%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| >> Static Item >> Editorial >> Writing.Com >> ID #1509468 |   |
| |||||||||||||
|
About this newsletter: "And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." ~Sylvia Plath "There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes." ~William Makepeace Thackeray "If writers stopped writing about what happened to them, then there would be a lot of empty pages." ~Elaine Liner "There's always something to write about. If there's not then you need to live life more aggressively." ~Min Kim “Whether or not you write well, write bravely” ~Bill Stout Letter from the editor: A Few of my Favorite Things A recent guest editor talked about the qualifications for teaching writing. I thought of my own qualifications for newsletter editor—none. Today I can give you a few pithy quotes from other writers, but I’m not an expert in any discipline at the moment. My professional status as "domestic goddess" certainly doesn’t give me the credentials to teach writing. But I am an expert on me. For the most part, I know who I am, what I love and loathe, what gets me going in the morning. I can’t teach writing; I just do it. I pull out a favorite idea, impression, or memory, stretch it or condense it, and edit twenty or thirty times. That’s the sum total of my expertise. Thus, in a real sense, I am constantly writing autobiography, but I have to turn it into fiction in order to give it credibility. ~Katherine Paterson Isn't that enough? When it comes down to it, personal experience is all we have in this world. Research is useful; knowledge of grammar and the mechanics of writing can make the process smoother. But the ability to know yourself, to harvest your emotions and spill them on the page, is the only skill that’s required. Write what you know. Write something to suit yourself and many people will like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will care for it. ~Jesse Stuart Write for your own pleasure and satisfaction first. Only intense feelings for a subject can make the words glow larger than life. Mine the stories that leave your friends rolling on the floor, gasping for air. Remember how it felt to have your heart yanked out and stomped into the ground. Use those strong emotions to flavor a story. Passion and apathy are both contagious. Which would you like your reader to catch? The man who writes about himself and his own time is the only man who writes about all people and all time. ~George Bernard Shaw From our general outlook on the world to our specific word choices, who we are seeps into our stories. How could it be any other way? Our life experiences, background, and beliefs shape our surroundings and mold our thoughts. Consciously or unconsciously, we’re historians—every piece of flash fiction, every story, every novel weaves itself into the fabric of life in the 21st century. Your memories of childhood are just as important as a doctoral dissertation in the tapestry of humanity we leave for future generations. How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live. ~Henry David Thoreau Live large! In 2009, make all your dreams come true. And once you’ve celebrated your success and integrated the lessons, grab a few juicy words and share your triumphs with the rest of us. We are anthropologists—we sift through the debris of our culture to find meaning. One artifact of memory, one insanely inspirational adage paints an entire landscape in the hands of a writer. If an idea is important to you, chances are someone else can crack your work open and find a nugget of truth to apply to their own lives. Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish. ~John Jakes When your Muse has flown off to another country, look no further than your own life. Pour your self into your writing. Your life is important. Laugh at the irony, weep for your losses, celebrate your strengths. Sanitize it, satirize it, or fictionalize it. But use it. It’s the biggest tool in your writing arsenal. Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. --C. S. Lewis And there’s the “big secret”. While every story has been told before, originality comes from honesty. I promise if you dig into your life experiences and passions, your short stories will shine with realism and emotion. What are you waiting for? You’re the expert! Write on! A Few of My Favorite Reads: There is no common denominator to these picks, except each story was housed in my "favorites" list. I found each one memorable, whether in theme, plot, or writing style. If you choose to read them, please send the author a few lines of feedback.
Excerpt:She answered in a surprisingly youthful voice, "Certainly." She took out a key from a drawer, slid open the window, and laid the camera gently on the counter. "Please, look. But surely, be careful not to touch shutter, honorable guest."
Excerpt:A lot's changed since then. No trick-or-treaters, no candy, no giggling. Pam's still here-she was just calling for me-but she's changed, too. Halloween's a day of mourning now. Hell, every day is a day of mourning, but October 31 marks the anniversary of when it began.
