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Finding Myself Through Reading
My life has wondered but I’m finding my way back through books.
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Learning How My Brain Works on Stories
A few years ago, it was brought to everyone’s attention that some people think in words, some in pictures and feelings, and other in a combination. The presence or lack of an “inner monologue” sparked a lot of conversations. The implications of this revelation blew my mind and continue to do so every time I see a reminder. Immediately I wondered if this affects the way people interact with books and writing. Could your thinking process affect whether you are a plotter or pantser? Do people with few mind pictures enjoy reading less? The list goes on. Only recently did I begin to consider the consequences for me personally. I…
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10 Writing Prompts from Hans Christian Andersen
I’ve had my fancy leather-bound collection of Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales for ages now and been trying to find the time to read some of them. Then it dawned on me. I have a link for you but I did not use the stories from the site to write this article. There may be discrepancies in the title or details. The site does list all the stories in chronological order with the date of original publication, which I have included here. The book that I am using says this about the translation: “The stories in this edition are taken from Heinrich Oskar Sommer’s translation Stories & Fairy Tales by…
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Things Worth Reading: Shadow Play
Shadow Play: Ten Tales from the In-Between by Sarina Dahlan is a collection of short stories that all have an element of the otherworldly. Most of the stories have a death or ghost element and they are all filled with emotion. Through many of them, you are waiting for a reveal that never lets you down. My personal favorite is the first, and titular, story. You are dropped in a world rich with details and have to figure out its secrets. I actually got to beta read The Bench after meeting Sarina on Twitter. That story won an honorable mention in the Writers of the Future contest. As wonderful as…
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15 Writing Prompts from Lovecraft
In the spirit of Halloween, I decided my next prompts should be based on the short stories of H.P. Lovecraft. These spooky tales of unspeakable horrors are just what we need this time of year. (Plus I’m working on a Lovecraft-inspired project for NaNoWriMo this year.) Usually I paraphrase or summarize the myth or story for you before giving my two cents and a prompt. However, it seems wrong to paraphrase stories written as fiction for reading pleasure. There is no way I could capture the same emotions or do them any sort of justice. So, instead I will give a brief synopsis and move on to the prompt. I…
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Art Feature: Mysterious Objects
Are you familiar with the term McGuffin? It’s an object in a story that serves as the driving force behind the action. It may not always be clear why the character(s) want the McGuffin but they do and they are often willing to go to great lengths to obtain it. For this month’s Art Feature, I found an assortment of objects. Each one is unique and beautiful. This time, along with the image, I will include a prompt in which the object is central to the plot. White Green Rose Glass Pendant This pendant by Lithomancyglass, is made from borosilicate glass. It’s a charming little piece and Lithomancyglass’s page is…
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Things Worth Reading: Samantha Mills
This edition of Things Worth Reading is actually a Someone Worth Reading, short story writer Samantha Mills. I first encountered Samantha Mills on Twitter. She would say something witty and I would like it. Then one day she announced that she had a story in Strange Horizons so I had to check it out. I cried. Then I accidentally ran across another of her stories in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I cried again. I was wary when I found out she had another story online on Diabolical Plots but I decided I loved her style and creative stories so much I’d read it anyway. This time I didn’t cry but I…
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10 Writing Prompts from Egyptian Mythology
There are few areas of human history as interesting as Ancient Egypt. For me it’s the age, the time involved. There were Ancient Egyptians living in the shadow of already ancient monuments. They have so many deities and figures to include in their stories it’s hard to keep track. So much time passed that things changed, gods took on new roles and pharaoh’s rose and fell from favor. It’s easy to get lost in the history of Egypt. For this list I used two sources, Ancient Egypt: the Mythology and Ancient History Encyclopedia. Please forgive spelling discrepancies as there are many ways to spell most of the names and I…
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Art Feature: Spring!
I am very excited to share my first art feature. I studied art history in grad school and have been looking for a way to get it back into my life. While this isn’t the kind of art I typically studied, it is all beautiful and inspiring. I found all of these pieces on DeviantArt and I tried to select a variety of styles and mediums. In the Grass by Rarrie I chose this piece because I could just hear her harrumph about something we can’t see. The possibilities immediately began dancing through my mind. The soft colors and sketch-like feel of the image make it perfect for spring. It’s…
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Things Worth Reading: The Apothecary’s Curse
I was fortunate enough to meet Barbara Barnett at Capricorn 39 this past February. She was on a panel called Indistinguishable from Magic where they discussed the blurred line between some science fiction and fantasy stories. As part of the discussion she described her book and I knew I had to read it. She said she couldn’t firmly put it into any one category and she’s never even dreamed of trying. It has magic, science, history, and a touch of horror. How could I resist? I must say, it didn’t disappoint. While I have no problem firmly placing this book under fantasy, I can see where she was coming from.…
