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Valkyrie

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  1. Valkyrie

    The Proof is in the... Creature Feature!

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    What does the Anthology Proof Team do?  Once your anthology story is finished and edited, then it's time to send it to me so I can assign a Proof Team member to give it a final once-over.  Why do we do this? To ensure that stories meet site guidelines and basic editing standards.  We look for anything the author and their team may have missed - misspelled words, misused words, unintentional grammar mistakes, punctuation.  I have a great team of knowledgeable proofreaders ready to go with their red pens.    
    There's one month to go before the deadline to send me stories, and I'm thrilled with the response to the anthology so far!  I have to apologize for those of you waiting on proofreads.  I don't really want to get into any personal issues, but I've been having a flare-up of a chronic health condition, so please bear with me, and thank you for your patience!    Everything will get done and returned in time for the anthology release.  And please continue sending me your featured creatures! 

  2. Valkyrie

    Sensory Overload

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Good writing engages the senses, so let's explore some ways to do that.  

     
    PT Prompt #301:
    Choose a sense and then describe something related to that sense to someone lacking that sense.  For example, describe colors to a blind person or music to a Deaf person.  
     
    PT Prompt #302:
    Write from the POV of an individual experiencing sensory overload.  It could be too much noise, light, touch, etc.  
     
     
     
    Be sure to check out @BendtedWreath and @chris191070's collaboration in response to @Aditus's prompts. 
     
     
     
    Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
    If you check the subgenre ‘prompt’ in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here:
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/
  3. Valkyrie

    Writing Short Stories

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Classic Author Libby Drew wrote a great guest article a couple of years ago about her take on writing short stories.  Since this year's anthology is fast approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to re-feature it.  
     
  4. Valkyrie

    Anthology 101 - Writing Short Stories

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Now that the Secret Author contest is behind us, it's time to start focusing on the anthology.  What better way to kick off this year's Leap of Faith anthology than with a guest article by our Secret Author contest winner, @Libby Drew?  Libby, like me, is a big fan of the short story medium, and has written a superb article about writing short stories.  Remember that anthology stories can be as little as 1,000 words, and when done well, those words can pack a huge punch.  So, read Libby's article and then start brainstorming for the anthology!  
     
    Writing Short Stories, and All That Jazz
      By Libby Drew
     Short stories can be just as powerful and moving as longer works of fiction. In fact, they can be even more impactful because they deliver their message in a single, commanding hit. A novel is a floodlight. A short story is a spotlight. It is a moment. An event. A mood.
     In an unsurprising ironic twist, I had trouble keeping this article brief. As the short story form is close to my heart, I waxed rather poetic in my first draft of this post. In the spirit of the topic, however, I edited heavily. I hope what remains is interesting and helpful.
     
    Why even write short stories?
     One, short stories are excellent novel-writing practice, if novel length stories are either your trade or goal. Creating short form fiction fleshes out your thoughts and pinpoints what’s relevant to the narrative. It’s a good method of cultivating focus, skills, and patience for writing a novel.
     Two, it frees you up to take more risks. Aside from taking (presumably) less time, effort and research, a short story allows you to experiment. Do you typically write from a man’s perspective? Try a woman’s. Third person? Try first. Maybe take a stab at a non-chronological narrative. Present tense over past. These are just a few examples. The point is, if you want to spread your wings, this is the perfect opportunity.
     It’s a marketing tool. This one’s self-explanatory, I think. If readers enjoy you in bite-sized pieces, they might be more willing to invest their time in one of your novels. Writing for anthologies, contests or any collection of short form fiction is an invaluable way to stretch your intellectual and writing muscles. The anthology opportunities on GA are a goldmine for gaining a loyal audience and have helped me discover some of my favorite authors here.
     Crafting short stories can rekindle your motivation for writing. It’s common to occasionally feel exhausted and directionless when all of our attention is on bigger and longer writing projects. If you find yourself procrastinating or lack motivation to push through a longer story, take a step back. Write something short. Flush the plot twists, lengthy list of characters, complicated settings and world-building and instead write a moment. A crisis. A feeling. 
     This is a biggie: writing short stories hones your craft. You will become a better editor because you’re forced to create a moving and engaging narrative within a tight space. Avoid extraneous content that doesn’t push the story forward. There’s no room for fluff. The practice of succinct writing can challenge you, and the more challenges you present yourself with, the better writer you will become.
     
