I arose from my tent early and found a mess left in the camp. The raccoons had found the cooler. They discovered that our breakfast of eggs could be found inside. Little hand prints were left as evidence of the burglary. The broken egg shells and disarray were not enough. The little marks noted their presence and also their prescience. They had no doubt watched us putting things away, or just somehow knew that they could find goodies in that box. I clean up then go about just sitting alone in my woodsy campsite. The kids are still sleeping, and so are the rest of the adults. You would think that I would be lonely without the company, but I am not. The breeze blows by my ears, my hair gently moving. The chirping of birds and bubbling of running water are comforting; downright relaxing. It seems that you see so much more when you take the time to just sit, put away your generated thought, and watch the world go by you. There are so many insects. Normally, I wouldn’t want them around, but they don’t seem to bother me so much today. Except for the flies, none are “on” me. On a boulder in the distance, I see a cardinal. It flits between rocks and gravel, in search of its’ daily sustenance. The red bird seems oblivious to anything not crawling on or under the dirt. He has identified his area of interest and actively pursues his objective. A few little pecks at the soil, and he flies into a nearby branch. It becomes obvious that he achieved his goal, a little breakfast du jour. Maybe a snack of flies would appeal to him? I suspect that he won’t get that close to me. At least he has had breakfast… Continue reading Wasting Time
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July 23, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Attitude, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Environment, Family, General Topics, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Motivation, Nature/Wildlife, Non-Fiction, Personal Experiences
 Leave a comment July 21, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Attitude, Children, Creative Writing, Family, General Topics, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Non-Fiction, Relationships
3 comments So I’m sitting here in Spicewood Texas at a nice little place. There are plenty of trees, and a magnificent natural swimming hole with waterfalls and springs. My boss was calling and I didn’t want to talk to him, so I didn’t. I emailed him instead. It was a pretty lousy thing to do, but this is my once a year visit with my family, and it is only for a few days. I love my job, and will go back to working my six or seven days a week soon enough. There comes a time when you just have to decide what is most important to you. I chose to enjoy my family. I’ll deal with the consequences later. I did leave a few hours early, but I had tended to the needs of the company. If I had just said nothing, I would have been better off. I could still do the job by phone, and enjoy the time. My absence would hardly go noticed. So why am I sitting here writing about it? Because this is a pleasure! I am surrounded by my loved ones, in a marvelous natural environment, and just enjoying some personal thoughts. I am sharing a few with you now… because I want to! Continue reading Healing Dose of Happiness July 11, 2010
Posted by Tony Bayliss in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Journalism, Opinion, Personal Experiences, World Issues
Leave a comment Peacetime in Krakow July 10, 2010
Posted by paul perry poet in: Advice, Creative Writing, Life Experiences, Marriage, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Nature/Wildlife, Personal Experiences, Philosophical Genres, Poetry, Relationships, Sex, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
One comment they’re all nuts and they wanna drive us nuts and they do, some of us lose it bad some of lose it good. Continue reading with or without them July 9, 2010
Why Write in Rhyme? by Bob Grant Why write in rhyme instead of prose, that’s usually how the question goes. Some like a beer – some like the wine, You’re free to choose and that’s just fine. The same holds true for me I guess, Perhaps I’m playing solitaire chess. What rhymes with ouch, [...] July 6, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Communications, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
4 comments Our site has viewers from all over the world. As I have in the past – I invite all writers, from all countries and languages, to become contributors to our site. It does not matter where you reside – or in what language you want to use to communicate – our purpose for having [...] July 2, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, The Writer's Corner
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July 2, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, The Writer's Corner
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July 1, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Attitude, Creative Writing, Entertainment, General Topics, Life Experiences, Men's Issues, Poetry, Sex, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment I saw her here, I saw her there, I saw her hair right down to there, Her lips of wine, Her scent divine, God, I want to make her mine. Continue reading I saw her there… July 1, 2010
Posted by paul perry poet in: Creative Writing, Fiction, Life Experiences, Marriage, Personal Experiences, Poetry, Relationships, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
3 comments no love story “Looking out the window on a gray day, I see two pigeons on the ledge of the old house across the street. One pigeon seems to be pecking at the other pigeon which sits cuddled by its side. Perhaps the one pigeon is being dear to the other pigeon, and I wish someone would be dear to me. Suddenly, the one pigeon that was doing the pecking bobbles away to the other side of the ledge, and eventually flies away. Perhaps they misunderstood each other. I wish someone understood me.” There was a knock on the door. Jimmy Burns was sitting at a small table by the window. Ants crawled along the floor. “Maybe they’ll share something,” he thought. Jimmy could see footsteps through the crack under the door. There was a second knock. Jimmy sat silently still, only moving to lift the cigarette to his mouth. “I know you’re in there you bastard, open the door!” came the voice from outside. Jimmy didn’t budge. He was unemployed. Down. Out. Nowhere to go, nothing to do. Whoever it was knocking knew that. There was a third knock. Continue reading no love story July 1, 2010
