#c’s poetry workshop

[clancyycat]

beloved may i please have some poetry recs?

hi honey yes of course you may <3

some collections that i love:

faithful and virtuous night - louise glück

the wild iris - louise glück

deaf republic - ilya kaminsky (especially poignant with the current state of political affairs)

dancing in odessa - ilya kaminsky

head off & split - nikky finney (attended a reading for this collection and it was the inciting incident that made me pursue poetry)

bestiary - donika kelly

wound from the mouth of a wound - torrin a. greathouse (tw this has speaks on violence towards queer people and can be a little hard to read at times. beautiful collection though)

and this isn’t a collection per se, but still good to read if you’re interested in writing poetry:

letters to a young poet - rainer maria rilke

and as a bonus, my current favorite poem, by margaret atwood:

[halfdeadwallfly]

i had a nightmare last night that i was i was in a poetry class and accidentally turned in the beginning of a poem i was writing and the ta started reading it without realizing i was still there. and i was like oh thats mine can you give me your critiques on it. and then they basically started talking about how much they hate it and how cliche and unoriginal it is and how embarrassing that is. and not only how bad it was but how there was no potential for improvement and that they hate beginner writers and i should just quit because its an embarrassment to the form and they actually hated me personally for writing it. and then i left and started crying.

[187days]

Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine

Today was a teacher workshop day, which meant I got to sleep in an extra half hour because those start at 8:00AM rather than 7:30AM. Since we all a long day yesterday with parent-teacher conferences, I appreciated that!

The morning was... difficult. We’re going to be making some big changes next year. The ninth grade house is changing because core classes are going to be taught for half blocks all year instead of semester blocks, lots of departments have new course offerings, the order in which courses are taught is changing in some cases, some courses are adopting new curricula... And I think most of us are on board with the changes- I definitely am- but there’s a lot to do, and very little time to do it, and the powers that be don’t seem to be hearing that. So there’s a lot of stress, and frustration, and I don’t think that’ll go away until everyone- and I mean school board, The Superintendent, our admin team, and our faculty- gets on the same page about what it’s going to take to make these changes happen, and then commits to doing whatever it takes. 

The afternoon was better, though. I mean, it started with free pizza, salad, and cupcakes from one of our generous local restaurants. Really can’t go wrong with that. And, after that, we had time to work with our departments on some of the things that need doing for next year. In the social studies department, most of the changes fall on the folks who teach sophomores and juniors, so Mrs. C and I asked Mrs. Z if we could meet with our ninth grade English counterparts to do some interdisciplinary planning instead. 

This was Mrs. O’s idea. She wanted to do an interdisciplinary mini-unit on poetry since next month is National Poetry Month. I suggested that, rather than doing it during our classes, which was seeming like it’d be a logistical challenge, we could do it during flex time. That would also allow us to include more students/teachers, not just our ninth graders, so that became our plan. We’re each going to offer a poetry-related activity one day a week. Mrs. C is teaming up with Mrs. E, our art teacher, and they’re going to work with students to decorate the building with poems; Mrs. O is going to run a poetry-writing workshop; Mrs. R is going to have a poetry-reading room; and I’m teaming up with Mrs. J, our librarian, to do some lessons on performance poetry and then host a poetry open mic in the library. 

So that was fun to plan, and hopefully a lot of students opt to get involved! 

[bookwyrmbutch]

First Time on The Land

It is an eight hour drive to the Land, and I’m anxious the entire way. I’ve never liked meeting new people, and I’m terrified that my wife and I had wasted a ton of money on what would inevitably be a miserable experience.

But when we arrive at the gate, my anxiety is thwarted by a parade of helpful womyn who guide us through the check-in process. I drive through the Land at 5 miles per hour, and wherever we look, there are womyn. They're busy unpacking or talking to one another, but when a car comes by they all wave and smile, shouting "welcome home!" The Land itself is beautiful, a pristine forest with a blanket of ferns covering the ground. Everything is green except the asphalt walking path that shimmers with leftover rain. As we get further in, tents pop up everywhere, nestled side by side. Plastic flowers are staked into the ground, and clotheslines strung between the trees bear Pride flags and handmade tapestries that flutter in the breeze. All of this is woven so seamlessly into the natural forest that I can’t quite believe it’s temporary.

There is an opening ceremony before the first concert. A womyn stands onstage and sings, and hundreds of womyn join her. “I am open, and I am willing, for to be hopeless would seem so strange. It dishonors those who go before us, so lift me up to the winds of change.” I am already crying and I know if I lift my voice with them that I will sob, so I keep my head down.. I’m not ready to be open.

The next day we wake up to a choir of women singing in the morning chant circle, and BMG starts in earnest. Womyn of all backgrounds volunteer to share their knowledge in participant-led workshops on writing, poetry, drumming, quilting, whaling, massage, salsa dancing, indigo dyeing, lesbian history, Nordic runes, plant identification, body painting, detransition, butch identity, and more. There is an archery range, a movie tent, and a large vendor space where womyn sell their wares. Shuttles driven by volunteers trundle up and down the dirt path, ferrying womyn across the land. The days pass in a flurry of activity, both of us exhausted but unwilling to rest. We try to do everything, much to the amusement of the older lesbians watching. They know what we don’t, which is that being here is enough of an event by itself, and the conversations we’ll have before and after these workshops are as valuable as the workshops themselves.

I’m continuously stunned by the generosity on display. One womyn cooks breakfast for two hundred, and another makes lunch the next day. We overhear a womyn give a stranger her spare air mattress. My wife tells me she has a headache and a passerby gives her an electrolyte packet and an apple. A woman offers me a comically huge blunt during a night concert, and another shows me where she stores her food when I compliment her ciabatta.  Everywhere we go, womyn stop to talk. In workshops, I stand up (tits out!) and speak my mind, and womyn listen. I smile at everyone and say “good morning” to whoever I pass. And at some point I notice... I’m not anxious. I’m talking to strangers all day and it feels wonderful.

At the closing ceremony a womyn sings to us again, and everyone joins her. “I am open, and I am willing…” This time, I’m able to join in on the second chorus.

Sunday is bittersweet. My wife and I wake up early and cry into our oatmeal. We decide to take a walk before going back to our tent, unable to face packing up. I could sense the fear - absent for five glorious days - waiting for me outside the gates. Once we’re all cried out, practicality takes over and we pack our things, load the car, and head out. 

Two womyn stop us at the gate. 

“Are y’all coming back next year?” one asks. We say yes.

“Good, because I know your faces now!"

The other pipes up, “Faces? I’m going by breasts!”

The knot in my chest loosens as I laugh, and we drive home.

We have our wristbands, our sunburns, and a new labrys necklace. We carry a warmth, a brightness, in our chests. But a few days in, the feeling disappears and I can feel my walls going up again. That unconscious tension in my gut. A week after re-entry, my bruise from archery fades, and with it the feeling of being on the Land that I could once call up so easily just by taking an extra-hot shower, or a long walk outside. Now as I write this, I can hardly remember the person I was this summer. She’s waiting inside me to make her appearance again. 

