“I once thought I should write a book about it,†Sarah said. My ears perked up in the midst of our New Year’s game of spades out at a central Texas ranch. “But I just never got around to it. It probably would have just been for me if I had,†she continued. “What did […]
If any of you writers out there plan on attending any Christmas parties or other gatherings of people this holiday season, prepare yourselves for a stream of well-meaning, but annoying comments: “Ooh, I bet this is going to turn into one of your stories.†“Hey, I’ve got an idea for a poem you should write!†[…]
I lay flat on my back in my Petoskey, Michigan, bed, mucus filling my nostrils, throat, and lungs. A million ice cubes shivered across my skin. As soon as I wrapped myself in heavy blankets, blistering heat threatened to burn me from the inside out. Little alien aches turned my body into a pile of […]
I started to explain all the complicated reasons why I pull back a little every time I go to the Poetry Slam. “I don’t just want to compete for the score. I want to say something meaningful, to be more about community than about trying to win. The scores are so unpredictable, and I never […]
What do you do once you and your business (let’s pretend that writing is a business instead of an art) get discovered? How do you maximize the fame, the exposure, the screaming fans? Yes, I know it’s a bit far fetched, but let’s pretend for a moment that all your wildest dreams actually do come […]
Students swarmed the Erwin Center, eager for the chance to meet prospective employers. We carried our resumés, wore our business attire, and readied our tongues to ask the questions that would get us a steady income. Company representatives readied themselves and all they had to share with us. Highlighters, pens, keychains, bags, and bottle openers […]
Rain crashes and slides down the windows. We rock gently in the belly of the mini Air Canada jet as the wind thrashes everything on the runway outside. The guy in front of me curses, worrying that he won’t get to Toronto in time to pick up his rental car. I exchange jokes and smiles […]
Little arm hairs raise on end. Bumps form on my skin, desperately struggling to retain warmth. It’s freezing in this room as I type away on the computer. I want to be in bed! If only that guy standing next to the refrigerator hadn’t asked me to write a Ninja Writing Guide—– This one’s for […]
Dust, sweat & the smell of hard work clung to two teenage boys as the door swung open. “Hi, Mrs. Harmon. We finished for today.†She found her pre-written check and waved it toward our grimy fingers. “We’ll be gone next week at youth camp, so we won’t be by on Tuesday like usual. But […]
My question floored him. Paul sat staring at me for a few seconds, mouth slightly ajar, so I repeated it: “What are you going to do with all the money you make when we hit it big?†After a little more time, he broke his contemplation: “I guess I haven’t really had vision for anything […]
