Creativity Sessions: Thoughts on Storytelling

I’ve been thinking a lot about storytelling recently. Okay, I kind of think about storytelling all the time anyway. But binge-watching Louis on Netflix makes me reflect on the way we tell our own stories. Continue reading “Creativity Sessions: Thoughts on Storytelling”

A Deep Bluegrass Dive with Kidnap Alice

Our music reviews seek to trace the narratives that weave between songs and albums. Check out our Rhythmic Fiction tag for other stories told through music.

I had never really sat down and listened to bluegrass before I was in grad school. I had heard it, of course, but I did not appreciate it until I saw it performed live, by a band from England no less: Kidnap Alice. Continue reading “A Deep Bluegrass Dive with Kidnap Alice”

Haiku Sunday – Handwriting

gift haiku pic

I just had a nice late-Christmas weekend with Future Wife’s family, and they do a White Elephant-style gift exchange most years. This year, however, we did an anonymous gift exchange. Each participant was assigned to buy an anonymous gift for someone else. The gifter then had to provide clues for the giftee to guess who gave them the gift.

I was assigned to purchase a gift for Future Wife’s cousin, who I also happen to be fairly close with. He knows I’m a writer, so the poem itself was the clue… he recognized immediately that I was the most likely person to write an actual haiku as a clue. I guess I’m not as wily as I thought. Either that, or people are actually starting to recognize me as a writer. Anyway, he loved his gift!

Steve D

Haiku Sunday – Porcupine

“Porcupine”

Curled up tight, poised barbs
Prick the hands trying to soothe
Your porcupine heart.

Steve D

Author’s Note: This haiku was inspired by the phrase “porcupine heart”, which I actually said in a real conversation. (I sometimes speak in metaphor and prose — what of it?) Now I’m curious whom among you can throw some intriguing words, phrases, metaphors, analogies, etc. at me to use as inspiration for a future haiku? After all, I can’t write about the weather and things I can see from my back door forever.

Comment below an idea you want me to try to jam into a haiku. If you like, I’ll give you a shout-out and a link to your website in the haiku post. Challenge me!

Creativity Sessions: Inner Monologues and Deductions

I love the concept of the inner monologue in writing, probably because I’m constantly up in my own head with thoughts and ideas that I might not express vocally. In writing, though, I think it has to be used delicately. Continue reading “Creativity Sessions: Inner Monologues and Deductions”

Monthly and Yearly Goals: January 2016

Happy New Year!

It’s 2016 now. I think the whole New Year’s Resolution thing is a tad overblown. That sentiment is obviously shared by my distant friend on the other side of this website. Still, I like setting goals for myself. It’s a challenge. And I’ve recently started publicizing my writing goals because I feel like I need to be held accountable to… whoever you are. So here are my goals for this month, as well as for 2016 in total. Continue reading “Monthly and Yearly Goals: January 2016”