Writers. We don’t choose the calling, it chooses us. We process our world with words. We are people watchers. We find wonder in ordinary, every day things and turn them into stories. We create entire worlds with our minds. But there are a lot of things that keep us from staying committed to the craft.…
“Funeral or not, I’m not going back home…now or ever again.” Bella pulled another handful of grass from the ground and placed it on her thigh. “So…that’s it? You’re turning your back on everything you’ve ever known? And stop pulling up the grass, you’re gonna leave a bare spot,” said Lenny. She brushed the grass…
To become a successful writer you need two things: credibility and a reading audience. If you’re an emerging writer like myself you may not know where to begin. Performing a search on either of these topics can leave you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. But I found a few things that can help. #1: Free Online…
The people who annoy us the most in our youth are usually the people we end up having the most admiration for, sometimes we just need a little help appreciating them. Amos has lived on the corner of Fifth Street and Franklin place for more than fifty years. He’s seen more than his fair share…
Another milestone in this topsy-turvy world of publishing has been reached: I submitted my first query letter to an agent! This process is exhilarating and frustrating all at the same time. There were two steps involved: writing the query letter and researching agents. Writing the query letter took some time because I wanted to be…
Nothing gets you motivated like the completion of a goal. Back in August of last year I began a series of creative writing courses. The capstone course began in January of this year. I submitted the final assignment on Sunday. This morning I received an email that I passed the course!! This is the first…
The girls circled Trudy hurling insults at her. They made fun of her dirty skin, her name (it was short for Gertrude, it was her grandmother’s name), her gym clothes (plain sweatpants and a plain t-shirt from a five-and dime store), and her “nigger hair.” Every insult flew through the air and stuck to Trudy’s…
“I’m nervous,” said Athena. Dylon got up from his chair and went over to the hospital bed and took Athena’s hand. “It’s a routine procedure. You’ll be back up on your feet in no time.” “Something doesn’t feel right.” Dylon bent down and kissed her forehead. “You worry too much.” Athena watched the nurses and…
One of my goals for 2018 is to publish a short story every week. Well, I’ve been busy reworking my novel and taking a writing class. But I have still been writing stories. So instead of trying to find a publisher for them, I am going to publish them myself. I’ll be publishing them on…
I love books. Always have. Always will. My mom read to me since before I had memory. The first memory that formed in my head about books is when I was sitting on her lap while she read Tim and Tom Play Ball to me for about the one hundredth time. I can still see…
