The Gift, by Lewis Hyde

The Gift starts with an anthropological overview of giftgiving, and proceeds to argue that works of art - which are treated as commodities in modern western culture - ought to be seen, first and foremost, as gifts. This book is a call to suspend concern for the wallet in order to tend to the soul, the culture, the community. It is also readable, compelling, and highly recommended for storytellers and audience members alike.

Resolution: Create a story or work of art, no matter how modest, and give it away anonymously. For example, write a short story on a postcard and leave it in a public place. Is it easier/harder/more enjoyable to create the work when you know you will receive neither credit nor payment?

Click on the cover image to purchase this book from an indie bookseller near you.

Resolution: Make up New Words

Why should Shakespeare have all the fun? If the Bard could make up new words and have them stick, so can we!

New words can be logical and easily understood. You might start out with something like Lisa's use of readee to mean someone who is read to. This utilizes a standard word structure (employee, leasee) to express a new meaning. But don't be afraid to get a little eccentric: you could use photolilacology, for example, to mean the study of light of the color lilac.

As you write or speak, think about what words - both new and old - mean in their most basic sense. A writer is one who writes; an author is, etymologically, one who creates (or even "fathers") a work. So we use "author" to describe someone who has written finished stories/essays/etc, whereas a writer may also be someone who writes more casually. A director is one who directs or guides. A politician is one who practices politics, whereas a statesman is a man of (in a sense belonging to) the state. Specificity in word choice is important to expressing exactly what you want to communicate.

Resolution: Try a New Form of Communication

This morning on NPR I heard that, due to severe inflation and rising costs of food, people in Saudi Arabia are encouraging each other to boycott milk via text messages. Consider how new technology and different forms of communication influence your stories. Robinson Crusoe might have felt alone on a desert island, but today your characters can sit on a remote beach and conduct business or catch up with friends over a mobile.

Try learning more about the tools your characters can use to keep in touch. If you don't have a cell phone, borrow or use a prepaid phone for a week. How does it feel knowing you can always be contacted? Try joining myspace, facebook, or other another social networking site. In what ways does it help or hinder your ability to build friendships? Alternately, if you haven't written a letter since the third grade, try it. Notice if and how you write differently in a letter vs. an email. Wait to see how the friend you send the letter to responds; does the letter mean more to him than an email would have? Does she write back by snail or e-mail?

VARIATION: Take a course in another language, or chat with a friend whose first language is different than yours. What expressions exist in Italian but not in English, and vice versa? What does this say about the culture the language evolved in? What is easier to express in your language and what is easier to express in the other? Listen to the sounds of the language; are they sensuous? gentle? rough? musical? Try writing a character whose first language is different than yours.

Resolution: Take Public Transportion

Taking mass transportation is better for the environment, and it will reduce what you spend on gas. But even more important here, it's a great place to find stories.

On a subway or train or bus, keep an ear out for interesting conversations, or try your hand at starting one. If the crowd seems too preoccupied or unsociable for conversation, just observe. Find unusual details of dress, body language, etc. that you can use in a future story.

It has often been remarked that no plot is unique - in short that every story has been told before. But if you make your story detailed and specific, it will be an old plot told in a way that no one but you could have told it.

Variation: Walk. Keep an eye on the people around you and how they interact. Do they smile at you or avoid eye contact? Do you move out of their way or vice versa? If there aren't many or any people around, look for details in the environment instead. For more info on the benefits of walking, check out the 10,000 Steps Program.

New Year's Resolution: Write by Hand

It seems like the only things we get in the mailbox now are bills and advertisements. You might say email has taken the place of hand-written letters, but it's really just pushed them aside. Most of us fill our emails with superficial phrases and requests for information, but we used to tell stories in letters. It's the difference between small talk and a stimulating conversation.

Can't even remember what it feels like to get a hand-written message in the mail? Start with a baby step. I've got a pile of postcards and stamps just waiting to be sent out. Click here and fill out your information, and I'll send you a hand-written postcard.

Due to postage costs, I can only send a limited number of international (outside the US) postcards. Otherwise, I'll keep sending them out until I run out of stamps.

Can't wait to hear from you!