Need writing ideas for March? How about... https://www.apnews.com/76e7c9eb60f14db98c855ef680d43adb Wyoming District Will Open 1- Student School Next Fall There are several ideas that jumped to my mind for this one. You could write a story from the child's POV or the teacher's. And since there are two schools with one student a few miles apart, … Continue reading 4 Story Prompts for March
Five Story Prompts from Book Covers
Submittable's newsletter had a link to a set of super cool book covers in the public domain. I fell down this rabbit hole hard. Here are five great leaping off spots into a short story. Man, I love old books. "There is Death in the Pot." A treatise on spotting adulterated and poisonous food. … Continue reading Five Story Prompts from Book Covers
5 Freaky Finds for February
Dang, it's cold. Let's warm up with some weird story prompts for the month. Atlas Obscura has a compilation of creepy folktales in case you need to get your blood pumping. I am not responsible for any weird dreams, but feel free to drop a comment if you end up being inspired to write a … Continue reading 5 Freaky Finds for February
How Alix E. Harrow Makes Me Cry
This is a story analysis post shared from my Patreon. It's the 27th short story this year in which I've taken apart the casing to watch the engine move. If you like that sort of thing, please consider pledging. Do Not Look Back, My Lion is in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #270, a fabulous magazine … Continue reading How Alix E. Harrow Makes Me Cry
Seven Joys of January
Soon, the cows will be having babies. They'll be so little and cute, curled up in the hay and chasing each other on too-long legs. As I type this, snow is falling thick and forever, weighing down the willows, curling their edges toward the ground. Here are places and ideas and stories that brought me … Continue reading Seven Joys of January
Every Character is the Star of Their Show
Got a sidekick? I don't mean in real life! (although maybe you do. If so, I hope you also have a kickass soundtrack.) Writing secondary characters with depth and voice is often what separates a good story from a great one, and I have an example for you from a movie! (spoilers ahead) In The Life … Continue reading Every Character is the Star of Their Show
Annihilation & Rosewater
Ever read a book and think, wow...this is super a lot like something else I've read, but also super different and they might be cousins or maybe it's more like the Fibonacci sequence in a sunflower and a seashell meeting in a constellation. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer This was my second time reading the book. … Continue reading Annihilation & Rosewater
Breaking Rules
There are no writing police. Yes, there are gatekeepers, but those editors and publishers and markets make what they want clear by what they publish. That's one reason I'm doing the 300 published stories challenge over on Patreon. (Come join me!) I'm also reading down my TBR-pile. Currently, I'm working on the re-read of Pullman's … Continue reading Breaking Rules
Eliza David – romance author
Is it cold where you live? A hot romance will fix you right up, and Eliza David has a whole collection to entice you. She does it all. Board member, blogger & contributing writer, moderator for the Writers' Rooms, headlining author at the Iowa Book Festival, plus wife & parent. And, she finds time to … Continue reading Eliza David – romance author
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong
One of my 2019 goals is to read and analyze 300 short stories to help me be better at short form writing. I'm sharing them in batches of three over on my Patreon, but wanted to highlight this particular story and the lessons I learned from the exercise with you. Olivia's Table by Alyssa … Continue reading Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong
