My first Sunday short story. The Bull The bulls head hung heavy on his thick neck. Breath bombs exploded out of his damp nose, across the dewy grass. the bull patrolled the field that separated our house from the farm, a place of men, mystery and machinery that i was keen to explore. My mother […]
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Short story Sundays
I’ve always felt compelled to write fiction. I’ve started and shelved at least three bad novels. Believe me, they needed to be shelved. At about a third of the way into each of these doomed creations, the idea of spending hours just making things up, struck panic to my core. “These are your busy years”, […]
Write your short story in 6 weeks: Kurt Vonnegut’s rules for “Creative Writing 101″
In case you can’t make my 6 week course, here’s Kurt Vonnegut’s rules for creative writing penned in the introduction to his short fiction collection: Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction. 1/Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. 2/ Give […]
Write a short story in 6 weeks: Creating character – learning from the master’s
For the remainder of 2013, I’ve decided to immerse myself in short stories. I teach creative writing and have discovered that short stories are a great way to introduce my students, who are generally reluctant readers, to a wide range of literary styles voices and devices. My main challenge and aim in teaching creative writing […]
Judith Butler on the Value of Reading & the Humanities
Philosopher Judith Butler on the Value of Reading & the Humanities: McGill Commencement Address by Maria Popova “We lose ourselves in what we read, only to return to ourselves, transformed and part of a more expansive world.” Joining the year’s crop of notable graduation speeches — including Debbie Millman on courage and the creative life, […]
Emma Brockes, author of She Left me the Gun, Sa book tour dates
“One of those memoirs that remind you why you liked memoirs in the first place… It has the density of a very good novel… As you do with the best writers, you feel lucky to be in Ms. Brockes’s company.” –Dwight Garner, The New York Times A chilling work of psychological suspense and forensic memoir, […]
Emma Brockes (She Left me the Gun) chosen as Oprah book of the week
She Left me the Gun by Emma Brockes was chosen as Book of the Week by the editors of O and Oprah.com, this is a book they couldn’t stop reading. Here’s their review: It’s hard for any of us to imagine the life of our parents before…well, us. Who were these mysterious people prior to […]
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Dates for Tony Parks South African book tour
Austrailian best-selling author, Tony Parks, writes page-turning books set in African countries. Hailed as the next Wilbur Smith, but definitely his own writer,his passion for Africa is as infectious as his page-turning thrillers are addictive. Not only is Tony a terrific writer, he’s an entertaining speaker. Currently he’s in South Africa to launch his latest […]
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