Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. My Secret Cottage By Kathy Guthormsen I open the back door to dew sparkling in the morning sun and hints of rainbows shimmering in the lingering mist. They let me catch a fleeting glimpse before their magic fades. Goosebumps raise along my bare arms as I race through the grass and turn to look at my wet footprints. The sun will soon erase this evidence of my footsteps. I won’t be followed as I skip through an imaginary forest to my secret cottage at the far end of an enchanted glade. Rabbit hops along next to me hoping for the reward of a carrot. Cat slinks across the trail, hunting. She’d like to catch Rabbit, but he’s bigger than she is. And wilier. I raise my hand to shade my eyes and turn in a circle….
Author: mcullen
Marlene Cullen is enthusiastic about encouraging people to write, even those who think they can’t write. Her series of books, The Write Spot anthologies, features writing that entertains as well as inspires writing. Every story, vignette, and poem in The Write Spot books include writing prompts motivating readers to become writers.
Marlene hosts The Write Spot Blog, a treasure chest of inspirational gems for writers.
Fulfilling her passion for writing and sharing with others, Marlene has created unique writing environments such as Jumpstart Writing Workshops, where participants often experience transformational changes. Her workshops provide essential elements for successful writing.
Marlene is the founder of Writers Forum of Petaluma, a monthly literary event featuring presenters talking about the craft and business of writing.
Marlene's awarding winning short stories and essays have been published in literary journals, anthologies, and newspapers, including Tiny Lights, Building Bridges, More Bridges, Redwood Writers anthologies, and The Write Spot anthologies.
She is a member of the California Writer's Club.
Six Sentences
Thanks to Guy Biederman for letting me know about Six Sentences. Six Sentences It’s simple. Just write six sentences. Write anything you like. Guidelines Formatting: Six Sentences uses a paragraph format. Six consecutive sentences. No poems, no bullets. Be unconventional if using dialogue. Again, write anything you like, and tell a friend. Peace. Guy is a prolific writer who regularly submits his writing to publications. Join us to learn the inside story to Guy’s many successes: May 19, 6 pm PST, Free on Zoom, Recovery Writing of Idaho.
People are . . . Prompt #648
“Mama Always Said Life Was Like a Box of Chocolates. You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get.”—Forrest Gump People are like that, too. You never know what people are going to do or say. Perhaps that was the inspiration for The 2022 Voices of Lincoln Poetry Contest. Choose a category and Just Write! People are . . . Funny Amazing Changers Unreasonable Unpredictable World These are the categories for The 2022 Voices of Lincoln Poetry Contest. Write your story and submit your writing.
Delicate as a Hummingbird’s Heart
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Delicate as a Hummingbird’s Heart By Noah Davis This past Saturday, the fire burning on the north side of the river jumped a ridge and lit another hillside of drought-stricken timber, sending a plume so high that the air turned red with the seared skin of Douglas fir and larch. At 5:30 that evening, in the diner booth across from my father and me, a young man and woman, both with shiny, smooth cheeks, sat drinking their waters in small swallows. He wore a collared, white button down with jeans and scrubbed cowboy boots. Her skirt was blue, like glacial streams, and her straight hair was the color of stacked wheat shafts when the sunlight isn’t choked with smoke. His bangs were still wet from the shower, comb marks straight as irrigation ditches. She ran her…
Let me take this off your plate . . . Prompt #647
Someone said this to me recently: “Let me take this off your plate.” Sounds like a good writing prompt . . . so here we are. Just Write! “Let me take this off your plate.” #iamwriting #iamawriter #justwrite
Crafting Short Fiction
“If I had more time, I’d write a shorter story.”— Mark Twain Today’s Guest Blogger, Guy Biederman, talks about crafting short fiction. I’ve always been intrigued by the challenge of creating something small that has big power. Giacometti said he wanted to make a sculpture the size of a matchbox, but so dense no one could lift it. The first micro story I remember reading was “Coup de Grace” by Ambrose Bierce, with a gotcha ending. O. Henry’s “Gift of the Magi used” a similar technique. I was astonished by the wallop a short piece could pack. As a young writer, I cut my teeth on Raymond Carver’s work. Carver’s stories weren’t always short, but they were spare and vivid, conveyed feeling, empathy and understanding, and explained very little. I didn’t know what he was doing or how he did it. I only knew that reading his work was like…
Reverberations
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Reverberations By Brenda Bellinger I suppose another title for this post could be “Echoes.” Some are gentle, quiet, reminiscent of the fading ring of a bell. Others are loud, persistent—drumbeats, almost—like the hourly news headlines of the brutal slaughters in Ukraine, occasionally punctuated by stories of defiance, strength and resilience. It’s Monday morning, the day before I’ll upload this post. I’m sitting at the dining room table in the family home that will soon be listed for sale, waiting for the painter and landscaper to arrive. Traffic noise is more noticeable now in the hollow silence of this near-empty space. All but a handful of the original furnishings are gone, replaced with artsy pieces and decor selected by our real estate agent to stage the home. Gone is the Tuscan-inspired color scheme that ran throughout the…
University Presses
“The backbone of many university presses’ trade programs is probably familiar: local and regional history, cookbooks, photography books, and other sorts of consumer-friendly titles with an obvious connection to the area or university. But many also offer a home for books that are niche, experimental, challenging in various ways, and/or just kind of weird.” —Adam Rosen, Why You Should Consider a University Press for Your Book, Jane Friedman’s Blog, April 5, 2022 A few university presses Fourteen Hills, The San Francisco State University Review The Green Hills Literary Lantern, Truman State University Bayou Magazine, University of New Orleans
I wish I would have . . . Prompt #646
I wish I would have . . . I wish I would not have . . . #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
I am not That Girl
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. When I heard “I am not That Girl” by Ariel LaChelle, I knew I wanted it on the Sparks page of my blog. It’s longer that what is usually posted here. It’s so amazing, I could not resist. You can read it and watch Ariel perform “I am not That Girl” in her own strong and melodic voice. I am not That Girl By Ariel LaChelle Even though the term “That Girl” Was created by black girls, I don’t fit the requirements Automatically, Because I am a Fat Girl. And ‘cause I have tight curls That become more angry If I dip my scalp in the water, Then let my hair air dry And don’t try To keep it in order. No styling, No stretching, No products, No dye, But I feel like I might If…