    What is a short story?
     It is not an excuse to abandon engaging storytelling. You still need a protagonist, dilemma, decision, climax, and outcome. Short stories are often more focused than novels, as all the elements within—plot, character, pacing, story structure, and so on—must work together towards the common goal of brevity.
    How long is it?
     Depends on who you ask. A typical short story has a word count of anywhere between 1,000 to 7,500 words, although, as always, there are exceptions to the rule. Poe defined it as “something readable in a single sitting.” Ray Bradbury’s average short story word count is around 3,800. Hemingway, 5000. Flannery O’Connor’s works average about 7,000 words per story.
     My advice is to not become fixated on word count. Art is impossible to quantify, after all. Instead, focus on the following key elements. They are tenets of the short story form.
    ●      A clearly defined mood, idea or emotion
    ●      Clear, descriptive language
    ●      A small cast of vital characters
    ●      A strong point of view -- what do you want your readers to feel as they read?
     Tips for writing a short story
     Start as close to the end as possible. I’ve mentioned this before in my blog. Drop your reader into the unfolding story. Bypass the “before” and the “maybe related” and the “vaguely interesting thing about my protagonist.”
     Keep up the pace. Steady pacing, with rising tension, engages the reader.
     Keep the cast of characters small: a protagonist, an antagonist, and, maybe, someone to throw a wrench into the works. That’s all you need. Someone to cheer on, someone to hate, and, occasionally, someone who serves to advance the character arc for either the protagonist or antagonist.
     You can make a small cast of characters engaging. You can make them unforgettable, as a matter of fact. Give your main character a passion. Give him a weakness -- that’s always relatable. A glimpse into your character’s psyche is another good approach. This will make him feel real, and it draws the reader inside the story. And don’t forget…
     Conflict! Short doesn’t mean directionless. Your protagonist should have either a dilemma, a revelation, or be faced with a decision of some kind. Surrounding that conflict should be a good dose of tension. Conflict keeps readers invested in your story. It is the lifeblood of storytelling.
     Suggest a backstory, but don’t elaborate. You, the writer, need to understand a character’s motivation in order to write their story. The reader won’t need this level of detail if you draw them in with dialogue, tension, and by engaging their senses. On that topic…
     Engage all five senses. As humans, we don’t only see and hear. We smell, taste and feel as well. Visceral details are worth paragraphs of exposition.
     Dialogue brings a story to life. Don’t waste too much word count on scene setting. Tight dialogue is one of the best ways to build drama.
     Edit until it hurts. Delete transitory scenes and get right to the meat of the story. Get rid of repetitive words. Toss out unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. Make every sentence count. For the greatest impact, keep your language succinct, fresh and exciting, specific and colorful. Vary your sentence structure. Avoid cliches and platitudes.
     
    In conclusion
     Just because short stories are short, doesn’t mean they are easy to write. But the benefits of trying can’t be overestimated. As with any skill, the more we practice, the better we become. The better we become, the more we captivate, enchant and enthrall the reader every time we endeavor to put the human experience to the page.
  5. Valkyrie

    Upcoming Writing Events

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    It's been a busy year with writing events here at GA so far.  We started with our second tribute to Carlos Hazday - Auld Lang Syne, and continued with our annual Poetry Anthology - Diversity, followed by a tribute to a GA icon, Comicality - Coming of Age.  A favorite of both authors and reader is the annual Secret Author contest, which just concluded.  
    Now it's time to focus on the annual Anthology - Creature Feature, which is due on October 1st.  Guidelines can be found here: 
    I've already had 8 stories submitted for the anthology, which is a record for early submissions!  If you are waiting for a proof, thank you for your patience.  I will be working on them this weekend.  Keep 'em coming!  
    After the anthology, @Aditus and I will be running another Prompt Team Event, so stay tuned for more details!
    What are you waiting for?  Get working on those creatures!  
  6. Valkyrie

    Animal Visitors

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    It's a belief across many cultures that birds are messengers from beyond, especially after a loved one has recently passed.  Many people also feel that animals come into our lives for a reason, often during trying times.  Let's explore both of these concepts. Feel free to use these prompts as a jumping off point for a story for our upcoming Creature Feature anthology.  