There are times I feel her stirring: when I connect with other womyn like me. When I feel grounded and at peace with myself. And sometimes I can feel her revolting when I try to duck back under the yoke of other people’s expectations. I’ve seen what life can be like without that now, and I can never really go back. It feels like there will always be a part of me waiting under the trees.

Thank you @nansheonearth for challenging me to write about my experience on the Land, and for helping me find it in the first place.

[elkement]

"Eye of the Harmonograph" by elkement 2024. 3D Lissajous figures.

Thinking about inspiration today! Once, an art platform was asking about who - which artists - have been inspiring me. I want to recapture which artists came to my mind when I filled in that artist profile:

~ Physicist (and noble prize winner) Roger Penrose. I read his book The Road to Reality during the pandemic. Consider it a "popular science book", but nit shy of adding mathematics. I was most enchanted by his hand-drawn old-school illustrations. This book inspired both my attempts at drawing, as well as my digital art. The latter indirectly as my visualization of intriguing functions mentioned by Penrose finally made me install SageMath... which led me to explore threejs and math-related digital art.

~ M. C. Escher who will not need any introduction. I once read he has been more revered among mathematicians than among artists. I don't care. "Gödel. Escher, Bach" was THE formative, influential book of my teenage years. I had always figured, Gödel was my hero. I was into math, not art and music. Or so I thought. Now, I think that maybe, it was Escher after all.

~ An Austrian polymath, the late Peter M. Schuster. He was a laser physicist by training, started a laser physics company, then became a science write specializing in biographies of Austrian physicists, funded a museum called a "Center for the History of Physics". He published poetry and mentioned in an interview he was on the fence of studying either physics or literature. (I wrote kind of a tribute here: https://elkement.art/2021/04/11/peter-m-schuster-on-history-of-science/).

With a little deliberation, I'd add the following three today:

~ Douglas Hofstadter, the author of Gödel, Escher, Bach. His books has stunning images, including also a plot he created during his PhD in solid state physics. I had forgotten that in the meantime, but I guess the fact(?) that a PhD in physics could prepare you for a career / life of making connections between all kinds of hard sciences, arts and literature was certainly something that might have shaped my worldview. My thoughts about Gödel. Escher, Bach including quotes of Hofstadter - how he was thinking about the reception of his book: https://elkement.art/2014/04/26/godel-escher-bach-and-strange-loops-nostalgia-and-random-thoughts/

~ Clifford Stoll - also a wanderer between worlds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Stoll), also between worlds dear to me. An astrophysicist who became an expert in cyber security and accidentally started the field of reverse engineering. His book The Cuckoo's Egg is legend in cybersecurity circles. But before I read his book, I actually stumbled upon a video of his: Where he talks about selling ... Klein bottles of blown glass, out of his charming "Doc-Emmet-Brown-style" workshop and art studio!

~ Paul Friedlander - an artist (with degrees in physics and in fine arts) who pioneered what may now be called New Media Art. Look at his light sculptures: https://paulfriedlander.com/Gallery.html . I saw an interview with him... and he also has a Doc-Emmet-Brown-style workshop and art studio. Adding him is actually cheating, or time-travelling. I was quite a while into my own kind of digital art inspired by physics when I stumbled upon an interview with him. But I could not help thinking: Would I have started creating sooner had I noticed that artists like that do actually exist?

[unproduciblesmackdown]

oh i've been trying to find this interview again, which i remembered mainly for the parts about [interviewing the parents which is so Interviewing The Parents] but has many fun details

The first time Will Roland auditioned for “Be More Chill,” he didn’t get the part. “It’s the reality of our business,” says the actor, whose family moved from Manhattan to Locust Valley when he was 8. “On any given day . . . you may be the person who is going to get the job and you may not be.” But let’s not feel too bad for Roland, whose theatrical trajectory is the stuff most people only dream of. At the same time he was auditioning for “Chill,” the sci-fi musical that made it to Broadway after its cast album went viral (more on that later), he was also involved with a workshop for, as he puts it, “another little show called ‘Dear Evan Hansen’.” He got cast in that show, playing Evan’s friend, Jared, a character who brings comic relief to a work that has its devastating moments. Roland looks back on his four years with the show as “an absolutely incredible experience.” The writers worked “my sense of humor, and the sardonic way I observe things” into this classic theater role of the clown, “the one who comes out and observes the ridiculousness of the situation,” says Roland, sitting in the balcony of the Lyceum Theatre where he’s rehearsing his next big Broadway gig — the lead in “Be More Chill,” which opens March 10. Obviously, everything turned out just fine for Roland, and for “Be More Chill,” a pop-rock musical based on a 2004 young adult sci-fi novel by Ned Vizzini that appeared to be dead in the water until the cast album went viral on social media. After the show played at a small theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 2015, “I thought it was going to be the next big thing,” says Joe Iconis, the Garden City native who wrote the music and lyrics. “There was so much momentum.” But after a review in The New York Times that “was not particularly helpful,” interest dwindled and Iconis and his partners moved on. Happily, some things are meant to be. The Red Bank theater had enough faith in the musical to order a cast album, and suddenly the fan base exploded, videos were all over YouTube and fan art appeared on Tumblr. That led to an Off-Broadway production last summer that sold out before performances started, and eventually to the Broadway run, with Roland, who is part of Iconis’ extended theatrical family, very much back in the picture.

Real people, real issues The young star was decidedly upbeat on Valentine’s Day, the afternoon following the first preview when he says those extremely vocal fans “brought some hard-core joy into this building.” Like everyone involved, he’s intrigued by the way the show took off, but really, he points out, it’s nothing more than word-of-mouth, which “just happens to be the internet right now.” On the other hand, he says, “I don’t know that word-of-mouth has ever put so much wind into the sails of a production.” When asked why the show resonates so strongly with fans, Roland says what they love about the show “is the same thing that I love about the show . . . that it is an honest depiction of real people dealing with real issues.” Roland plays Jeremy, a nerdy high schooler who never fits in until he swallows a SQUIP (a quantum computer in pill form) that has the power to turn him into one of the cool kids. There’s significant fantasy at play, says Roland, but “there is truth to every one of these characters . . . it doesn’t speak in broad, heart-rending poetry, it speaks in really human language.” Does he see himself in the character? “I think he sees himself in me a little bit,” jokes Roland, who talks about first getting involved with theater at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, which he attended from sixth grade through high school. “What they created for me, first and foremost, was a space where I found community and acceptance and belonging,” he says, which he notes, is why a lot of people start doing theater. Roland was serious about his goals “from the moment I met him,” says Tracey Foster, director of arts at Friends. “He knew what he wanted to do in life.” As the title character in “Oliver!” one of his first major roles at the school, Foster says that beyond his “big, booming, beautiful voice,” he was “touching, tender and scrappy.” (Roland’s recollection differs: “My voice was changing so it sounded really bad,” though he acknowledges that he’s “channeling a lot of those days in this performance.”) From the beginning, Foster says, Roland displayed “a wonderful combination of confidence and humility that . . . let him make mistakes and keep moving forward, pick himself up when he needed to.” Those qualities, she notes, suggest that “he’ll be able to survive the bumps in the industry.” Foster was in the audience for the first preview and naturally thought Roland was “spectacular.” But she also has raves for the production, which she first saw Off-Broadway. “They grew it up for Broadway,” she says, “in a way that was beautiful and fulfilling.”

