Author: mcullen

  • See The Scene

    body of water across forest
    Photo by Manuela Adler
    Pexels.com

    Kasey Butcher Santana describes a scene about her “outdoor classroom.”

    “My science teacher uses a ruler and twine to mark a square-foot box in the damp blanket of leaves covering the ‘outdoor classroom.’ My task today is to observe this small patch. Part of a log has fallen within the boundaries, and I note the moss that grows on it and the bugs that seek shelter under its flaking bark. We return once a month to note how this woodland square changes with the seasons and maybe even write a poem.

    I do not remember completing this assignment, but I recall the crisp smell of forest floor, the slip of mud beneath my shoes, and the surprise of a roly-poly beneath the log.”

    Excerpted from How a Box in the Woods Taught Me to Write About Nature by Kasey Butcher Santana on the April 2, 2025 Brevity Blog.

    Can you see this scene? The ruler, the twine, the square-foot box, the damp blanket of leaves. Maybe you know that smell of damp leaves, of a crisp forest smell, of mud.

    Notice how sensory detail bring this scene from the page into you sensory awareness, into your memory bank.

    More on sensory detail in writing on The Write Spot Blog:

    Literary Transference

    The Neurological Impact of Sensory Detail

    Sensory Detail . . . Prompt #738

    Details are critical

    Just Write!

  • Literary Transference

    Inspiration to Just Write by Maureen Stanton:

    “Most readers know that sensation when immersed in a book of being transported from their couches or chairs into another world, where a film unspools in the mind’s eye.

    The engines that power this transport are the smallest components of craft: sensory details. Concrete sensory details paint a story so compelling and vivid that as readers, through the awesome power of our imaginations, see, hear, smell and feel the story. This process is a bilateral exchange that I think of as literary transference: the story enters the reader’s mind, and thus the reader enters the story, as if through a magic portal.

    It is during this transference process when mere black and white words—hieroglyphs–are alchemized into the images, smells, sounds, and sensations that transport readers deeply into stories. This exchange yields more than the pleasure of being whisked into another realm; it allows us to flex our powers of empathy as we vicariously experience others’ lives.”

    To read the full article, posted on Brevity Blog, April 11, 2025, click Taste the Gazpacho, Smell the Hyacinths: Literary Transference in Memoir.

    Just Write!

  • A Place in the Sun

    Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.

    A Place in the Sun

    By CM Riddle

    I often find myself writing about the past. It’s easy to remember and type the facts. But today I am writing about the future.

    Instead of facts, I’ll define the future and bring it into reality. My vision of the future is inspired by a song from the past.

    Tuning to Spotify I hear Stevie Wonder belt, “There’s a place in the sun where there’s room for everyone, gonna find me a place in the sun.”

    The lyrical line weaves its way through my thoughts and soon I imagine the most amazing place. A place without pain or suffering. A place filled with hope and everyday joy. That’s where I want to be. 

    Suddenly an esoteric feeling hits deep within my bones. Not knowing if I will live long enough to experience what’s coming, I am somehow assured that there is a future that holds a place in the sun, and it will exist for everyone.

    Swept in confidence, I am aware my grandchildren and all future children of the world will build this place of security. They emerge from a new place, one that is ancient and innovative at the same time. They bring with them kindness and silliness. They offer help and reach out without expectations of return. They are fulfilled by giving more than taking and this place of beauty flourishes.

    I see a future where harmony takes place with every step and the earth is green and growing. I see health and wholeness beyond what we have. The world is cast in a beautiful, energizing, healing, vibrational saffron. A warmth that embraces humankind and melts greed. It is a vibrant color that restores instead of dismantles. The glow of the world is one of ecstasy.

    People and communities take on challenges and step-up, leaving no one to suffer. These tribes and families establish a new kind of wealth. One that does not involve money, banking, or stocks. They find prosperity in creativity and craft within each other. Bartering and trades for betterment are the new investment. And most importantly, no one is left hungry or homeless. There is no need to escape through drugs or other stimulants. 

    The air and the water return to perfect balance and if just one person tries to “own” what belongs to all, well, then they will have to go without for a long time. That seems a fair consequence. 

    This place is filled with more walking and cooking. More gatherings, more laughter. More wisdom and discovery. There is no such thing as insecurities of any kind… food, housing, trade goods. It’s all there for the giving and receiving.

    Support comes from all sources. Family, establishments, community. This is the dream I have. I may not be here on this plane, but it is coming. There will be an element of peace greater than anything ever imagined—and this time around it will be real.

    Tina Riddle Deason writes under the name CM Riddle. An author and creator, Tina has published several articles and books, including those about rituals and ceremonies. She is a High Priestess who leads a variety of Women’s Circles. A mother and grandmother who lives with her husband and “fur-babies” in Rohnert Park, CA.

  • How you became who you are . . . Prompt #838

    Write about how you became who you are.

    Why you are the way you are.

    Is it genetics, epigenetics, nature, nurture, not nurtured?

    Remember a pivotal event. Something happened that changed the trajectory of your life. You may not have known it at the time. But looking back, you might discover the “aha” moment.

    How to find that pivotal event, that “aha” moment:

    • Maybe there is a clue in something you write about repeatedly.
    • Scroll through your memory bank of photos, “see” a photo where you are frowning. What is that frown about?
    • There is an uncomfortableness when you remember a particular occasion.
    • You can also write about a highly emotional situation, starting with, “Here’s what happened . . .” You don’t have to think about an epiphany. Just write like a reporter, “Here’s what happened . . .”

    You might not find a pivotal event during this writing. However, if you keep writing, it might pop up.

    Just Write!

  • Write about yourself . . . Prompt #837

    Write about yourself.

    Ideas on how to start:

    Basically I am [optimistic], sometimes I am [pessimistic].

    When no one is listening, I [sing out oud].

    When no one is watching, I [dance].

    I am slow to [warm up to people].

    I quickly [form opinions].

    You can use these sentence starts:

    I am determined . . .

    Basically I am . . .

    Sometimes I am . . .

    When no one is listening, I . . .

    When no one is watching, I . . .    

    I am slow to . . .

    I quickly . . .

    I am determined . . .

    Marlene’s Musings:

    I have often thought about how to “show” body language when writing. When we interact with others, there is much about body language that conveys our mood, emotions, reactions. How to show these things? The Emotion Thesaurus to our rescue!

  • I was going to . . . Prompt #836

    I was going to . . . and then . . .

    OR:

    I planned to . . . but then . . .

    OR:

    I thought I would . . . but then . . .

  • A favorite area . . . Prompt #835

    Write about a favorite area:

    in your home

    in your workplace

    in your town

    Or your favorite place on earth.

  • Space . . . Prompt #834

    Write about a space you have been in:

    Library, cathedral, top of mountain, a castle, Grand Canyon, Grand Central station, Emporium, head spaces.

    A tight space, a small space, a crawl space, outer space.

    Just Write!

  • Now vs then . . . Prompt #832

    What did you do in your twenties that you can’t, or won’t, do now?

    What can you do now that you couldn’t do in your twenties?