Superheroes: the Patron Saints of Infinite Suffering
Batman lost his parents at gunpoint at age nine. At the same age, I lost my mother to breast cancer. Ever since, feeling like half an orphan, I’ve always felt a special kinship with Batman and people that have felt the devastation of losing others. Since 2020, we all...
The Language of Flowers: How to Use Emotional Metaphor
“Yes, flowers have their language. Theirs is an oratory that speaks in perfumed silence, and there is tenderness, and passion, and even the light-heartedness of mirth, in the variegated beauty of their vocabulary. To the poetical mind, they are not mute to each other;...
Sculptors, and Painters, and Writers, Oh My!
For many writers, gaining experience and knowledge are major parts of the writing process. Barbara Kingsolver, the author of the creative nonfiction book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle spent a year focusing on eating locally in order to write a book about her experience....
Invitation to My Literary Dinner Party
Ever wondered what it might be like to meet a writer? To engage in conversation or to hear the perspectives from literary creators themselves? I present to you my literary dinner party with five writers sharing their insights over drinks, dinner, and conversation. ...
Creating Your Own Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude: An Ode to Ross Gay
When I was young, I had a deep desire to prove I could be a great writer. At award celebrations in middle school, cool poets read these heartbreaking poems brimming with bruises, cigarettes and swearing. If my experience is at all normal, budding poets can feel...
On Your Mark, Get Set, Bake! Writing Exercises Based on the Great British Baking Show
The Great British Baking Show (also called The Great British Bake Off or GBBO) is a baking competition show that’s been on air since 2010. Unlike many other reality television shows, it relies on camaraderie between competitors and difficult baking challenges rather...
Laugh Your Way to Great Writing
When the world is burning, and the news seems to fuel that burn, I turn to comedians. Some might say this is naive and counterproductive, but I disagree (as long as Trevor Noah and Stephen Colbert are not your only news source). Humor is communal; laughter draws us...
Writing Advice for Zodiac Signs
Now that we’re in Capricornus season, finishing at the end of January, it’s time to start bearing down on the project you’ve been dreaming about or pushing off. The changing of the seasons might find you seeking acceptance on creative avenues in your life. What’s...
3 Poetic Forms You Might Not Have Heard Of
You’ve done it! You’ve found yourself some quiet time and you’re wondering what you should be writing about. You’ve dipped your toes in form writing before, but you want to try something new, or old rather, something a bit more ambitious than the well-treaded sonnet....
Perfect Songs For Those Nice Moments in Every Book
Perfect Songs For Those Nice Moments in Every Book Have you ever read a scene from a book, and instantly knew what the perfect background song would be? Have you ever watched a scene from a television show or movie, and the background music helped strengthen the...
4 Spooky Storytelling Podcasts to Get into the Halloween Spirit
Podcasts have become an extremely popular source of entertainment over the last few years, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Busy writers rejoice! Podcasts, like audio books, are an excellent way to hear the words of writers all over the world...
Finding Inspiration in Your Own Photographs
No matter how prolific a writer you are, we all run into moments where we need a little extra inspiration. Here are some tips on how to use your own photographs to inspire all elements of storytelling, from mood to setting to character and beyond. There are plenty of...
