I suppose I could write one of those end of year lists. But I'm not together enough to list top ten movies or top ten books. Do you keep track? Maybe list-making is something to try first thing in the morning when more energy zips through my brain. What can I even remember about this …
I asked my students to write a 26 sentence story. The first sentence must begin with the letter A. The second sentence with the letter B. The third with C, and so on. I allowed them the same cheat I used when this was a Story-a-Day prompt--instead of having to start a sentence with the …
Story-a-Day September has begun. Usually I have a theme or plan, and the plan this time around was going to be working my princess detective novel. And I am working on that, but when I sat down on September first, an image of a wolf on a hill popped up on my head. So I …
Things are changing in our house. (Though life is change, so when are things not changing?) I'll be starting my second job (losing time I've spent writing and making things) and our teen has started college. Then there are the outside forces, the Delta variant and the changes to our climate and whatever-in-the-all-the-levels-of-hell our rage-filled, …
Back in the early 90s, I shared an apartment with one of my best friends, and we listened to this album a lot, especially when we were cleaning up the place. https://www.youtube.com/embed/q_rbjg2k6cI This song in particular has been in my head today. "Sometimes you're the windshield. Sometimes you're the bug." I'm definitely feeling like the …
I like the Story-a-Day prompts. Sometimes I follow them as they are, but often I adapt them to fit what I want to do. And sometimes I ignore them. To me they're suggestions to help get you started, not binding contracts. Since I already have a something of plan--the stories should fit into my Telling …
When I started participating in Story-a-Day in 2010, I chose a theme. That had to be the best way to approach coming up with an idea every single day for a month. That first year, the theme was fairytales. I took famous objects (a red hood, a poisoned apple, a pair of dancing shoes), and …
I decided a while ago to self-publish a selection of short stories. They are almost ready. I'm working on a cover and pondering a release date. It is definitely scary to do. I tend to think of who will and who won't approve. I think about my own ability to promote it. There's a lot …
I'm going to steal a page a from Austin Kleon. Do you subscribe to his newsletter? Every week he sends readers a list of ten things he thinks are worth sharing. Since he also has a book called Steal Like an Artist, I'm following his advice. Here are ten things I think are worth sharing: …
Continue reading A Light on the in the Evening (Have a seat and stay a spell.)
I just had a birthday, so I'm in a reflective mood. Certain calendar days will do that, right? You know what I don't really need? More unfinished stories. Finish the thing! Doesn't Neil Gaiman talk about that? You can't get far with a bunch of unfinished pieces, no matter how shiny they are. Therefore, it …
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 