Posts Tagged fiction
Building Blocks of Storytelling
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, Structure on April 23, 2013
You are a baby sitting in a high chair. Your parents, aunts, uncles, their friends are telling each other stories around the dinner table. Afterwards, you watch cartoons while the grownups chat some more. Later, your mom reads you a book (My fave: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein). You are absorbing it all. Story […]
Please Refer to the Diagram
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, Grammar on March 5, 2013
I failed ruler in third grade. Though I couldn’t be trusted to take an accurate measurement, the notched wooden implement with the metal edge did serve a useful purpose in my young life: drawing precise lines and angles to diagram sentences. I’m pretty sure that was the same year I won the class spelling bee, […]
You Stink!
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, Rejection on February 19, 2013
What the editors wrote: Dear Susie WriterPerson: Thank you for submitting your short story, “Whatever” to Big Fancy Literary Review. We appreciate the opportunity to read it. Unfortunately, the piece is not for us. Good luck placing it elsewhere. Best Regards, The Editors What the writer reads: Dear Sucky WriterPerson: Thanks for submitting your crappy […]
The Next Big Thing! (Darlene)
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, Special Editions on December 30, 2012
Last week Linda was tagged as part of a chain of authors called THE NEXT BIG THING. Now, all of us at 5Writers are joining the chain, providing some insight into our current projects—in my case a project I’d set aside and intend to restart. Once we’re done, we are passing on some info about […]
Goooooooooooal!
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, Goals 2012/2013 on December 6, 2012
Let’s assume the Mayans got it wrong and we will see the dawn of a new year. That’s right, no excuses for not looking ahead. It’s time to assess the past year, see what we’ve accomplished and set some goals for the coming year. I feel you cringing already. Maybe because I’m cringing—and writhing! Yes, […]
A Conversation about Dialogue
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, Dialogue on November 12, 2012
I was in a two-session writing from prompts workshop recently and one participant mentioned that he was scared of writing dialogue. He didn’t like it and thought he wasn’t good at it. Turns out he wasn’t as awful as he thought and with some tips and encouragement, he began to feel more confident, even two […]
What a Character!
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Character, Darlene on September 19, 2012
Hey, writer-person! Yoohoo! Yeah, that’s right. It’s me. Your character! Okay, I know I annoyed you at dinner last night and everyone was whining about how distracted you were. True, “She twirls her hair incessantly,” is not an appropriate response to “Pass the okra, please.” And that dream was meant to be informative. It’s not […]
Too Much Time on my Hands
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, When I Write on August 28, 2012
I worked at J. Walter Thompson when James Patterson was the Executive Creative Director. Word around the agency was he sat at his desk at 5 am every day, writing his mystery novels. Whether you’re a fan of his work or not, you have to admire his dedication, his strict schedule, his consistency. I’m not […]
What makes it to the page and how it gets there
Posted by wordimprovisor177 in Darlene, How I Write, What I Write on July 6, 2012
Last month I performed a stunning, acrobatic, unscheduled dismount from my horse. If anyone had been there to witness this feat, I’m sure they would have been amazed at the grace this middle-aged woman of somewhat substantial weight displayed, as I was flung into the air at a surprising velocity—probably wailing a litany of less […]
Who We Are
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