Are you looking for a press to publish your book length writing? Consider Saddle Road Press, as Michelle Wing did with her book of poetry, Body on the Wall. Saddle Road Press, founded in 2011, is a small literary press located in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawai’i. In 2013 they founded the Forty-Three North Chapbook Series – named for the latitude of Lake Erie – to honor their long-time home near Buffalo. Now that SRP is permanently settled back home in Hawai’i, they are focusing more on writing from and about the Pacific. They are primarily looking for work that moves and delights them. They are open to older writers, to non-MFA writers, to performance pieces, to writers whose first language is not English. They are interested in poetry, literary fiction, memoir and essays. Shape your writing now, and be ready to submit later this year. “We read submissions once each…
Guest Blogger Janet Ciel: Recall a time in your life. . .
Janet Ciel writes: The other day I was having a conversation with a biking friend who mentioned she had a dream of being a poster child for the 70′s and above age group. She said she was buckling down on her eating, biking as much as possible, and is joining a gym. She was inspired by an amazing woman she read about who is in her 90s and still competing in track and field events. You know my response was enthusiastic, as of course I always feel that our maximum potential is just another bike ride away. I am amazed at the strength and endurance increases that are possible by just doing it, what “it” is for you, over and over again. No matter what your age you can get stronger and more vibrant. But some of you have not even started. You might be in your 70s or older…
All writing is . . . E. B. White
All writing is communications; creative writing communication through revelation — it the Self escaping into the open. — E. B. White The Paris Review Interview E.B. White was a contributor to The New Yorker, co-author of The Elements of Style and author of Charlotte’s Web.
Summer! Prompt #77
Write about . . . Summer.
Let’s talk about the inner critic.
It’s difficult to shake off judging ourselves and our writing. Our inner critic is a hard one to let go — it’s been with us for so long. What I especially like about freewrites is that since they are very rough first drafts, they can be just awful and no one should care because, after all, they are just first drafts. The beauty of freewrites is getting Self out of the way and going with the flow. Let your writing flow with no judging. When you are in the zone and writing. . . time flies. There is no space for the inner critic to hang out. It’s just you and your creative mind playing with words. Let go of your worries about your writing. Choose a prompt from The Write Spot Blog. Set your timer for 12 minutes and Just Write.
What is the worst thing that could be taken from you? Prompt #76
What is the worst thing that could be taken from you? Set your time for 12 minutes. Write. No thinking. Just write. Post your freewrite here on The Write Spot Blog. Photo by Jane Person
Do you have a funny story? Submit!
The Funny Times is a monthly forum for humor and satire in a world gone totally insane. Here’s what they have to say about submitting: We read thousands of stories and cartoons in order to find and collect the “best of the best” each month. So they tell you you’re funny, huh? Great! That’s exactly what we’re looking for! Here are a few things you should know to submit your funny cartoons and stories to Funny Times: Our print publication pokes fun at politics, news, relationships, food, technology, pets, work, death, environmental issues, business, religion (yes, even religion) and the human condition in general. Not much is off limits, so do your best to make us laugh. Stories — the funniest you have ever written — should be about 500-700 words. Don’t send us things that aren’t funny. We won’t publish them. There is a lead-time of several months because…
Guest Blogger Jared Gulian never gave up.
Guest blogger Jared Gulian wrote a fun story about his dream of being published. I love publishing stories that are inspiring and enjoy stories that take place in San Francisco, my home town. “I’m giving up,” I said. “‘Moon over Martinborough’ is never going to be a book.” Ever since I’d started this blog I’d wanted to turn it into a book, but I was losing hope. “Maybe you shouldn’t give up just yet,” Uncle Oscar replied. Uncle Oscar was here on his annual visit from New York, and we were sitting at the Gamekeeper, the restaurant at Alana Estate vineyard just down the road. CJ and I were having lunch with Uncle Oscar and our friends Leelee and the Wolf. “Uncle Oscar’s right,” Leelee said. “Don’t give up. Although the blog had gained some recognition, after 3 years of hard slog I still felt no closer to my book…
When one is freshly informed. . . . Joan Anderson
When one is freshly informed, has a serendipitous experience, one’s mood is changed, one’s heart is changed. That is why taking the time to see, hear, be present to images and language that arise from new experiences have the power to change one from one way to another. — A Year by the Sea, by Joan Anderson.
What doesn’t tickle your fancy? Prompt #75
What is your pet peeve? You know, those little, or big, things that drive you up the wall. What makes your hair stand on end? What ruffles your feathers? Prompt: Write about what doesn’t tickle your fancy! Photo by Breana Marie