What does Music have to do with writing you ask? For some people, nothing; for some, it is setting the Mood. Some people swear by the use of background music to stimulate their creative flow. Stephen King comes to mind with his use of heavy metal to stimulate his creativity. Other people, such as myself,… Read more »
April 2022 Leisure Learning Spring greetings, leisure learners, and word nerds! I hope this April has found you immersed in the power of individual words, a la National Poetry Month. Now, what happens when you put a whole bunch of words together, complete with punctuation? Hopefully, a short story. Pair it with the month we… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra Monir. Alexandra Monir is an Iranian-American author and recording artist who has published six popular young adult novels. Her internationally-bestselling debut, Timeless was a Barnes & Noble Bestseller and Amazon.com “Best Books of the Month.” In 2018 she published the hit sci-fi novel The Final Six and… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Janet Pocorobba on the show! Janet is a former features writer and editor at Metropolis magazine in Tokyo, whose memoirs, essays and reviews have appeared in many notable publications such as The Rumpus, The Writer, and Kyoto Journal. She is the author of… Read more »
One great way to get new story ideas or kick-start your writing is to use the five senses for inspiration. Most writers think of the senses as a way to spice up flat descriptions. In fact, I have one writer friend who used to keep a post-it note stuck to his computer screen with the… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Anna Harwell Celenza, a music professor of Georgetown University where she teaches courses in music history, radio journalism and the music industry. She has written several scholarly books, is a writer/commentator for National Public Radio’s Performance Today, and her work has been featured on nationally syndicated radio… Read more »
Remember back in grade school when we used to cut up magazines and glue the pictures on a board to make beautiful artwork? Believe it or not, collaging is a great way for writers to explore and express the mood of their project. I learned the benefits of this technique when I was in design… Read more »
