Julie Duffy's Blog, page 117

[Reading Room] The Worshipful Society of Glovers by Mary Robinette Kowal

It reads like a simple story, but is, in fact, a skillfully crafted tale that hides its author's hard work well.

095 – Flash Fiction Part 1

February is the shortest month, so we’re focusing on the shortest of fiction: flash!  (And, yes, I know there are shorter forms, but this is the particular short-short form I picked, ok?) This week I talk about what flash is and why you might want to be writing it. Includes bonus trivia about Impressionism.   … Continue reading "095 – Flash Fiction Part 1"

[Write On Wednesday] Make It Flash

This month at StoryADay we’re all about Flash Fiction! Flash fiction is loosely defined as being between 250 and 1200  words long, but it is so much more than that. The best description of Flash Fiction I’ve ever seen goes like this: “You are outside in the dark, just a star or two. Somewhere, there … Continue reading "[Write On Wednesday] Make It Flash"

[Reading Room] Meteor by Josh McColough

This is literal flash fiction, with the flash of a meteor leaving an impression on the eye of the protagonist. It also leaves the reader with a flash-bulb impression of the two characters he comes across on the beach. Every line paints pictures of the scene, cramming vivid scenery into our brains in a very … Continue reading "[Reading Room] Meteor by Josh McColough"

SWAGr – Accountability for February 2018

Every month we gather here to discuss what we’ve achieved and commit to making more progress in our creative lives in the coming month. We call it our   Serious Writer’s Accountability Group or SWAGr, for short! (We’re serious, not sombre!) Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next … Continue reading "SWAGr – Accountability for February 2018"

SWAGr – Accountability for February 2017

Every month we gather here to discuss what we’ve achieved and commit to making more progress in our creative lives in the coming month. We call it our   Serious Writer’s Accountability Group or SWAGr, for short! (We’re serious, not sombre!) Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next … Continue reading "SWAGr – Accountability for February 2017"

[Write on Wednesday] Through The Keyhole

This month at StoryADay, I’m focusing on Flash Fiction. Be sure to check in  regularly and follow me on Twitter. A novel invites the reader to explore an entire house, down to snooping in the closets; a short story requires that the reader stand outside of an open window to observe what’s going on in … Continue reading "[Write on Wednesday] Through The Keyhole"

094 – P.A.C.E. Yourself To Reach Your Writing Goals

As we settle into a new year of writing, it’s worth taking a look at our habits and forming an ‘if/then’ contingency plan to keep us working when our plans go awry. Also in this episode, this week’s writing prompt!   Another new episode of Write Every Day, Not “Some Day”

[Write On Wednesday] All Writing Is Rewriting

Sticking with this month’s theme of Getting You Writing and Breaking Blocks, today’s prompt shares another technique for quieting your inner perfectionist: stealing a story from someone else. Rewriting a classic story, reworking a story of your own, or just stealing the plot of a folk tale, means there’s one less thing to worry about: … Continue reading "[Write On Wednesday] All Writing Is Rewriting"

[Write on Wednesday] Story Starter

Starting can be the hardest part of writing a story, so this week I’m giving you an opening line, to break through that block. I’ve written before about opening lines and how important they are to a story, so don’t think that this opening line has to be your story’s opening line forever. In fact, … Continue reading "[Write on Wednesday] Story Starter"