, , , , , , ,

What WERE They Thinking?

Toilet Paper bathroom real estate photoHairdresser Real Estate PhotoGranny Dummy Real Estate Photo

 

The photos above are from actual real estate agents attempting to sell their properties.

But wait!  What’s the story BEHIND the story?

Writing Prompts:

1. Using humor, choose one of the photos above to show the story behind the story.

2.  Create a poem or story utilizing an unusual point of view.   Who is the narrator?

3.  Read Terrible Estate Agent Photos by Andy Donaldson.  Allow yourself to draw on these to create stories in various genres:  mystery, science fiction, romance, nonfiction, etc.  Play with styles!

Visit terriblerealestateagentphotos.com for more ideas.

/0 Comments

How to Create Sizzling Scenes

C.S. Lakin will present “Sizzling Scenes: Creating Unforgettable Scenes That Really Cook” at the next luncheon meeting of the Mt. Diablo Branch of the California Writers Club (CWC) on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill.

Ms. Lakin will explore various ways to construct a scene, elements that make a scene “sizzle”, compare three main components of scenes that work and don’t work, and explain how strong scenes are vital to a successful novel.

She is a novelist and writing coach, and the author of fourteen novels in several genres: contemporary, fantasy/sci-fi, and historical Western romance. Ms. Lakin also guests on top writing blogs, teaches workshops, and participates in critique groups around the country. Her blog, Live Write Thrive offers encouragement and advice for all aspects of writing.

Sign-in is from 11:15 am to 12:00 noon, luncheon from 12:00 noon to 12:45 pm, and speaker from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. To register, contact Robin Gigoux at [email protected] , or phone 925-933-9670. Cost is $20 for members, $25 for guests who pay by cash or check on site, or if using PayPal, $22 for members, $27 for guests.

Note: Due to internet access problems, credit card transactions at the sign-in table are no longer possible. Deadline to register is noon on Wednesday, November 5, 2014.

Expect confirmation only if you e-mail your reservation. The California Writers Club Mt. Diablo Branch web address is: http://cwcmtdiablowriters.wordpress.com/

/0 Comments
, , ,

Yorkie Amber Joy Shows How to Write with Excitement

AJ and Scooter on the beach 2014

 

We met our friends, Denise and Mike in the dog-friendly city of Carmel, California. They brought their dogs, Amber Joy and Scooter T. Rocketboy. At the beach, yorkshire terrier Amber actually grinned as she romped, kicking up sand and flying, wind whipping her ears and fur.  

With childlike wonder, she seemed to ask, “What IS this stuff under my paws?” She’d look back at us once in awhile, as if to say, “This place is SO much fun!”

A mild-mannered havanese, Scooter took the experience in stride, following Amber, but staying closer to Mom Denise, for protection from this unusual setting.

It reminds me we need to write with Amber’s mood if we want our readers to experience that elation. Need your readers to experience a character’s frustration? Sadness? Fear? Your word choices and details will transport them into the scene.

How?

Slow down the moments with sensory details and reactions.  Choose words which show the mood.

 Writing Prompts: 

  1. Create a scene at various settings: the beach, a forest, your backyard. Write a detail for every sense you experience. Show, through dialogue, thoughts, and actions, how your character feels in the setting.
  2. Change the feeling in the scenes above. If the scene in the backyard shows you’re ecstatic, write a new one with details which show fear. Your choice of details and descriptions will change with this mood you convey.
  3. You’ve just met a Martian who is new to our planet. Have the Martian experience objects and people in a setting. How can he/she misinterpret ideas? Show the character’s ignorance and perhaps create humor? Show how his world is different from ours?

 

 

 

 

/0 Comments
,

Enter This Essay Contest!

Red_sports_car

The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s 2015 Essay Contest’s topic is My Best Car Story.  Write it in 200 words or less and you may win the first prize – $250, second – $150 or third – $100.

Entries become the property of Yankee Publishing, which reserves all rights to the material.  (They can publish it as many times as they like.)

Deadline:  Friday, January 30, 2015.

Label “Essay Contest” and mail to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH  03444.  You can also enter at Almanac.com/EssayContest Include your name, mailing address, and email address.

Winners will appear in The 2016 Old Farmer’s Almanac and on their website, Almanac.com

For cooks out there, they also have a recipe contest with the same deadline.  The best recipe in the category Dips and Spreads, must be yours, original, and unpublished.  Amateur cooks only, please.  One recipe per person.

For more information on either of these contests, visit Almanac.com

/0 Comments
, , , , , ,

Writing: Reputation Vs. Character

“A man’s reputation is what other people think
of him; his character is what he really is.”

~ Jack Miner

Reputation vs. character. How can they differ? Perhaps the story behind the reputation differs from who your character is.

In the television show Burn Notice, Michael, the protagonist, is a spy who discovers he’s been removed, “burned,” from the CIA. Cut off from financial resources, a web of support and contacts, he has unseen enemies within the organization and outside of it. As he works on private cases, attempting to untangle the mystery and get back into his old job, his goal is helping innocent people while earning a living.

Through it all, his encounters with government agents allude to his past: he’s a ruthless killer. Is Michael’s character, as we know him, different than his past? What’s the story behind the story? Was he set up to be the fall guy?

As the story behind the story is revealed, suspense with the audience, or with a book, the reader, grows.

Writing Prompts:

Create a character who acts one way while shields his true self.

  1. Take your protagonists and put her/him into a situation where reputation, beyond control, is cast in a negative light. What is the story behind the story which casts the character differently?
  2. Now write the opposite. An antagonist takes credit for everything good, while acts deviously behind the scenes.
  3. In the photo below, write what happens when this dog’s family arrives home. Next, write the story behind the story. How can the pooch’s reputation differ from his true character?liz photo

 

 

/0 Comments

Disney Writer Leads Workshop on Voice

Amanda McTigue will present a workshop on “Authentic, Compelling, Memorable: What Voice Can Do for Your Writing” at the next luncheon meeting of the Mt. Diablo Branch of the California Writers Club (CWC) on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill.

Ms. McTigue will conduct a hands-on workshop to explore techniques to find one’s writer’s voice. Her presentation will include short writing exercises and conversation.

She is a Yale graduate, who has been a writer/consultant for Disney Entertainment and Paramount, and most recently, a lecturer at Sonoma State University. Her debut novel, Going to Solace was KRCB’s Best Read of 2012. Her short story collection, This is Not Water, and novel Monkey Bottom are her current projects.

Check-in begins at 8:30am. A full breakfast will be served at 9:00 am. The workshop is from 9:45am to 12:45pm. Cost is $35 for CWC members, $45 for guests.

Reservations are required, and must be received no later than noon on Wednesday, October 8. For reservations, contact Robin Gigoux at [email protected], or phone 925-933-9670. Expect confirmation only if you e-mail your reservation.

The California Writers Club Mt. Diablo Branch web address is: http://cwcmtdiablowriters.wordpress.com/

/0 Comments