Sometimes you just got to take the train. It’s inevitable. This morning there was an accident on the Henry Hudson Parkway, which meant every west side street and highway was backed up for hours. My commute to work on a bus would have been extended by at least 15 minutes. So train it was and once I actually got a seat I was reminded why I take the train as seldom as possible. Crazy people live on the subway train. Continue reading Subway Story: Two Crazies, No Waiting June 25, 2010
Posted by D. Alexander Holiday in: Books, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, The Writer's Corner
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by D. Alexander Holiday In saying a few words about my latest book, I want to talk a little about foster care, abandonment by family (mostly birth mothers) and surviving both. Certainly, it is my hope that others will read the book, even in this age of internet blogging, texting, electronic books or other quick media outlets that prevent many from actually walking through bookstores and putting their hands on books and turning pages and actually reading an actual book over a period of days from cover to cover. I am not too naïve or without understanding that this book, like so many others, might get thrown to the wayside and ignored because it does not have a Rice, King, Rawlins, or Winfrey name on the jacket, and it may not even be written as well (or better) as any of the above (or others), but because it is my story, about the things that happened to me in four foster homes, it is uniquely my own and I told this story the best I could and I am pleased, very pleased with the final product. When I attempted to “shop” the book around to a few publishing houses years ago, almost half a lifetime ago, I received the proverbial short letters of rejection that so devastated me that it triggered some depression that lead to…. I was hurt more by the fact that others were sort of saying to me that because someone in some cubicle in some publishing house did not think that my experience, my life, mattered to them then, in turn, that very same experience (that life) would not possibly matter to others outside of that cubicle and therefore there would be no interest in putting this experience, this life, on paper for others to read and thereby make any money for the publisher (not to mention the agent that I was suggested in getting or would require in order to just get my manuscript onto someone’s crowded desk or thrown onto the pile in the corner). Whatever the scenario, I was not too keen on the process after the early “defeats” and I all but gave up on ever writing this narrative, to both do a little healing for myself but to also share with others this survival tale. Continue reading In The Care of Strangers… June 23, 2010
Posted by georgepolley in: Children, Creative Writing, Family, Fiction, Literature, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
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One
One morning when grandfather and grandmother were visiting his younger brother on the family farm, grandfather looked out the window and said: “Look, brother, there is a deer in the yard.” And grandfather’s younger brother, Yojiro replied; “There are often deer in the yard, brother. Have you been gone so long that you’ve forgotten?” “No,” said grandfather, “but this deer is different. This deer is leaning against that tree.” Continue reading Grandfather and the Deer June 23, 2010
Posted by georgepolley in: Children, Creative Writing, Fiction, Literature, The Writer's Corner
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1 One bright sunny day, a grandfather sat eating his lunch on a long bench when a group of about twelve young wolves came up, sat down on both sides of him and began talking, laughing and enjoying themselves. Since there was not enough room on the bench for all of them, one young wolf remained standing a short distance away, eyeballing the grand-father. “Grandfather!” the young wolf said, looking sharply at the old man who sat peacefully eating his lunch. “Yes, I am a grandfather,” replied the old man. Since the young wolf didn’t say anything back, the grandfather went on enjoying his lunch in the sun and ignored the young wolf, who stared at him from where he stood nearby, shifting from one foot to another. Continue reading Grandfather and the Wolves June 23, 2010
Posted by Jack B Rochester in: Book Review, Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Literature, Non-Fiction, Publishing, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
Leave a comment I recently returned from a week of hiking in Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, in the Southeast corner of Utah. This area, which also encompasses the Grand Canyon of Arizona, has one of the most unique natural architectures you’ll encounter anywhere in the world, where wind and water have carved the mountains into [...] June 21, 2010
Posted by Jack B Rochester in: Book Review, Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Literature, Non-Fiction, Publishing, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment This is a difficult novel to recommend to you, for several reasons. One, I have trouble remembering the author’s name, James Hynes, and the title, Next. It’s also difficult to recommend because it’s a difficult novel to read and understand. That said, it’s a tour de force and if you like edgy, contemporary literary [...] June 18, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle, Personal Experiences, Uncategorized
2 comments It was what Ihad always wanted- to see my name on the cover of a book. To be published. To be in print. If I had a buckete list it would have been on it and now crossed off. It makes me smile to see my dreams in print. Continue reading A Dream in Print June 15, 2010
Posted by Jack B Rochester in: Book Review, Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Literature, Non-Fiction, Publishing, The Writer's Corner
3 comments I’m a reader. I LOVE to read. Sometimes I think I’d rather read than…eat. And as a writer, that’s a good thing because a good writer needs to be a good reader. As a matter of fact, I’ve learned some new things about reading fiction as I’ve been working on my novel over the past few years that I never thought about before. I guess you could say I was a gobbler, reading mostly for entertainment and story. I was like a woman I met recently on an airplane reading James Patterson, who IMHO ranks at the bottom of the bottom-feeder brain-candy writers. [In fact, he doesn't even write most of his novels these days.] Now I read on multiple levels. So I thought I’d start blogging on my reading and share my impressions with you. I read pretty voraciously, so every time I finish a novel [and an occasional work of non-fiction], I’ll write a few comments here.
