Posted inPensives
The Thing You’re Most Afraid Of
"the thing you are most afraid to write. write that." Nayyirah Waheed from salt I heard this quote a few months ago and it stuck in my mind. If you…
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom
Old books and memories
Old books can be more than the sum of their parts. Our author becomes nostalgic when he helps clear his mother's library.
Posted inPensives
A CAT AND MOUSE GAME
The cat is called Princess. She adopted us in early August after being abandoned for some time, a common problem in France. After much TLC, she’s grown into a beautiful…
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom
Turn off the Din
I have no idea what to write about, so I’m just going to write myself free. I’ll do that by following my stream of consciousness that may not go anywhere.…
Posted inPensives
Pick a Year, Any Year
If you are looking for a new prompt for writing a new short story, or even something longer, then have an exact year get the ball rolling! By simply plucking…
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom
Submitting!
What a curious term ‘submitting’ is, to describe the collaborative project of author, agent and publisher, as they come together with a common aim of preparing a book for the…
Posted inPensives
Seeing the Other Side
Write 500 words (or more if you’re having fun) to go with one of the three photos you see below. What’s going on behind the window, the wall, or the…
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom
How important is self-belief to a writer?
This was a question I posed on Twitter recently and the answer came back: crucial. If self-belief is crucial for a writer, how do I get some?
Posted inPensives
LEAKY INDIVIDUALS
Individuals are porous. We leak. Everything we are pours out into the world as we speak and act. It’s part of our charm. At times we find it difficult to…
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom
The Art of the Personal Essay
Jim McCrory writes about essay writers that inspire him and the personal essays he is working on.