Acting in his soul Roland’s family, of course, saw his raw talent early on. “Will sang before he spoke,” says his mom, Beth Roland, explaining that since she was a fan of “putting my child in front of a TV,” the first words out of his mouth were Big Bird’s alphabet song. Now, she says, “acting is just in him . . . it’s in his soul. I think he acts in his real life.” His dad, Bill Roland, who gets endearingly emotional when talking about watching his son onstage, has a simple response when asked about Will’s success. “Passion,” he says. For now, Roland, who turns 30 on Tuesday, is thinking less about the past than about opening night, managing the inevitable changes that Iconis and book writer Joe Tracz are throwing at the cast. He is getting married next year (check out Instagram for photos of his proposal at the ritzy but rustic Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown). After that, who knows? “Be More Chill” could run for years, and there’s a movie in the works. No one’s called yet, but Roland says, “I would very much like to be involved.” Wisely, Roland is not thinking too far ahead. “I love doing TV and film, new plays, new movies,” he says, “really getting to put my stink into a character.” He looks forward to the day he can call his own shots and thinks at some point directing might be an option. “My dream role,” he says, admitting that he’s borrowing the thought from others, “hasn’t been written yet.”

Behind the music and lyrics “When I wrote ‘Michael in the Bathroom,’ I was writing about myself,” says Joe Iconis, the Garden City native who wrote the music and lyrics for “Be More Chill.” If you don’t have a teenager in the house, note that the runaway hit from the show has all but broken the internet (it has its own Instagram account with, at last look, more than 12,000 posts). Iconis says when he wrote the song, about a guy who locks himself in a bathroom rather than face the other kids at a Halloween party run amok, he was writing about his adult self. But, he adds, “I hoped that young people would relate to it because it is a universal thing . . . someone else is going through this, not just the character in the show.” The success of the song and the show is part of a growing Iconis moment in New York theater right now. His musical “Broadway Bounty Hunter” will get its New York City debut this summer starring Annie Golden, and the cabaret group known as Joe Iconis & Family is set for a run in April and May at Feinstein’s / 54 Below. Sitting in a balcony lobby at the Lyceum Theatre, where “Be More Chill” is in previews, Iconis talks about getting the theater bug at 6, when his dad took him to see “Little Shop of Horrors” for his birthday. “I was immediately hooked,” he says, but as he grew older he realized performing was not for him. “I was terribly scared to be on stage.” With the support of his nontheatrical family (his dad is in information technology, his mom is superintendent of the Massapequa School District), the self-described “theater nerd” focused on music and says he knew by sixth grade that he wanted to be a Broadway composer. “I was definitely the only child who could say that. Ever.” As he works toward opening night on March 10, Iconis is focusing on fine-tuning the piece (“musical changes, script changes, things we want to tighten, numbers we want to reorder and rearrange”). It’s a huge enterprise, he says, but his faith in the show grows by the minute. He calls it “the little show that could.”

[andymakesgames]

Andy's 2024 Year in Review

I tend to work on a lot of small projects with a smattering of larger ones mixed in. Often I end the year thinking I didn't do all that much, but then I start going through my posts and realize that I did more than I thought! Hard to believe that stuff I did last January was this year!

I've fallen out of the habit of doing these year-in-review posts, which is a shame, but I'm turning that around right now! Here's a quick look at all the things I made last year.

EMMA

Probably the biggest thing for me is another successful year of the coop I'm a part of, EMMA Technology Cooperative. After a somewhat tough 2023, we bounced back this year. Seeing us survive a lean time and watching the coffers refill in the past year really drove home the value of organizing around cooperation as opposed to infinite growth. And if you're reading this and in need of a creative technologist, please drop us a line!

Taper - January

A the start of this year I was on the editorial board of Taper, online literary journal for computational poetry. I only assisted with one issue (which I also contributed to!) but it was a very new experience for me and I'm happy I could be a part of it!

A few years ago I kind of stumbled into the occasional piece of digital poetry without ever realizing. I was doing a literal poetry reading when I realized that I write poems from time to time. It's very fun that my practice occasionally pulls me in unexpected directions.

MAGFest - January

Every year, we bring all of the games in the Arcade Commons collection to the Music and Games Festival just outside of Washington DC. It is our biggest show of the year by a mile and I love it every time. There is a DIY spirit to MAGFest that really sets it apart from any other con I've been to. We're well underway for 2025 as I write this. As I frequently do, I emceed a bunch of our tournaments.

The Algorithm - February

What a fun project this was! Alia ElKattan and Lujain Ibrahim contacted me about their Mozilla Foundation-funded project to explain how algorithmic feeds work. I created modular P5JS animations to serve as the "content" for their app.

They found me via the P5 tweetcarts I had been posting during the pandemic. I got to explore some of those same ideas without the super tight character restrictions.

Check it out here.

EMMA Skillshare - March

I did a small workshop on getting PICO-8 to communicate with Javascript. This was the basis for my project Pico Pond which I wrote about on the EMMA Blog.

This skillshare took those ideas and presented them in a livestream, which you can watch here.

Our Generation - May

I was contacted by Nick Montfort to submit a piece of computer generated poetry for a small-run book called Our Generation: Programs + Computer-Generated Texts. I channeled my inner Jenny Holzer for this and really enjoyed it. The full src appears at the top of the page and it was interesting to factor that in to make sure the output exactly filled the page. I keep thinking it would be fun to do a series using this size restriction but I haven't done it yet.

You can see my full page here.

Tastebud Tapdancer - May

You've been swallowed by a giant serpent but you're trying to make the best of it.

A little video game with a source code of just 500 characters! Made for TweetTweetJam 9 You can play it here.

The Indomitable Rocket Dog - June

Around this point in the year is where I started working on my current project, The Indomitable Rocket Dog. I'm enjoying this game so much. I haven't made a real twitchy arcade game since PARTICLE MACE, which just celebrated its 10th birthday. It is still very early but I feel really good about this one!

After MAGFest 2024 I was percolating on physics-y arcade games mostly because I am so deeply in love with Hoverburger by Nick Santaniello. Before I knew it my love of N++ was mixed in there as well.

I'm writing all of my own physics in C++ because I had a vague sense of how I want it to feel and it's a hobby project so I can do what I want.

I've been documenting my development on it in a mastodon thread.

Isabelle Poppy And Bling - August

OK, this one isn't new at all! This is a flash game I made in 2009 for musician Justin Braun. But this year I got it playable on the web again!

