I generally do not write to specific forms, and always have to look up the “rules” for villanelles, Shakespearean Sonnets, sestinas, and the like. What I truly love is free verse. However, there are many times that working within a form is liberating in that you’ve already got a set of parameters you don’t have to worry about. And, sometimes, when you’re forced to conform to a certain structure the little creative geniuses in your brain run off into territory … Read More »

When the first round of covid hit a couple of years ago, it seemed like everything stopped. And in that stoppage was the monthly critique group I’d been part of since 2001. During that hiatus I thought if I can just keep myself motivated—keep that little spark of inspiration which was usually fueled by the critique group—that would be wonderful. So, the Friday Follies were born. What it is It’s quick. It’s simple. We meet online for no more than … Read More »

Last month I presented 5 techniques that were easily learned from reading picture books (Part 1) regardless of what format or genre you work in. The fact that picture books are so short means you can find numerous examples of literary techniques in the best of them. And they are great teaching tools because they require precision and elegance. Today we will cover 5 more techniques you can find in picture books. There are many titles I could have chosen … Read More »

Although fun to read, and short, picture books are not easy to write. They require laser-like precision, elegance, humor, and a deft hand at using writing techniques. The picture book writer must do everything—or almost everything—a long form novelist must do and do it in approximately 500 words. That is: characterization and character arc, setting, tension, plot arc, mood, smooth pacing and, often, humor (whether that’s for a non-fiction picture book or fiction). So good picture books are a wonderful … Read More »

It’s gift-giving season again! I’ve written several times about appropriate gifts for writers. (See FWA blog posts on writer gifts: Dec. 9, 2020 and Dec. 3, 2021.) However, writers are needy, you know. They require all the help they can get. The items on those earlier lists remain excellent gifts for your whiny writer. But there’s always more to consider. How about gifting your writer with one of the items below? (And get me a little nosh, while you’re at … Read More »

If you’re a lover of poetry—writer or reader—one of the things I’m sure you’ve noticed is that the world of poetry is full of idiosyncratic punctuation. Sometimes we poets follow the rules of prose, sometimes we don’t. And fashions change—even in what is popular reading/reciting/writing material. Some of us are stuck in classic mode (chinos and tucked in shirts), some of us are out there trying on 4-inch stilettos and feather boas despite the initial discomfort, or response by those … Read More »