. . . might help with your writing. Note from Marlene: I have wondered why we humans seem to easily focus on the negative and sometimes have difficulty seeing the positive. The following from Qi Gong teacher Lee Holden explains why we tend to think about things that cause stress and anxiety: The nature of the mind is to dream and wander. Even when the present moment is completely perfect, it’s normal for thoughts to run off into the past or future. Sometimes, daydreaming can provide valuable insights that lead to joy. However, most of the time, the mind isn’t quite so generous. More often than not, the mind’s natural tendency is to ruminate on thoughts that produce stress or anxiety. Luckily, Qi Gong provides powerful tools for calming the mind and returning to peace. In this article, we’ll discuss the nature of human thinking, as well as share three…
Month: August 2021
The good thing is . . . Prompt #597
Writing Prompt: The good thing is . . .
The Bachelors
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. The Bachelors By Nicole R. Zimmerman My father migrated from Cleveland to San Francisco in the mid-1960s with several boyhood friends. A decade later, my parents played occasional weekend tennis with my “uncle” Vic and his wife at Mountain Lake Park. Uncle Vic would bring us piroshki in thin paper bags, purchased from Russian bakers in the foggy avenues where they lived with their son in an Edwardian walk-up. The smell of the ground beef and onions wafting through the steam always made my mouth water, and the doughy pocket left a greasy stain. While our parents remained on the courts, we climbed rooftops and ran—just my older brother, our young friend, and me. There was a rope swing that swept over the lake from a muddy bank, but nobody jumped in or swam; it wasn’t…
Roanoke Review
Roanoke Review was co-founded in 1967 by Roanoke College student Edward A. Tedeschi and teacher Henry Taylor, who went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for The Flying Change in 1986. In its half-century of existence, Roanoke Review has established itself as an accessible read, intent on publishing down-to-earth writers with a sense of place, a sense of language, and—perhaps most importantly—a sense of humor. The Review is also known for its fine cover art. Roanoke Review accepts poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, photographic essay, and visual poetry. Submissions September 1 through December 1. Fiction and non-fiction submissions up to 5,000 words and poetry submissions up to 100 lines. Roanoke Review is part of the creative writing community at Roanoke College in Virginia.
I am struggling with . . . Prompt #596
Writing Prompt: I am struggling with . . .
All Summer Long
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. All Summer Long By Deb Fenwick All summer long, busy house sparrows flit in the eaves of our house. Each morning, they collect tiny twigs and things I rarely notice from the ground and end up making a life with them. Seedlings sprout and reach toward a warm, welcoming sky. Children ride bikes and screech with delight. No hands! Look at me! Watch! When the sun sets at nine o’clock, those same children, liberated from the rigidity of school night routines, line up for ice cream with wide, wild eyes as fireflies send signals across the garden. The crickets just keep chirping. All summer long, there’s lake swimming in midwestern waters that have been warmed by the sun. And better still, there’s night swimming where a body, unfettered by the weight of gravity, gets its chance…
All Summer Long . . . Prompt #595
Writing Prompt: All Summer Long . . .
Help might be where you least expect it. Just ask.
Excerpted from “Where Do You Hang Your Hammock?: Finding Peace of Mind While You Write, Publish, and Promote Your Book” by Bella Mahaya Carter. When you’re out there promoting your book, you’ll have to ask for all sorts of things. This might feel hard. You may make up stories, such as I don’t want to “bother” people or be a nuisance. You may feel as if you have no right to ask for what you want. You may even feel, deep down, as if there’s something wrong with asking. Of course, nobody likes rejection, either. We don’t want to hear the word “no.” But how people respond has more to do with them than with you. If you can blow by the nos, you’ll pick up enough yeses along the way. So don’t let that stop you. Those stories running through your head, that make asking for what you want seem unsavory, doesn’t mean…
Redivider
Redivider is a literary journal produced by the graduate students in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing program at Emerson College in the vibrant literary hub of Boston. Published digitally in the autumn and spring, Redivider welcomes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and graphic narrative submissions from emerging and established writers. “And if you’re wondering about the name—it’s a palindrome!” “Each year, we host the Blurred Genre Contest and Beacon Street Prize. Winners of these contests receive cash prizes, and their work is featured online in a subsequent issue of our journal.” Recently, Redivider shifted to a digital platform. Publishing issues online allows the voices of contributors to reach more readers as web content is free for all. Submission Guidelines
If only . . . Prompt #594
Writing Prompt: If only I had or hadn’t . . .