Monday, January 30, 2012

Quote of the day

"You can observe a lot by just watching."
- Yogi Berra

Name some places that you go to observe for your work? The mall? A particular restaurant? And does it depend on the story you're writing?

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Write your fortune



The Chinese New Year begins Monday, Jan. 23. It's the year of the dragon. In honor of the celebration, write your own fortune. Share them in comments.

My staff used fortune cookies to brainstorm story ideas. Here's my post.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Last vigil planned at Poe's grave

For decades, a man visited Edgar Allan Poe's grave on the anniversary of the writer's birth and left three roses and cognac. He was dubbed the "Poe Toaster."

He hasn't appeared for two years in a row and Poe fans are planning one last vigil to end the Jan. 19 tradition.

What do you think happened to the "Poe Toaster?" What would your ending be to this story?

What is your favorite Poe piece? I will never forget “The Tell-Tale Heart.” It scared the crap out of me.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Apple interactive e-books

Looking forward to seeing what Apple unveils tomorrow. Apparently it has something to do with tools to create interactive e-books. Here's the skinny.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Quote of the day

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a quote from the wise man:

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."

Here's link to Storify I did on MLK today.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The magic of books

Fellow AKA-er Carrie Filetti shared this video with me, and I just had to share it with you guys. Enjoy!


Friday, January 13, 2012

A minute list

So today is Friday the 13th and the wind outside my window sounds like it means business. With this in mind, here's a quick minute list to get your creative juices flowing. You know how this works: I list a word and you provide a word(s) to describe it. Mine will be in ( )'s. Copy the list and add your's in comments. Here we go!

Wind (fierce)
Blade (dull)
Night (dark)
Tree (bending)
Face (masked)
Hand (hairy)
House (two-story)
Neighbor (elderly)
Teeth (stained)
Phone (dead)

To take this writing exercise a bit further, can you incorporate all of the above words into short "story" and not exceed 100 words?

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Quote of the day

“Fiction is the truth inside the lie.” 
                         ― Stephen King

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Excerpt from WIP

I remember his black hair and curls. His five o’clock shadow in the middle of the day. The way his smile took up most of his olive face and the way his dark eyes danced when I walked into the room. I remember the first time he told me he loved me and the first time we made love. Why is it that you never forget your first love? Maybe it’s because it’s the first person you gave your heart to, completely. The first time you were afraid to breathe for fear the moment would pass and you would miss some of the seconds. Life is seldom what we think it will be. Especially when you’re sixteen and the biggest concern you have is whether someone has the same prom dress.   


Headlines for Highlights Contest

I cam across two headlines that you might be able to work with for a submission to the Highlights 2012 Fiction Contest.

1. Monkey 'Banana Sam' stolen from SF Zoo

2. Couple lost in corn maze calls 911

Remember, the idea is to write a funny story inspired by an unusual newspaper headline.

Have you found any headlines you'd like to share?

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Highlights 2012 Fiction Contest

Highlights 2012 fiction contest sounds like fun. This year, the category is a funny story inspired by an unusual newspaper headline. The word limit is up to 750 words. Stories for beginning readers should not exceed 475 words. All entries must be postmarked between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2012. Good luck to all who enter. And if you want to share an unusual headline, please do so in comments.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

January a good time to write

The best thing about a new year is all the promise it holds. The holidays are over and the decorations stored for another year. The house looks clean and fresh (and more spacious) and you’re ready to barrel through the coldest months of the year. It’s a great time for writing because there are fewer distractions. I hope that as January unfolds you find yourself immersed in your writing and your creativity jumping off the page. I hope the ink flows effortlessly and that you are proud of your work.