“Because in a busy, noisy world, it is our connections with one another that truly elevate our days.” Real Simple editor Leslie Yazel Sept. 2017 I love finding quotes with the word, or the idea of, connections in them. I have been fascinated with the idea of connections for a long time. And so it isn’t a surprise that one of the books in The Write Spot series has the theme of connections. The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Connections is currently on sale at Amazon. And available as a Kindle ereader. Here’s an excerpt of the updated Connections description: Ready to share your experiences but not sure how to start? Use this book of evocative essays and writing exercises to unlock your unique voice. Connections is a vastly diverse set of stories, vignettes, and poems. Choosing selections penned by interconnected individuals such as mothers and granddaughters, sisters, and…
Chatting . . . that connected feeling
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez “Chatting with a stranger makes you happy. Connecting with another person, even briefly—like talking to the barista brewing your coffee or a random seatmate on the train home from work—gives you a feeling of belonging and improves your mood.” — “Your Body’s Trying to Tell You” May 2016 Reader’s Digest
Recipe for Publishing Success
Sue Fagalde Lick writes about the ups and downs of being published. I have three books coming out next year: A memoir, a full-length poetry book, and a poetry chapbook. Different genres, different subjects, different publishers. I didn’t plan it this way, but it’s happening. I have also had a run of acceptances for short pieces. I should be overjoyed. Isn’t this what I wanted? But I feel guilty boasting about my three books when other writers are not able to get even one acceptance. It’s the “people are starving overseas while I’m complaining about ice cream making me fat” conundrum. After years of mostly no’s, I’m reading proofs, approving cover designs, and preparing for “pub dates” like a real writer. How will I promote three books at once? What if something goes wrong between the signing of the contract and holding the books in my hands? I’ll deal with it. Just…
You are a real writer if . . .
“You are a real writer if you are writing, if you are working on your craft, listening to critique, and striving to be better.” —Lauren Danhof Excerpt from the July/August 2023 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
Dorothy Parker’s Ashes
Dorothy Parker’s Ashes “Dorothy Parker’s Ashes” is an online magazine that publishes fresh, contemporary first-person essays and art by women and gender non-conforming writers. “For our contributors, middle-aged or older women who have seen a thing or two, the act of writing is the act of living more purely distilled. Many have spent their careers shepherding other writer’s work and now, in their retirement, they’ve got something to say. The longer we live, the more memories settle deep within, emitting an invisible, occasionally noxious gas. By giving them form, we set ourselves free. We elongate some things, cut others short. We probe the seams underneath for the weak spot, hoping the puncture of our attention will allow all the pent-up emotion to rush through the hole where it escapes with a long sigh. In the end, that is the reward. (In other words, we don’t pay.)— Rebecca Johnson and Bex O’Brian…
Shadows, fears, insecurities . . . Prompt #736
“We all have shadows, fears, insecurities, and doubts. Acceptance of them all leads us to realizing an unconditional love for ourselves. When we can begin to love the parts of ourselves that we’ve deemed to be unlovable, when we invite in our shadows and let them know they are welcome, when we acknowledge and become curious to our fears, doubts, and insecurities, then we begin to realize that our innate nature (Love) has the capacity to hold them all. Everything within us is part of us. When we accept this, our true nature is revealed.” —Alister Gray Writing Prompt: Explore your fears, doubts, and insecurities as a curious child would explore sand, rain, flowers. Observe. Imagine. Create. Invite your shadow self to peek around the corner. Take a deep breath in. Let it out. Another deep breath in. Hold for a moment. Release. Acknowledge your fears, doubts, and insecurities. Give…
Beats Plunge Readers Into Scenes
Guest Blogger Jan Pezarro shares what she learned about beats, using her experience with lung cancer to illustrate physical, emotional, and setting beats. I hope you enjoy this entertaining and informative writing about different kinds of beats as much as I did. — Marlene Jan Pezarro: “A few beats missing here.” In the first year of my MFA program, after 40 years in business and on my way to fulfill a long-held ambition to write a book, my mentor added this comment to my submission. I was pretty sure she wasn’t referring to golden or purple beets, but neither did I know exactly what she meant by “beats.” My knowledge gap of storycraft tools and techniques was formidable. Lectures on structure, place, scene, and character sent me repeatedly to the internet for supplemental tutoring. The process reminded me of trying to read a text in the original Greek by translating…
The Right Thing . . . Prompt #735
Write about a time you did the right thing, even though it was difficult and you didn’t really want to do it. Or, write about a time you didn’t do the right thing. What happened?
What is your gift? Prompt #734
Someone said to me: Everyone has a gift. What is your gift? #justwrite #amwriting #iamwriter
If you could learn a new skill . . . Prompt #733
If you could learn a new skill, what would it be? #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter