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Carol S. Mann
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Bits and Pieces
“He knew everyone had flaws. People fell from grace all the time. But some people fell further than others.” From “Ferrelli’s Fall” (Creek Songs).
Tag Archives: fiction
What is it about a lighthouse?
What is it about a lighthouse and lighthouses in general? They seem to trigger tales of adventure or danger or disaster. They attract artists and photographers who want to capture their majesty and stalwart strength against nature. Writers such as … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, fiction writing, Finding Ideas: The Creative Process, Inspiration, Looking for Inspiration, poetry, Reading, short story, Writing
Tagged couplet, Edgar Allan Poe, fiction, ghazal, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, lighthouse, lighthouse mystique, poetic style, poetry, rhyme, syllables, Virginia Woolf, writing
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Finding the Angle
You sit at your desk or take a walk and, as you do, you scratch at your brain’s stored content and loose ends. You want to find an angle for your story and a world backdrop against which your protagonist … Continue reading
Posted in Authors, Books, Creativity, fiction writing, Inspiration, novel, Reading, short story, Writing
Tagged All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu, books, creativity, fiction, ideas, imagination, In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides, inspiration, literature, nonfiction, Passion and Principle by Sally Denton, Rancho Mirage Writers Festival, reading, Redeployment by Phil Klay, short story, The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks, Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson, When Book Went to War by Molly Giptill Manning, writing
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And you write because?
And you write because? A good question. Have you thought about what compels you to write? Writing seems to be something I have to do, like eating. I grow unhappy or unsettled if I don’t have the opportunity to write regularly. … Continue reading
Posted in Authors, Creativity, fiction writing, Finding Ideas: The Creative Process, Inspiration, memoir, poetry, Reading, short story, Writing
Tagged brainstorming, discover, essay, experiment, explore, express, feelings, fiction, ideas, motivation, nonfiction, thoughts, writing, writing process
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A Positive Rejection? Say What?
After submitting several pieces of work to publications, I sometimes don’t know how to open my email. I mean, should I open it with a high sense of expectation or take my time – as in who jumps in line … Continue reading
Does “The Open Window” by Saki still deliver?
We know a short story has a challenge: to deliver dramatic impact in a few pages. Even with that limitation, a good one stirs our emotions and continues to resonate long after we finish the last line. Have you read … Continue reading
Posted in Reading, short story
Tagged fiction, h h munro pen name, H.H. Munro, irony, literature, Saki, short story, The Open Window by Saki
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Books, Moods, and Locations
For years, I read one book at a time. I didn’t start the next book until the current book was finished. Sometimes during that process, I’d forget where I left the book du jour and have to go on a search … Continue reading
The Blog – a genre of its own?
Recently, I read a post called A Duel of Words on Blogging at Bottledworder.com. I enjoyed the blog and the conversation. I thought more about the post and wondered, Is blogging serious writing? By way of background, I’m primarily a fiction … Continue reading
Posted in Authors, Books, Creativity, e-books, fiction writing, Finding Ideas: The Creative Process, novel, poetry, Reading, short story, Writing
Tagged blog, blog post, blogger, blogging, conversation, creative endeavors, fiction, genre, literature, novel, poetry, reading, short story, traditional genres, writing craft
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What book are you reading next?
When I read a good book, I hate to have it end. However, inevitably it does. Then I’m faced with the question, What will I read next? My inclination will be to choose from two genres, literary fiction or crime/mystery. … Continue reading
Posted in Authors, Books, Creativity, Inspiration, novel, poetry, Reading, Writing
Tagged book list, books, Change, fiction, Fire Dance by Mike Sirota, humor, in a rut, irony, literature, Mustangs by Deanne Stillman, nonfiction, poetry, read, reading list, The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth, verse
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Written Beneath the Palms 