Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

What, Why, How: Shannon Bowring

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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

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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

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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...]

Who Cleans Your House?

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Bad housekeeping: A friend asked me if I had a housekeeper.I said no.So she asked, “You clean your own house?“I said no.She asked, “Wait... Who cleans your house?”I laughed and said no one. I also told her I was three winters behind in my spring cleaning. Joking aside Actually I'm not that bad. I keep my kitchen counters, stovetop and sink clean, but they're used on a daily basis, so … [Read more...]

Dress like a Poet for National Poetry Month

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The Red Scarf: A dear poet friend laughed as she told me the story of feeling a little chilly went she went to the gym. She wore her red scarf while working out, just until she warmed up. Someone who knew her said something like, "Oh, you poets. Always have to look different," as if wearing a red scarf was only an affectation. How pretentious to wear a scarf in a gym. Only a poet. So my … [Read more...]