Writing Resources

Magical Realism

I love magical realism. And while I understood the broad strokes (fantastical events written as though they were normal occurrences) I had a hard time figuring out the finer points. It's like learning how to sew (I was also a costume designer/seamstress once upon a time) - you can see how the garment was put together but sometimes certain details escape your notice.

So I set about looking for resources online to help me learn more about Magical Realism. This is one of the best that I found. I know that many people have no interest in writing this way, and that's fine. But after learning more I realized that Magical Realism really inhabits more stories than you realize. Even if you're not interested in producing this style, I encourage you to check out this lesson. It goes fast and then you can do the writing prompt

Rating: 5/5 - I really learned a lot

Writing Prompt: One of the things I realized reading through this lesson was that one of the tenants of Magical Realism is you can't go looking for the magic - it has to appear in your life uninvited. Maybe that's why angel's are such a popular theme in Magical Realism. Both in this style and in other historical tales, angel's just show up, unexpectedly, and change the world in ways no one anticipated. Your prompt this week is to write a story about an angel - a good, a bad, or an off-kilter angel. How does it show up? What does it do? How do the people around it react. The lesson has one story about an encounter with an angel, but if you're interested in a tale from the world's most famous Magical Realism author, here's another one: https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~cinichol/CreativeWriting/323/MarquezManwithWings.htm
Post links to your story in the comments section for a chance to get reviewed!

For your lesson on Magical Realism: http://english307formsofmodernshortstory.web.unc.edu/readings-2/magic-realism-short-story/