Authors, poets and writers walk a tight rope. On one hand, we want to show off our work and see if it's any good. We want to market ourselves and our primary projects. Some authors gamble and publish their pieces online. Some succeed with e-books or as self-published works while others do not. Whether those books succeed… Continue reading HOW DO YOU PROMOTE YOUR WORK AND KEEP YOUR LEGS CLOSED?
Painted Blue: When you Call us Freeloaders
Courtesy of http://some14me.blogspot.com/2010/03/sick-man.html A man goes to get his MRSA spot treated. He has no insurance and is considered by some to be a non-entity. Two years ago, the doctor prescribed medicine for which he paid for out of his own pocket. Today the doctor refused to look at the man's records. "I'm not concerned about… Continue reading Painted Blue: When you Call us Freeloaders
Seventh Publication in The Copperfield Review
Courtesy of The Copperfield Review, http://thecopperfieldreview.com. The Copperfield Review publishes historical short fiction and poetry. The Copperfield Review published my poem, From Red Loam, in its Summer 2013 edition. The poem is the intro for the story collection Red Loam, which is connected to Sons of the Edisto. It is the third publication from the… Continue reading Seventh Publication in The Copperfield Review
Pardon the Interruption
I went missing last week. On my new blog Meals on Three Burners and A Word or More, there were no posts. That happens some Sundays. Sometimes I do not make the deadline I set for myself. It happens. The deadline is for stories, a book and poetry collection. Standards are high. I completed several rounds of editing… Continue reading Pardon the Interruption
Pens In, Guns Out
In fifth grade, my teacher selected my short story about a town in the middle of nowhere, Bamberg, South Carolina. I won an award for writing: the Lieutenant Governor's Writing Award. I chose the image of Mizpah Church in Bamberg County, and that story inspired my manuscript Sons of the Edisto. Two stories inspired by the book… Continue reading Pens In, Guns Out
Take on the Worlds: Dreamscape
You never went before. Or, maybe you did. Somewhere between the worlds of memories, dreams and what writers understand of reality is your story’s landscapes. You may write Sci-fi, paranormal or realistic fiction, but no tale begins without the sense of place. An important topic in writing is: Do you know the world where your… Continue reading Take on the Worlds: Dreamscape
Telling A Boy’s Story
How quick they grow. Feet push up. Hands grip the couch. Soon the cliché pitter-patter turns to bam-bam. You realize how out of shape you are, or even if you're a marathon parent, you cannot keep up with the little creature. When potty training, he unravels the toilet paper. Around the table, you're family debates where… Continue reading Telling A Boy’s Story
Pave Your Road Using Less Words
I read advice about editing. The Daily Post on WordPress presented a writing challenge to bloggers: Papa Says Get Economical. Ingredients you need: Paragraph from a previous blog Keyboard Backspace key Remember cut and let go. The Daily Post encourages bloggers to edit a post and use less words. No matter how long you've been… Continue reading Pave Your Road Using Less Words
Poetry Collection Work Out
Poetry challenges my mind, heart and fingers. It gives all the writing muscles a work out. Growing up, I wrote poetry all the time, and I was accepted to the S.C. Governor's School of the Arts primarily for my poetic writing. At age fifteen I was not able to formulate stories like I do now. My… Continue reading Poetry Collection Work Out
Risk your Life to Write
Courtesy of http://www.capitalnewyork.com. Imagine every piece you wrote was interpreted as sinful. Picture yourself walking down a road to another house or place to make a phone call. In that phone call, you said your poem, story or essay line by line. You say each word in a hushed voice, because you're always scared someone will catch… Continue reading Risk your Life to Write
Corrie's Season 