Like typical cats enjoying a lazy day, Drake, Blake, and Celie are lying on a king-size bed with an orange comforter. They are watching one of their favorite TV shows, “Too Cute: Cats.” Blake and Drake are falling asleep, while Celie, the only girl among the three, is paying close attention to the cute boy cats. “He is one…
MetroLines Poetry Contest *Open to poets of all ages living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis *Free to enter *$100 prize to 15 winning poems *Winning poems posted on Metro trains and buses for one year *Opportunity to read at a ceremony in the fall *June 19 deadline Like this: Like Loading… Related
Today creative writers at GCAA talked poetry, creative nonfiction, and flash fiction with writer and creative writing teacher Kim Lozano. Here are a couple things we discussed… Honing our ability to see originally Writing specifically Avoiding vague words like “beautiful” and zeroing in on imagery The idea that specificity & imagery apply to fiction, creative nonfiction — all types…
According to The Practice of Creative Writing by Heather Sellers, “when creative writers use the alphabet to provide the structure for a piece of writing, it’s called an abecedarius.” “Forcing yourself into a box like this does interesting things to your creativity. You end up surprising yourself. Oftentimes, the letters for which ‘you can’t think of anything’ provide the…
The following pictures document some of the research, design and performance process that GCAA students participated in as part of their Crankie project for The St. Louis Storytelling Festival with guest artist Adam Booth. Here Eli Bivins sits as Dred Scott in the re-enactment of the Dred Scott trial at The Old Courthouse in Saint Louis. Students took a…
The theme for this year’s Anti Bullying Week is ‘Choose respect.’ I don’t think there’s ever been a time when we’ve needed this message more than we do right now. Respect is the bedrock of a civilised society. We don’t have to like everybody – we may not be able to help disliking some people – but respect is a…
It’s that time of year again, and the great thing about buying presents for writers is that you can give them something that will provide weeks or months of writing pleasure and inspiration without breaking the bank. Here are some suggestions for things your writing friends might like – or if you’re a writer, why not treat yourself? 1 Gorgeous…
Last year, I was writing about recycling as part of my new children’s non-fiction work on helping the planet. As we go into this new year, I’m thinking about recycling again, but this time about recycling writing. There are lots of ways I do this, and if you haven’t been doing it too, you might be missing a trick….
I’ve just finished reading Donald Maass’s book, The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface, and I absolutely loved it! The writing is so clear and thoughtful. Donald Maass first came onto my radar as a brilliant writer for writers at a Scattered Authors’ retreat several years ago, when ace children’s and YA author, Linda…
It is an absolute pleasure to host a guest post by one of my favorite authors — Megan Lindholm (who you may have read as Robin Hobb), who is here to talk about the story of the City Primeval — and the 35th anniversary of her novel, Wizard of the Pigeons. *** Why, yes. Yes, I do know what…
In the year 1960, private eye John Nyquist arrives in Delirium, a city of a million borders, to pursue his strangest case yet: tracking down Oberon, the stolen, sentient image of faded film star Vince Craven. As Nyquist tracks Oberon through a series of ever-stranger and more surreal borders, he hears tantalizing stories of the Yeald, a First Wall…
I’m so sorry, that post title is terrible. But I am a monster, and so I persist. ANYWAY this is just a quick drop in to let you know that, should you be so inclined, Wanderers is a Kindle Daily Deal today, which winnows the price down to a cozy $3.99. So you can head over there and check it…
A family of luck poachers receives a phone call that sets them off in the hopes of reversing their bad fortune. At a singles mixer for chemical elements, a luminous-yet-jaded Neon looks for love, or at least a one-night exothermic reaction. When blue skies turn gray and the daikaiju siren blares, the ten-year-old daughter of the local weatherman discovers…
So, The Book of Accidents is out on July 20th — holy crap, one month away?! — and I will be appearing at various bookstores in support of it! The trick is, like most authors during the Quarantimes, I’ll be appearing at these bookstores from the comfort of my own li’l writing shed, rising as a virtual ghost, a veritable digital…
The Story of the Novel Those in the know say Write about what you know. This could be my parents’ love story, with the boring bits left out. My story takes place in a raw and natural setting called Karrana, where a stunningly attractive young woman is ready to break out of her universe and demand more from life….
I open my eyes onto a strange world into which I’ve stumbled as if by chance. All is new and filled with an alien radiance, muted colours, greys yet beautiful. Hippies are twanging their guitars along the Seine. Flower sellers and precious bookstall owners hawk their wares along the promenades above. The ancient cobblestones conceal the holographs of those…
The Mardi Gras festival for the Gay and Lesbian community (LGBTQ) occurred as usual in March, within stricter guidelines than in the past, because of Covid. Randwick Council showed great initiative in promoting a rainbow coloured walkway on the steps at Coogee Beach. It brightens up the area and makes a statement about supporting stigmatised peoples, including gays, lesbians,…
My Links to the Myth I have for a long while been drawn to the archetype of Persephone, who must descend into the underworld for half the year. My connection is linked to a long-term personal wish and desire for growth and change through psychological means. Personal attraction to an archetype is like an urgent calling, something that really…
Congratulations! An aspiring student has found you worth enough to write a letter of recommendation for their prospective university’s admissions committee. You know that this is a big deal and that the applicant’s success depends, to some extent, on the quality of this reference letter. But how do you go about writing a letter of recommendation for a student,…
To establish a successful online business, it’s important to understand how a Wikipedia page can help you stand out. Regardless of which niche you belong to, it’s important to build an online footprint. You need to enhance your online recognition and for that an increased organic reach and massive visibility are the two perfect goals. When you write a Wiki page,…
