I used to think if I had an inner critic, it wasn’t very strong. I don’t hear voices in my head telling me I’m stupid or incompetent or ugly, so I thought I was safe. Turns out, our inner critics speak to us in different ways, and some are more subtle. Mine often starts with...
Tag: authors
How to Write Great Dialogue – Part I
While this blog generally focuses on all types of artists, I confess this post is directed primarily to the writing community. I wanted to share the new writing video that just went up on my YouTube channel Teresa Funke. Because writing good dialogue is such a challenge for so many writers, I’ll actually be covering...
Success is a Winding Road
Today is my birthday, and I’m taking the day off to spend it with my family and friends. So instead of writing my message, I’m going to speak it. I want to share with you a one-minute segment from a video interview conducted by my friend Karen Fournier at Starstream Productions. She asked me what...
The Walls are Coming Down
In 1989, I sat in front of my television and watched in awe as the Berlin Wall “came down.” I had visited the Wall two years before during my college journey across Europe and found it to be such an oppressive site. When it tumbled, it felt as if the whole world was being reborn,...
I’m Sorry, But I’m Not Embarrassed
In my industry, there’s been a lot of talk about Ruth Graham’s article in Slate suggesting that adults should be embarrassed to read young adult titles. Never mind the slights to YA authors, let’s look at what else she says: She argues that adults should challenge themselves with a higher form of literature and leave...
How to Handle Rejection – Video
Happy to share my newest writing video here, which also runs on my YouTube channel, Teresa Funke. It’s on every artists’ favorite topic—rejection. If you’re involved in the arts, you know that sinking feeling when you open your inbox or mailbox and see the communication you’ve been dreading. You also know the butterflies you get...
Good-bye Maya and Luana
Yesterday I heard the news that the incomparable Maya Angelou had passed away at age 86. Later that afternoon, I received word that one of my longtime writer friends had been killed in a car accident. When Maya read her poem On the Pulse of the Morning at Bill Clinton’s inauguration, a whole nation listened...
I Know More Than I Ever Wanted to Know
Do you ever wish your brain had a “delete” button? That there was some way to dismiss all the clutter that seems so necessary for getting ahead in today’s world and just start over? I—a liberal arts major who fantasized about writing all day—now know more than I ever wanted to know about how to...
A Little Mystery Goes a Long Way
When I was a teen, I was a huge fan of Gone with the Wind. I could tell you anything you wanted to know about the book or movie. I loved having all that inside knowledge until the day I came across an interview with Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett. She commented that she hated...
Art Nights – Great Ideas Giveaway Series
Yesterday I attended the awards ceremony for my daughter’s speech and debate team. They had a stellar year, and I most enjoyed watching the video, which showed talented kids working hard to win, but also creating memories as a team. As artists we often work in isolation. As entrepreneurs, we handle every aspect of our...