Katherine Center's Blog, page 13

photo poem

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favorite quotes

A reporter asked me last week to put together some of my favorite quotes from Everyone Is Beautiful for a story she's doing.  And so I did.  I've been writing new stuff, and blogging, and goofing off with my kids this summer–and it had been a while since I'd spent any time with Everyone Is Beautiful.  It was fun to go back and visit all those characters again and sift through the story to find some favorite moments.  

So here are some of my favorite passages from Everyone Is Beautiful:

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revising a draft

Here's me, yesterday, revising an early draft of a story.  This is what it looks like early on–lots of writing all over the page: arrows, carrots, scribbles.  Then I go back and type in what I've written.  Then I print it out and write all over the typed pages again, over and over until it feels ready.  People often ask me if I write things by hand or type them.  I always used to say I typed.  Until one day I noticed that it's about half and half.

The words scrolling on the screen are the words t

style with style

I grew up with The Elements of Style, but I guarantee my copy was nowhere near this gorgeous. Maybe it's time for a new one. I might need to get it for the illustrations alone.

These illustrations are by Maira Kalman, who also has a gorgeous and super-fantastic illustrated blog for The New York Times.  Her last blog for them, called The Principles of Uncertainty, is now a book, too–and I want it for my birthday (if you'd like to send me a gift). She does a lot of New Yorker covers, of course and

writing wednesday! too much coolness is not cool

This Writing Wednesday is about naming characters.  And why you have to do it carefully and not just buy a baby book and pick out your favorite names.

Here's the main point of the video (and you'll notice that I DO NOT actually SAY IT in the video):

Characters and names have a relationship to each other.  That's what's important about character names.  It's not just what the name itself says about your character.  It's what your character's relationship to that name says about your character.  And

the body project

After my friends and I did this project there were comments.  Lots and lots of comments.  And many of those comments said this: I want to do it, too!

Which gave me an idea.  Other people should do it, too.

I cannot tell you how soothing, amazing, and comforting it is to paint words of kindness on the body of a friend.  And from what Jenny has said, it's pretty great to be painted-on, as well. (That's her self-portrait up top!)  And there's no reason Karen, Jenny, and I should get to have all the f

do you make an outline when you write a novel?

It's Thursday morning!  So that must mean it's time for Writing Wednesday!

This question is from Jaime, who wants to know if I make an outline when I write a novel.

And the answer is yes. And no.  And sort of.

Usually, my outlines are just numbered lists.  Very broad.  The number stands for the chapter, and then I follow it with whatever the main event of that chapter will be.  Ideally–though this doesn't always happen–I like chapters to build to something.  Just as the book itself is building up t

it's Monday, so that must mean: Writing Wednesday!

I've seen enough rambling homemade videos on YouTube to know it's important to keep these Writing Wednesday clips short.  I'm shooting for 2-3 minutes, and even 3 feels a little long.  

But it is hard to cover very much into 2 minutes.  Sometimes they seem to raise more questions than they answer.  

But maybe that's a good thing.

Heres a quick one that answers Anne's question (from the comments) about whether I worry, with all this conserving I do of syllables, about the writing getting too spare.

F

writing wednesday: friday edition!

I recorded this Writing Wednesday  post yesterday, and my husband was like, "You do know it's Thursday, right?"  And I was like, "Man, that's what Writing Wednesday is all about!"

So here's my Friday post for Writing Wednesday!  Happy weekend!

Posted in news!

written on the body

I'm not sure how I came up with the idea to do this.  But a few weeks back, I decided that I wanted to paint words all over the body of my friend Jenny and have our friend Karen photograph it.  So I asked them.  And to my serious delight they both said yes.

Here's something I love to do:  put words in places you don't expect them.

In college, I stamped poems onto signs made out of sheet metal and  put them up around campus.  I stamped words on office supplies, and bedsheets, and the pages of old b