The little rib cage fluttered with uneven life. She blew into his infant face and stroked his tear-wetted cheek. The infant smell, twelve hours old, the infant cry, the fist, the kicking feet. She held him close and rocked and wept, nursed and prayed and laughed. His pulse fluttered with timid life, peeking through. He was three months before they named him: Phillip. Phillip the strong. Phillip the brave. He was four months before his mother recognized the grief in his eyes, the loss. “We miss him, too,” she whispered when no one else could hear. She kept both christening gowns.
The Power of Imagery with Nina Schuyler
September 12 & 13 on Zoom
Enrollment closes Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 PM Pacific
If your descriptions are vivid but your stories still feel thin, this workshop is for you.
Join award-winning author Nina Schuyler to learn the difference between description, which tells a reader what things look like, and imagery, which carries plot, character, and meaning at the same time.
In just two days, you'll learn to choose images that hold emotion without naming it, pair them so each one deepens the other, and build patterns that gather meaning as the story moves.
I’m at a loss for words, trying to describe all the ways this tiny story is perfect, so I’ll just say Wow!
Thank you for the kind words!
Jan stated it perfectly. A gem!
Thank you, Cathryn!
Wonderfully written. It expresses the heartbreak and joy of the miracle and pain of the gift of life.
Thanks, mom! And for anyone else reading this…that is my mom…
Agony and ecstasy – both captured so eloquently and adroitly.
Thank you! Kind words!
All I can say is wow.
Hard hitting right to the gut.
Masterful.
Thank you, Sue.
I was particularly touched by your story this week. When I was still a toddler I had a younger brother who died from SIDs. He was born prematurely and was getting better then suddenly he was gone. His name was Philip.
Wow, Marie! So many thoughts here. We never forget, do we?
This brought tears to my eyes. So beautifully done!
Thank you, Pat.
Poignant and beautifully written. In just a few words, you brought tears to my eyes and painted a vivid portait of this grieving mother and the tiny surviving twin. I love how you wove the threads of death and life.
Thank you, Jaden. It was a tough write…made me cry!
So sad but beautifully written.
Thank you, Faith!