Like so many game developers my age, I got my start with Macromedia Flash. This game felt like the culmination of my style at the time, which was heavily influenced by Animutation. I was starting to be more deliberate with my collage style as opposed to aiming for totally random elements. I think I got paid $600 for it, which felt huge at the time.

1K Pac-Man - September

Another size coded game. This time it's as faithful a recreation of Pac-Man as I could muster in 1024 bytes of source code. All of the ghost logic is accurate to the original!

You can play it here. I'm very pleased with the mouth animation.

I made it for PICK-1K Jam 2024. I do wish I had read the page a little more carefully though. The jam required compressed source to be 1024 bytes and I did raw source. The game is only 723 compressed bytes so I had a lot of room to expand, but by the time I realized that I had painstakingly trimmed and optimized my code and I couldn't imagine untangling it. Oops.

Cloud Gobblers - November

Arcade Commons received a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council to create an arcade machine showing a collection of games that incorporate weather data into the gameplay. EMMA was commissioned to make one of the games. Cloud Gobblers is a snake-style game where the playfield is a video satellite field of global cloud coverage over a period of 48 hours.

This was the first time all of the members of EMMA worked together on one project!

Three Tapestries - October

I didn't make many pen plotter drawings this year, but I really liked this one. You can see the full thing here.

It's currently still available in my shop! Until somebody buys it it will be hanging on the wall in my office.

Lever Up Jam - December

Back in 2021, I worked with Matt Lepage on an alt-control game jam called Jam Jam Revolution. We prepped a parts list so all participants could build the same controller and make games for it. This year we decided to dust off that idea with the Lever Up Jam. This time there will be a full-sized cabinet at MAGFest that the games can be played on!

My favorite TweetCarts / Postcarts This Year

I no longer use Twitter, but I have been making the occasional tweetcart (a PICO-8 sketch with source code 280 bytes or less) and posting them on tumblr and mastodon. But there was an exciting development towards the end of the year! Lexaloffle, the creator of Pico-8 created a section on the BBS for 300 char or less "Postcarts", so we now have a centralized home for these little byte-sized demos.

Here are three of my favorite postcarts that I made this year:

Spinning Cube v3 - April

p=pset::_::cls()for i=0,99do u=0s=i/4+t()/5x=64+sin(s)*39a=64+sin(s+.25)*39y=39+cos(s)*9b=39+cos(s+.25)*9line(x,y,a,b,6)for k=0,99do if x>a and i<4and k<50then line(x,y+k,a,b+k,k>48and 7or 9+i)p(x,y+k,7)p(a,b+k)end v=pget(i,k)u+=v if(v>6)break if(u>0)p(i,k,8)end end flip()goto _

Big year for making things spin. You can check out my tumblr post to see all my attempts at perfecting this spinning cube. The outlines were the real cherry on top for me.

Balatro Spinning Card - May

a=abs::_::cls()e=t()for r=0,46do for p=0,1,.025do j=sin(e)*20k=cos(e)*5f=1-p h=a(17-p*34)v=a(23-r)c=1+min(23-v,17-h)%5/3\1*6u=(r-1)/80z=a(p-.2)if(e%1<.5)c=a(r-5)<5and z<u+.03and(r==5or z>u)and 8or 8-sgn(h+v-9)/2 g=r+39pset((64+j)*p+(64-j)*f,(g+k)*p+(g-k)*f,c)end end flip()goto _

This was so hard to make! I can't believe I did it. I wrote a giant writeup breaking down the 279 byte source code on the EMMA blog.

Fuji - October

pal({7,12,140,13,129,1,5,8,8,14,142,143,7},1)r=rnd::_::x=r(128)y=r(128)c=9+y/26-2+r(1.5) if(y<((x+40)/6)^1.6and y<((178-x)/6)^1.6and y<79+r(2))c=2.5-sgn(y-45-sin(x/21)*r(4))*1.5+r(2.5-sgn(x-69-r(8)-y/3+25)*.7) pset(x,128-y,c)a=r(1)d=r(25)pset(28+sin(a)*d,30+cos(a)*d,9)goto _

I made this during some downtime on a vacation to Japan. I was hoping to see Fuji the next day and the clouds wound up being kind to us, giving an amazing view.

I almost never make representational art and I was really happy with how this turned out.

That's it! I hope you all have a great 2025!

[tagbinindia]

Creative Writing: Unleashing Your Imagination Through the Art of Storytelling

Creative writing is a powerful form of self-expression that transcends traditional writing by blending imagination, emotion, and artistry. From crafting captivating stories to penning thought-provoking poems, creative writing taps into the depths of human creativity. Whether you're a budding writer or a seasoned storyteller, this guide explores the world of creative writing and offers tips to enhance your craft.

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing goes beyond the confines of academic or technical writing. It allows for freedom of expression and encourages writers to tell stories, evoke emotions, and explore ideas. Examples of creative writing include:

Novels and short stories

Poetry

Plays and scripts

Memoirs and personal essays

Creative nonfiction

Unlike factual writing, creative writing emphasizes originality, imaginative thought, and narrative technique.

The Importance of Creative Writing

Enhances Imagination:Creative writing nurtures your imagination by encouraging you to think outside the box. Writers create vivid worlds, characters, and scenarios that captivate readers.

Improves Communication Skills:The practice of creative writing helps sharpen your ability to convey ideas, emotions, and narratives effectively.

Boosts Emotional Well-being:Writing creatively can be therapeutic, providing an outlet for emotions, self-reflection, and personal growth.

Encourages Critical Thinking:Crafting compelling plots or solving narrative challenges requires analytical and critical thinking skills.

Key Elements of Creative Writing

To excel in creative writing, focus on these essential elements:

Characters:Well-developed characters are the heart of any story. Give them depth, motives, and relatable traits to make them memorable.

Plot:A compelling plot with twists and turns keeps readers engaged. Ensure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Setting:The setting provides context and atmosphere. Describe the environment vividly to immerse readers in your story.

Voice and Style:Your unique voice and writing style set your work apart. Experiment with tone, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

Theme:Every piece of creative writing carries a central idea or theme. It gives your story purpose and resonates with readers.

Types of Creative Writing

Fiction Writing:Fiction includes novels, short stories, and novellas that entertain or provoke thought through imaginative storytelling.

Poetry:Poetry uses rhythm, metaphor, and language to evoke emotions and convey deep meanings in a concise form.

Playwriting and Screenwriting:Writing for the stage or screen involves creating dialogues, scenes, and actions that bring characters to life visually.

Creative Nonfiction:This form blends factual content with literary techniques, making real-life stories as engaging as fiction.

Blogging:Blogs with a creative touch stand out by using narrative techniques to inform, entertain, or inspire readers.

Tips to Improve Your Creative Writing Skills

Read Widely:Immerse yourself in various genres and styles to understand different writing techniques and perspectives.

Practice Regularly:Like any skill, creative writing improves with practice. Set aside time daily to write without judgment.

Experiment with Prompts:Writing prompts challenge you to explore new ideas and step out of your comfort zone.

Edit Ruthlessly:The first draft is only the beginning. Edit your work to refine your ideas and improve clarity.

