Monthly Archive: May, 2016

May 17, 2016

A Writing Prompt for the Worst Time of Your Life

Unless you’re amazingly lucky and have never had a low point in your life (*sigh* Wouldn’t that be nice?), as soon as you read the title, you knew what time of your life that would be. Or maybe you’ve thought of a series of moments that are all in the running for that title – the worst time of your life. If...

Categories Literary Device Exercises/Writing Prompts Comments: 2

May 16, 2016

When Sharing in Writing Goes Too Far

Yesterday’s quote was right: you have to share when you write. Whether it’s ideas, ideals, or personal experiences, some of that has to flavor your writing even if you try to keep it out. And it’s a good thing – for the most part. But there is such a thing as sharing too much (You know what I’m talking about.)....

Categories General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 0

May 15, 2016

Writing Means Sharing: a Quote by Paulo Coelho

Categories Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 0

May 14, 2016

Blogger Recognition Award

Is it weird that this feels a little like a nomination for a class office? Or maybe it’s like the nickname in the yearbook “class clown” or “most likely to succeed.” Yeah, it’s a viral marketing thing – so what? There’s still a little Sally Field inside me going, “You like me! You really like me!” So, thank you, Grace...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 5

May 13, 2016

Researching the Tudor Period? Check out Ruth Goodman

If you’re writing a story set in the Tudor period, you might check out books, articles, and youtube videos by Ruth Goodman. I first came across her work in the article, “Getting Clean, the Tudor Way,” where she discusses daily cleansing habits of people during that time as well as modern experiments to see how well those habits worked (apparently people...

Categories Research & Worldbuilding/Writer Resources Comments: 0

May 12, 2016

Do You Ever Feel Like an Anachronism?

Have you ever heard people say that they were born before their time or after their time? That they should have lived in a different era? They’re more or less calling themselves anachronisms. anachronism: n. an object, action, or custom that is far outside of its time (either extremely old-fashioned or too far advanced for the time) That probably sounds...

Categories Literary Devices & Writing Techniques Comment: 1

May 11, 2016

When It Comes to Accuracy & Inaccuracy, Watch out for Hardcore Fans

It’s really fascinating to listen to a couple of hardcore fans talk – especially if they’re not major fans of the same topics. For example, imagine a serious WWII history buff and a hardcore Tolkien fan having a conversation about movies and their accuracy or lack thereof. In the course of the exchange, both The Two Towers and The King’s Speech come up...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 0

May 10, 2016

Forget the Drinking Class, Work Is the Curse of the Reading Class

Actually, although enjoyable, my formal work also gets in the way of writing (another form of work), and squeezing in the writing is also getting in the way of reading. On the one hand, I’m very happy and satisfied that I’m getting the writing done. On the other hand, I feel like an addict who’s gone too long without her...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Humor & Wordplay/Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 2

May 9, 2016

A Pause

Categories General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 0

May 7, 2016

Stephen King on Short Stories & Kissing Strangers

Here’s the rest of the quote: “A short story is a different thing altogether–a short story is like a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger. That is not, of course, the same thing as an affair or a marriage, but kisses can be sweet, and their very brevity forms their own attraction.” Read more here.

Categories Humor & Wordplay/Inspiration/Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 0