Sometimes you read something so profoundly affecting, you want to grab your bull horn. Not having a cosmic bull horn, I give you, deep, dark, droll reader, some thoughts on Sherman Alexie's powerful education essay "Superman and Me." My reading origin story begins in Title I (translate: "girl's-not-getting-it" or IEP before such things were a …
Tag: on writing
Zeroflash Fiction: Chernobyl Romantics
On this journey to publishing my novel I often take little tangents, usually in the form of writing competitions. I love the immediacy of the feedback and the stretching prompts. Zeroflash's August competition garnered me an honorable mention from the talented Jan Kaneen. I can't tell you how uplifting it is to have a writer whose work I …
Versatile Blogger Award
ver·sa·tile able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities. A fiction writer must be versatile, if only for the toggle between fantasy and reality. I once woke to the reality I was due to teach a class in ten minutes. What's the big deal? I was an hour away from said …
The Shot: Fiction for Microcosms
Like all the outliers I've covered, this planet was named for some dead Earthian. Back then you could have a star named after yourself for less than the cost of a decent dinner. This man had a hundred stars named after him. Trump XV looked no different than all the others. When the infrastructure goes, …
Be a Flasher
Not that kind of flasher, naughty bird. A flash fiction writer. Why should I be a flash fiction writer? You ask. I'm glad you did. Flash fiction forces several wondrous talents upon you: Economy of language. Full-bodied plot in a tiny, weeny package. A stretch into new genres, styles, content.* Opportunity for you to turn …
Writer Mind
I'm in the valley every writer goes through. I keep showing up day after day intending to make something amazing. If I were an artist, I'd be making stick people. If I were making dinner, it would be haggis. If I were conjuring up an animal, it would be a platypus. Sure, I just got …
Fiction for Microcosmsfic.com
Washed Away "At it again?" Ella asked, standing over the hunched form of her husband. Darrin's once-white robe was covered with a dusting of sand and browned on the butt. Ella handed him a steaming cup of coffee. A sand-encrusted hand trembled but received it gratefully. A ring of untanned skin was all that …
The Solution: Cracked Flash Fiction Entry
Dragons stalked the streets, puffing out smoke and clattering their mechanical wings. Gulligan sighed. Rush hour. A dragon who had the bad sense to scuttle in front of Gulligan found himself violently kicked. The iridescent creature rolled end over end and hit the curb, sending up a cloud. Brittle things, Gulligan thought, for all their noise …
Don’t Forget – What It’s Like Writing my First Novel
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
Raising the Flag of My Dream
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. …
KL Griffiths 