Today is Christi Floss’ Birthday and what follows is my gift (55 words of Flash Fiction) to her. Christi is a free spirited poet who owns Getting It Right where she unknowingly published one poem in particular, Breathing You, that …pinned me for reasons some of you may guess, and fewer will know. Happiest...
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A love letter I wrote in the moment as it were. This exercise in creative writing, like all my poetry, may or may not have been written for someone specific- I love keeping you all guessing. When I write in the moment, as opposed to writing from recollections of years ago, I write in...
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Sam Spade, Phillip Marlow, Alexander Black, trench coats, fedoras, violence, and dames. Crime Noir is a literary genre made popular by the likes of Dashiell Hammet and Raymond Chandler, and has survived since the genre’s pioneer Carroll John Daly’s story, Knights of the Open Palm was published in the June, 1923 issue of Black...
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Happy Birthday, @jkewell! Kacy is one of my closest Twitter friends, so I wrote this flash fiction piece as my gift to her… Lost, floating, bobbing, and bouncing- off of elbows, knees, and… what the heck was THAT? He wanted to cry out, “I want my mommy!” But all he could do was squeak....
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This week’s memoir prompt is courtesy of Sunny from the blog Sunny Sings the Blues. I am going to paraphrase and add some ideas here and then post her own answer to this prompt in a separate post (this is a must read). (I’m cheating a bit since I’ve already seen her response… heehee…)...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» In the past few weeks, we have discussed the Hemen class words, and – Now it’s time for the wimpy class… Editor’s stab them. Good writers rip them out like they were malignant tumors. And why not? Adverbs dirty up prose and other writing, just by being slutty. We...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Lists of particulars. We writers love ‘em, and we use ‘em every chance we get. Inventories can add a ton of images, atmosphere, and/or flow to any writing we do. Last time out; in the article about , I used an example for powerful nouns, from a Philip K....
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I am short on time this week, (meaning I have to work my real job more days than normal – ugh) so I am borrowing a memoir prompt from an awesome writer, mentor and teacher of memoir — Natalie Goldberg. It is a fun prompt with only one rule. It will help you exercise...
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In her book, “Old Friend from Far Away”, Natalie Goldberg tells us to say the phrase “I remember” and let our minds go — recording it with pen and paper or keystrokes — whichever you prefer. “Go, 10 minutes” is one of her catch phrases. She introduces one or two word prompts, tells you...
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Chapter 14 of Lou Willett Staneks book — Writing Your Life — is called “Accomplishments”. Yes, no matter how big or small, we all have them. Writing your life means including acheivements. She says: “Don’t fret if you have been elected to office since you were the treasurer of the eighth grade chess club,...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Last week, we opened the Let’s Have Fun Writing series by talking about and how that habit will help writer’s find their heart and use it when the pen anything. I hope some of you are swearing like sailors at me. I hope your hands are all cramped up,...
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I have been enjoying re-reading Lou Willett Stanek’s book “Writing Your Life – Putting your Past on Paper” to come up with weekly memoir prompts. This week I was reading Chapter 13 titled Shame, Embarrassment and Confusion. Ms. Stanek opens the chapter talking about how actors, ad agencies, editors and professors all get to...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Far be it from me to stake any claim to being a writer with enough talent and skill to sit on a high throne and give sound writing tips, yet I believe that this site needs a weekly ‘Writing Tips’ column, so I am going to take up the...
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For the first time since June of 2010, when Extreme Writing Now became a network for writers, we are having an open to the public short stories competition. Yes! That’s right! Open to the general public; complete with cash prizes and a judge. The Spring Rush 2011 Flash Fiction contest will begin accepting submissions...
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Last week’s memoir prompt asked for you to write about an outside event, non-family related, that impacted you. This week I want you to write about a family member. In her book, Writing Your Life, Lou Willet Stanek points out that families are a treasure trove of stories for a memoir. She says: “Remembering...
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As 2010 nears its’ end, I have to say, I am not that unhappy that it is almost over. It has been a rough few years and, like many others, I am more than ready to more onward and upward. During the holidays, it is not uncommon to look back on the year; it’s...
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Cracked Mirror was my first ever submission to the flash fiction site, Every Day Fiction. Unfortunately the story was rejected, and I would have to agree with the reasons why. I wondered when I put the fork in it if I should have held onto this one and turned into a longer piece. Oh...
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We make decisions everyday of our lives — which fast food restaurant to patronize, what brand of coffee or toilet paper or which cable company will we opt for — none of which are life changing decisions. Yet, we all have made life changing decisions, good and bad. This week’s memoir prompt is about...
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Extreme Writing Now has had the honor and pleasure of being prompted for entries since July of 2010, thanks to the wonderful work of Kim Manley Ort. Kim’s prompts have been nothing less than thought provoking and fun. Kim is stepping down as the weekly memoir prompt provider so that she can give full...
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This 55 word flash fiction piece is dedicated to one of my dearest Twitter friends, @mamatreelee, on her birthday. Happy Birthday, Theresa! She lost track of time. The warm sun, rhythmic wind and beach sand had much to do with that. The water, crystal blue as the sky, was always the right cure. Just...
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