Deborah Adams's Blog, page 21

b.read.crumbs : Workshopping

Earlier this month Julie Herman posted great advice for getting the most out of writing workshops. You can click here to read that post.

I’ve attended several workshops over the past few months, and almost all of them were wonderful experiences. Here are a few that I’ve checked out for myself and highly recommend for you.

THE PLACE

Hindman Settlement School

In April 2022, I attended a weekend retreat at Hindman Settlement School in the teeny town of Hindman, Kentucky. This is...

No Mow May

Dear EarthTalk: What’s the background on the “No Mow May” movement? – J.D., via email

Lawns cover some 40 million acres—or two percent—of land in the United States, making them the single largest irrigated crop we grow. We mow, rake, fertilize, weed, chemically treat and water them⁠—sucking up time, money and other resources. And in spite of all that they provide little if any benefit to wildlife. In fact, they likely do more harm than good. Indeed, grass-only lawns lack floral resources ...

Crystal Wilkinson ~ Three Questions & a Cover

A short interview wherein my guest, one of my favorite authors, answers three questions about the writing life.

Where to buy Crystal’s booksQuestion 1

What’s your Go-To source when you need inspiration?

I always look to family stories and the natural world when I need inspiration in regard to writing. Other inspiration comes in the form of poetry. I begin every writing session, be it fiction, non-fiction, or poetry with a poem. I often choose a poem randomly to center myself in lang...

b.read.crumbs: Julie Wray Herman

This month’s b.read.crumbs post by Julie Herman, which you may find in the original on her website.

Writing Workshops

Writer’s workshops can be gold mines for inspiration about your work in progress — or they can stop you in your tracks. I’ve been in both kinds, and the former is one reason I keep going back for more. The workshop pictured above was my last one as a student at Vermont College of Fine Arts and it was perfection in every way.

So what elements of workshop bring me insp...

Worthwhile Watching

Dear EarthTalk: I am looking for more stuff I can binge watch on my TV. Any environmental documentaries you’d recommend? — Couch Potato, via email

The power of film is in its capacity to transport viewers to places we might not have been able to go before. Nature documentaries in particular bring us close to ecosystems and species that are beyond most people’s reach. They can reinvigorate the environmental movement, as with An Inconvenient Truth, or expose environmental travesties, li...

Find Your Fictional Character’s Energy Motivators

How an ancient philosophy of energy can help you create better characters

Let’s try something new, shall we? I’ve put together a seven-part series about energetic motivators, and spread the parts around to different blogs.

You can click here to read Part 1: Earth Energy.. I’ll add links to each part as they go live.

I hope you’ll find this concept helpful for writing and maybe even for life.

Image by Ben Johnson from Pixabay

It doesn’t matter what genre you’re writing, characters...

The Challenges and Rewards of Writing WWII Fiction for Middle Grade Readers

a guest post by  Nancy McDonald

Look on the shelves of any bookstore and you’ll see plenty of fiction set during the Second World War for adults. But you won’t find nearly as much for the 8-12-year-old reader.

Let’s face it, the Second World War was a terrible time in history, full of unspeakable horror, unrelenting fear and evil seemingly everywhere.

But at the same time, there was courage, camaraderie, and countless every day acts of kindness and sacrifice.

The Second World War ...

Find Your Fictional Character’s Energy Motivators – Part 1: Earth

Using an ancient philosophy of energy to help you create better characters

Let’s try something new, shall we? I’ve put together a seven-part series about energetic motivators, and spread the parts around to different blogs. You can find the introduction over at The Pen & Muse.

Part 1: Earth Energy is right here. I’ll add links to each part as they go live.

I hope you’ll find this concept helpful for writing and maybe even for life.

Image by Ben Johnson from Pixabay

The Earth Ener...

Refurbished for the Planet

Dear EarthTalk : Is buying refurbished electronics better for the planet than buying brand new ones? — Peter Behr, Chicago, IL

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world produces some 50 million tons of electronic waste each year, and the figure is increasing. Meanwhile, only 20 percent of this electronic waste is disposed of properly. The remaining 80 percent is either sent to landfills, incinerated or illegally traded, resulting in a host of environmental pro...

3 Questions & a Pose ~ Christine Boucher

Wherein my guest, a yoga instructor and writer, answers three questions and shares one (sometimes more than one) pose that yogis and writers will find informative, intriguing, and entertaining.

Question 1

Which came first, your yoga or your writing?

Writing came first. My neighbor and I decided that we were going to write a book together. I was six years old. I remember sitting at my desk and having this amazing feeling of all that I could create. My friend and I never wrote tha...