecting with mystery, but also settling into it.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

writing mystery creativity muse beauvoir

Your Writing Practice Goals (Writing Mentor)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2021 17:53

Let's start big. Leave off everything that's sensible and practical and for just one moment, let you heart take wing. What is your dream vision for your writing practice? Take some time—an hour, a day—and just let your imagination run wild. We're not looking at plans or goals, and we're not even looking at 2021. What is your dream for your writing for the next five to 10 years? Before you set an annual goal for 2021, you need to get clear on where you see your writing practice headed in the future.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

goals beauvoir writing practice writing mentor

Why Do I Write? (Writing Muse)

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2020 21:57

Every life, Tranströmer writes, “has a sister ship,” one that follows “quite another route” than the one we ended up taking. We want it to be otherwise, but it cannot be: the people we might have been live a different, phantom life than the people we are. I think it's some of these unchosen lives that drives me to write. To explore what I haven't in real life had the time, or the opportunity, or the inclination, or the money to explore. To play with options and possibilities. Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

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Revising Your Manuscript

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2020 21:57

Finishing your first draft is a major accomplishment. Bravo! But now the real work begins as you make your way through all the necessary revisions it needs before it goes out to an agent or a publisher. Many writers resist revision because it can be difficult, tedious, and not terribly glamorous. But it is what separates professionals from dilettantes, and might not be as tricky as you're probably thinking it is.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

bravo finishing manuscripts beauvoir revising

Creating is DOING (Writing Muse & Writing Mentor podcast)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2020 9:01

“To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows.” (Jean Anouilh)Craft is doing. You learn to write by writing. Ideas are a dime-a-dozen; it is the person who turns ideas into writing that moves readers who is the true author. We need to find a balance between ideas and execution, between thinking and doing.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

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Balancing Characters and Plot in Fiction (Writing Muse & Writing Mentor series)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2020 9:01

The holy grail of good storytelling is great characters in a great plot. Learning to recognize the proper balance of plot and character is sometimes easiest when you first learn to understand what an imbalance looks like. If you can spot and correct instances where your plot is operating without enough input from your characters, you'll be well on your way to writing exceptional stories.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

learning balancing characters plot muse beauvoir fiction writing mentor series writing mentor

Tighten Your Writing! (Writing Muse & Writing Mentor series)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2020 9:01

There is no better time to reassess how you feel about the work you're putting out into the world than right now. Maybe you aren't able to create at present because part of you feels as if what you were creating is now rendered frivolous or it represents a compromise for you. Let that part of you speak its piece. Turn a moment of creative crisis into a referendum on how you're using your skills and talents in the world. Maybe you'll recommit and double-down on what you're doing, and maybe you'll embrace the realization that you need to make changes.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

muse beauvoir tighten mentor series writing mentor

Blogging for Authors (Writing Muse & Writing Mentor series)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2020 9:01

There is no better time to reassess how you feel about the work you're putting out into the world than right now. Maybe you aren't able to create at present because part of you feels as if what you were creating is now rendered frivolous or it represents a compromise for you. Let that part of you speak its piece. Turn a moment of creative crisis into a referendum on how you're using your skills and talents in the world. Maybe you'll recommit and double-down on what you're doing, and maybe you'll embrace the realization that you need to make changes.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

muse blogging beauvoir mentor series writing mentor

Finding Your Writing Practice

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2020 8:22

Author Jeannette de Beauvoir discusses how to avoid writer's block, where her writing fits into the canon, and how writers can find their own place and practice.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

beauvoir writing practice

Why Should Authors Have Newsletters?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2020 20:25

Most people call it writer's block. Jeannette de Beauvoir prefers to think of it as inertia, something inner that can be addressed by a number of different strategies (as opposed to writer's block, which seems external and therefore not amenable to change). Today's podcast offers strategies to deal with inertia: assessing your current situation, making writing a priority, micro-writing, setting word-count goals, finishing unfinished projects, using a writing partner, creating cliffhangers, getting physical, and daydreaming.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

newsletters beauvoir

How to Combat Inertia (Writing Muse & Writing Mentor series)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2020 20:07

Most people call it writer's block. Jeannette de Beauvoir prefers to think of it as inertia, something inner that can be addressed by a number of different strategies (as opposed to writer's block, which seems external and therefore not amenable to change). Today's podcast offers strategies to deal with inertia: assessing your current situation, making writing a priority, micro-writing, setting word-count goals, finishing unfinished projects, using a writing partner, creating cliffhangers, getting physical, and daydreaming.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

combat muse beauvoir inertia mentor series writing mentor

Arts Week Featuring Jon Richardson & Peter Donnelly

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2020 29:52

Join presented Jeannette de Beauvoir as she talks with musical duo Jon Richardson and Peter Donnelly (the "gay Simon and Garfunkel") and previews two of the songs on their new album, Mighty Mississippi and Dance All Night.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

garfunkel beauvoir jon richardson mighty mississippi dance all night arts week peter donnelly

Recommendations for a Pandemic: Arts Week (WOMR)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2020 23:48

This week Jeannette recommends books, subscriptions, series, courses, and even virtual art museums, so that the coronavirus doesn't make us all lose our minds completely. Among the recs: Fogland Point by Doug Burgess; The Americans, Occupied, and Jo (streaming online), newsletters by Heather Cox Richardson and Sarah Lazarus, the Google Art Project, and free courses at Class Central and edX.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

pandemic americans recommendations beauvoir occupied edx heather cox richardson arts week womr

Interruptions! What to Do?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2019 11:05

Join Jeannette de Beauvoir as she discusses how detrimental interruptions can be to your writing.... and what to do about them.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

interruptions beauvoir

Where Can I Get Some of That Creativity?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2019 16:37

This episode isn't just for writers—it's for anyone wanting to stimulate their creativity! Join Jeannette as she inspires... and gives you tips for harnessing your inner muse.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

creativity beauvoir

How to Avoid Discouragement?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2019 6:07

All creative types have ups and downs, and discouragement can haunt you, affect your work, lead you to question your vocation. Here are a few ways to avoid feeling discouraged from bestselling author Jeannette de Beauvoir.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

discouragement beauvoir

What Is a Writing Practice?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2019 9:23

In today's episode of Writing Muse & Writing Mentor, Jeannette de Beauvoir invites listeners to consider trying a "writing practice," a river the flows with words without much caring where it's going. Both Annie Dillard and Natalie Goldberg are cited as guides. Who knows where it might end?Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

beauvoir natalie goldberg writing practice writing mentor

Do I Need a Writing Schedule?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2019 6:56

Welcome to Writing Muse & Writing Mentor, a podcast series by me, Jeannette de Beauvoir, that helps you with both inspiration (that's the muse part) and process (that's the mentor part)! Today we're talking about whether or not you need a writing schedule.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

writing beauvoir writing mentor

Booktalk with Author Margo Nash

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2019 26:25

Join Jeannette de Beauvoir in a conversation with author Margo Nash about her true-crime book, The Politics of Murder, highlighting the brokenness of the juvenile justice system and how it failed one wrongfully convicted fifteen-year-old.Links:https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/bloghttps://www.amazon.com/Jeannette-de-Beauvoir/e/B00JC3FHK4https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13994761.Jeannette_de_Beauvoirhttps://www.facebook.com/JeannettedeBeauvoir/

politics murder beauvoir book talk