June 13, 2010
Posted by Congressman Billybob in: Advice, Books, Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Non-Fiction, The Writer's Corner
2 comments Success, But Not in the Gulf June 1, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
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June 1, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
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May 20, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Biography & Memoir, Creative Writing, Education, Family, Freedom, Heroes, Journalism, Uncategorized
One comment
May 18, 2010
Posted by steve sangirardi in: Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Humor, Life Experiences, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment Stephen Sangirardi Empathy Bard715@aol.com By the way, what is empathy? I’ll tell you what is, and keep it locked in your cranium! You walk into a small men’s room at some public place, and noticing that the one stall door is closed, you rightly conclude that someone is squatting on the bowl, [...] May 18, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Family, Freelance Author, Humor, Journalism, Life Experiences, The Writer's Corner
3 comments Shaped, Shifted, and Well-Picked by Tyree Harris Growing up, my mother never let my hair grow out. I’d run around, bald scalp glistening from all the hair grease, never really understanding why I just couldn’t let my hair streak down in glorified rows like Allen Iverson’s. For whatever reason, my mom fancied sitting me down in a chair, setting the clippers on the lowest blade and hacking away at my poor little baby curls until I looked like the shiniest Milk Dud in the box. Nothing was worse than hearing that loud “TYREEEEEEEE, COME HERE!!!” with the faint buzzing of hair clippers in the background. Thus, I resented baldness. Spending nearly all of my early life with a naked scalp grew tiresome. I wanted to let my hair grow free! I wanted to spend endless time shaping, shifting and altering my hair! Hell, I even wanted to have bad hair days where people would look at me like I was crazy. But all of that was stripped from me, at the hands of a clipper-wielding mother with a fixation on shiny craniums. My sophomore year in high school, however, my streak of baldness ended when I grew my hair out for the first time. “Take that, Mom,” I thought to myself. Continue reading Shaped, Shifted, and Well-Picked May 15, 2010
The man told her she smelled good and Lil walked away from the newsstand with a smile. Over the past year she had tried several popular fragrances and none of them had worked with her body chemistry until now. Her mother had commented on how fresh she smelled when they met for dinner at the mall the night before and her roommate liked the way the new scent filled their their two bedroom apartment. “Maybe he’ll like it,” the roommate teased. Lil smiled back: “Him who?” Continue reading The Power of Scent May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Freedom, Governance, Homeland Security, Inspiration & Motivation, Islam, Journalism, Life Experiences, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Republican, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, World Issues
2 comments Amazing how many high government officals (including the Attorney General), political pundits, politicians, school officials and religious leaders comment so harshly on the immigration law in Arizona and publicly admit they haven’t read the ten page document. The document basically states that when being stopped for a traffic violation or questioned concerning a crime that [...] May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, Attitude, Business, Cap and Trade, Commentary, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Finance, Freedom, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Governance, Homeland Security, Humor, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Recovery, Republican, Satire, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, Women's Rights, Working Women, World Issues
Leave a comment Pick Your Reason 10. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t. 9. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the [...] May 12, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Accountability, Commentary, Creative Writing, Family, Habit Change, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Medical, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
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High life shattered by addiction by Tyree Harris Jerret Hooey, 22, said he usually slept in until about 1 p.m., but on one night last October he awoke at 4 a.m. by an all too familiar aching: He was fiending for a high. Hooey made his way to the bathroom with his mind set on heroin. As his body demanded, he opened a bag of dope and put several little pieces onto tinfoil, lit it and smoked it using a hollow ink pen. For now, his fixation was suppressed, but the relief was short-lived. A loud banging on the door began — it was the FBI. Hastily, Hooey sprinted to his clothes room and grabbed as much of his stash as he could. If he didn’t get his stuff down the toilet — fast — he would be caught red-handed. Continue reading High life shattered by addiction May 9, 2010
Posted by John Joss in: Advice, Business, Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Literature, Publishing, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
4 comments KISSING FROGS: THE AGENT PERPLEX By John Joss “Ability is of no account without opportunity”—Napoléon Buonaparte ______________________________________________________________________________
The great, Oscar-winning screenwriter William (‘Butch Cassidy’) Goldman wrote famously: “Nobody knows anything.” He meant Hollywood green-lighters’ inability to anticipate movie popularity, the confusion and rapid head-lopping surrounding costly disasters deemed certain winners before production and the surprising successes of films predicted to fail, often rejected by dozens of the industry’s supposed finest arbiters of quality and box-office potential. The same phenomenon applies to every artistic field. The history of art in every form is littered with examples of works now accepted as great that were spurned when they first emerged. Can you say ‘Van Gogh?’ Thought, skill and will, of a high order, always precedes the creation of any worthwhile art but I confine my comments here to the writing of books. To sell a book of any worth to a major publisher a writer needs a capable, professional agent. On behalf of thousands of writers without an agent or helpful access to one via insider introduction, I will describe what it is like for an outsider to try to gain representation. My background: a writer of 20 books, published in New York (Morrow, fiction; Ballantine, nonfiction), and a freelance photojournalist with a record of achievement in print, broadcast and Internet media worldwide. Continue reading KISSING FROGS: THE AGENT PERPLEX May 7, 2010
Posted by steve sangirardi in: Creative Writing, Faith, Freelance Author, Relationships, Religion, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
5 comments Stephen Sangirardi The Monster Bard715@aol.com Once upon a time there was a priest who had the best of intentions. While in the seminary, he devoted himself to God and practically memorized the Bible. He was going to transform the world into a model of Christianity, beginning with the parish he would one day shepherd. No vow was too difficult for the young man to grapple, especially the vow of chastity and purity, and not a night passed when the young novitiate did not pray like a thousand saints rolled into one. The day of his graduation from the seminary came, and the priest was sent out into the world. His parish was a small community in upstate New York, where he would serve under the current pastor. It was understood that when the elder pastor died, the young priest would succeed him. For the first few years of his service, the young man of God zealously served his flock, energizing his sermons with a power that the congregation had never seen before. In addition to sermonizing, the priest counseled anyone who sought his advice and administered Holy Communion in the dead of winter, swirling snow and all, if an ailing person needed to receive the Eucharist at home. In this respect, the priest was like an old-fashioned doctor who made house calls. Word of the priest’s spirituality began to spread to other congregations, and in no time the priest had doubled the number of people who came weekly to his church. He had made proud the old pastor who once told a newspaper reporter that had he, an aging pastor, not chosen the celibate life, the young priest was the type of son he would have wished for. After a few years, however, the price of repression, of sexual sacrifice, had begun to take its toll on the priest. He prayed endlessly to ward off the temptations that began to attack him and he made certain that he never looked at any woman in his parish for too long or spent too much time with any female in the confessional or the sacristy. He practically took to whipping his flesh, as the Reverend Dimmesdale resorted to in The Scarlet Letter after the Rev. had fornicated and produced a child with Hester Prynne. Sure enough, the priest overcame every urge to make the beast with two backs with a woman. Continue reading The Monster May 4, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Journalism, Life Experiences, Relationships, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
8 comments Overdose claims relationship (part two) by Tyree Harris The following is the second part of a two-part series started in last week’s “In These Eyes.”
