Publications / 323 posts found
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 24
The wonderful thing about flash fiction is that you can have a story that goes up to 1,000 words, or you can have a story in six words or less. For today’s prompt, write the shortest story you can. Remember: As mentioned yesterday, these prompts are just starting points; you have the freedom to go wherever your flash of inspiration takes you. (Note: If you happen to run into any issues posting, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.) Here’s my attempt at the super short short: A Picture of […]
Kit Mayquist: On Writing the Book You Want To Read
A fan of everything spooky and indulgent, Kit Mayquist is a bisexual, trans masculine writer who can be found in the historic shadows of Boston, MA, hunched over his desk with a sullen Persian cat in his lap and surrounded in antiques. He has a MA degree in Medieval History from the University of Iceland, and a BA from Portland State University (and if you ask him, yes, Stumptown will always have the best coffee). Find him on Twitter and Instagram. Kit Mayquist In this post, Kit discusses how craving a nostalgic, gothic story led him to writing his novel, […]
3 Things Writers Should Know About Cults
A lifelong fascination with cults led me to create and explore the depths of one in my second novel, This Might Hurt. The key questions I wanted to answer: why does a person join a cult? Why does someone start one? To get the portrayal right, I dove deep into research. (10 Things to Consider When Writing About Obsession in Fiction) If you’re preparing to write your own cult novel, here are a few resources to get you started: the Heaven’s Gate podcast; Terry Gross’s Fresh Air interview with Jeff Guinn, author of The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and […]
Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 601
For today’s prompt, write a first poem. This is my first prompt and poem since the 600th Wednesday Poetry Prompt last week. But there are many other firsts available out there, including first steps, first words, and first jobs. Pick one such first and write your poem. Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them. Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the site, go to Disqus to create a free new account, verify your account on this site below (one-time thing), and then comment away. It’s free, easy, and […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 23
There’s a lot you can pack into flash fiction; but sometimes, focusing on a single moment can open up your writing in a way that a wider span of time cannot. For today’s prompt, write a story that takes place in 10 minutes or less. Remember: As mentioned yesterday, these prompts are just starting points; you have the freedom to go wherever your flash of inspiration takes you. (Note: If you happen to run into any issues posting, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.) Here’s my attempt at capturing […]
How to Write Unique Horror Fiction When Every Trope Has Already Been Used
I’ve been writing dark stories for 14 years professionally, and quite often my students, peers, and friends ask me, “Richard, how do you write unique horror stories when every trope has already been used?” That’s a great question. Something I wrestle with every time I sit down to write. So here are a few ideas. GENERAL VS. THE SPECIFIC So, if I mentioned a few horror tropes or monsters, such as a werewolf, vampire, zombie, or demon, you might roll your eyes. “Seen it, been there, done that, bored to death.” And I hear you. But what if I instead […]
WD Poetic Form Challenge: Chanso
(Editor’s note: I’ve made a slight change to how people can enter poems below. If you enter via email, please follow the subject line guidelines, or I may very well delete your entry without reading it.) I’m hoping to announce the winner of the seadna WD Poetic Form Challenge next before the end of the month, but let’s go ahead and start another a new poetic form challenge. This time around, we’ll write the chanso, a variable French form. Find the rules for writing the chanso here. So start writing them and sharing here (on this specific post) for a […]
Joel Agee: On Recreating Lost Time
Joel Agee is a writer and translator. He has won numerous literary awards, among them the Berlin Prize of the American Academy in Berlin, the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize, and the ALTA National Translation Award, as well as fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. His essays have appeared in Harper’s, The New Yorker, The Yale Review, and other magazines, and he is the author of two highly praised memoirs: Twelve Years: An American Boyhood in East Germany and In the House of My Fear. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Joel Agee […]
Book Outline: How to Outline a Book [Template Included]
Book outlines are crucial when writing a book, so it’s important to learn how to outline a book in the most effective way for your readers. A book outline is the foundation for an organized writing process, and it can be used as a roadmap for your book. No matter how skilled you are as a writer, you’ve no doubt experienced the dreaded blank page syndrome, or writer’s block as it’s commonly referred to. From aspiring authors to professional novelists, writing a book is challenging. You know how daunting of a task it can be to string together a fluid […]
Death Throes Or Death Throws – Here’s How To Get It Right
Death throes is an expression that authors, in particular, might use in writing from time to time. What is odd is that the noun, throes, is a plural noun rarely seen in its singular form. In fact, many dictionaries don’t mention the singular form. It’s an unusual expression, but be careful not to confuse it or misspell it as death throws. As with many other phrases and words that sound the same, you can’t rely on your spellchecker for this one. What’s the meaning of death throes? Although rarely seen, the singular noun throe means a sharp attack of emotion, […]