Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

A Plural Primer

By

Can you spot the error in each of these signs? An apostrophe is never used when pluralizing a noun! Apostrophes are for showing possession or contractions. Despite this, apostrophes are so often misused that we are accustomed to seeing errors. Most nouns are made plural by simply adding *s* to the end of the word, but like anything, there are lots of exceptions and rules to confuse … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Jessica L. Walsh

By

What: I’ve been writing poetry since elementary school, and though I’ve tried to recall what prompted me to start, I honestly cannot remember. I wonder sometimes if it’s in my blood. My late grandmother, who was a difficult and emotionally distant person in daily life, nevertheless experienced a private, intense love of poetry. I’ve heard stories that she would prop a book up on her ironing … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Elizabeth Meyette

By

What: When I watched Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk on Creativity, courage surged through me to submit the novel I’d written for publication. I had just retired from my career in education, and publishing that book became my first retirement goal. I was very fortunate and Love’s Destiny was published the next year. My publisher wanted a sequel, and the rest is “a little history…a little mystery…a … [Read more...]

Silverware Drawers

By

Critters The other day when cleaning sesame seeds and peppercorns from the plastic silverware tray, I noticed the varied assortment of forks and spoons we've collected over the years: a fork and butter knife from my late mother, spoons from IKEA, and various pieces from the first set of dinnerware we had over 45 years ago in our first home. We lived in a two bedroom, one bathroom ranch in … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Ellen Meeropol

By

What: I imagine my novels balancing on a tightrope stretched between the issues that are important to me (racial and social justice, the climate emergency, feminism) and the characters who live inside the stories that grow from those themes, characters who try to figure out how to make a difference in the world. My manuscripts never start with theme or issue—they begin with characters in some … [Read more...]