They say bringing reading material to the hospital helps to fill the days, but I didn’t want to read after my recent spinal surgery. I wanted to write about nurses who administered medications at regular intervals, even waking me during the night to take my sleeping pill. My struggle to untangle my hospital gown from …
Random Thoughts While on Drugs , by Annette Langer Read More »
Ann Koch has published her first book. It’s All About the Story–Composing a Life in Books is about places and times where books, especially popular mysteries and detective fiction, make a difference in our increasingly technology-focused world. Sondra Perry, held a book signing for Henry the Heron at Read Booksellers in Blackhawk Plaza, Danville, Tuesday, …
Ann Koch, Sondra Perry, Sharon Svitak – words and work Read More »
Here’s a philosophical question of unknown attribution: if you write a book and no one reads it, is it really a book? Yes! we shout. We write out of passion; we write because we have to; we write for ourselves. Not me. I don’t have to write, and I have other passions, all of which …
Camille Minichino, CWC Mount Diablo and Tri-Valley member, presents her new series writing as Ada Madison. The Square Root of Murder launches on July 14. Watch for Camille’s blog post on Tri-Valley website July 15th.
One of the advantages of having an unusual name is that you pay attention when you hear it. Or read it, as happened when I ran across the term longshore drift. The phrase has something to do with the accumulation of sand along a beach. The proper definition matters less to me than the juxtaposition …
Nina Amir is a seasoned journalist, nonfiction editor, author, consultant, and writing coach and publishing mentor with more than 30 years of experience in the publishing field as well as the founder of Write Nonfiction in November, a blog and writing challenge. Currently, she also serves as the national Jewish Issue Examiner and a staff …
Nina Amir, “5 Things Every Nonfiction (and fiction) Writer Needs to Publish a Book” Read More »
You know you write echoes. Within your prose lurk certain words, unconsciously written, that grate on readers because they needlessly repeat. Unless you’re writing about the Strategic Air Command, these three words should not appear more than a few times throughout your article, novel or short story. But how do you spot the repetitions your …
I studied Latin, but I hated its arbitrary word order. Blah, blah, blah. Shut up and listen to me. It is graduation time January 1941. Ceremonies take place in Carnegie Hall. One thinks of the musician’s joke, “How do you get to play Carnegie Hall. Practice, practice, practice.” For us the practice was four years …
Flash Workshop – Saturday, June 4 from 10 am to 11;45 am Instructor: Lynn Goodwin A flash story is short and snappy. You will learn how to grab, surprise, and mesmerize your readers in 750 words or less. Bring a pen, a notebook, and your imagination. Cost: $1.25 activity fee per person. For reservations call …
Sunny days invoke images of backyard hammocks, surging seashore tides or magical adventures. When writers envision these scenes, they’re compelled to make readers see the hammock sway, smell the salty ocean, feel the gritty sand between bare toes, or hear waves crash against a craggy shore. No