     
    PT Prompt #297
    After a loved one passes away, an animal comes around in a way that makes you wonder if it's your loved one come back to visit.   Who passed and what is the significance/symbolism of the animal?
     
    PT Prompt #298
    Write a story from the POV of an animal sent to help someone.  
     
    Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
    If you check the subgenre ‘prompt’ in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here:
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/
  7. Valkyrie

    Raise Your Hand

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    While we're all eagerly awaiting the reveal of the Secret Author stories, I thought it would be a good time to check in and see how those anthology stories are coming along! We can't reveal the participants of the SA contest yet (or I should say Cia can't.  I have zero insider knowledge about it.  Yes, it's that secret!), but we can openly talk about who's writing what for the annual anthology.  I've already had five stories submitted to the proof team - which is a record this far from the due date!  The SA contest has at least 20 stories, so let's see if we can try to match or even beat that number! 
    I have several ideas floating around for the antho, and I really hope I get the ambition to write at least one of them in time.  It may or may not involve drunk otters, superhero penguins, and alien capybaras    
    Those of you who have working ideas or who have written their story already, feel free to pop a teaser in the comment section and let us know what to look forward to.  
     
     
  8. Valkyrie

    Not So Secret

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    There are lots of secrets surrounding our Tell the Truth - Secret Author contest, but one thing that's not a secret is the due date for story submissions!  My beta reader is twitching in the corner because I used "secret" three times in the same sentence   There's less than a week to go, so get those finishing touches put on your stories and get them sent off to @Cia.  Just don't tell anyone about it  

    It won't be long now until we can start the guessing game as to who wrote what, which is always super fun to participate in or even just to read the guesses.  

    Submission guidelines can be found here: 
     
     
  9. Valkyrie

    Let's Celebrate July!

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    There are two different observances in July that I'd like to honor with prompts.  July 14th is International Non-Binary People's Day - halfway between International Women's Day and International Men's Day - and is aimed to bring awareness to issues faced by non-binary people.  

    July is also Disability Pride Month.  It commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and celebrates the accomplishments, experiences, and challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. 

     
    Be sure to scroll to the end of the blog for a couple of recent prompt responses.  
    PT Prompt #295
    Write a diary entry from the POV of a non-binary person.  Feature everyday interactions and experiences that subtly challenge assumptions about gender.  
    PT Prompt #296
    Many disabilities are "invisible", but still have a profound impact on an individual's life, such as autoimmune or cardiovascular diseases.  People with these type of disabilities are often gaslighted by medical professionals, colleagues, and even their own friends and family.  Write a story featuring a character with an invisible disability and their encounter with someone who doesn't believe they are actually disabled.  
    Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
    If you check the subgenre ‘prompt’ in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here:
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/
     
    Yesterday was capybara appreciation day, and while I don't think @wildone truly appreciates these cute creatures, he did take on my word list celebration prompt featuring capybaras.  Read at your own risk!  
     @BendtedWreath took @Aditus out on a date.  Wait... uh... he was late to the date... uh... he wrote about Addy's date prompt   Be sure to check that one out as well!  
     
     
  10. Valkyrie

    Celebration Time

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Happy Canada Day to our neighbors to the north and Happy Fourth of July to my fellow Americans!  

     
    In the spirit of celebrating, let's explore various ways to do so.  
    PT Prompt #293:
    You're a competitor in a major competition in your sport and will clearly win.  Knowing this, you celebrate too early, which costs you the win.  What happened and what is the fallout?  
     
