Delight

" Read, read, read. Read everything - trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window."                                                                         -William Faulkner              Her entire body burned on the operating table. Her arms and legs twitched under the bonds that prevented her from flailing. The room spun with voices and the only solace Mary found was the ever present hum. She focused on it and allowed everything else to fade away.            "We're loosing her!" A voice reached Mary's ears, followed by the suspended wine ...

Hello readers and writers! Quick heads up about the following post, it comes in two parts. The second half of the story will be posted next week, so stay tuned! Exercise time: Practice writing believable dialogue. How many times have you been reading a book or watching a movie and you find yourself rolling your eyes, because no one talks like that?! One way to practice this is to consider a scenario where an individual is leaving a message to RSVP for a party. Come up with several characters who may or may not be going to the party and then write messages that fit their personalities and are believable. _____________________________________________________________________ N ot a single whimper or whine was heard from the children. There were not enough cots or mats to go around, but it was as though, for the first time in their short lives, a blanket of security had come around them and lulled them to sleep. Mary felt the hush of their small, slumbering outfit and looked o...

Hello fellow Readers and Writers! Last week I was unable to add a new story and writing exercise to the blog, but I am back and excited to share another story with you today! Exercise Time: Consider an element of science fiction, whether it be time travel, anti-aging innovations, artificial life, etc. Now consider one of these elements implemented into daily life. It's easy to forget that while time moves forward and technology increases, the human condition does not change very much. For this exercise I want you to place an element of sci fi into every day life. The setting can still be futuristic. Just don't forget about the human factor. How would the individual engage this element that is most likely becoming as natural to daily life as nature itself (or maybe nature is no longer natural)?  Allow yourself to be creative. Before, during or after you've done a little writing or brain storming scroll down, read my story "The Wedding Ring" for more inspiratio...

Note Before the Story: Hey readers and writers, I apologize for being two days late on this post! However, in the hours when I wanted to add a story but could not, I decided I would experiment with putting the discussion topics before the stories. This will give you something to think about and look for as you read!  Today's Exercise: Write a dramatic scene, maybe one to two pages long. As you write dialogue consider how an individual who is in distress would talk. Does your character's speech speed up? Do they begin confusing words? Maybe they stop speaking all together? With each element of story ask yourself how you can heighten the suspense, drama and emotion. After you are satisfied with what you have written, read it again and ask yourself if there is a way to drop your audience right in the middle of the action. You might have to rework some of the writing if the beginning part, the part you will be cutting out, contains necessary information for the audi...