Writing Prompts for November Freebie for the 15th
Click on the blue link to download your free PDF:
November brings thoughts of warm family gatherings where everyone brings a dish to pass to the home where one person has made a turkey or tofurky. Whether it is all vegan, or vegetarian, or a mix of diets, people are happy to get together and share a meal. Anticipation for the holidays abounds, and perhaps names of family members are drawn for gift giving.
But of course, not in 2020.
Not in good ol' 2020.
Maybe a TV dinner for one? A food basket drop off? Overcooking for just a few to enjoy leftovers for several days? Whatever this month brings, we will make the best of it and do what we can to cheer each other up. Maybe Zoom call with everyone talking over everyone else? By the way, did you know some families have to raise their hands before speaking on Zoom or other such calls?
Writing prompts may be used in groups or individually. They may be self-selected with a sentence starter or just an image to provide inspiration. They may be called quick writes, flash fiction, be timed, shared, or however your writing friends would like to use them.
Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm
MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER
Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered by Modern History Press in its third edition. Carolyn's latest is in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. She has two booklets in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series, both in their second editions from Modern History Press. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (http://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and The Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The Frugal Editor (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), now in its second edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow for news on her new releases direct from Amazon: http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.
Gary Roen Syndicated Book Critic and Author Information for Writers
Have you heard of Gary S. Roen, a nationally syndicated book critic, and author? Reviews by Gary Roen have been running for over 45 years in different publications throughout the nation. That includes Midwestbookreview.com, bUnike Magazine, Lake Legal News, Hernando Star, Veterans Voice, and Bivouac Magazine to name a few.
The books he has authored include Cats Cats and More Cats, Journey, Slotski’s World, The Forgotten Father and Coping with Grief. He has been a regular on-air contributor to many different types of radio and TV shows throughout the United States. He reviews books as he loves reading and fell into it many years ago when he was on WPRK in Winter Park, Florida. He did the show with Patty Flanigan of WDBO at the time who wanted to expand with a show on another station about science fiction. He was the go-to person on getting books because of his connections in the publishing world for them to talk about on the show. To expand the listenership, they branched out to include print as a way to promote the show. Later they dissolved everything but he kept doing print reviews that have continued to this day. Recently LinkedIn paid tributed to Gary Roen as he has been an author, critic, and publishing person for 47 years. During that time, he has seen a variety of changes. Some were positive, negative, or even in-between. Don’t you wish you could know what he does to help along the path to publication? Here is some advice he offers to writers:
“Keep writing, do not get discouraged, learn your craft better if possible, by taking courses, or hook up with writers’ groups that really work with authors on their work. Keep up on what is selling in the industry, do not strive to be the next whatever but do the best work you can possibly do and always be humble. Most of all have fun.” Word Choice and Character Names Are Important Roen advises writers to avoid overused words. When he reads a book with too many words such as and, or, so -- he puts the book down. Be careful when writing to use less commonly used words to make an impact. He adds, “We have a Thesaurus on our tablets or other devices and it amazes him that more people do not use it.” A grating mistake to him is characters with similar names like Sara or Sally, Jack or John who are best friends or in the same book. The reason is that people have to constantly go back in the work and figure out who is who or lose sight of them. You want your characters to be separate with no confusion by their distinct personalities as well as their names. Many people ask him how to get reviews or interviews. Some of the ways are very simple. He says make your first impression professional while treating your work like a business. A mistake he sees all the time by authors that can be a very costly blunder is sending in writing pieces that do not follow the guidelines or rules for consideration. The point is those that get rejected immediately. Sometimes the author takes rejection personally when he or she did not follow submission directions. Authors are sometimes to blame for their own failures. Roen is also often asked: “As a book critic, what do you look for?” His answers mostly apply to fiction but some nonfiction also qualifies. He considers if the piece has a beginning, middle, and an end. This also fits for True Crime books or a news story. In journalism, there are the “W” questions of who, what, when, where, and if possible, why. All of these must be included in any writing piece. We are honored that Mr. Roen provided this information both for established and aspiring authors, and thank him for his time. We hope many of you found this post illuminating. Please find a full interview of Gary Roen on the New Book Review at:
https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2020/10/gary-roen-nationally-syndicated-book.html He may be contacted through LinkedIn, Facebook, and
www.legacypublishing.com
His books may be found at the following retailers:
Amazon
Books a Million
Barnes and Noble
Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm Carolyn Wilhelm has an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents on The Wise Owl Factory site and blog.
MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered by Modern History Press in its third edition. Carolyn's latest is in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page (http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile). Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (http://bit.ly/Last-MinuteEditing) is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) helps writers who want to be traditionally published. The Frugal Editor (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), now in its second edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com)
Commonly Confused Wordsby Charlene Tess
Some words sound the same, but are spelled differently and have very different meanings. Using the wrong word is easy to do, but it is just as easy to use them correctly if you study a few at a time. The following words are frequently confused and used incorrectly: Their: belongs to them Example: I found their house by using Google Maps. There: location (Replace it with the similar word “where.”) Example: We will be going there today. Loose: (rhymes with moose) not close together – free Example: Baby’s front tooth is loose. Lose: to suffer loss Example: Our team is going to lose tonight. Hear: to receive sound through the ears Example: I hope to hear him sing tonight. Here: this place Example: Let’s stop here and rest. Passed: verb, past tense of pass Example: Father passed me the potatoes. Past: noun, preposition, or adjective Example: I wonder if he had a troubled past. Example: Her past experience is valuable. Example: The plane flew past the buildings. Peace: the opposite of war Example: We are praying for peace in the Middle East. Piece: a portion of something Example: Please cut me a piece of cake. After you finish writing a book, do a word search for the words above to be sure you have chosen the correct word. You will find a free lesson and quiz to practice using these words at this link. The lesson will open on Teachers Pay Teachers which is also free to join.
Thank you for reading, Charlene Tess Guest Post Charlene Tess taught English and creative writing to high school students and adults for over thirty-four years. She was the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Ysleta Independent School District in 1998, and one of the five finalists for Region XIX Teacher of the Year. She is listed in Who's Who in America. She is the author of twelve novels, and the highly acclaimed Simple Steps to Sentence Sense Series, and has published short fiction and numerous articles in magazines and in short story collections.
MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered by Modern History Press in its third edition. Carolyn's latest is in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page (http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile). Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (http://bit.ly/Last-MinuteEditing) is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) helps writers who want to be traditionally published. The Frugal Editor (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), now in its second edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com) October Themed Writing Prompts Freebie for the 15th
Guest post by veteran educator and award-winning author Carolyn Wilhelm
October, Halloween, scary stories around the bonfire -- and this year the pandemic all could provide food for writing warm-up thoughts. Colorful leaves and costumes might help pave the way for colorful writing. This month's freebie PDF for the 15th is available at the next blue link to the free instant download. Although each picture includes an animal, what is written does not have to be about the animal. The first six pages have written prompts as some people like to have those for possible writing ideas. The last six pages do not have picture prompts only. What is seen in the images will be different for each person, as we all have separate life experiences.
What is scary to you? Halloween is about having scary fun. The fun of parties and trick or treating will include social distancing this year. One family might have a "treat" slide and send candy down a plastic tube to a waiting child. One family might "shoot" the candy across the yard (you've heard of the Holderman Family, I hope). This year is sure to be quite entertaining.
by Dr. Theodore Jerome Cohen. This book may be used to help inspire very short stories for a writing group. Some could be read to help inspire possible stories prior to writing. Some groups time these writing piece activities, some share and comment, and others approach prompts differently. Flash fiction fits the time frame and writing pieces may be elaborated upon after the meeting. Sometimes they could be included in a work in progress as writers will be thinking about their latest projects. Suspicious, story 56, is about a dog on the way to the vet. He is up to date health-wise, so what could be going on? Nothing pleasant. Exhausted, story 72, will have you laughing and ready to write. Such pieces end with a "zinger" and are clever.
What mysterious creatures are bathed in moonlight in your thoughts?
Imagine meeting an owl in the dark! There is a neighborhood birder who actually spotted three owls last night as he was out and about. On Facebook, he said:
"We just had a Barn Owl fly in front of the car. That's the 3rd Owl tonight. A Great Horned Owl, a Burrowing Owl, and a Barn Owl."
It is the season to notice fall bird migrations, pumpkins, and fall decor. I hope you will be inspired to write!
Carolyn Wilhelm
More About the Blogger
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered by Modern History Press in its third edition. Carolyn's latest is in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page (http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile). Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (http://bit.ly/Last-MinuteEditing) is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) helps writers who want to be traditionally published. The Frugal Editor (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), now in its second edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host author workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com)
Some days I just can't resist sending my FB friends one of my #FrugalBookPromoterTips:
So, What’s a calendar for? To list world-wide and national days of celebration for inexpensive (frugal!) ways to promote, of course! Just a few steps required: 1. Enter whatever date might be related to your product or business (Like National Writers Day!) on your calendar once. 2. Set the annual alert for a few days before. 3. Make the entry recur every year.
When you get an alert each year, socially network My favorite is #EarthDay and related environmental days (there are at least three other major ones!) for the poetry book Sublime Planet (http://bit.ly/SublimePlanet) by Magdalena Ball and me. You could work your posts around a discount, a contest, a giveaway or just your altruistic self.
Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered by Modern History Press in its third edition. Carolyn's latest is in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page (http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile). Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (http://bit.ly/Last-MinuteEditing) is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) helps writers who want to be traditionally published. The Frugal Editor (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), now in its second edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com)
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