Micro Fiction Challenge: Scared to Death
Posted by David Duhr in 
Discussion questions: In fifty (50) words or fewer, write a spooky scene or story that includes the phrase “scared to death.” Write or paste your story into the comments. The winner will get a free classic horror novel of his/her choice, courtesy of WriteByNight. read more
The Perils of Recommending a Beloved Book
Discussion questions: When you recommend a book you love, do you in some ways feel like you’re recommending yourself for approval or disapproval? Are you hesitant to recommend a beloved book, or do you do so without a second thought? How do you feel when the person you’ve recommended it to loves it? Hates it? Is indifferent, or doesn’t even read the damn thing? What is your best experience of recommending a beloved book? Your worst? Tell us about them below. read more
I Haven’t Written a Word in Six Weeks
Discussion questions: Are you, like me, in a writing lull? What activities have you prioritized over your writing lately? Make a list, like I do below. How do you feel about those decisions? How will you make changes, if necessary? Do you find that your writing time is affected by the seasons? (i.e., do you, like me, write much less in the summer because you’re outside runnin’ around?) Let’s talk about it in the comments. read more
Micro Fiction Challenge: Dark & Stormy
Discussion questions: In fifty (50) words or fewer, write a scene or story that includes the phrase “a dark and stormy night.” Write or paste your story into the comments. The winner will get a free book, courtesy of WriteByNight. read more
Why Do We Adults Read Books Intended For Kids?
Discussion questions: How often do you read YA, middle-grade, or younger books? What do you get from them that you maybe don’t get from books intended for adults? Do you feel self-conscious reading such books in public, or do you let your flag fly? Let’s talk about it in the comments below. read more
Your Childhood Writing
Discussion questions: What were some of your formative childhood experiences with writing? What inspired you (if you remember!) to experiment with writing? Do you see any of your adult self in your juvenilia? If you could go back and give your childhood self one piece of writing advice, what would it be? Let us know in the comments. read more
WriteByNight Turns 10!
Discussion questions: It’s WriteByNight’s ten-year anniversary this week! So we’re going to celebrate ourselves. As for discussion questions: What do you see, or what would you like to see, in WriteByNight’s future? Is there anything we don’t yet offer that you think might be helpful? What can we do to enrich your writing life? Let us know in the comments. Or if you’d like to share a favorite WriteByNight memory from the past ten years, we’d love to hear about it! read more
Ask Us Anything!
Discussion questions: This is a Reddit-style AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) where you’re invited to ask any writing- or non-writing-related questions of David and/or Justine — who we are, what we’re about, what kind of writing we do and why. Or about WriteByNight itself — how it was founded, its various iterations, why we do it, how we do it. Leave your questions in the comments below.
Note: We’re not taking requests for writing advice here. If you need some, we’d be glad to offer you a free consultation. Also, we reserve the right to ignore/remove anything we deem offensive. So it’s more like an “Ask Us (Almost) Anything”; or “Ask Us Anything (Within Reason).” read more
Micro Fiction Challenge: The Coffin Had No Body In It
Discussion questions: In fifty (50) words or fewer, write a scene or story that includes the phrase “the coffin had no body in it.” Write or paste your story into the comments. The winner will get a free hardcover copy of Stephen Markley’s Ohio, the book that inspired this contest’s phrase. read more
Your High School Reading List
Discussion question: If you taught (or do teach!) high school English, what books (say up to five) would you assign your senior class, and why? What books do you remember reading for class in high school, and did any of them have any kind of significant impact on your life? Have you reread any of those books as an adult, and how did they hold up? read more
Random Thoughts About Reading & Death
Discussion questions: Are there any writers whose bibliographies intimidate you, and why? Are there any writers whose entire bibliographies you’ve read?
How much of your reading consists of rereading? What do you get out of rereading books?
What percentage of your reading would you say comes from a sense of obligation, a “should,” rather than desire? Where do you think that “should” comes from? read more
You & Your Library
Discussion questions: What is your current relationship with libraries? What is your past experience with libraries? Do you have a favorite library memory?
How far are you from a library? What is the best feature of your local/nearest library? The worst? read more
- Check out this week’s Texas Observer story contest finalist: Adam Soto’s “The Prize” https://t.co/PI4WZALp2S
- RT @TexasObserver: In Jess Smith’s tense and troubling story, a wedding party turns dark. https://t.co/AjH7rT2OHQ
- RT @sakleinsmith: This piece by @ShannonPerriii is great and scary. Makes me think of The Handmaid’s Tale. TW to any anxious new mamas. It’…