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Harriet Scott Chessman

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Writing My First Libretto

March 29, 2017 By Harriet Chessman 2 Comments

This short essay about writing my first libretto appeared in Lit Hub on March 28th, 2017.  http://lithub.com/tag/harriet-scott-chessman/ … [Read more...]

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Discovering your characters

October 19, 2016 By Harriet Chessman 2 Comments

How do you discover who your primary character(s) will be, in a story?  Often, for me, the character comes first -- I see her or him, leaning against a counter, or walking with a friend on a golf course, or chasing after a child, and the story comes to me through the character. … [Read more...]

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Listening for your Reader

September 29, 2016 By Harriet Chessman 2 Comments

This morning, as I contemplate the publication of a new novel -- something I'm so happy about -- I am aware of how worried I am too.  Ach!  I am sure a lot of writers worry about how a new book will be received.  You feel lucky to have had the chance to write it, and to have … [Read more...]

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The luscious, sensual world

July 8, 2015 By Harriet Chessman 1 Comment

How do you slow down, and live in this crazy world?  I think poets of haiku for centuries have discovered ways of doing this.  One inspiration:  the glorious picture book by Tim Myers (illustrated by Oki S. Han), Basho and the Fox. Here is Basho: "With the scent of … [Read more...]

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On writing for children

June 16, 2015 By Harriet Chessman Leave a Comment

The genre of children's picture books remains the field I love most in all of literature -- and, as any writer for this age group will tell you, it looks easy, but is actually . . . well, kind of impossible. Maybe  the first step is to lighten one's load of all that being a … [Read more...]

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