Marlene Cullen has created a series of books that allow talented writers to showcase their work. While each book is packed with insightful, wistful and poignant essays and stories, what I really like about this series is the title of each book. Marlene masterfully reveals the theme of each book with a single, well-chosen word, and chooses cover artwork accordingly. It is this unspoken promise of words carefully crafted that makes you want to jump right in and explore. — Amazon Reviewer Even if you do not consider yourself a writer, Connections is an enjoyable escape. Reading a variety of short personal stories left me smiling, laughing, sighing, and contemplating. Editor Marlene Cullen cleverly includes over 25 authors with different writing styles in this anthology. At the end of each story there is a writing prompt, advice about life, and pictures of the authors when they were children, including some vintage…
Patterns Prompt #375
Take a mental trip down Memory Lane. See yourself at five years of age. Picture that child. See him or her. Grab some detail. Smiling? Serious? Able to sit still? Has to move around?’ Now, see yourself at twelve years of age. Take a moment to really see that image of yourself as a young teenager. Notice the clothes you wore, your hairstyle. What did you like to do? Who were your friends? Were you a serious student? Were you frivolous? Care free? Fast forward to twenty-five years old. How do you see yourself? How did you move . . slow paced, bustling around, steady, focused, scattered? Were you scaling corporate ladders? Were you climbing walls, anxious to get going, to start your career, start your life? How about thirty or forty or fifty years of age . . did you shine your light on projects or people? Where were…
Paint a rich picture. Roger Lubeck
Guest Blogger Roger Lubeck: The importance of details in memoir to enhance your story. There are people and events in our life that shape who we are. What we value and the lives we lead. The events and people can be big and small. Stopping for cigarettes and the car accident that followed. Taking the last United flight out of New York on September 10, 2001. Growing up in Michigan, water was a part of my life. Swimming and boating, lake cottages, and fish frys; frog legs, whitefish (pike) and perch were staples in that culture and still are. The same was true in Minnesota, except the preferred fish was Walleye caught while ice fishing. Sometimes in telling a personal story we get lost in the wrong details and back stories. In telling a personal story we forget about plot and pace. Often, I have found myself saying, “I guess you…
Just another day, or something special? Prompt #374
Prompt #1: Does Father’s Day have a special meaning for you? Or is it just another day? Prompt #2: What about Mother’s Day? Special or just another day? Write whatever comes up for you. Prompt #3: Write about Memorial Day or Fourth of July. Anything special about them for you? Any traditions you follow now, or as a child?
Reaching for the stars. Prompt #373
Write about reaching for the stars.
What money can’t buy . . . Prompt #372
Write about what money can’t buy.
The Verge for freelance tech-heads
“The Verge covers the way technology and science are changing the way we live.” — Writer’s Digest. “Positioned at the ultra-relevant intersection of technology and culture, The Verge affords writers an opportunity to explore unique stories in longform that fit its editorial interests, such as an unexpected side effect of an app, a surveillance program people aren’t aware of, the inside story of a product’s development, a cutting-edge research programmer, an online community or trend that’s escaped notice. With numerous Webby Awards to its name, reach to an expansive audience, and respectable pay, this market holds solid potential for freelance tech-heads.” —Tyler Moss, interim editor, Writer’s Digest How to submit: Email a clear, concise pitch detailing your story idea and why it’s a good fit for The Verge, as well as a short bio and links to previous work, to the appropriate section editor.
Guest Blogger Alison Luterman . . . Go deep into your writing.
Guest Blogger Alison Luterman writes about going deep with your writing. Originally posted in her May 1 newsletter. Many years ago, in Hawaii, I got a chance to go “scuba diving.” I’m putting the words in quotes because it was really pretend scuba diving for tourists. There was no training involved other than the most basic instructions on how to breathe through a tube connected to the oxygen tank that was strapped to each person’s back. I think we had to sign a waiver saying we would not sue the company if we drowned. Then a group of us waded out, submerged, and voila! We were “scuba diving.” Well, not quite. My man-friend, S., had heavy bones and big muscles and he descended like a stone to the ocean floor. I could see him fifteen feet below me picking up beautiful shells while I floated directly above him. I couldn’t…
I like the sound of . . . Prompt #371
I like the sound of . . . Write about the sounds you like. Or, write about sounds you don’t like.
If that one thing didn’t happen . . . Prompt #370
Write about how different your life . . . or your fictional character’s life would be . . . if that one thing didn’t happen.