Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Wading into Writing for Children: the start of my picture book Gordy and the Ghost Crab

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It began with a Ghost Crab Incident On a family vacation last summer, my daughter took my then 8-year old granddaughter and 3-year old grandson to the beach after dusk to look for Atlantic ghost crabs (they're most active in the evening). Dozens of them were skittering around, and it was fun watching them until a large crab startled Oliver by running across the top of … [Read more...]

Birthdays After You Lose a Child

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I vividly remember the moment Derek was born. The doctor laid him across my chest and there he was, my first baby -- his round face like a pale moon, his eyes open and unblinking, his little body warm and wet, his heart beating against my bare skin. I won't ever forget his first smile, his first word (It was butterfly, and I have a witness), and his first steps in the wooded acre behind our … [Read more...]

How to Make a Book Purse

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I had been making purses from record album covers for a few years when a friend in my MFA program asked if I could make a purse from her book. I never had even thought of such a thing, but I thought "why not?" So I did some research, looked at examples of how other creatives made them, and came up with my own method. I made this book purse with a button and loop closure for my friend from … [Read more...]

Isn’t it Ironic? Words that Trip Me Up

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  A language fail is the worst kind of fail, especially if you're a public speaker or a writer. From Travis Bradberry's list of 20 commonly misused English words, these often trip me up: Ironic vs. Coincidental Bradberry writes: A lot of people get this wrong. If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, that’s not ironic—it’s coincidental (and bad … [Read more...]

Don’t Go Easy on Dialogue

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Ali Luke’s guest column on "10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Dialogue" on Write To Done made me reflect on the things I've learned about dialogue over the years. There are easy ways for improving your dialogue, but don't take the easy way out. Don't write the first thing that comes to mind. That's being lazy. Go beyond what's easy. 1. The best dialogue reflects what’s not being … [Read more...]