The Monroe Papers
Observations on the craft and the quiet.
Welcome to the Archive.
The Monroe Papers are a series of entries focused on the art of storytelling, the architecture of a good sentence, and the pursuit of a mindful creative life. I spend my time here sorting through the noise of the digital world to find the quiet truths that help us write better stories.
Below, you will find my latest entries, organized by date. I hope you find exactly the thread you were looking for.
The Sound of the Page
Every word has a physical texture that the reader ‘hears’ in their mind.
Keep reading...Shirley Jackson and the Geometry of Fear
True horror is found not in the shadows, but in the misalignment of the familiar.
Keep reading...The First Line’s Contract
The first line is the promise you make to the reader about the nature of the journey.
Keep reading...The Social Hangover of the Creator
For the observer, social life is research; solitude is where that research is processed.
Keep reading...Virginia Woolf and the Internal Clock
Time in the mind does not move in minutes; it moves in memories and sensations.
Keep reading...When the Room Speaks First
A room should have a will, a history, and an opinion on what is happening.
Keep reading...The Resistance of the Fountain Pen
The speed of a keyboard is often the enemy of the depth of a sentence.
Keep reading...George Orwell and the Plain English
Clarity of language is a prerequisite for clarity of thought.
Keep reading...The Intimacy of the Close Third
The ‘Close Third’ person offers the perspective of the ‘I’ with the authority of the ‘He’.
Keep reading...The Golden Hour and the Studio
There is a specific kind of work that can only be done as the light fails.
Keep reading...Albert Camus and the Clarity of the Sun
In the heat of the Algerian sun, Camus found a terrifying, beautiful clarity.
Keep reading...The Comma as a Musical Rest
Punctuation is not a matter of grammar; it is a matter of pace.
Keep reading...The Studio as a Sanctuary
Your workspace should be the one place where the world cannot find you.
Keep reading...Oscar Wilde and the Mask of Style
Style is not a coat of paint; it is the essential form of the thought.
Keep reading...