In my writing group, I’m known for writing odd little stories with heart. My friend, Mark, is known for writing gritty stories straddling several genres. My friend, Deacon, is known for writing hip little stories with heart. This isn’t to say that Mark has never written touching stories, or that I’ve never written something gritty. […]

Earlier this week, I had been writing for 45 minutes before I realized that the landscapers at the apartment where I live were working right below the window where I sat. When I stopped to get some water, I heard the construction crew across the street with the jackhammer. I knew they were there, but […]

When writing, I like making things up. While you’d be hard pressed to find any lengthy autobiographic passages in my fiction, I do love taking a small, real thing and running with it until it’s nothing like what it was based on. Here’s an example: I had a friend who never knocked on my front […]

One evening at the writing group I belong to, my friend, Deacon, shared a story with me and the other member of the group. It was made very clear to us that he meant the story to be deliberately bad, full of cliches, purple prose, and stock plotting. The story was called, “Butterfly, My Queen,” […]

2010 has arrived, and many have begun working on their resolutions for the new year. If one of your resolutions this year is to write more, but you have a hard time kick starting the creative flow, I hope this week’s writing prompts help you. Each day this week, I’ll post a new writing challenge. […]