Excerpt:Crashing thunder followed the sizzle of the lightning flashing through the midnight sky. The strobe-light effect caused the man to stagger as he tried to fight his way through the trees whipping in the frantic wind. The sting of bits of bark and branches pelted his arms and face while he strained to see.
Excerpt:She stood in the centre of the room and turned through three hundred and sixty degrees, scanning each of the four walls for the way out – nothing. That can’t be, there must be an exit!
Excerpt:The wake system engaged at precisely six AM and began its programmed routine. It signaled the window blinds to open, allowing the low morning sun to penetrate the eyelids of its sleeping owners. When that didn't work, it turned on the music system and played some mellow jazz. Its sensors detected no movement from either of the two bedroom occupants that would indicate they were awake.
Excerpt:A raven perched upon an old Elm tree branch, gazes down upon the procession with suspicious, red, beady eyes cawing emphatically. The raven's persistent calls shatter the fragile silence, further tainting the blasphemous scene that is unfolding.
Excerpt:He let the smell of stale coffee and dog-damp rain-macs tickle his nose. They mingled with the damp, swollen woodwork of the window frame. As usual, he mulled over the nature of the universe and drew the inevitable conclusion he always came to: slow, painful, achingly mundane, doom.
Excerpt:She dropped the gun and stumbled aimlessly backwards. Staring blankly at his motionless body she still feels the fear he has instilled in her. Her mind is racing, clicking through pictures of all those horror movies she had watched. Those movies that need six sequels to finally kill the monster. It appears to be dead and then suddenly comes back to life just as the hero bends down over the beast. Feedback on setting: FICTION!! FANDANGO!!  What a tie-in for a Nov Blog, I posted! In my mind's eye is where the story starts. A scene. This nl straddles the fence RE: setting. Two sides, school's not over yet. No matter if presented briefly, sporadically SETTING remains an important part of LIT. Of: "modern readers" or "readers" implied to be the same. Sorry? We probably aim our stories or chapters by genre. Thus perhaps one sample for aligning with reader expectations. Great point! Victorian novels as a genre are still being written and read today. Devil's Delight - Cherry I really enjoyed this newsletter. I found it interesting and informative. I will certainly try the exercises, and hopefully, it will spark a story. Thanks so much. Thank you! I hope you find a story, also. nomlet  Thanks for the thoughtful newsletter. I especially liked the Sense and the Sensibility writing exercise ideas. I appreciate your feedback! Acme  Thanks for another ace newsletter! Those are some great exercises, Kimchi  Thanks for the ace comments! spidey is studying  I think the sense of sight can be overused, as writers often describe a scene from a character's point of view - it's always what the character sees. I'd be interested to read more of what the character smells & touches, for a contrast to the norm. An excellent newsletter! You've given me quite a lot to think about! Thanks!  Thank you! I agree we use the sense of sight more than the other senses, probably because it is tangible, and therefore easier to describe than smell or touch, both of which are more personal. Red Writing Hood  Excellent newsletter, Kimchi Thank you! Coolhand This is an extraordinary effort on description and setting the scene. Writers would do well to mark your sound advice; although, I must confess that sometimes I yearn for the days of old. Thank you. Sometimes I get nostalgic for the olden days too. Adriana Noir  Great newsletter! As the times change so do the wants of the masses. I find stories one dimensional and boring without details. Yet if they have too many, I feel overwhelmed and want to skim to the next bit of emotion or action. You did a great job showing how to whittle the setting down while giving it a fresh, intense feel. Bless your heart! sleepy See this is why I am a member of this site! I need this kind of lesson, or reminder when I am writing. I tend to go overboard with surroundings sometimes because of reading so much of the types of writing you described. (eg Shakespeare, Dickens and other school mandated items) Thanks for the lesson! Thanks for the feedback. I go overboard with description too. Thankfully, the editing process gives us an opportunity to whittle our ideas down to the exact words needed, and no more.
© Copyright 2008 1296462 Rising Stars' Best (UN: kimchi at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved.
1296462 Rising Stars' Best has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. |
 Log In To Leave Feedback |
Static Items
Books
Forums
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
