Sunday, November 28, 2010

Flash Celebration on Flash Factory

For the two hundredth week of Flash Factory contests, Richard Osgood has put out the word to all Factory members far and wide: we are aiming for two hundred stories this week. There are three prompts--a picture prompt, a five-word prompt, and an open prompt (which isn't really a prompt at all). My goal is to submit three flashes this week. So let's get to writing!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Word Collecting

My inbox overflows with words. Every day, when the various words-of-the-day are delivered: Worthless Word for the Day (WWFTD), Wordsmith.org, Dictionary.com. Here are a couple of jewels recently delivered (warning: the definitions are my own summaries and understanding):

Idioglossia: a private language. For example, a language children might make up to communicate among themselves.

Cringeworthy: (this one is self-evident, isn't it?)

If you know of other word-of-the-day subscriptions, please feel free to share.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

That Certain Tilt

I've had the opportunity to work with Kellie Wells for my final MFA semester. She's a pretty amazing writer, and brilliant. Earlier in the semester, she used an expression that made a big impact on me: she was speaking of stories that had a magical "tilt." It dawned on me that this "tilt" summarizes the writing I'm drawn to--and the works I hope to produce. The sorts of works that give the reader a surprising glimpse of the world at a different angle. This might happen through the employment of magic, the fantastic, humor, surprising juxtaposition or word choices., to name a few of the possibilities.

I was thinking about that while reading Kellie's story, "Gathal Dethloff, Mother of Murder," in this month's issue of The Collagist. To me, her choice of words delivers sly little suprises. For example, at one point, when meeting an woman who is described to be as large as a grand piano, the narrator says, “'Hello?' I said to Gaythal Dethloff, insufficiently." That surprising adverb delivers.

I suggest you read it for yourself!