Story as art; artistry as worship. Worship, a way of living. Untangling Tales is meant to be a reference and resource from damp to deep for those who desire to develop skill in the art of Storytelling. Every Tuesday and Friday I’ll post an article, how-to, folktale or story performance Creativity, Events, StoryWeaving
Author Archives: Amy Jane
Second-Borns and Authority
There are many families in our church with children of similar age. A few years back, this led to an observation that the 2nd-children of the families, while every bit as sweet (we have an *amazing* group of kids. I just love ‘em), the 2nds were distinctly less compliant than Read more »
A Meme!
How long has it been since I did one of these? I guess I’ve not done many. There was interviewing myself as a writer, and (the one that made em laugh the most) fortune-telling via iPod. Both are worth checking out, but especially the iPod one. Angela, aka Farmer Jane, Read more »
There’s More Than One Kind of Writers’ Block
I don’t know why I never thought of it before, but it’s true. For the longest time I enjoyed a smugly self-satisfied sense that (due to my limited writing time or imagination or some wonderful gift) I almost never suffered from writers’ block. I made this determination based on the Read more »
Is there a way to stop caring if I look like a fool?
I’ve been (re) reading the bit in Chesterton’s Orthodoxy about the logic of Elfland, and how the wonder that exists in that story-world is to remind us of the wonder we forget of our own world. And I’m filled with this surge of remembering. Of my capacity for wonder and Read more »
Influencing Songs
I’ve said before how I collect songs as a sort of emotional personality profile, or as emotional plot-points in a novel. Sometimes those emotional plot points turn the song on its head. This one for example:
Creativity and Depression
Have I ever mentioned here (on Untangling Tales) that I wrestle with depression? Usually seasonal, and usually manageable, but there are times and varieties that just eat my mind and (as a result) basically freak me out. Well, this post is a chewing on that variety. Last summer I went Read more »
Speaking of Homeschooling
Here’s a reprint from about two-and-a-half years ago. Because the idea of ambassador is one I want to keep in front of me. For many reasons. I mentioned that life will be getting even busier soon since school will be starting, then added the clarification that we are homeschooling. “Oh,” Read more »
Teaching Writing to Children
So I’ve had two moms in the last month ask me (as a homeschooling mom and a writer), how is it I teach my children to write. I’ll get back to you on that in 15 years or so. When I actually know how it is they learned. In the Read more »
You know what’s delicious?
Going through a list of personal interests/roles/priorities (this resource was what prompted the inventory) and firming which ones are just for me. All mine. Only and completely for my own enjoyment of life, and nothing to do with what anybody else thinks. This is a big deal because it means Read more »
