“Making a pronouncement, judgment or criticism about someone else reveals little about them, but reveals much about you.” — Ted A. Moreno Note from Marlene: I agree with Ted. Watch what you say and how you act, because your words and your actions reflect more about you than about the other person. However. . . this can also be used as a way to reveal your character’s traits (fictional character or real person). I know this isn’t what Ted had in mind . . . but it’s such a profound idea. . . I thought sharing it here, on a writing blog . . . might also be helpful as a way to reveal characters’ personalities. Watch for tomorrow’s blog post, where we’ll explore this concept as a method for character development. Ted A. Moreno, C.Ht. Creator of the Moreno Method for Life Transformation™ Hypnotherapist and Success Performance Coach Check…
Month: January 2015
Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest is open for submissions.
Gemini Magazine Sixth Annual Short Story Contest is open for submissions. Open to any subject, style, genre or length. Send your best unpublished work. Grand Prize: $1,000 Second Place: $100 Three Honorable Mentions: $25 each Entry fee: $5 Deadline: March 31, 2015
If you didn’t care what anyone thought . . . Prompt #129
Today’s prompt: If I didn’t care what anyone thought . . . Gather your supplies. Pen, pencil, paper and/or computer fired up. Set your timer for 12-15 minutes and write. Go for it! Photo by Breana Marie
Avoid clichéd characters. . . and more, from Guest Blogger Daryl Hajek
Guest blogger Daryl Hajek discusses a writer’s journey. I was taught to learn to read and write at a young age, even before kindergarten. My parents had told me, because of my deafness, they were determined that I was going to learn to read and write. That was the beginning of my journey into reading and writing. As Stephen King says, “Read a lot, write a lot.” I do this by reading two or three books (or ebooks) concurrently, but that’s a quirk of mine. I also write at least one hour a day, up to eight hours, depending on my mood or how I’m feeling. Learn as much as you can about writing. Take a writing course or two. Get how-to books on writing. Join a book club. Network with other authors/writers online via social media. Get a professional editor which is an absolute must, no exceptions whatsoever. Otherwise, unedited works show…
Color. Prompt #128
Today’s writing prompt: Color. Write about color. Or, match an emotion with a color. Write about it.
Sometimes you just want to sit down and write.
Sometimes we just want to sit down and write. No particular place to go. Nothing in particular to write about. Just enjoy the feel of pen across paper, or fingers flying atop keyboard. Sometimes it’s fun to have a writing prompt to play with. There are two places to explore on The Write Spot for writing prompts. One is here, on The Write Spot Blog. The other is here on The Write Spot Website. On this one, read the prompt on the plaque. Click on the plaque to read what others have written on the prompt. Follow your heart, let your mind wander, trust your intuition. Select a prompt. Set a timer for 12-15 minutes and just write. Discover where your writing path takes you. Photo by Breana Marie
Coffee House Press
Coffee House Press publishes literary novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, creative nonfiction, book-length essays and essay collections, and the occasional memoir. CHP does not accept submissions for anthologies. CHP also does not publish genre fiction such as mysteries, Gothic romances, Westerns, science fiction, or books for children. CHP looks for writing that instructs, inspires, and/or entertains the reader, and that does so with a unique voice. CHP currently publishes fourteen to sixteen trade titles annually. During the next reading period (March 1 – 31, 2016), Coffee House Press will accept electronic submissions through their online submissions manager.
When life hands you lemons. . . Prompt #127
You know the saying: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Well, what do you do when life hands you lemons? Tell us, we want to know. Set your time for 12-15 minutes and write. Just write. Post your writing here, on The Write Spot Blog. Click on “Guidelines” for information about how to post.
Guest Blogger Amanda McTigue talks about marketing your book
So, you’ve got your book written, or almost written, or you have an idea for a book, but you’re stuck dead in your tracks because you detest the marketing aspect of the book business Amanda McTigue says, “No doubt about it: we writers love to write, hate to sell. How could it be otherwise? We’re the odd balls who’d rather spend vast quantities of time alone in our imaginations. And yet these days, we’re told not only must we craft (and sometimes publish) our works, but also find readers to read them: a daunting challenge compounded by our own dread. What’s a writer to do?” Amanda shares resources on one of our least favorite challenges: marketing yourself and your book. “The Psychology of Writer Promotion. How to Promote Yourself,” Chuck Wendig “Book Marketing 101,” Jane Friedman “Five Mistakes You’ll Make on the Way to Publishing Success,” Carmen Amato via Jane…
Winter. Prompt #126
Today’s prompt: Winter. Write whatever comes up for you. Share your writing here, on The Write Spot Blog. Log in and post your writing. Photo by Breana Marie.