And not just in the sense of participation trophies. Everyone wins because they become confident and robust writers who don't shrink at the idea of putting their minds on the page. 5000 Words develops excellence in writing by combining the following elements: Read quality literature and analyze its structure, themes, and content. (Most recently The …
Continue reading 5000 Words Writing Competition: Everyone Wins.
I'll never forget the first time I read "The Journey of the Magi" by T.S. Elliot. Think: Passion of the Christ, sub magi. This poem is deep and dark and human, revealing the grit that's glossed over by art and centuries. All I knew of the magi is they were funny-looking little men-dolls we set …
Continue reading Considering Death This Christmas? Read T.S. Eliot’s “Journey of the Magi”
Warning: This post is really boring. I wrote it in July and then left it in my drafts because I hated it. Then I re-read and decided it's worth remembering my 2016 summer. Still, unless you're slogging through your first novel or you want to remember my boring summer, you may want to scroll down …
I've been toying with the idea of changing my novel around. This morning I decided to change the point of view from 3rd to 1st-- just to experiment. I've read many 1st person novels and loved them. Right now I'm reading We Were Liars by e. lockhart. If you want to hear a distinctive voice, …
Continue reading Don’t Forget – What It’s Like Writing my First Novel
July was NaNoWriMo month for me. I set a goal of 30K words, figuring a thousand a day would stretch me. Boy, did it ever. I consider writing a fun, yet precise and artful enterprise, but in NaNoWriMo the point is to get your story out as fast as possible. In the writing world this …
[Who says freewriting's worthless? I had nothing today. Zero. I was forced to do constructive domestic things like grocery shop and organize because the etymological muse refused to show. Hearty applause from my husband and children... milk is IN the house.] Novel update: 22K words. I just signed up for a July NaNoWriMo cabin with …
Continue reading Flash Fiction I Pulled From an Old Freewrite When I Wasn’t Feeling It
I have a dream. No, it's not as noble as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream. But it's mine and if I'm not here (either on social media or in the flesh), it's because I have to run away and join the circus for a bit in order to accomplish it. Time in craft, you understand. …
In January, 2012 I began blogging with zero clue what I wanted to write about or accomplish with my blog. I felt the way I imagine Michael Angelo felt when he was commissioned to paint the Sistine chapel. Put my words out there where millions of people could see... count me in! Of course, the …
Continue reading Be the Comment You Want to See in the World
Please, Mrs. Griffiths, may we write more than 4000 words? In light of that question, can anyone doubt my status as literary miracle worker? It's true I fielded that question just a few weeks ago, as I gave the final instructions to my 13 & up students on how to complete their entries for the first-ever …
Continue reading 5000 Words Creative Writing Contest Winners!
Made it to Z, folks! *thunderous applause* When I decided to participate in the A to Z Writing Challenge, I was apprehensive-- not at the thought of putting out words at firehose pressure, but at the thought of my perfectiosis regarding those words. I've spent more hours on a handful of words that will get …
KL Griffiths 