November 23 was designated the International Day of Words, by the Fundación César Egido Serrano to promote "the word as a bond of humanity, against any violence." What can mere words do, you ask, against any violence? Being a lover of words, I believe they can do great wonders. Consider the words of Christmas. Peace. Merry. Bright. …
Congratulations Fall 2018 Contest Winners!
Each session, 5000 Words culminates with a peer-judged writing contest. Our last few classes are devoted entirely to workshops, which are the faves of mine and my students. After surviving the gauntlet of peer critique (in which the writer must remain absolutely silent), students polish and edit their stories to a brilliant shine. Why silent, …
Weekend Coffee Share…Lion or Gazelle?
Sometimes I slug the coffee down. Sometimes I sip. Depends on what I'm trying to achieve. What's on my mind as I wrap my hands around a steaming mug of superhero? Lions and gazelles. I've got Africa fever lately. My sister lives there. My husband's going there. I just put an Africa-shaped blood stain in one …
Weekend Coffee Share
Just as I took my first sip of hazelnut roast with heavy cream, the retirement club arrived at Panera. Judging by the volume of their voices, they're a bunch of bingo callers. Actually, they're adorable, and I hope I have friends like that when I'm white-haired. Heck, I hope I live to be white-haired. Still. …
If We Were Having Coffee…
...we'd be sitting in Panera because my son has Psychology at the local community college, and I drive him. It's his first time taking a class, and he alternately loves and hates it. I put him there for two reasons: 1. Psychology is interesting, and 2. I'll take any opportunity to get him off the …
Better Than Candy: Bite-size Halloween Stories
My friend Cyndi gave me the idea to showcase some of the Halloween stories I received from the flash contest. Enjoy these bite-sized stories from Ethan Zabka, Anna Marsick, and Cynthia Hilston. The Last Halloween By Ethan Zabka “This is going to be awesome!” My friend Jeremy exclaimed. ” It’s going to be the greatest …
Continue reading Better Than Candy: Bite-size Halloween Stories
Published! My Alien Perspective.
Sometimes it takes an alien perspective to show us what it means to be human. My story, "The Outrider," published in The Corona Book of Science Fiction, explores a paradoxical culture that condemns a cheerleader for killing her just-born baby and lauds millions of girls for walking into clinics all over the planet to achieve …
Flash Contest Winners!
How exciting to see 19 entries for what became a Halloween-themed flash fiction contest! My students regularly create a flash story as part of my class, and a good competition throws our motivation into high gear. Thank you to my blogging friends, writing friends, and friend-friends who participated and made the collection of stories diverse …
Flash Fiction Contest! Blind Judge TBA
There's nothing like a contest to draw out great stories. Blogging friends, here's the challenge. You have until Friday, October 12th at the stroke of midnight to craft an amazing piece of flash fiction. My middle & high school students are being forced to enter assigned this contest, so consider it the literary version of …
KL Griffiths 