    PT Prompt #294:
    Use the following words in a story:  balloon, cake, capybara, fireworks, flame-thrower, bubble wrap 
     
    Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
    If you check the subgenre ‘prompt’ in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here:
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/
     
     
  11. Valkyrie
    GA features several writing events throughout the year, usually with a theme.  When themes are announced, there are generally two reactions - yay, I love it! or WTF were you thinking? 

    Participating in site events is fun and a great way to get your work out there and gain new readers.  So, what happens when you want to participate in a site event but don't like the theme?  I'm going to outline some tips and tricks to still participating, even if the theme doesn't "speak" to you.  
    We've repeatedly said that the link to the anthology theme can be tangential - it doesn't have to hit us over the head.  Let's take this year's anthology theme as an example.  The classic definition of a Creature Feature is an old-school horror movie where the monster is the main feature of the film.  If vampires, werewolves, or swamp creatures aren't your thing, you'd have to give this a hard pass, right? 
    Wrong!  Anthology themes are selected with the intent that they are open to multiple interpretations.  What else can a creature be?  Any kind of animal fits the bill.  Add a wolf, blue bear, penguin, otter, or capybara to your story and voila!  You've tangentially fit the theme!  It doesn't have to be the main feature, either, since humans are creatures as well.  So are aliens from another planet, but now I'm going off on a tangent.  Alien capybaras?  
    Enough of that.  Another tip is to think about the theme and why you don't like it.   Then think about how you could spin the theme into something you do like. Embrace the challenge of incorporating a creature into your story, even if it isn't the main feature. 
    The idea of the anthology is to be inclusive, not exclusive, so if you have an idea you really want to write but you're not sure if it fits the theme, remember that tangential link and add a fluffy kitten or a flame-throwing unicorn and start writing!  
    If you have any tips or tricks of your own, feel free to add them in the comments.  
     
  12. Valkyrie

    Cue the Drama Llama

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Life is full of drama, whether we want it or not.  It's been a drama-filled week for me, which why I may or may not have forgotten to write a prompt blog for today   

     
    Let's start some drama!
    PT Prompt #289
    Work/life balance is incredibly important, but not always easy to achieve.  Your supervisor is relentlessly pushing you to work beyond a comfortable balance, despite you telling them no.  Stand up for yourself and your co-workers.  
     
    PT Prompt #290
    Start an online argument that you actually win.  
     
     
    Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
    If you check the subgenre ‘prompt’ in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here:
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/
  13. Valkyrie

    Let's Play a Game

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    I love games.  Board games, card games, word games... if it's game night, count me in!  When I was a kid, we always played games when I visited my grandparents.  Yahtzee was a favorite, along with Boggle.  Later, we discovered Pass the Pigs.  As a teenager, I played a lot of poker with my friends, usually with M&Ms as the currency.  The different colors had different values, as did plain and peanut.  The winner was usually the person who didn't eat all their 'money'.  In college, my room was right across from the laundry room, so my friends all hung out in my room when they did laundry.  I became really good at playing Rummy, although I swear A cheated   Now, I have a shelf full of games at work and use them a lot in my therapy sessions.  They're motivating, fun, and promote learning.  Now, let's write some prompts featuring games.  
     

     
    PT Prompt #285
    It's game night with your best friends!  One of your friends brings along a newcomer.  How do they fit in with the group?  
     
    PT Prompt #286
    You invented a new game for fun, and now a big company wants to purchase it for millions of dollars.  What's the game? 
     
    Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
    If you check the subgenre ‘prompt’ in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here:
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/
     
  14. Valkyrie

    Decisions, Decisions

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    I have a really awesome blog post in the works for next week, but in keeping with our upcoming Secret Author contest, my lips are sealed   You'll have to tune in next week to see what it is.  In the meantime, here are the guidelines for the SA contest and the annual anthology.  Which one will you participate in?  Don't answer that... letting us know you are writing a story for the SA contest will get you disqualified so   You can tell us if you are writing for the Creature Feature anthology, though.  And there's no need to choose just one.  We space out the due dates so authors have plenty of time to participate in both.  I have a few ideas for Creature Feature, so my goal is to have at least one story for it.  
     
