Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Lawsuit Takes Aim at Book Bans

By

Don’t tell me what my kid can’t read “It’s one thing for you to say, ‘I don’t want my child to read this,’” mother Lindsay Durtschi said. “But if you take it from the library altogether, you’re also telling me that my child can’t read this.” To prevent overzealous book censorship, Florida parents filed a lawsuit in federal court on May 17 to stop book bans in school libraries in red-leaning … [Read more...]

Spelling matters

By

You want a bar with that bra? "You need a bar that suits you..." with an attractive senior woman next a row of lacy, front closure bras. I spotted this ad on my computer and took a screen shot (note I did not write that I screenshotted it. Screenshotted has to be the most awkward made-up word I've ever heard.) Screen shots aside, it’s true you need a bar that suits you as well as a good … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Shannon Bowring

By

What: Like a lot of aspiring authors, I used to have that dream of one day sitting down, writing a novel, and becoming an instant success. But that’s not how it goes. You’ve got to work your way up to a novel, and I believe writing short fiction is the best way to do that. So many of the basics begin with the short story: Sense of place, tight dialogue, surprising twists, subtle yet poignant … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Randy D. Pearson

By

What: I write fiction, pure and simple. Creating new worlds, or inventing weird stuff to happen in the old world, is where my passion hangs out. For the longest time, I used to exclusively write short stories. This was primarily due to my WADD (Writer’s Attention Deficit Disorder … Dog! I see a dog! He looks so cute. I wonder what type of dog that is?) I’m sorry, what was I saying? Oh yeah. I … [Read more...]

I or Me: how to know which to use

By

The easiest grammar rule in the world—and yet people keep getting it wrong. Believe me - it's not I I overheard one of the moonshiners on the Discovery channel TV show say, ”Billy trusted Joe and I to keep the mash warm.” What kind of highfalutin' language is that for a good ol' boy? He should have said, “Billy trusted Joe and me to keep the mash warm.” Not because he's a moonshiner, … [Read more...]