Seek Feedback:Share your writing with trusted friends, peers, or mentors to gain constructive criticism.

Join Writing Communities:Participate in workshops or online forums to connect with fellow writers and learn from their experiences.

The Role of Technology in Creative Writing

Technology has revolutionized creative writing by offering tools that aid every step of the process.

Writing Software: Tools like Scrivener and Google Docs help organize and format your work.

Grammar Checkers: Apps like Grammarly ensure your writing is polished and error-free.

Idea Generators: Online platforms provide writing prompts and inspiration.

Publishing Platforms: Self-publishing tools allow writers to share their work with a global audience.

Challenges in Creative Writing

Writer’s Block:Overcoming mental roadblocks can be tough. Combat writer’s block by taking breaks, changing your environment, or exploring prompts.

Balancing Creativity and Structure:Striking the right balance between free-flowing creativity and a structured narrative can be challenging.

Maintaining Originality:With countless stories out there, creating something unique requires effort and authenticity.

How to Start Your Creative Writing Journey

Identify Your Passion:Figure out which form of creative writing resonates with you the most—fiction, poetry, or nonfiction.

Set Realistic Goals:Start with small, manageable goals like writing a short story or poem.

Create a Writing Routine:Consistency is key. Designate a specific time and place for writing every day.

Study Writing Techniques:Learn about literary devices, narrative structures, and character development to enhance your craft.

Celebrate Small Wins:Acknowledge and celebrate your progress to stay motivated.

Creative Writing in Today’s World

In the digital era, creative writing has expanded to new platforms like blogs, social media, and online publications. Writers now have more opportunities than ever to share their work and reach diverse audiences. Whether it's through storytelling on Instagram or self-publishing an eBook, creative writing continues to evolve and thrive.

Conclusion

Creative writing is a journey of self-expression and discovery. By honing your skills, embracing technology, and exploring new ideas, you can craft compelling stories that captivate readers and leave a lasting impact. Whether you write for personal fulfillment or professional aspirations, the art of creative writing opens doors to endless possibilities.

Content source -

[daughterofhecata]

Once again I aimed for complete blackouts on @batmanisagatewaydrug's and @macrolit's reading bingos and this time, I actually succeded! (Even if I took some liberties with the term 'novel' on the macrolit one, mostly focused on the 'classics' aspect.) Lowkey proud of myself ngl.

Titles for both under the cut, full reading list here.

batmanisagatewaydrug:

graphic novel: Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation. [no english title]

horror: Jáchym Topol: Die Teufelswerkstatt [org. title: Chladnou zemí/engl. title: The Devil’s Workshop]

author you’ve never read before: David Henry Hwang: M Butterfly

translation: Władysław Szlengel: Was ich den Toten las [org. title: Co czyta��em umarłym/engl. title: What I Read to the Dead]

poetry collection: Richard Siken: Crush

a book recommended by a friend: James Oswald: Natural Causes. An Inspector McLean Novel.

verse novel: Alexander F. Spreng: Der Fluch [no english title]

novella: Thomas Mann: Der Tod in Venedig [engl. title: Death in Venice]

a book w/ vampires: Michael Scott: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2. The Magician.

book w/ a cover you think is cool: Cornelia Funke: Tintenwelt #4. Die Farbe der Rache. [engl. title: The Color of Revenge]

2023 release: Jonathan Kellerman: Unnatural History. An Alex Delaware Novel

book w/ an animal on the cover: Faye Kellerman: Der Zorn sei dein Ende [org. title: The Hunt]

book published before 1980: Josef Bor: Die verlassene Puppe [org. title: Opuštěná panenka/engl. title: The Abandoned Doll]

science fiction: Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

romance: Akwaeke Emezi: You made a Fool of Death with your Beauty

historical fiction: Alena Mornštajnová: Hana [org. title: Hana/engl. title: Hannah]

450+ pages: James Ellroy: Die Schwarze Dahlie [org. title: The Black Dahlia]

memoir: Jeanette McCurdy: I‘m Glad My Mom Died

re-read a book from school: Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen [engl. title: Spring Awakening]

short story collection: John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

non-fiction: Vera Schiff: The Theresienstadt Deception. The Concentration Camp the Nazis Created to Deceive the World.

book w/ a movie adaption: Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

book published in your birthday month: Jan T. Gross: Neighbors. The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland.

anthology: Alain Locke: The New Negro

macrolit:

Classic Author A/B/C: James Baldwin: Giovanni‘s Room

Published between 2000-2023: Kim Newman: Professor Moriarty. The Hound of the D‘Urbervilles

Philosophy or Literary Criticism: [various books and essays for three literature courses]

Harlem Renaissance: Claude McKay: Harlem Shadows

Children’s Literature: [various Three Investigators books]

Fan Fiction: [various works]

Essays or Satire: Mark Thompson: Leatherfolk. Radical Sex, People, Politics and Practice.

Book of Short Stories: John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

Classic Author G/H/I: Lorraine Vivian Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun

LGBTQ+ Author: Ocean Vuong: Time is a Mother

Published before 1940: Friedrich Schiller: Maria Stuart

Classic Author J/K/L: Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

Detective, Horror, or Suspense: Maurice Leblanc: Arsène Lupin und der Schatz der Könige von Frankreich [org. title: L'Aiguille creuse/engl. title: The Hollow Needle]

Classic Author M/N/O: Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

Classic Author S/T/U: J.D. Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye

Poetry or Play: Arthur Schnitzler: Reigen [engl. title: La Ronde]

Biography or Non-Fiction: Peter Hallama: Nationale Helden und jüdische Opfer. Tschechische Repräsentationen des Holocaust. [no english title]

Classic Author P/Q/R: Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar

Graphic Novel: Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation. [no english title]

Published between 1940-1999: Hanna Krall: Dem Herrgott Zuvorkommen [org. title: Zdążyć przed Panem Bogiem/engl. title: Shielding the Flame]

Classic Author D/E/F: Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho

Young Adult: Kathy Reichs: Virals #1. Tote können nicht mehr reden. [org. title: Virals]

Gothic Fiction: E.T.A. Hoffmann: Nussknacker und Mausekönig [engl. title: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King]

Classic Author V/W/X/Y/Z: Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen [engl. title: Spring Awakening]

[domusplautii]

Art as escape from the noise and mess of an ancient city (Pompeii, in this case.)

'The different conditions in which villa owners and urban dwellers actually lived might have created a divergence in meaning to similar [artistic] imagery in these two settings. [Decorative ensembles in the city] attempted to evoke natural settings and to create respite from city life, a rus in urbe. In the case of villas, as noted above, decoration and architectural features created a hybrid setting of city luxury and country rusticity. This hybrid was likewise suggested in urban domus in Pompeii and elsewhere, although on a reduced scale and in more compact spaces. The desire to evoke an idealised natural landscape however may have been more dire or direct for those residents of Pompeii's urban centre than for those Romans who actually lived in the countryside. Villa owners displayed images of nature perhaps because of a desire to recreate the pastoral settings popular in contemporary poetry and because of the significance of old agrarian values. The owners of urban homes decorated their residences with nature imagery because of the trickle-down aesthetics of culture, but perhaps also because of a desire to create a visual escape from some of the more unpleasant aspects of city life... ... Among the excavated remains, we find fulleries, leather tanneries, bakeries, jewellers, large kitchens for producing garum, and carpenters' workshops. While local industry was essential in any Roman city, it oftentimes created an unpleasant atmosphere; the stale urine and sulfur used in fulleries, the odor of fermenting fish, and the activities of taverns, brothels, blacksmiths, and the like, would have disrupted any sense of bucolic quietude in the city.'

