For many of us, this Sunday morning time will move forward one hour. Starting at 3 am in fact, because - think about it - 2 am, and the minutes and seconds between it and 3 - cease to exist. Okay, I'm aware that our measurement is just a construct,... Read more →

This week I'll start you off with a setup. Think of your favourite coat, a comfortable great looking coat. Maybe it's a puffy insulated coat, or sleek leather, or gaudy dress-up - whatever your taste might be. You're going to donate it to a charity—I don't know why, maybe because... Read more →

So many words, so many choices. English is such a rich language. And as our writing skills improve we realize that we can likely choose any genre, character, setting, or situation and craft a good story. It can be hard to focus and get started—hence these prompts, which seek both... Read more →

TL;DR - in a blizzard. Life often sends us challenges that test our character, and patience. I've found that in writing, if I have a character I can't seem to flesh out enough, it can help to throw something at them, to test them and see how they cope with... Read more →

It's that time of the year again, when Hallmark, Laura Secord and countless florists seek to help us chase away the winter blues with a bit of romance. So, in the spirit of the season, let's try a love story. A love story between monsters. They can be cuddly little... Read more →

There are many articles out there on the Interwebs about writing, but I did read an interesting article in the Guardian about writing Flash Fiction. I'll share the main points. They were: Start in the middle. Don't use too many characters. Make sure that the ending isn't at the end.... Read more →

I recently took the train from Ottawa to Toronto. It was a very snowy day. After a slow cab ride to the station, we left 1 1/2 hours late, and the 4 1/2 hour trip took almost six hours. But, I had some interesting reading with me, my fellow passengers... Read more →

This week's prompt is a bit of a fiddle—I've had to bend my rules. TL;DR - pick a random genre from this list. 1 Action/Adventure 7 Ghost Story 13 Romantic Comedy 2 Comedy 8 Historical Fiction 14 Sci-Fi 3 Crime Caper 9 Horror 15 Suspense 4 Drama 10 Mystery 16... Read more →

I found an interesting Short Story challenge, run by NYC Midnight. The first heat starts January 28th, so I signed up. There are prizes - cash, publishing deals, and discounts 0n writing tools. For each heat you have ou have 8 days, then 3 days, then 1 day. They also... Read more →

I'll often be wandering my quirky neighbourhood when something catches my eye, something interesting. Which usually means odd, and gives me cause to wonder just what's behind the image. And of course, since I always have my cell phone with me, with better specs than my SLR I might add,... Read more →