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Need a laugh? This will do it. Another hilarious post from a favorite fellow blogger, Russell Gayer at What’s so funny? Enjoy.
I was doing a little research today on things that annoy people. I’ll be attending the Oklahoma Writers Federation conference in OK, City this weekend and want to make sure I’m on top of my game when I roar into town. Thankfully, there’s a website dedicated to this task http://www.getannoyed.com/
You won’t believe the things that irritate some people (or maybe you would). Here’s an example; “People that interrupt you when you’re telling a story and then they continue to tell you their story and then ask you in an uninterested tone to continue on with your story when they are finished talking.” Does that sound like anyone you know?
Feel free to share your personal Pet Peeves in the comments section. Maybe I could learn some new techniques for this weekend.
If this is your first visit to Friday Flash Fiction, the little Purplelidite who can calm even…
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The blogosphere holds a wealth of information available to writers at all levels. If you’re like me, half of the GB’s on your computer are taken up by saved bookmarks and links.
Whether it’s an article, book, or a single sentence, finding the answer to that one nagging question feels like gold. I call these treasured finds – tidbits and nuggets – a quick and dirty reference source for writing.
Here are a few of my favorites:
K.M. Weiland on the Most Common Writing Mistakes: Are Your Verbs Showing or Telling?
“Telling is summarizing. Telling gives the readers the bare facts, with little to no illustration.”
“Showing is elaborating. Showing gives the readers the details of a scene, including what the character(s) are seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, thinking, and feeling emotionally.”
Slushpile Avalanche on Denoting Scene Breaks:
“In fiction, scene breaks should never be subtle… When it comes time to make that break, simply insert a # or a *.”
Deena Nataf on being – Scared to Write What You Really Think? Why it Will Make You a Better Writer – Write to Done
“Staying neutral to avoid offending anyone will result in words without substance. Not being neutral doesn’t mean you have to be controversial; it means having your own opinion and expressing it.”
Writer’s Path: Ryan Lantz and guest author Jacqui Murray – How To Characterize Love In Your Writing:
“Love is about emotion. That’s where you write it…The reaction of your characters must be in-character.”
Allison Beckert from her blog, Art of Stories on The Relationship Arc
“Writing a relationship functions the same way as any story; it requires its own rising action, climax, and resolution.”
John J Kelley from Writer Unboxed: The Care and Feeding of Relationships.
“For each relationship of my protagonist, I stripped out each scene in which he engaged the other character and then read them independently, isolated from the distracting swirl of the rest of the story. In doing so, I could see gaps clearly, places where emotional leaps felt too broad or moved too fast.”
I use physical notebooks and desktops apps like the ones below. Whichever method you choose, having these at my fingertips makes writing easier.
WORD– Open a document and each time you come across a tidbit or nugget, add the topic and link to the document.
ONE NOTE – in the same way.
EXCEL – make a spreadsheet of the author, topic, link, and tidbit.
POCKET – and create a list of favorite articles.
EVERNOTE – a central collection of notes.Do you have something similar? How do you collect your favorite tidbits and nuggets on writing?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.
This was a draft from an old prompt. Don’t remember why I didn’t get around to posting this, but here it is. Enjoy.
Panicked, the man ran from rack to rack.
“Can I help you, Sir?” The clerk asked.
“I only looked away for a minute.”
“You’ve lost something?”
The man frantically wiped aside clothes on the nearby racks, looking underneath one. “Jackson!”
The clerk’s hands fluttered against her chest. “Oh my; shall I call security?”
“Jackson, I swear to God, when I get my hands on you.”
“I’m sure he’s close by, but threatening him won’t make him come out of hiding,” the clerk said, in a strained, high voice.
“Him?”
A look of confusion crossed the clerk’s face. “You said, Jackson. Aren’t we looking for your son?”
The man rolled his eyes. “It’s a gender neutral name,” he said, moving to the next rack. “Haven’t you heard the latest, gender terms are offensive.”
“Offensive?” The clerk moved with him, scanning the area for a wandering child. “To whom?”
“Not to me,” he said, stopping abruptly, “It’s a family name.” A smile spread across his face. The clerk followed his gaze.
The child stood on the dressing stage in front of a large mirror. Tiny hands clutched her frilly pink dress, and dark brown curls bounced with each twirl.
“She looks like a princess to me; all girl,” he said.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.
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