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Writing Adventures for Wild Girls


Everyone has monsters. Most people try to keep their monsters in the dark — under the bed or in the shadows. That's because most people don't want to see their monsters.

As a writer, you need to use your monsters in your writing. You can't go hiding them in the dark. 

So I want you to write about a monster — something that scares you, something that sends a chill up your spine. I can't tell you what your monster is. That's something only you know.

Since it's hard to face your monsters directly, write a scene in which the monster is just out of sight. But you know it's there. Write about that makes you feel.

What's all this about? 

The Wild Girls is a novel by Pat Murphy. In the book,  Joan and her friend Fox start writing stories together. When they win a writing contest, they're recruited for a summer writing class taught by Verla Volante. This site is for folks who want to try some of Verla's writing techniques — and for anyone who wants to know more about Verla, The Wild Girls, and author Pat Murphy. (That's me, by the way.)