     
     
  15. Valkyrie
    Two weeks ago, I asked prompt blog readers to create a story starting at the end and working to the beginning.  @Bill W got us off to an interesting start - uh, end? Followed by @ReaderPaul and myself.  I took some liberties with the order and added in the beginning of the story.  I hope you enjoy the result!  Thank you to Bill and ReaderPaul for the interesting premise, and without further adieu, here is the final result!  
     
  16. Valkyrie
    We're back after a brief hiatus while the Poetry Anthology and Comicality Tribute were featured.  If you haven't had a chance to check them out, please do so! 
     

     
     
    @Aditus and I absolutely love everyone's enthusiasm for the new twists on the prompt blog.  Since we had so much participation the last time, we're going to put some limits in place to make the resulting story more manageable for us.  
    The idea is to write a story backwards.  I will provide the ending, and you will provide the rest of the story in the comment section.  Please limit comments to two or three sentences (four, if you absolutely must) so that the next commenter can play off your comment.  You may comment more than once, but please do so in response to someone else's comment. In two weeks, I will compile the responses into a cohesive story and post it as @The Prompter, with credit to all participants.  
    The fun thing about prompts is that they speak to each one of us differently.  If this prompt is speaking to you, and you would rather write your own story instead of participating in the group exercise, then I would encourage you to post it in your own prompt collection and paste the link in the comment section here so everyone can enjoy your take on it.  
    Here is the ending:
    His hands trembled on X's shoulders as he looked into their soulful eyes.  The world was full of possibilities, as his heart brimmed with pride.
    Feel free to name X!  Now, start writing!  I can't wait to see how the story unfolds  
     
  17. Valkyrie
    Today is a bittersweet day, as we remember and pay tribute to a GA icon, @Comicality.  It's hard to believe it's been a year since he's been gone.  Today would have been Comsie's 50th birthday, so we thought it would be the perfect day to feature the tributes written by his friends and fellow GA authors. 

     
    Comsie was the first author to join GA, when Myr started the site back in 2002.  He garnered quite the following, and he gave back to the site in many ways - mentoring other authors, posting a blog series with writing tips, and participating in site events such as anthologies and contests.  There is so much more to be said, but it would be impossible to list them all. He had a profound impact on his readers and those who interacted with him.  We have ten tributes and stories inspired by Comicality and his writings to share.  There is also something very special posted at the end of this blog, so be sure to check out all the tributes, and the eleventh story featured after them. 
    Please share your memories of Comsie in the comments, and join the GA Staff in wishing him Happy Birthday in the great beyond.  Comsie, you are missed!  
     
     
     
    Last, but certainly not least, is Comicality's last story.  It has never been published, so we thought it fitting to feature it here.  
     
  18. Valkyrie

    What's Next?

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    We've already completed two events this year, Carlos Hazday's tribute and the Diversity Poetry Anthology.  Our third event, Coming of Age - A Tribute to Comicality, goes live tomorrow.  So, what's next on the radar?  

    Or, shall I say that @Cia has a secret  One of our most popular site events is the annual Secret Author contest, where stories are voted on without the readers knowing who wrote them.  Guessing who wrote what always creates great discussion!  Details should be coming soon.  
     
    We already have a few story submissions for our annual anthology - Creature Feature, even though the deadline isn't until October first.  Guidelines can be found here: 
     
    Our first Prompt Team event proved quite popular last year, so we will be doing another one after the anthology.  @Aditus and I have come up with something a bit different this year.  Stay tuned for more information! 
     
  19. Valkyrie
    We had eight poems featured by site poets who were inspired by the theme of "Diversity".  I really enjoyed everyone's unique take on an important theme.  If you haven't done so, check out the links below and leave the poets a reaction or comment.  A huge thank you to everyone who contributed poetry, read, reacted, commented, and reviewed.  You guys are what makes this site so awesome!  There's always behind-the-scenes help when it comes to anthologies, so I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the following: 
    2025 Poetry Anthology Support Team
    Anthology Coordinator
    Valkyrie
    Tech Support
    Myr
    Anthology Banner Creation
    Cia
    Thank you to Cia, Myr, and Wildone for their behind-the-scenes help and moral support with the technical aspects I sometimes struggle with. 
     
