Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 124
August 2, 2015
My Last Walk
Sharing a short story today in this incredible re-blog…
This woman is an excellent writer…
Originally posted on Tribalmystic stories:
This is my second entry into the short story category in PNG National Literary Awards. Some of you know this story. It has been cut down to 1000 word limit. For more stories and entries into the competition, please visit the following links;
Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG Attitude
Western Province, PNG.
My Last Walk JK.Le...
August 1, 2015
Weekend Edition – Place and Writing Plus Good Reads and Writing Tips
How does Place affect a writer?
And, how does writing affect the space a writer’s in?
Check out this intimate re-blog…
Originally posted on Live to Write - Write to Live:
Site of Thoreau’s cabin on Walden Pond, circa 1908 (Library of Congress)
When I sat down to write this morning, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to write about. As I mentioned last week, life has suddenly gotten a bit crazier than usual. I’ve been jostle...
July 31, 2015
Do You Need Formal Education To Become A Writer?
I could answer the question of whether writers need formal education in a number of ways:
Image Courtesy of Gokhan Okur ~ http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/gokoroko-30194
* Simply, no.
* Yes, if you also want a degree to teach writing.
* Yes, if you can’t seem to motivate yourself (though, there are less expensive ways to gain motivation…).
* No, if you’re a maverick.
Of course, all those answers could spark endless debates.
Which brings us to a debate that’s been raging since February…
...July 30, 2015
Top Ten Lessons Learned Writing a Book For My Students by Greg Armamentos
SATURDAY RE-BLOG BONUS
Ever thought you wanted to be a writer?
Have you already done a bit of writing but hesitate to call yourself a writer?
Are you a teacher?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, perhaps you’ll find value in this post…
Originally posted on Nerdy Book Club:
Several years ago I switched the writing emphasis in our classroom to choice writing. Rather than spending the entire year on narrative, persuasive, and expository methods, we would primarily...
E. B. White on the Secret of Writing for Children
Ever heard of the book “Charlotte’s Web”?
Ever wonder why adults like it, too?
Check out this fascinating re-blog…
Originally posted on Longreads Blog:
Anybody who shifts gears when he writes for children is likely to wind up stripping his gears. But I don’t want to evade your question. There is a difference between writing for children and for adults. I am lucky, though, as I seldom seem to have my audience in mind when I am at work. It is as though they didn’t exist.
Any...
July 29, 2015
When Will Readers Stop Being Treated Like Mere Consumers?
So, here’s the Standard Line for writers (usually not stated so baldly):
Image Courtesy of Ivan Soares Ferrer ~ http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/ivanferrer-35808
“Dear Writer,
“You’re the content-generator.Readers are the consumers. We Publishers are The Industry.
“You produce raw content. We shape the Product. The reader ingests it.”
I usually try to avoid reading things at The Huffington Post—I consider it Pulp-Journalism.
However, in my continual search for articles to report on, cer...
July 28, 2015
From The Mysterious Zone of Comfort
Folks often wonder what it’s like to be a writer…
Are we always tossing words around in our heads?
What other activities, besides pen to paper, do writers need?
Here’s a re-blog that eloquently explains one important writerly Space…
Originally posted on Sky Diaries:
This is the afternoon I’ve been waiting for. 
Not the ultimate one, with real writing in it…but one nearby. The exalted silence. The alone-ness, full, not empty.
The city is quiet on this July 4th holiday; abando...
July 27, 2015
The Ecology of A Blog Post & The “Rules” of Writing
I’d never considered putting “ecology” and “blog” in the same sentence ’till yesterday.
Image courtesy of Zsuzsanna Kilian ~ http://www.sxc.hu/profile/nkzs
When the idea shot through my mind, I went to my Oxford dictionary to confirm my hunch and found:
“…deals with organisms’ relations to one another and to the physical environment in which they live.”
If I change one word and drop another one, we have:
…deals with posts’ relations to one another and to the environment in which they live.
Le...
July 25, 2015
Naming your characters and settings
Names in a novel…
Easy?
Perhaps for some; but, many writers could use some help.
This re-blog from Roz Morris could be just what’s needed :-)
Originally posted on Nail Your Novel:
The three chambers of fluid, lacrimal caruncle, fornix conjunctiva, canal of Schlemm, choroid, ora serrata. Where are these places? Somewhere under the sea?
No, they’re right where you are, indeed where these words are travelling. They are parts of the human eye.
I sense an artistic sensibility in...
Where Do You Go to Find Your Reading Community? by Jennifer Walker
READERS ALERT!
Are “things” getting in the way of your reading?
Check out this re-blog (from a teacher) with 7 tips about how to re-energize your reading life…
Originally posted on Nerdy Book Club:
I recently had the pleasure of learning with Dr. Jennifer Buehler, President-Elect of ALAN. Dr. Buehler asked our group of educators, “Where do you go to find your reading community?” As I thought about my response to Dr. Buehler’s question, I also wondered if she had issued this...