From Art, Nature, City, Vountry and the Problem of Villa Imitation, by Francesca C. Tronchin. (Jstor)

[briankeene]

Finalized AuthorCon IV Programming Schedule

Here is the finalized programming schedule for AuthorCon IV — a Scares That Care charity event — taking place October 4th through 6th in St Louis, Missouri. To purchase tickets, reserve a hotel room, or peruse the guests of honor, click here. AUTHORCON IV – FRIDAY

4:00pm – 9:00pm: Vendors (Concourse Ballroom)

4:00pm – 9:00pm: Silent Auction

8:00pm: An Evening with Psychic and Medium Dakota Lawrence (Heathrow) : In this group setting, renowned psychic and medium Dakota Lawrence will conduct live readings regarding loved ones, participant’s lives, and more. Please note that participants will be chosen at random, and a ticket does not guarantee a reading. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available at convention registration.

Readings: (Heathrow)

4:15pm – 5:15pm: Bridget D. Brave, Alisha Galvan, and Donna J. W. Munro 5:30pm – 6:30pm: Jay Bower, Brent Abell, and Gareth Ian Davies 6:45pm – 7:45pm: Joshua Daughrity, Michael Cieslak, Garrett Boatman 9:15pm – 10:15pm: Kristopher Triana, Patrick C. Harrison III, and RJ Roles

Panels: (Gatwick)

4:30pm – 5:30pm: Mental Health – Justin Holley (Moderator), David Simms, Christopher Hawkins, Kristen Vincent, Dan Shrader, Craig Brownlie discuss writing through the bad times and the impact the craft can have on one’s mental health.

5:45pm – 6:45pm: So You Want To Publish An Anthology? – Candance Nola (moderator), Rebecca Rowland, Paul Goblirsch, Michael Cieslak, RJ Roles, Heather Daughrity, and Bridget D. Brave discuss everything you ever wanted to know about organizing, editing, and publishing an anthology.

7:00pm – 8:00pm: Weird Westerns and Historical Horror – Wile E. Young (Moderator), Cullen Bunn, Marie Lestrange, Caroline Giammanco, Robert Whitmore, and Doug Goodman saddle up and ride out to discuss cowboys and zombies, rustlers and werewolves, and all sorts of other creepy critters in the Old West.

AUTHORCON IV – SATURDAY

8:00am – 10:00am: Found Money For Writers (Heathrow) : There are thousands of grants available for writers every year, but most writers never take advantage of this resource. Regardless of if you're just starting out or already a full-time writer, you can benefit from grants. In this two-hour workshop, best-selling author Maurice Broaddus teaches you the tips and tricks for finding them, applying for them, and what to do when you get them. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available at convention registration.

9:30pm: The Michael Allen Rose Show, starring… Michael Allen Rose! With Professional Eye Candy Sauda Namir! (Adults Only - Admission Free with Convention Pass)

10:00am – 6:00pm: Vendors (Concourse Ballroom)

10:00am – 5:00pm: Silent Auction (Winners will be announced at 5:00pm)

Readings: (Heathrow)

10:00am – 11:00am: Kayla Frederick, Heather Daughrity, and Marie LeStrange 11:15am – 12:15pm: Chris Panatier, Tommy B. Smith, and Justin Holley 12:30pm – 1:30pm: Jonathan Janz, Ronald Malfi, and Wesley Southard 1:45pm – 2:45pm: Clay McLeod Chapman, Stephen Kozeniewski, and Jeff Strand 3:00pm – 4:00pm: Wile E. Young, Robert Whitmore, and Craig Brownlie 4:15pm – 5:15pm: V Castro, Wrath James White, and Dorian J. Sinnott 5:30pm – 6:30pm: AJ Humphreys, Len Berry, and David Simms 6:45pm – 7:45pm: Drew Huff, Caroline Giammanco, and Doug Goodman

Readings: (Gatwick)

7:45pm – 8:45pm: Nathan D. Ludwig, John Bruni, and Gavin Dillinger 9:00pm – 9:30pm: Bitter Karella’s Story Time

Panels: (Gatwick)

10:30am – 11:30am: Writing Poetry For Fun and Profit – Jacob Haddon (Moderator), Candace Nola, K.A. Schultz, and Kristen Vincent why they write poetry, and the markets for publishing it.

11:45am – 12:45pm: Publishing 101 – Joshua Daughrity (Moderator), Paul Goblirsch, Stephen Kozeniewski, Jacob Haddon, James G. Carlson, and Ira Rat discuss the ins-and-outs of publishing from all aspects and formats.

1:00pm – 2:00pm: Extreme Horror and Me – Wrath James White (Moderator), Kristopher Triana, Patrick C. Harrison III, and Eric Butler discuss the many reasons why extreme horror appeals to them personally, and to their readers.

2:15pm – 3:15pm: Fairy Tales, Folklore, and Folk Horror – Breanna Bright (Moderator), Donna J. W. Munro, K.A. Schultz, and Garrett Boatman discuss the long correlation between folklore and horror fiction, and how it translates for a new generation of readers and writers.

3:30pm – 4:30pm: Crazy Convention Stories – Clay McLeod Chapman (Moderator) convinces veterans of the convention circuit Cullen Bunn, Maurice Broaddus, John Anderson, Dakota Lawrence, and Brian Keene to spill the tea and reveal just what happens behind the scenes at conventions and fan expos.

4:30pm – 5:30pm: Marketing and Promotion – Daniel J. Volpe (Moderator), A.G. Mock, Jay Bower, Sonora Taylor, D.M. Guay, and Ira Rat reveal their tips and tricks for successfully marketing and promoting books, regardless of budget.

5:45pm – 6:45pm: The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales From Stephen King’s The Stand – Jonathan Janz (Moderator), Brian Keene, V. Castro, Ronald Malfi, Maurice Broaddus, and Wrath James White discuss the first anthology of all-new fiction set in the world of Stephen King’s classic novel The Stand.

AUTHORCON IV – SUNDAY

10:00am to 3:00pm – Vendors (Concourse Ballroom)

Readings: (Heathrow)

10:15am – 11:15am: Jacob Haddon, B.E. Fidler and Cris Burl/EVILyn Reigns 11:30am – 12:30pm: Sonora Taylor, Christopher Hawkins, and Breanna Bright

Panels: (Gatwick)

10:30am – 11:30am: Writing Short Stories – Chris Panatier (Moderator), Dorian J. Sinnott, Tommy B. Smith, Drew Huff, JP Behrens, and Kristal Shanahan discuss their individual processes and the trials and tribulations of writing short fiction.

