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Things on an Author’s Desk–A Poem
This summer, I’ve been taking a creative writing class for college. It’s been alternately stressful and fun. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been working on some poetry. After reading over the chapter in my textbook covering different forms of poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction, I decided to try one of them. I’m calling this a “Free-Verse List Poem.” I hope you find it entertaining. “Things on an Author’s Desk” ONE stuffed black cat, wearing a teal bowtie ELEVEN wooden pencils, all dull, FIVE with original erasers TWO tape dispensers, ONE shaped like a cupcake, the other empty ONE magnet bookmark, Grumpy Cat brand THREE tubes of chapstick, TWO…
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The Idol of Good Grades
Whether school winds up being in-person or virtual this year, there is no denying that summer is coming to a close. And with the fall come all the stresses (old and new) of studying. As we cling to the last vestiges of summer, let’s consider one of the biggest stressors of school: grades. As students, we are under constant pressure to get good grades. If we fail this class, we won’t be able to graduate. If we flunk this test, the teacher will think we are stupid. If we get an A on this assignment, we’ll earn our parents’ approval. This pressure can be external—parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. Sometimes, our…
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Fast Tips for Writing Flash Fiction
I’ve been writing a lot of flash fiction lately. Most of it I’ve shared on the blog, but some of them I’m still working on. And then, of course, are the horrible pieces that will never see the light of day. I’m doing a summer creative writing class through my college and I’ve been learning a lot about writing better flash fiction! I wanted to share a few tips with you, to help you write your own flash fictions. Focus on one thing Flash fiction, by its very nature, is incredibly short (usually less than 1,000 words). There isn’t time to dive into subplots or explore a fantasy world. When…
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Defeating Writer’s Block
The hero is just about to triumph. He’s made his way to the villain’s hideout. His army marches behind him. But the villain lurks in the shadows, ready to attack. As Admiral Ackbar would say, “It’s a trap!” The same thing also happens to us writers. Everything is going splendidly. We got good feedback on our short story, we just wrote two thousand words, and on top of that, we fixed a major plot hole. We sit down to write the next day and we smack into an immovable wall. There’s no way over, under, or around it. We’re stuck. Everyone faces obstacles. Think of any story. The heroes always…
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Remember–A Flash Fiction
I thought of you today, as I sifted through the boxes of memories in the attic of my mind. I remember the first time we met. How after my brother introduced me to you, your eyes never followed another girl that whole night. I was wearing that teal dress I thought made me look like a movie star. I thought that was the reason why you watched me. Next time I saw you, you were picking up my brother to go to a conference. I didn’t know you were coming, so I was in the yard, my unwashed hair in a tangled bun, wearing a too big T-shirt and ratty…
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The Secret of Contentment
During the month of May, I challenged myself to read the book of Philippians once a day. While I missed a few days, I consider this Bible study exercise a success. Instead of just reading Philippians and forgetting about it, I was able to remember what I studied. But this article isn’t about how to study the Bible. Instead, I wanted to share a lesson I’ve learned from the Apostle Paul that I think is very relevant for our times today. First, I want to challenge you to go read Philippians straight through. It probably will take ten to fifteen minutes of your time. Then come back to this article.…
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Dust Blog Tour Stop #6–Author Interview and Book Review!
Hey, friends! I’m super excited to be sharing this post with you all! *throws pixie dust* One of my favorite authors, Kara Swanson, is releasing a new book in July! It’s called Dust and it’s a Peter Pan re-telling. (It’s awesome, by the way.) Below, you’ll find an exclusive interview with Kara herself as well as my review of Dust. But first, a treasure hunt… Every day in the month of June, someone will share a keyword on their blog. If you collect all 36 (because some days have more than one post, though the past few months feel like they have been 36 days long XD), you will find…
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The Guardian–A Flash Fiction
No one came to see the Guardian anymore. He sat in the same place he had for centuries, his face set like stone against the elements. If someone was to pass him by, they might mistake him for a statue he was so weathered and overgrown with vines. Yet no one had walked down that wooded path in years. He quietly hummed to himself, watching the humans walk past his hidden grove on the paved sidewalk. He had seen many such people. So many of them distracted by the noises around them to notice the hidden magic of the gardens. A pigeon landed on the Guardian’s outstretched hand and pooped.…
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Book Review: The Eighth Ransom by Given Hoffman
Good morning, friends! I recently had the opportunity to read and review a book with my mom and brother. It’s pretty rare all three of us read the same book, so it was pretty fun. We read The Eighth Ransom by Given Hoffman. Here’s the synopsis from Goodreads: Trent Soris is an artist with a chip on his shoulder, and Ashley Rye is what Trent would describe as an annoying religious kid. When they’re kidnapped with six others from across the U.S., they have nothing in common but their enemy. To survive, all eight of them will have to depend on each other. By working together, they just might prevent…
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This World of Gray–A Flash Fiction
The only thing that kept her grounded was her music. Her earbuds were like an IV, streaming life into her bones. When They came, she started sleeping with the carefully shaped plastic pieces in her ears. When the bombs came and the world turned to ash, she turned up the melody to drown out the screams. When soldiers crowded the streets in front of her home, she hummed along. As she walked down the dirty streets, she kept her eyes closed and she moved in sync with the rhythm. She let the soft magic of harmony take her away and to a place with green grass and blue sky. Here,…