Cynthia Wick lies on her couch, crushed. No food in her system, no hope on her mind, no sleep in her near future. In fact, for Wick, the act of sleeping now means enduring horrible nightmares that wake her up every 30 minutes. Since she lost her boyfriend of two years to an overdose, her life hasn’t been the same. “I had no desire to do anything,” Wick said. Wick doesn’t even sleep in her bedroom anymore — it reminds her too much of Devyn Lorett. Continue reading Overdose claims relationship (part two) May 2, 2010
The one thing I didn’t want to do was self-publish a novel. For years I thought it would be an admission of failure because I would not be recognized as a ‘real’ writer. Real writers had agents and were marked with the imprint of big and major publishing houses. A friend of mine, not knowing how I felt but having read my work and telling me it was good, suggested that I try publishing in other countries. Again I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel if I didn’t get the accepted marker on my work. But then I realized that as an artist in the theatre I acted, didn’t get paid much and didn’t get any awards but I still considered myself an actress. I decided that since I had been writing creatively since I was old enough to read I was a writer no matter what anyone said. Continue reading The Pride of Self-Publishing May 1, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
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May 1, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
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April 30, 2010
Posted by write2bfree in: Accountability, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communism, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Economics, Finance, Freedom, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Governance, History, Literature, Minorities, Morality, Opinion, Philosophical Genres, Politics, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, World Issues
Leave a comment Charles Dickens’ novels show the degradation and exploitation of the working poor, but his solution (as pointed out by Orwell) was that those in power would become better people and in their new-found compassion create a safer, healthier environment for the workers. This would extend even to educational opportunities and a chance to move up the ladder, but only so far, never far enough to threaten the existing order. To counter this “benign ruler” point of view, some people in the early 1900s began to organize the working poor. Those most effective and trustworthy came from that background and took action. The work of Camus and Orwell springs from a real knowledge of poverty (Camus) or being an outsider among the privileged (Orwell). It must be pointed out that Camus took a dim view of Marx, and Orwell was horrified by Stalin’s Communism. But these two writers have held the greatest influence in the minds of Western thinkers who call themselves liberal. Camus went so far as to coin the term “libertarian socialist.” Continue reading A Measured Voice April 27, 2010
Last week at the meeting of the Harlem Writers Guild several members complained that they hadn’t been writing like they should. There was always something that got in the way. Not just life but things that just had to be done at the moment when the Muse crept up and said “Write!” It was then that they went into mentally hiding from their inspiration. I’ve done it too. Sometimes you just don’t want to write. Continue reading Trying to Hide from the Muse April 27, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Habit Change, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Medical, Relationships, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
4 comments Overdose claims relationship By Tyree Harris After a long afternoon playing board games and talking with 18-year-old Devyn Lorett, her boyfriend of more than two years, she decided it was best if she left his house. It was too difficult for her to be around him; they had been broken up for almost a month. “I just wanted to tell him how much I missed him, how much I loved him, and that I didn’t want us to be apart anymore,” said Cynthia Wick, 18. But as much as she wanted to say this, and as right as it felt, Wick knew she couldn’t be with him. She met Lorett while trying out for a cheerleading squad her freshman year. At first sight, he told her she was beautiful, displayed clear interest and instantly pursued her. Initially, it was to no avail, but Lorett was determined. Though he couldn’t get her attention in person, he managed to track her number down through mutual friends and began texting her. Wick was thrown off by his inexplicable perseverance. Continue reading Overdose claims relationship April 26, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Commentary, Creative Writing, Inspiration & Motivation, Literature, Uncategorized
One comment This year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the publication of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It is one of my favorite books and is something I watch whenever they show it on television. I learn something new about the story each time I watch it. But most important to me is I learn about strength of character from Atticus Finch. Continue reading Celebrating Atticus Finch April 26, 2010
Posted by Tim Roux in: Books, Communications, Creative Writing, Faith, Fiction, Inspiration & Motivation, Literature, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment Back in ancient Rome, the Emperor typically had one thought that troubled him more than any other – “Who guards you against your own guards?”, referring to the Imperial Praetorian guards, who either made you or croaked you, according to whim and political calculation (“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”). As authors who ghost write the lives of fictional characters, and the occasional real one, the question that betimes intrigues and troubles us is a matching one: “Who ghost writes for the ghost writers?” One answer, of course, might be your editor. Some editors have defined the very essence of their clients’ styles. I cannot remember whether it was Raymond Carver or Raymond Chandler whose characteristically terse delivery was largely attributable to the preferences of his editor. It is undeniable, but rarely confessed, that some editors end up rewriting their authors’ books. My first influence was Lawrence Durrell. Although I wouldn’t claim that he is among my favourite authors, his ‘Alexandrine Quartet’ is right at the top of my favourite books. I could never copy the opulent, sensuous prose style he shared with John Fowles and Truman Capote, but I loved the way that he told the same story from three different angles and then developed it further in the fourth. There is nothing more fascinating than turning characters and storylines inside-out and upside-down in successive books. Continue reading Who are your ghosts, and why are they there? April 24, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Commentary, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Literature, Men's Issues, Relationships
