Writing Exericse: A Startling Sound
Have you ever been startled by a sound you had never heard before? Stopped in your tracks, wondering what the hell was going on? Felice Benuzzi's unique adventure memoir No [...]
5
May, 2016
25
Nov, 2015
The Smells of Fall
There's no denying that we are at the tail end of fall here in the Midwest--the temperature dips below the freezing at night, the trees are almost bare, and the [...]
10
Jan, 2014
The Sounds of Winter
Chicago winter - late afternoon yesterday outside my building We've emerged from subzero temperatures here in Chicago, but as winter has gripped the outside with ample snow, treacherous streets and salty [...]
18
May, 2012
Paper Passion Perfume
I once asked my creative writing students to bring an object to class for its smell - we passed them around to sniff and try to describe their scents. One [...]
5
Oct, 2011
What’s in your Pocket?
Blogging, I have realized, is also a journey of self discovery, of appreciating that perhaps the most ordinary things really aren't that ordinary. When I sifted through the spoils from [...]
21
Jun, 2011
Writing Exercise: Smells of Summer
Today is the first day of summer, so I was thinking of all the smells that mean summer to me. Smell is purportedly the sense that brings back memories the fastest, [...]
15
Jun, 2011
Writing Exercise: Hot Verbs
It is raining and thundering again in Chicago this morning, and more wetness and cool temperatures are forecasted for the rest of the day, so I'm feeling rather un-summery and [...]
3
Jun, 2011
Don’t Tell If You’re Going to Show
I often find, in student manuscripts, instances where the writer tells me something, only to go on to show it. And then tells me again what she’s already shown me. [...]
25
May, 2011
Writing Exercise: Sounds of Rain
View from the window behind my writing couch this morning - see how the water is pouring from the spout? What words to use describe the sound of rain? We had [...]
1
May, 2011
Writing Exercise: Smells of Spring
Today I cut open a butternut squash for a beef tagine dish I was trying out, and as I scooped the seeds out of its bottom and breathed in its [...]