[unvindiaannouncements]

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬 - 𝗨𝗡 𝗢𝗕𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘

21ꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴩᴛᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 2024

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: The 2024 theme “Cultivating a Culture of Peace” draws inspiration from UNESCO's foundational belief that “wars begin in the minds of men, so it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed

Celebrating International Peace Day in educational institutions is a wonderful way to promote harmony and understanding among students. Here are some engaging ideas:

𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦:

▪️Peace Pledge Ceremony: Organize a school-wide assembly where students can take a peace pledge. This can be followed by a moment of silence or a peace prayer.

▪️Art and Craft Projects: Have students create peace-themed artwork, such as posters, peace flags, or windmills. Display these around the school to spread the message of peace1.

▪️Peace Chain: Create a peace chain where each student writes a message of peace on a paper link. Connect all the links to form a long chain that can be displayed in a prominent area.

▪️Storytelling Sessions: Read stories or books about peace and discuss their messages. This can help students understand the importance of peace in different contexts.

▪️Peace March: Organize a peace march within the school or in the local community. Students can carry banners and posters promoting peace.

𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗦:

▪️Guest Speakers: Invite speakers who have worked in peace-building or conflict resolution to share their experiences and insights with students.

▪️Workshops and Seminars: Conduct workshops on topics like conflict resolution, empathy, and global citizenship. These can help students develop skills to promote peace in their daily lives.

▪️Cultural Exchange Programs: Arrange virtual or in-person exchanges with students from schools in different countries. This can foster understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures.

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦:

▪️Peace Garden: Plant a peace garden where students can contribute by planting flowers or trees. This can be a symbol of growth and harmony.

▪️Peace Songs and Poems: Encourage students to write and perform songs or poems about peace. This can be done during a special assembly or event.

▪️Peace Lanterns: Create peace lanterns and light them in the evening as a symbol of hope and unity.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧:

▪️Peace Vigil: Hold a peace vigil in a public place where students, teachers, and community members can gather to reflect on the importance of peace.

▪️Collaborative Projects: Partner with local organizations to work on community projects that promote peace and understanding.

𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦:

▪️Peace Mural: Collaborate on a large mural that represents peace. Each student can contribute a section, creating a collective artwork that symbolizes unity and harmony.

▪️Peace Poetry Slam: Host a poetry slam where students can perform their original poems about peace. This can be a powerful way for students to express their thoughts and feelings.

▪️Peace-themed Drama: Organize a short play or skit that conveys messages of peace and conflict resolution. This can be performed during a school assembly or special event.

𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦:

▪️Peace Research Projects: Assign students to research famous peacemakers and present their findings. This can include figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malala Yousafzai.

▪️Peace Essay Contest: Hold an essay contest where students write about what peace means to them or how they can contribute to a peaceful world. Winners can be recognized in a special ceremony.

▪️Peace Studies Curriculum: Integrate peace studies into the curriculum for the day. This can include lessons on the history of peace movements, the impact of war, and the importance of diplomacy.

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦

▪️Peace Games: Organize games that promote teamwork and cooperation, such as trust exercises or collaborative problem-solving activities.

▪️Peace Tree: Create a “peace tree” where students can hang leaves with their wishes for peace written on them. This can be a beautiful and meaningful display.

▪️Peace Bracelets: Have students make peace bracelets using beads or other materials. These can be worn as a reminder of their commitment to peace.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

▪️Pen Pal Program: Establish a pen pal program with students from another country. This can help students learn about different cultures and build international friendships.

▪️Peace Day Fair: Organize a fair with booths and activities related to peace. This can include information on global peace initiatives, interactive displays, and cultural performances.

▪️Peace Walk: Plan a peace walk where students, teachers, and community members can participate. This can be a symbolic gesture to promote peace and unity.

𝗥𝗪𝗙𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦

▪️Meditation and Mindfulness: Conduct a meditation or mindfulness session focused on peace and relaxation. This can help students cultivate inner peace.

▪️Peace Journals: Encourage students to keep a peace journal where they can write about their thoughts, feelings, and actions related to peace.

▪️Peace Circles: Hold peace circles where students can share their experiences and ideas about peace in a supportive and respectful environment.

𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦

▪️Peace Quilt: Have each student design a square that represents peace to them. Sew these squares together to create a large peace quilt that can be displayed in the school.

▪️Peace Garden Stones: Students can paint stones with peace symbols or messages and place them in a designated peace garden area on school grounds.

▪️Global Peace Map: Create a large map where students can mark places around the world and write about peace initiatives or peacemakers from those regions.

𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔

▪️Peace Videos: Encourage students to create short videos or documentaries about peace. These can be shared on the school’s website or social media platforms.

▪️Virtual Peace Conference: Organize a virtual conference with students from different schools or countries to discuss peace-related topics and share ideas.

▪️Peace Podcasts: Start a school podcast where students can discuss peace, interview peacemakers, or share stories about peace efforts.

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚:

▪️Peace Simulations: Conduct simulations or role-playing activities that teach conflict resolution and negotiation skills.

▪️Peace Scavenger Hunt: Organize a scavenger hunt with clues and activities related to peace and cooperation.

▪️Peace Debate: Host a debate on topics related to peace and conflict. This can help students develop critical thinking and public speaking skills.

𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

▪️Peace Dance: Choreograph a dance performance that symbolizes peace and unity. This can be performed during a school assembly or event.

▪️Peace Music Concert: Organize a concert where students can perform songs about peace. This can include solo performances, choirs, or bands.

▪️Peace Film Screening: Show films or documentaries about peace and follow up with a discussion or reflection session.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛:

▪️Peace Ambassadors: Select students to be peace ambassadors who can lead peace initiatives and activities throughout the school year.

▪️Peace Fundraiser: Organize a fundraiser for a peace-related cause or charity. This can include bake sales, car washes, or sponsored walks.

▪️Peace Partnerships: Partner with local organizations or community groups to work on peace-building projects or events.

𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦

▪️Peace Journaling: Provide journals for students to write about their thoughts and experiences related to peace throughout the day.

▪️Peace Meditation: Start the day with a guided meditation focused on peace and mindfulness.

▪️Peace Reflection Wall: Create a wall where students can post their reflections, thoughts, and commitments to peace.

𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦:

▪️Peace Collage: Create a large collage with images and words that represent peace. Students can cut out pictures from magazines or draw their own.

▪️Peace Origami: Teach students how to make origami peace cranes or other symbols of peace. These can be displayed around the school.

▪️Peace Garden Markers: Have students create decorative markers with peace messages to place in the school garden.

𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗪𝗢𝗘𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗦:

▪️Conflict Resolution Workshops: Conduct workshops that teach students effective conflict resolution techniques and the importance of peaceful communication.

▪️Peace History Lessons: Integrate lessons about historical peace treaties, movements, and figures into the curriculum for the day.