3 comments My comments regarding ‘Monday Afternoon’ by Steve Sangirardi Steve asked that I read his book and it was my pleasure to do so. If you will read “About Us” on our site http://www.speakwithoutinterruption.com/site/swi-roots/ you will see that I am not at all equipped to present a true book review. Plus, Steve is a retired English [...] April 20, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Education, Freelance Author, Journalism, Personal Experiences, The Writer's Corner
One comment Thirsty Thursday invades class by Tyree Harris Thirsty Thursday: a student’s opportunity to take a regular old weekday, add a little booze, and magically turn it into a second Friday. University students of all backgrounds, majors and interests often partake in the festivities — regardless of what time they have class the next morning. We’ve all been out on a Thursday night and thought to ourselves, “Damn, I have class at 8 a.m. Maybe I should go home…” But, of course, we never do; usually, we stick around for at least another hour. Though thirsty Thursday is a standard tradition here at the University of Oregon, I have never seen anyone celebrate it like the bold individual in my sociology class just last Thursday. That day, my eyelids and I were fighting the temptation to be lulled to sleep by the voice of our good-intentioned-but-amazingly-monotone instructor. The topic of the day was the concentration of power within the media and whether or not the notion of liberal media is true. Really, it should’ve been an interesting discussion. But for whatever reason, it wasn’t. Continue reading Thirsty Thursday invades class April 20, 2010
Posted by Peggy Klaus in: Advice, Business, Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, The Writer's Corner, Workplace
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We explored this question in a recent Klaus and Associates survey and the results are in. Although 87% of respondents believe that a lack of ethics led to the current economic disaster, there’s hope for the future: a reassuring 80% think that ethics can be taught. Sixty-seven percent of the survey respondents pointed a finger at the profit-hungry business environment as a contributing factor to a rise in unethical behavior, with 59% agreeing that shady conduct in the workplace derives more from company culture than from individual employees. Translation: It’s imperative for organizations to promote an ethical culture on a company-wide scale. Many companies do incorporate a strong code of ethics into their culture. Gap, Inc., for example, made a corporate commitment to being both ethical and socially responsible. By adopting “Do What’s Right” as a core principle at the top, the company established a set of ideals and behaviors that filter down throughout the organization’s 134,000 employees. Another large corporation, Johnson & Johnson, operates from a lengthy credo that challenges employees to put first the needs and well-being of those they serve. Whenever I come across people who work at Johnson & Johnson, I’m amazed by the fact that they can recite parts of the credo. Johnson & Johnson employees have also told me that they consider the company values before making decisions. Continue reading ETHICAL BEHAVIOR AT WORK: AN OLD-FASHIONED SOFT SKILL FOR THE NEW WORLD April 14, 2010
I rarely watch TV news, especially in the morning. That’s not my idea of beginning the day well. However, today a story caught my attention as I was doing some chores before work. A young girl – she was 11 I believe – got lost in the swamps of Florida. She’d been missing for 5 days. What caught my attention was this. [...] April 13, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Family, Freelance Author, Personal Experiences, Relationships, The Writer's Corner
4 comments Finding redemption after the fire by Tyree Harris It was just another day for ol’ Roy Harris. The 69-year-old decided to prepare himself something to eat while his wife and his daughter were at a bridal shower for his other soon-to-be-married daughter, Ronisha Jones-Harris. While his food was cooking, he went outside to smoke a cigarette and talk to a friend for a bit. Two minutes later, he was battling ceiling-high flames spewing from his oven-top. Cooking grease spilled onto the oven eye and ignited a raging fire. Though he bravely attempted to extinguish the flames himself, there was nothing he could do — once he realized this, he left the house and dialed 9-1-1. The fire truck arrived in about 10 minutes. By the time it was all said and done, everything inside was destroyed: clothes, jewelry, irreplaceable family photos, and even the dress his wife, Anita Harris, was planning on wearing to Ronisha’s wedding, which was just two weeks away. Continue reading Finding redemption after the fire April 10, 2010
The weekends couldn’t come fast enough when I started working outside of the arts. I developed problems with my legs from sitting behind a desk so long. I gained weight from the treats in the office and the free carb-heavy lunches. I’d come home to a house and two kids. To dinner that needed cooking and laundry that needed washing. And then there was homework and school outings and life that wouldn’t stop. But the weekends, ah the weekends were mine for a few hours. I lived to write. And when things didn’t go well, I would write to live. Continue reading Living to Write, Writing to Live April 9, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Entertainment, Freedom, Freelance Author, Journalism, Personal Experiences, The Writer's Corner
One comment Campus Jokester Riddles Eugene by Tyree Harris He stands on East 13th Avenue every day like a living landmark: long scruffy beard, beady eyes masked behind retro glasses, and a signature frog beanie. Equipped with a pair of army green rain boots and a sweatshirt with a dream catcher on the front, David Miller (more commonly known as Frog) pleasantly asks for the attention of students and faculty walking by, with a light-yet-emphatic voice that repeats the line: “Have you seen the funniest joke book the world has ever seen?” For almost 24 years now, Frog has been here in Eugene selling joke books — that’s longer than most of us students have been alive. His latest book, “Frog Receives a Presidential Pardon,” was released on Saturday. “I enjoy telling jokes … I never thought I’d make a living out of it,” Frog said. Frog, 62, looks like a like a native Eugenean, but he actually grew up in Ohio. He describes himself as a class clown and a jokester in his youth. The nickname “Frog” comes from him being a scratchy-voiced teenager in high school. “Someone thought I sounded like a frog, and the name stuck … there’s worse things that I could be called,” he said. Continue reading Campus Jokester Riddles Eugene April 6, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Biography & Memoir, Creative Writing, Humor, Uncategorized
