Yay! A short short story I wrote for a Writers’ Digest contest has been shortlisted to the Top 5. How exciting! Now the public can vote on their favourite. The winner will be published in Writers’ Digest magazine. I would so appreciate your support! The stories are here: You don’t have enough points, sir. I’m Entry B. (Think B for Bird 🙂 ) You just have cut and paste into their comments to vote. Easy peasy. Please vote for me! Thanks!
15K FOLLOWERS! LET’S CELEBRATE with a gift for you! October 29, 2015
In honour of the 15,000th follower on my blog,
Cat Majors
From now until October 30th, 2015- you’re invited to download a copy of
Grace Awakening Dreams and Power at 80% off!
For $1 you can own 155,000 words of adventure, romance, and myth!
WHAT A DEAL!
Visit http://tiny.cc/eekppx
enter coupon code QA28X
and it’s yours with my compliments.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND FOLLOWERS!
Yay!!! 😀
I didn’t imagine that when I started this blog 5 years ago!
Thanks Cat, for turning over all the zeroes!
poem-critique May 17, 2015
I love the simplicity
of this collection,
but it’s
bordering on saccharine
almost
syrup on my waffles,
but not
quite.
.
.
(I had an official poetry critique by a famous writer/poet today. I have never had my poetry critiqued by anyone ‘in the biz.’ This is the summary of the observations on the 20 or so love poems submitted. 😉 Apparently I should aim to be a *bit* edgier. I think this is quite wonderful, actually).
poem-filled May 16, 2015
I’m filled with words
Your words.
My words.
Our words.
A story concocted in laughter.
A story unraveling fears.
A story exploding conjecture.
A story that brings forth your tears.
I am filled with our words
softly spoken
I am filled with our words
shouted loud
I am filled with our words
barely whispered
I am filled with our words
lacking sounds.
Your words.
My words.
Our
story.
.
.
Enjoying a lovely weekend with amazing authors like Charles De Lint, Kathryn Para, Anne De Grace at the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival. Collected a lovely certificate and cheque for a writing contest prize, as well. 🙂
poem- murder May 6, 2015
It’s awkward
all this repeated death.
Everyone has the solution
to remove the trouble maker
Everyone has a special skill
that will do the necessary damage.
How would you…?
Count down.
3, 2. 1.
You could…
From every department
something new.
Murder is not hard to do
if it imaginary, and there’s
not practical follow-through.
.
.
I am presently writing a collection of short stories set in a high school. The staff at my school keeps coming up with suggestions about the next murder. It’s been quite entertaining! I had no idea that apparently all teachers can come up with a scary death related to their subject area in under 3 seconds. How about you? My husband, (a Youth Probation Officer…) is appalled. lol
UPDATE: This project became Murdering Mr. Edwards and was published by Coffin Hop Press April 2018 https://coffinhop.com/crime/murdering-mr-edwards/
poem- enticed May 3, 2015
She leaves the wine bottle in the bottom desk drawer
undoes two buttons on her white blouse,
French cuffed, of course. Lace peeks out.
Jeweled pendant lies between her breasts, the chain
offers a direction.
She stands, displacing gravity to expand the view.
Her black pumps click on the linoleum in the hall.
She pretends to talk on her cell phone,
pausing by his open door; her chest rises on a
tingling laugh she knows he won’t resist.
Her black pencil skirt covers the assets tightly,
in taunting style,
“See you later, then!” she tells her imaginary
phone companion,
as she strolls to the photo copier room,
trailing temptation behind her
without a backwards glance.
.
.
(A poem based on a new novel project).
poem- haunts May 1, 2015
Haunted
Full days.
Wishing
Spinning
Devouring.
Turned inside out.
There was a rainbow.
.
.
This was a poetry exercise I created for my class today-
The prompts by line were
I am…
I have…
3 -ing verbs
I feel…
I wish…
I got some really interesting pieces! First we did this as a class activity, rolling the paper over and trading with someone new for each line. Then we shared the results. Finally, they created their own from stratch.
quote- magic of creation April 30, 2015
We all have magic, it’s all around us as well. We just don’t pay attention to it. Every time we make something out of nothing, that’s an act of magic. It doesn’t matter if it’s a painting or a garden, or an abuelo telling his grandchildren a tall tale. Every time we fix something that’s broken, whether it’s a car engine or a broken heart, that’s an act of magic.
And what makes it magic is that we choose to create or help, just as we can choose to harm. But it’s so easy to destroy and so much harder to make things better. That’s why doing the right thing makes you stronger.
If we can only remember what we are and what we can do, nobody can bind us or control us.
Charles de Lint The Mystery of Grace p. 235
I was reading this book tonight and was struck by this passage. I will share it with my Creative Writing class tomorrow. This is what it’s all about. The magic of creating something from nothing. It’s about crafting worlds from electrical charges firing in the brain, such sparks are magic in its purest form: undeniable..
Shawn L. Bird 