Backstories for girls and women in stories that *don’t* involve sexual assault.

I beta read a lot, and am involved in writing communities of various kinds, and I briefly taught English way back in the day, and I consume much storytelling media in general - and one of my biggest pet peeves is sexual assault backstories. While I think this is improving, it’s still annoying to me … Continue reading Backstories for girls and women in stories that *don’t* involve sexual assault.

Appetence

Defined as intense desire, strong appetite, a craving or an inclination. Appetence is the story of an awakening, a discovery, and a loss. One of its poems will be published in a literary journal in October. Currently revising the draft for submission. This narrative came out quickly and tore things up along the way. It's … Continue reading Appetence

Personal folklore

I never met one of my sets of grandparents - they both died in the decade before I was born. My grandmother went first, though she was apparently stubborn about it, and the family tradition has it that my grandfather died of a broken heart. His death certificate claims it was kidney failure, but according … Continue reading Personal folklore

“Every fear contains a wish”

I didn't come up with this particular aphorism. I got this from author Steve Almond (who has a new book out on the writing process called Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow which everyone should absolutely read). He recently came to the writing program I'm in to push us on how to make … Continue reading “Every fear contains a wish”

Four Word Confessions (Writing Prompt)

There's a thing I do in my private journal - small confessions. I pick a number, usually between 4 and 10, and write out whatever comes into my head. They're usually on the simple side - I don't aim for earth-shattering prose, just for honesty in the moment. I go quickly. I don't think about … Continue reading Four Word Confessions (Writing Prompt)

Saturation

Saturation is a much more interesting word than one might think. To be so filled that nothing more can be absorbed. To such a full extent that it's no longer necessary or desirable. The purity of a color. In qualitative research (which is part of my day job expertise), there's a phenomenon known as saturation, … Continue reading Saturation

Like a bayou

When I think of revision, for some reason I always imagine a bayou. And I never really thought about why a landscape jumps into my head instead of paper or pens the eye-piercing glare of the computer screen. I think because it's brackish, and there are things that hide and lurk, and it's slow moving. … Continue reading Like a bayou