Leave a comment Though many people feel safe falling asleep on the subway I don’t. An actress friend of mine fell asleep and woke up to find the shopping bag she thought was securely snug between her knees with all her make-up gone. And then there was the time another friend woke to a fin a stranger staring at her affectionately as he rubbed her hand. People nearby said nothing and acted like they saw nothing. That’s what usually happens on the subway. But nothing beats what I saw one night on my way home from performing. It is a lesson for visitors and citizens as well to keep their mouths closed. Literally. Continue reading Subway Story- Midnight Kiss April 6, 2010
Posted by Robert Walker in: Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Literature, Non-Fiction, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
One comment PSYCH 101 for Writers & Their Characters or Pavlov’s Dog for Writers by robert w. walker, professor of creative writing
Robert W. Walker’s Psych 101 Questions — Over time, I have considered these 10 questions that delve into the relationship between psychology and writing the novel, and being a novelist. In other words, what has psychology got to do with imagination and creating whole worlds populated with people out of ink marks on a page? The following questions and answers delve into the psychology of the author himself, and eventually will also ask about the psychology of characters an author creates: This is Psych 101 for Authors and readers interested in the craft and creative impulse. Q #1: A: Anyone can learn to learn, or rather take steps to learn more about a topic–any topic. I learn best via doing, as in teaching. You teach it, you learn it. The more a writer comes to own knowledge, the higher his or her WQ–writing quotient. Continue reading PSYCH 101 for Writers & Their Characters or Pavlov’s Dog for Writers April 4, 2010
you kissed me just a friendly goodbye kiss purely platonic and in its wake you left your lipstick on my mouth for the rest of the day every time I pursed my lips the memory of that kiss returned I didn’t drink, or eat, or hardly speak for fear that I would wipe away [...] April 4, 2010
Posted by Congressman Billybob in: Advice, Commentary, Creative Writing, Personal Experiences
Leave a comment Edgie Russell’s Clams April 3, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Accountability, Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Journalism, Lifestyle, Motivation, Personal Experiences, The Writer's Corner
3 comments Drinking and smoking? Cool, it’s just not for me. by Tyree Harris I’ve never been drunk in my life. I’ve never been high in my life. My whole existence on this campus has been drug-free. Weird, I know, coming from a college student (which can be considered synonymous with intoxicated), but this lifestyle has made my college career very interesting. Think of it this way — all of those crazy nights you don’t remember, I do, and they always remind me why I don’t drink. One night, I was at a friend’s house, and we heard a huge commotion going on outside. Curiously, we all sprinted to the door to see what it was, and we knew by the anthill-like conglomeration that somebody in that crowd was about to brawl. A guy walked up to the porch we were on, and he told us how it all started when two guys came into his house party and stole a bag of Captain Crunch from the kitchen. A mob of pissed-off people chased them down, ready to beat them up — over a bag of cereal. We laughed for hours. Continue reading Drinking and smoking? Cool, it’s just not for me. April 2, 2010
 The very first If you are interested in having your short story, of any length, published, or unpublished, have a chance at exemplifying the genre of Experimental Fiction on a resource site, Experimental Writing, you are welcome to enter this contest, for 8 dollars. The winner will be featured on that site and its intertwined site, FlameFlower, with a permanent link, along with all the links you want to add in the future to the bio, and a photo and commentary will be displayed, as well as commentary by me, Tantra Bensko, the host and judge, owner of the sites. The winner will also be sent 50.00 and a badge to put on a site, and a certificate fit for framing. Continue reading Announcing the FlameFlower Experimental Writing Contest (tips on winning) March 30, 2010
Finn came skidding out of art class, paint underneath her fingernails. Rags leaned against the door frame, his eyes bright as he waited for her to notice him. The rest of the class swirled around them, leaving eddies in the smell of oils wafting from the class room. “Fun class?” He asked. “All right. I still don’t understand what you see in this painting thing.” He chuckled and she linked her arm through his. “Just so long as you don’t get bored and make this like the last one.” “I won’t, promise.” She pouted, her strawberry lips forming a perfect bow. Her dyed hair spiked off in every direction. She stretched forward onto her toes and kissed his cheek, leaving a faint glossy print. “It won’t be. This place is already far more interesting. Come on, let’s go, I’ve got to log some hours this afternoon and I’m supposed to be there by one.” She tugged playfully on his arm and he followed calmly behind, not giving an inch for he knew she would take a mile. Ragweed pulled at the strap of his ratty black backpack and chuckled again, low in his throat. Finn wouldn’t care if she was late, but her caseworker would. She lifted his wrist to check the time on his Nixon. “I need a shower.” She pulled at her fluorescent socks, straightening them just so. She twirled, the pleats of her skirt flying out sideways. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! I don’t have all day.” Continue reading Finn, Chapter One March 29, 2010
They came into the hotel drunk, stumbling over the furniture and each other. The bellman smiled and the woman attempted to stand up straight in her very high heels as she followed the man to the registration desk. Heads turned because she was a looker and because her dress was extremely tight and short. Seeing her reminded me to call my husband back in New Jersey about our 17 year old daughter and her date that night. She had tendency to try to figure out excuses to come in past curfew when I was traveling and her dad, a softy for his daughters, was in charge. One more abuse and she was going to be grounded for a month at least. Looking at the young drunk woman with the young drunk man I hoped that this would not be my child in a few years. Continue reading The Room Next Door March 29, 2010
Posted by Jose Antonio Ponce in: Creative Writing, Humor, Men's Issues, Morality, Poetry, Relationships, Satire, Sex, Sociology
Leave a comment “What’s the deal with boobs?” she asked me quite frankly. “What is it about them that men like so much? “Well…” I replied, “They’re really quite nice. They’re smooth and soft and lovely to touch. March 27, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
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March 27, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
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March 25, 2010
moonlight smiles bright as hawthorn petals and she spirals loose from her tethers her fingers whisper, trailing sighs flowers bloom and die at her feet her lips rain scarlet you are loved the sky murmurs and i cannot help but believe March 25, 2010
