Prompts

What work would you do if you could do anything? Prompt #105

The following excerpt is from Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. “Some of us hear our passion calling when we’re very young, but most of us do not because we’re too busy listening to what other people, especially our parents, are telling us. So we embark on a vocational path, trying on different lives for size until we find one we can wear even if it doesn’t necessarily fit. Perhaps you’re conflicted about continuing the journey you started twenty-five years ago but have outgrown. You know you’re not heading in the direction you want to go, but at least your daily motions are familiar. And familiar feels safe. In today’s uncertain world, feeling safe and secure seems the emotional definition of sanity. Perhaps you’re skilled in one occupation but not thrilled about using those skills anymore. Some other work does secretly thrill you. But the stakes seem too high. perhaps…

Places to submit

Full Grown People publishes personal essays

Full Grown People publishes personal essays that explore what it means to be an adult . . . essays that explore those moments in life when you wonder, what’s next? “Essays should be between 800 and 4,000 words and have a literary quality: engaging and smart without being academic or schmaltzy. Work hard on your endings—if you’ve built up some good momentum, ending it on the right note is sometimes the difference between a contender and an acceptance.” Click here for submission guidelines.  

Guest Bloggers

Guest blogger Arlene Miller asks, “Should we dumb down the language?”

Guest Blogger Arlene Miller writes: I am a member of some grammar groups on LinkedIn, where there are fascinating — and long – discussions of what some people would call grammatical minutiae. However, this week, I saw a discussion that I found a little surprising. The question posed was “Should we continue to teach who and whom to our students?” the real question is: Should we continue to teach the difference between them and when to use each? On my blog, bigwords 101, I talked about the difference between linguistic and grammatical prescriptivism and descriptivism: ▪    Prescriptivists (the camp that I lean toward) think that the rules are there and they should be followed. ▪    Descriptivists believe that language evolves as new usages come into play. Well, if we followed a purely prescriptivist viewpoint, we would still be using the language of centuries ago – thank you, Chaucer. But what would happen if we…

Quotes

There’s no point in trying to impress people with cleverness.

I read this quote in the September 2014 issue of The Writer Magazine. It aligns perfectly with my passion for genuine and authentic writing. “Years ago I read an interview with Paula Fox in which she said that in writing, truth is just as important as story. Reading that interview was the first time I really understood that there’s no point in trying to impress people with my cleverness when I can just try to write honestly about what matters most to me.” — Molly Antopol, The UnAmericans, Stanford University    

Just Write

The most important tool . . . to help me make the big choices in life — Steve Jobs

The subject of death may be uncomfortable or difficult for some. And yet, we are all going to die . . . some time. . . somehow. Here’s a quote from Steve Jobs. “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” — Steve Jobs Note from Marlene: Writing. . . letting others read your writing . . . can make you feel vulnerable, afraid and weak…