     
     
  20. Valkyrie
    Our celebration of National Poetry Writing Month continues with four more poems from site poets.  I love the diversity of these submissions, and I hope you will too.  Be sure to show the anthology participants your appreciation by leaving a comment, like, or review.  If you haven't read them yet, check out last week's offerings as well.  I'm really glad to see all the support for those who participated this year.  Time to start reading! 

     
     
     
     
  21. Valkyrie
    May 2, 2025 would have been Comicality's fiftieth birthday.    We thought that would be a perfect day to feature a tribute to our beloved friend, author, and mentor.  We're announcing it now so that his fans will have an entire year to work on writing a story, letter, poem, or whatnot on a topic that resonates with them with respect to Comicality. 
    Coming of Age - A Tribute to Comicality 
    Due date for submissions:  April 25, 2025
    No minimum length
    Submissions may contain one chapter, or one prologue plus one chapter.  Authors may contribute more than one submission. 
    The usual GA content guidelines do apply. Please use appropriate genres, tags, and story/chapter notes as applicable for your submission along with any message you wish to add to your tribute. 
    Upload your story to GA; however:
     DO NOT SET THE PUBLISH DATE/TIME!  I will do this when I create the blog entry. Also, DO NOT EDIT YOUR STORY after you've posted it.  It messes with the system, and we may not be able to fix it.  
    Once your story is uploaded, then post the link in the Links thread in the Writing Circle club.  
    Due date to post link to thread is April 25, 2025 by 12:00 AM EST. 
    I will post the link to the thread below, after I have created it (which will likely be after this blog has posted). 
  22. Valkyrie
    April is National Poetry Writing Month, and it's time for GA's annual celebration of this event - the poetry anthology!  This year, the theme was Diversity, and we had several site poets take up the challenge.  We truly have some diverse poetry, and I am sure you will enjoy reading these selections as much as I did.  Please show our poets your appreciation by leaving a reaction, comment, or review, and stay tuned next week for even more poetry Diversity!  
     

     
  23. Valkyrie

    NaPoWriMo Prompts

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    April is National Poetry Writing Month, which is why we feature our annual Poetry Anthology in April.  Stay tuned next week for the first batch of poems from site poets.  In the meantime, let's explore poetry through prompts! 

     
    PT Prompt #281:
    Write a poem celebrating spring.  Haiku are, by tradition, about nature, but feel free to explore any form.  
     
    PT Prompt #282:
    Write a poem about an inanimate object and bring it to life. 
     
    Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
    If you check the subgenre 'prompt' in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here:
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/
  24. Valkyrie
    The poetry anthology will be going live next week, so today I wanted to remind everyone of another upcoming writing event - Comicality's tribute.  May 2nd would have been Comicality's 50th birthday, so we are honoring him by featuring a tribute to his memory - Coming of Age.  The deadline for submissions is April 25th.  Check out the guidelines here:
     
    Also coming up this year is the Secret Author contest this summer, the Creature Feature anthology this fall, followed by another Prompt Team event.  Stay tuned for more information! 
  25. Valkyrie

    Diversity Exercise #2

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    We're getting down to the wire for submissions to the annual Poetry Anthology.  Submissions are due March 30th, so there is about a week and a half to get your links posted to the thread in the Anthology forum of the Writer's Circle.  I'm really looking forward to reading the different interpretations of "Diversity".  
    I thought it would be fun to do another exercise using the Diversity theme.  This would be a great jumping off point for poems for the anthology *hint hint*  We can create a poem together, and then I'd love to see some unique creations as part of the antho.  Let's explore the words behind DEI by creating an acrostic poem together.  An acrostic poem spells out a word vertically from the first letters of the sentences it contains.  I'll get us started with "Diversity".  If there's enough participation, we can then explore "Equity" and "Inclusion".  Choose a letter in "diversity" and then post one sentence starting with that letter in the comments. 
    Differences to be celebrated. 
    I
    V
    E
    R
    S
    I
    T
    Y
     
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