Group Writing Exercise: “Oh Girl”
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Discussion questions: This week we’re going to try something new, a cumulative group writing exercise that could be super fun and/or super chaotic. Together you all are going to write a story, or hopefully several stories, that begin with a line I wrote and end with a line I wrote — and everything in the middle comes from you. read more
Prompt: Write About a Scar
Discussion questions: Write about a scar. Internal or external, real or fictitious, literal or figurative. read more
Micro Fiction Contest: “What Happened in 2020?”
Discussion questions: Using fifty words or fewer, write a short story or scene that answers the question, “Grandma/Grandpa/Whoever, can you tell me that story again about what happened in 2020?” Write or paste your story (or stories — enter as many times as you wish!) into the comments.
Self-Publishing: Typeface & Book Design
Discussion questions: What are your likes and dislikes when it comes to typeface, layout, and design? Do you ever buy — or opt not to buy — a book based on its cover or its font? Do you despise deckle-edged pages as much as I do? If you’ve self-published before, what was your process for making decisions about type, cover, and layout? What advice would you give to a writer preparing to self-publish for the first time?Share your thoughts in the comments below. read more
RATS! Writing & Dreams & COVID-19
Discussion questions: Have you been having strange dreams since COVID-19 came along and created all this uncertainty in our lives? Do your dreams ever lead to new writing, or even appear in your writing? What’s the most bizarre and/or vivid dream you’ve ever had? Let’s talk in the comments about the connection between dreams and writing. read more
Reading & Writing Burnout
Discussion questions: Does your working life consist of a lot of reading and writing, and if so, how does that impact your literary life? Do you sometimes find it difficult to read and/or write for pleasure after a long day of doing those things for work? Does technology have a similar impact on your ability to read and write for pleasure? How do we combat these things?
Micro Fiction Contest: You Shouldn’t Have Waited This Long
“You shouldn’t have waited this long… idiot”
Discussion questions: Using fifty words or fewer, write a short story or scene that includes the line “You shouldn’t have waited this long.” Write or past your story (or stories — enter as many times as you wish!) into the comments. read more
Writing & Reading Goals 2020: 50-Yard Line
Discussion questions: Are you on pace to hit the 2020 writing and reading goals you laid out at the beginning of the year? In what ways has the COVID-19 situation affected, or even altered, your goals and your approach? What’s your plan for the rest of the year, reading- and writing-wise? What are the biggest roadblocks in your way? Let’s discuss in the comments.
The Best Passage You’ve Written in 2020 (So Far)
Discussion questions: What is the best thing you’ve written this year? A line or passage that made you sit back and think, “Wow, I’m a talented writer!” And are you willing to share it with us? If so, copy/paste it in the comments below. Provide some context if you want, or let your words speak for themselves. Fiction or non, poetry or screenplay, even text message or email, let’s see an example of your best work of 2020.
My Monday-Morning Quarterback is an A**hole
Discussion questions: There are many more at the bottom of this unfocused, winding post, but here are a few: Do you ever feel exhilarated during and/or after a writing session only to crash hard the next day? Do you read your WIP as you go, or do you forge ahead without looking back? Do you like to write? What’s the worst thing your internal critic tells you?
Recommended Reading
Categories
- Tonight at the Texas Book Festival Lit Crawl, the winner and finalists of the Texas Observer's short story contest… https://t.co/w4F8GM2XJR
- This week’s Texas Observer contest finalist is “Oblivious” by Rudy Ruiz (@Rudy_Ruiz_7), who does a hell of a job ta… https://t.co/f1h53csUDJ
- RT @TexasObserver: .@thedutchsimmons’ "Solitary," a finalist in the Texas Observer story contest, recounts the thoughts of a character stuc…