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: China, Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Opinion, The Media
21 comments What has Tim Bryce been sniffing? I read Tim Bryce’s post and laughed at his claims and opinions because he sounds like so many others from his political camp—that he is right and everyone else is wrong. It seems to these far right conservatives that their opinions are facts and nothing else is worth hearing. No wonder he shut off the comment section. He doesn’t want to hear from the “enemy” he is declaring war on. After all, in his opinion, they are wrong before they open their mouths. He is accusing the left of doing what the right has been doing for decades. For example, Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter, who calls liberals godless—these two are experts at name-calling and insults. Doesn’t Bryce see that he is calling for censoring the left and the media, an act that is very neoconservative but contrary to the Bill of Rights which guarantees freedom of the press. The only time the media is liberal is when they don’t support the right. The neoconservative camp believes in censorship. The founder of the neoconservative movement said as much and I read it on the neoconservative home page months ago. Censorship and the noble lie are the foundation of neo-conservatism and are very much alive. Continue reading What has Tim Bryce been sniffing? March 23, 2010
Once Upon A Time there was a woman who discovered that she loved to write stories. It started out with one little story, then expanded so there were about three going on at the same time. It came to the point that the woman was typing for many hours a day, and when she was unable to sit at her keyboard, she became restless and irritable. (Could also be because then she was forced to concentrate on her actual responsibilities: taking care of the house and everything/everyone in it) One day, along came her beloved Prince Charming (her husband, in case you were wondering), who asked if he could read one of her stories. (okay, okay. So the woman chased him around day and night, begging “Please, please read one of my stories!”) She was so happy. She gave him more and more to read. When he started asking questions about the story, she got excited, used his questions to improve her story, then started passing out her story to all her patient friends. Her friends obligingly opened the book, and to their surprise, enjoyed the story! They were somewhat surprised, in many cases, and encouraged the woman to write more. Continue reading The Price of Creativity March 22, 2010
Posted by Lara Daniels in: Creative Writing, Fiction, Relationships, Women's Perspective, World Issues
2 comments Boss lady was all smiles now. She only smiled when she could smell money. And Anwasia knew she had a good nose for detecting currency. March 20, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Freelance Author, Internet, Journalism, Opinion, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
8 comments Is There a Place? by Bob Grant Is there a place where minds can meet? Is there a place where thoughts can greet? Is there a place where debate takes place? Is there a place for all kinds of race? Is there a place where discussions are real? Is there a place for passions [...] March 17, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Accountability, African-American, Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Personal Experiences, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
15 comments Don’t be colorblind–be aware. by Tyree Harris In a nation that drowns itself in political correctness and shudders in fear of any racial discussion, the notion of “colorblindness” has been our sure-fire way of not seeming racist or to disregard the racial and class tensions that mean so much to our society. People who identify as “colorblind” claim that they don’t “see color,” that race doesn’t matter to them, and worst of all, that race isn’t a problem anymore. Colorblindness is a form of ignorance and yet, most of us consider colorblind a positive term. I cringe every time I hear it: How could you not see something so real? Continue reading Don’t be colorblind–be aware. March 16, 2010
A friend of mine just responded to an email I sent about SWI and Night Publishing. Her first comment was “you have a lot out there to read”. My initial thought was does she mean that I have put too much out there about my writing and others and it is bad? Or is it good that people have a choice where to find good things to read? I decided she meant the latter. It is always better when you can find more to enjoy. Continue reading A Lot of Good Things to Read March 15, 2010
You never stop missing people you love. Today is a day that brings back a lot of memories for me. Twenty-eight years ago my mom passed away. She’d been ill for a while but the doctors hadn’t quite figured out what the problem was. [...] March 15, 2010
Posted by Robert Walker in: Books, Business, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Literature, Publishing, The Writer's Corner
3 comments To Self Pub, to POD, or to Not Self Pub or Not POD -..That is the Debate My Guest Today is here for a DEBATE. PA Brown’s Bio is at the END of this blog. The question we are taking up today has complicated answers. It involves writers deciding to self publish and/or working with a POD publisher. Does publishing one’s own work have a horrible stigma attached to it, and has it spilled over into stigmatizing POD publishing as well? In short do agents, editors, readers, and many a writer confuse the two methods of publishing and is the stigma warranted or not, and in a world of labeling and assuming the worst…in a world where appearances are more important than reality, does it matter or help if an author has to stop and explain the difference between self publising and Print on Demand Publising even to organizaions and witers groups? To get at this complicated issue, I asked author PA Brown if she would kindly allow me to debate her over these issues as PA or Pat recently posted her feelings and impressions of what happens to an author who publishes in the manner of self publication (without separating out POD and other legit methods of publishing). Below you find Brown vs. Walker in a friendly but firm banter over these issues. At bottom too find PA Brown’s brief bio and a url where you can locate many titles with PA Brown on the cover.. Question in the main: does producing a self-published version help or harm an aspiring writer find March 15, 2010
It rained hard this weekend in New York and the surrounding area. Sometimes the drops were huge as they pounded against the windows. The wind assisted in making each day a bit more frightening, especially Saturday when power went out, trees fell and streets filled with water. At JFK Airport the winds were up to 72 MPH. In the city it was a scary 55 MPH. The Staten Island Ferry stopped running. Amtrak stopped trains between New York and Philadelphia and several subway stations closed under many feet of water. It was awful but there was no flood, no hurricane, no earthquake. It was powerful wind and a lot of rain. Continue reading The Weekend There was No Flood March 14, 2010
