3 Apr 2012 by Jessica Bockman

Powerful Description: Or, How Quick Research Adds Authenticity and Texture

KXCI radio broadcasts from a two story house in a historic part of Tucson, Az. Now, houses in Tucson are rarely two stories. Single stories are so common that neighborhoods with two story house come in two types: very new and big, or rather old and small. KXCI nestles in the rather old and small, but the old part is unnoticeable. It gleams. Its wood floors and wooden railings are rare in an area that... read more

3 Apr 2012 by Matt Robb

Tackle Your Writing Project Like You’d Eat an Elephant

For three years now I’ve been in the habit of asking myself a specific question whenever I feel overwhelmed with starting or finishing a large project: “How do you eat an elephant”?  The reply to this question is always, “One bite at a time”. I can’t remember if I heard this question/answer combination from a colleague at work or whether I read it in a business book; the visualization... read more

2 Apr 2012 by Devin Watson

The Anger Engine

Catharsis to many is just a word. Writers know it on a more visceral level because we experience it on a daily basis. It’s something many of us seek out to purge the demons from our minds. Sometimes those demons hang around and make their way back in. I seriously think this is one reason so many writers such as Hemingway drank. I was a very angry and cynical young man in my 20s. It wasn’t a... read more

2 Apr 2012 by Paul Anderson

Praecedo—April 2012

To avoid clashing with our Form and Genre Challenge posts, the editorial comes a day later than normal. This means (fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view) there will be no jokes like last year. Besides, this isn’t really a time to joke. TS Eliot described April as the cruellest month, and after the soul-searching posts of March, the writers would be forgiven for thinking April... read more

1 Apr 2012 by Paul Anderson

Form and Genre Challenge #9

“The Vignette Challenge” For submission the week ending Sunday, 8th April. Challenge: To write a vignette Genre: Open Word Count: 1000 Submission Guidelines 1. Submissions open for a 24 hours period every Sunday starting 00:01GMT (UCT). 2. Submissions are via the Mr Linky widget on the first post every Sunday. Any stories linked via the comments section will be considered ineligible. 3. All... read more

1 Apr 2012 by Jodi Cleghorn

Form and Genre Challenge #8 Submission

Congratulations to the Historical Challenge winners… Judge’s Choice Award: Emma Venables  Aftermath Reader’s Choice Award: Carolyn Wagner  The Second Fleet (with 29% of the vote) Honorable Mentions to: Judge’s Choice Award: Annie Evett Reader’s Choice Award: JM Merchant “The Historical Challenge” Challenge: To write a piece of historical fiction. Form: Open Word Count:... read more

31 Mar 2012 by Jodi Cleghorn

PROMPTed #9 Staring Into The Darkness

PROMPTed is a weekly collection of writing prompts to inspire your writing week. The prompts are loosely grouped under a common theme and include a random line prompt, a photograph, a song/music video, a sensory suggestion and a famous quote. This week our prompts come compliments of  Alan Baxter (@alanbaxter), conesisseur of the dark and disturbing. My writing always ventures into the darkness. I like to... read more

31 Mar 2012 by Paul Anderson

Reminder—call for submissions

A reminder for those who may have missed last week’s announcement. We are looking for people familiar with the forms and genres we are using for the Form and Genre Challenge 2012 who would be willing to write a short introductory post to aid those unfamiliar with the form/genre who are taking part in the challenge. The forms and genres we need articles for are listed below. If you want to claim one... read more