A contranym is a word with two opposite meanings. Or: Two meanings that contradict one another. Use contranyms in your writing. Bill: payment or an invoice Bolt: leave quickly or fix/immobilize Bound: confined/tied or going Buckle: connect or break or collapse Cleave: cling or split apart Clip: attach or cut off Dust: clean something or dust with powdered sugar Fast: move rapidly or fixed in place Finished: completed or destroyed Hold up: support or impede Left: gone or remaining Original: authentic/traditional or novel never done before Overlook: supervise or failing to oversee Peer: person of nobility or an equal Presently: now or soon Put out: extinguish or generate Sanction: approve or penalize Table: discuss a topic or postpone discussion #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
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.
Palindromes . . . Prompt #825
A palindrome is a word that reads the same backwards as forwards. Use these palindromes in your writing. civic deed deified kayak level madam mom noon peep pop racecar radar refer repaper rotator rotor wow And, thanks to the amazing writers I work with: Taco cat Yreka Bakery #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
Advice From a Dog
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Advice From a Dog By DSBriggs Find yourself a good owner. In addition to catering to your every whim a good owner should incorporate these other qualities, I explain below. Get someone with good knees because they will need to get up and down when you want to go in and out. Also someone with an opposable thumb so they can operate a can opener to serve you wet food. Which, of course, you should refuse to eat at first. Gradually your owner will succumb to your training. This is good when selecting snack treats. Note your owner’s preference (usually the cheapest) as the one treat you refuse. Get someone who knows that there is a difference between walks: fast, get down to business or mosey which should be called nosey. Serious nose work cannot be rushed. Train your owner…
Gold Digger
Review: Gold Digger by Rebecca Rosenberg. One look at Baby Doe Tabor, and you know she was meant to be a legend of the Wild West and Gilded Age! She was just twenty years old when she came west to work a gold mine with her new husband. Little did she expect that she’d be abandoned and pregnant and left to manage the gold mine alone. But that didn’t stop her! She fell in love with an old married prospector twice her age. Horace Tabor struck the biggest silver vein in history, scandalously divorced his wife, became a U.S. Senator, and married Baby Doe at the U.S. capitol with President Arthur in attendance. Though Baby Doe Tabor was renowned for her beauty, her fashion, and her philanthropy, she was never welcomed in polite society. Her friends were stars they hired to perform at their Tabor Grand Opera House: Sarah Bernhardt,…
Ebbs and Flows . . . Prompt #824
Writing Prompt: Ebbs and Flows Just Write! #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
Something happened . . . Prompt #823
Write about something that happened to you that you wonder if you should tell people. Would it help them to know? Would it help you to write about it? Just Write! #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter
Song Lyrics: Defying Gravity . . . Prompt #822
Song lyrics can offer inspiration to write, like “Defying Gravity” in the production of “Wicked.” Specific lines to use in your writing from “Defying Gravity.” Something has changed within me Something is not the same I’m through with playing by The rules of someone else’s game It’s time to trust my instincts I think I’ll try defying gravityAnd you can’t pull me down
Working with an editor
What to look for when working with an editor: “My goal is to help them [editing clients] bring their vision to life and to push their craft further.” –Maggie Smith, “Building Together,” Jan/Feb 2025 Poets & Writers. More about editing: Re-visioning aka editing Just Write!
A Prayer for the World
A Prayer For The World Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect. Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly. So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin color. Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness. So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors. Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. —Rabbi Harold Kushner
Memory
Guest Blogger Hospice Nurse Sharon Ziff writes: We acknowledge that aging, slowing down, and death are normal stages of life. We exercise, eat healthy, think positively, and bring love and playfulness into our lives. Still, eventually, death will walk in. What if we make friends with death? Can understanding the last chapters of your life move you toward acceptance and peace? Acceptance and peace can be a gift you can give yourself and your loved ones. Sharon’s Story:I remember Mama. I wore a hat with a bee pin that was my Mother’s. I gave it to her for her birthday thirty years ago. Maybe for her 75th? I don’t remember the year. But I remember the joy of purchasing it and her face when I gave it to her. I can see it on her blouse. I think of Mother often. Every time I wear my hat with her bee pin….