Posted by Tantra in: Creative Writing, Literature, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
5 comments TB: Experimental Fiction is Literary, with a goal towards an artistic presentation of the subject in a unique way. And in any innovative literature, especially the more experimental it is, a big part of the “subject” actually IS the presentation. The WAY it is conveyed can be exciting, and the structure itself, for example, can imply something about the nature of reality, communication, the self, so many things. . . . [...] March 14, 2010
Posted by steve sangirardi in: Books, Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Literature, Publishing, The Writer's Corner
6 comments Stephen Sangirardi Bard715@aol.com Background to Monday Afternoon Asked to write some information about how I came to write my novel, I must be very frank about three things. Two years ago, my friend and the Editor of Wild Leaf Press, Bill Hunter, gave me some advice about writing a novel. Bill said [...] March 14, 2010
Posted by Robert Walker in: Books, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Literature, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment Setbacks can end forward progress on a writing project but it is not the mistakes and missteps that define us but how we react to them; overcoming the loss of 75 pages is the topic of the ongoing Cook a Book in a Year gauntlet I have thrown down at http://ning.it/aRjND4 Also the contest [...] March 12, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle, Marketing, Marriage, Men's Issues, Morality, Relationships, Satire, Sex, Uncategorized
Leave a comment To be honest I like the latest, hottest commercial on television because it is funny, not because the man selling the product is good looking from head to toe and has a voice that could whisper in my ear anytime. The sensuality is a plus. But it is a good commercial, it’s a funny commercial and the actor went so over the top that he created a character that has 2 millions views on YouTube. And he’s on a horse. Continue reading The Man on the Horse- Do We Care How He Smells? March 11, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Inspiration & Motivation, Uncategorized
3 comments One Sunday about 10 years ago a lady dressed for church walked up to me in the entryway of our brownstone and threatened me with calling an ‘agency’ because she had not gotten a cake. At the time we were giving out food from out home, food that a New Jersey store would have tossed had we not picked it up. For nine years we gave up Sundays to be committed to those in need and had to fight off the greedy. The church across the street tried to demand muffins for the deacons, the church down the street demanded boxes of cookies for saving the souls of all the poor and needy that we knew they didn’t help and this bold woman wanted food she didn’t need but demanded it because she was doing God’s work. I told her so were we and to let us give out the food without a problem. “You get paid to give out this food, I know you do. And I am going to contact the agency and tell them you are keeping it for yourself.” “We don’t get paid to do this,” I told her. “And we don’t work with an agency. We do it because we want to help others.” She walked away screaming in front of a long line of people and I wondered if she got paid cash to do the work of the lord she was so committed to. Continue reading Commitment to Others- for Free March 9, 2010
The first assignment the red-headed drama teacher gave us was to go out and watch people. We were to return with three characterizations we had drawn from an hour of observation. Most of us got an A for being able to imitate the people we had watched on the street. I learned from watching a middle aged woman that she never crossed her knees as she read on the park bench. Her legs were only crossed at the ankle in public. People looked around to see if they were being observed before they adjusted their pants, bras and straps. Elderly people did not look around, they just touched whatever needed to be touched and then went about their business. In class we were told to remember these things when we got on the stage and had to become an elderly person or a proper middle aged woman. But later in life as I observed more and more I started wondering about the people I observed and took to imaging what their lives were like. You watch and you will learn a little about everyone. After that as a writer it is up to you what kind of life you give them. Continue reading People Watching-It Builds Characters March 8, 2010
Posted by steve sangirardi in: Books, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Literature, Publishing, The Writer's Corner
3 comments Hi—this is Steve Sangirardi, and I’ll try to be as terse as possible. When I retired from Clarke last year, I felt a guilty void that I converted into writing. Miraculously, I found a publisher for my novel, Monday Afternoon: Night Reading, located in the UK. Night Reading is featured on its website and [...] |
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In The Care of Strangers…
ETHICAL BEHAVIOR AT WORK:
Weighing Up Traditional Publishing & Ebook Publishing
Weighing Up Traditional Publishing & Ebook Publishing
Robert W. Walker is a graduate of Chicago’s Wells High School, Northwestern University, and the NU’s Graduate Masters in English Education program. Rob has taught writing in all its permutations (“All writing is creative writing but not all writing sings,” he says.) from composition and developmental to a study of the literary masters to creative and advanced creative writing. His first novel was one only an arrogant youth could have conceived — a sequel to Huckleberry Finn (now published as Daniel & The Wrongway Railway, Royal Fireworks Press, NY), but his first suspense-techno-thriller-sf-mystery came in 1979, after college, a novel that won no awards entitled SUB-ZERO.
In any non-traditional publishing as in ebook publication, there is no such thing as “an advance against royalties”. In Traditional Publishing as we know, now often termed DTB’s by our younger generations, ie. Dead Tree Books the “advance” has always been there. This is a significant difference. For the older generation, my generation, the first phrase that comes to mind for the author is “an advance against royalties” and what this means is the author gets a lump sum “loan payment” to start work on the process of crafting a book or novel. However, in ebook non-traditional publishing wherein everything is lower case, there are NO advances. In fact, in “non-publishing” as some like to call it, there are a lot of “NO’s” to the traditional model.
However, before we get too far afield, an advance against a royalty of a $100, 000 is a thing of beauty on the surface. No doubt about that. A writer can rejoice. However if it is for four books to be written over four years, that’s pretty much slave wages or $25,000 a year, which if one is independently wealthy makes for nice pen money. Not so with most people who are attempting to make a living (no joke) at writing. Continue reading Weighing Up Traditional Publishing & Ebook Publishing