Category: nonfiction

Indirect conflict: foils in “A Day at the Races”

Feb 19, 2015

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by

Ace Baker

in fiction, knockout idea, nonfiction, short stories

Often, when you hear the word “CONFLICT” you might picture two people fighting–battling each other, duking it out, or fighting against a snowstorm or hurricane. What you might not think about is conflict that is created the way Jason M. Jones does it in “A Day at the Races.” Take a look at this excerpt: Your mother…
Quotation Inspiration #007: Dostoyevsky asks a good question for all of you with writer’s block

Jul 24, 2014

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by

Ace Baker

in knockout idea, nonfiction, poetry, starters

Dostoyevsky asks a good question for all of you with writer’s block: Try this: Choose a year of your life (by date, grade, year of university, year of marriage) and focus on one event of that year. Use it as a springboard to a new piece of writing!
Quotation Inspiration #005: The way I feel about strong writing and…

Jul 11, 2014

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by

Ace Baker

in fiction, nonfiction, novels, poetry, short stories, writing technique

This quotation is definitely the way I feel about strong writing and dedicated readers: Try this: Take a moment to reflect: What’s beautiful about the writing you admire?
Can you smell it? How to use strong imagery like Natalie Kusz in “Vital Signs”!

Jun 15, 2014

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by

Ace Baker

in choose your weapon, fiction, nonfiction, writing technique

Imagery is a definite “choose your weapon” topic. I mean, you have five senses to choose from (or combinations of them). While sight and touch are present in many works, look at how Natalie Kusz appeals to the sense of SMELL in “Vital Signs”: I was always waking up, in those days, to the smell…
The lists go on… list openings, that is!

May 27, 2014

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by

Ace Baker

in nonfiction, power punch, starters, writing technique

Yesterday, I posted a blog about list openings by a few writers who use the technique well to create a mood early. If you haven’t made your way through that blog yet, go back and treat yourself! Today, there is no new “Try this.” Today, I want to show you another LONG list example…
LIST OPENINGS…how they can help your fiction and nonfiction

May 27, 2014

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by

Ace Baker

in fancy footwork, fiction, nonfiction, power punch, starters, writing technique

There is a power to momentum that is undeniable and unstoppable. Many writers have learned to benefit from the energy of a LIST early in a piece of creative fiction or nonfiction. Let me SHOW you what I mean . . . Here’s a beginning paragraph from Gordon Grice’s “The Black Widow” in High…
STARTERS : Great opening lines from 2013 BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS

Nov 19, 2013

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by

Ace Baker

in nonfiction, starters

I picked up a copy of the 2013 BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS, edited by Cheryl Strayed. Here are a few of the best opening lines: On Thanksgiving my father asked me if I wanted to visit the Nazi. –“Keeper of the Flame,” by Matthew Vollmer The first time I heard her I didn’t hear her at…
SIWC Countdown: 9 upcoming contests…9 days until SIWC!

Oct 16, 2013

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by

Ace Baker

in contenders, nonfiction, novels, poetry, short stories

The countdown to SIWC 2013 continues. 9 days until SIWC, and their contest is over for this year, so I thought I’d put up info about 9 other interesting contests you might consider for the near future: Lynn Manuel Children’s Fiction Contest : http://www.grasmerepublishing.com/ Creative Nonfiction Contest by carte blanche: http://carte-blanche.org/carte-blanchecnfc-society-creative-nonfiction-contest/ Bliss Carman Poetry Award: http://www.prairiefire.ca/contests/bliss-carman-poetry-award/…
Title Generator #002: More titles for your poetry and prose !

Aug 22, 2013

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by

Ace Baker

in fiction, knockout idea, nonfiction, novels, poetry, short stories

Yesterday, I mentioned a mashup method for creating unique titles. Here’s a second, and I’ll use the same book as my resource as an example (Force Field: 77 Women Poets of British Columbia). You, of course, can use any anthology that might be sitting on your bookshelf. Purely on a whim, and since…
Title generator #001: Great titles for your poetry or prose!

Aug 21, 2013

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by

Ace Baker

in fiction, knockout idea, nonfiction, novels, poetry, short stories

One way to jolt your creativity is to come up with a list of new titles for pieces you HAVEN’T written yet. One way to do that is to make a mashup of OTHER titles. For instance, I recently bought a copy of Force Field: 77 Women Poets of British Columbia. Here’s a bit…