▪️Peace Science Projects: Encourage students to work on science projects that promote environmental peace, such as sustainable practices or renewable energy.

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦

▪️Peace Fair: Organize a fair with booths that focus on different aspects of peace, such as environmental peace, social justice, and international peace efforts.

▪️Peace Bingo: Create a bingo game with peace-related activities or facts. This can be a fun and educational way to engage students.

▪️Peace Puzzle: Create a large puzzle with a peace image. Each student can contribute a piece, symbolizing their role in creating a peaceful world.

𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

▪️International Peace Day Parade: Organize a parade where students can dress in traditional clothing from different cultures and carry peace banners.

▪️Peace Cuisine: Have a potluck or cooking class where students can prepare and share dishes from different cultures, promoting understanding and appreciation of diversity.

▪️Cultural Performances: Arrange performances of music, dance, or theater from various cultures that emphasize themes of peace and unity.

��𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧:

▪️Peace Pen Pals: Establish a pen pal program with students from another country to exchange letters about peace and cultural experiences.

▪️Peace Day Service Projects: Organize community service projects that promote peace, such as cleaning up a local park or volunteering at a shelter.

▪️Global Peace Video Call: Set up a video call with students from a school in another country to discuss peace and share ideas.

𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦

▪️Peace Meditation Circle: Create a meditation circle where students can practice mindfulness and reflect on peace.

▪️Peace Journaling Prompts: Provide prompts for students to write about their thoughts and feelings on peace, such as “What does peace mean to you?” or “How can you contribute to a peaceful world?”

▪️Peace Reflection Walk: Organize a quiet walk around the school grounds where students can reflect on the importance of peace and their role in promoting it.

𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

▪️Peace Songwriting: Encourage students to write and perform their own songs about peace. This can be a solo or group activity.

▪️Peace Photography: Have a photography contest where students capture images that represent peace in their community.

▪️Peace Storytelling: Organize a story telling session. Here students can share personal stories or folktales that emphasize peace and harmony.

These additional ideas can help make International Peace Day a memorable and impactful event in your educational institution.

[tomw59766]

What Are Some Creative Ways to Use a Random Words Generator?

A 20 words or less generator can be a powerful tool for sparking creativity, improving writing skills, and adding an element of fun to various activities. Here are some inventive ways to utilize a random words generator in different contexts:

1. Writing Prompts and Story Starters

a. Flash Fiction Challenges

Using a 20 words or less generator, writers can create quick and intriguing flash fiction pieces. By receiving a set of random words, they can craft a story that incorporates each word, pushing their creative boundaries and enhancing their storytelling skills.

b. Overcoming Writer's Block

Random words can serve as prompts to kickstart the writing process when faced with writer’s block. Incorporating these words into the initial lines of a piece can lead to unexpected and original ideas.

c. Poetry Inspiration

Poets can use the generator to find unique combinations of words that inspire new poems. These random words can be woven into verses, creating fresh and imaginative poetry.

2. Creative Exercises and Brainstorming

a. Idea Generation

Teams or individuals can use random words to brainstorm new ideas for projects, marketing campaigns, or product names. The unpredictability of the words can lead to innovative and unconventional concepts.

b. Creative Writing Exercises

Teachers and writing coaches can incorporate random word exercises into their lessons to encourage students to think outside the box and develop their creative writing skills.

c. Art and Design Inspiration

Artists and designers can use random words to inspire their work. For instance, a random word might prompt a particular color scheme, design element, or theme for an art piece or graphic design project.

3. Games and Fun Activities

a. Word Association Games

Players can use random words to play word association games, where each person has to come up with a related word. This activity can be both entertaining and a good mental exercise.

b. Scavenger Hunts

Organizers can create scavenger hunts where participants have to find items that match randomly generated words. This can add an element of surprise and challenge to the activity.

c. Storytelling Games

Participants can take turns telling a story, incorporating a random word each time it’s their turn. This game can be a fun way to build a collaborative and unpredictable narrative.

4. Educational Tools

a. Vocabulary Building

Teachers can use a 20 words or less generator to help students expand their vocabulary. By learning and using new words in context, students can enhance their language skills.

b. ESL Learning

For learners of English as a second language, random words can be a useful tool for practicing sentence construction, comprehension, and pronunciation.

c. Spelling Bees

Random words can be used to create spontaneous spelling challenges, making spelling practice more dynamic and engaging for students.

5. Professional Development

a. Team Building Exercises

Incorporating random words into team-building activities can foster creativity and collaboration among team members. These exercises can break the monotony and encourage innovative thinking.

b. Workshop Activities

Facilitators can use random words to prompt discussions, role-playing scenarios, or creative problem-solving exercises during workshops and training sessions.

c. Icebreakers

Random word generators can be used to create icebreaker questions or activities that help participants get to know each other in a fun and relaxed manner.

6. Personal Development

a. Journaling Prompts

Individuals can use random words as prompts for their daily journaling practice. This can help in reflecting on diverse topics and exploring different facets of their thoughts and emotions.

b. Creative Hobbies

Whether it’s crafting, cooking, or DIY projects, random words can inspire new and exciting ideas for personal hobbies, pushing individuals to try something different.

c. Mindfulness and Reflection

Using random words for meditation or reflection exercises can help individuals focus their thoughts and explore their inner creativity and mindfulness.

7. Marketing and Branding

a. Slogan Creation

Marketers can use a 20 words or less generator to brainstorm catchy and memorable slogans. The random words can provide fresh perspectives and unique angles for branding.

b. Content Ideas

Content creators can use random words to generate ideas for blog posts, social media content, or videos. This can keep their content varied and engaging.

c. Product Naming

When developing new products, random words can inspire unique and creative names that stand out in the market.

8. Entertainment and Media

a. Improvisation Exercises

Actors and comedians can use random words for improvisation exercises, helping them to think quickly and creatively on their feet.

b. Scriptwriting

Scriptwriters can use random words to develop new plots, characters, or dialogues, adding an element of surprise and originality to their scripts.

c. Game Show Ideas

Game show creators can incorporate random word challenges into their formats, making the shows more interactive and entertaining for participants and audiences.

9. Therapy and Counseling

a. Creative Therapy

Therapists can use random words to encourage clients to express their thoughts and feelings through creative writing or art, facilitating emotional exploration and healing.

b. Group Therapy Activities

In group therapy settings, random words can be used to spark discussions, role-playing activities, or collaborative storytelling, promoting group cohesion and understanding.

c. Cognitive Exercises

For clients with cognitive impairments, using random words for various mental exercises can help improve memory, language skills, and cognitive function.

10. Social Media Engagement

a. Hashtag Challenges

Brands and influencers can use random words to create hashtag challenges, encouraging followers to participate and share their own creative content.

b. Caption Contests

Random words can be used to generate captions for photos or videos, engaging the audience in a fun and interactive way.

c. Interactive Posts

Social media managers can use random words to create interactive posts, asking followers to come up with stories, poems, or drawings based on the words provided.

Conclusion

A 20 words or less generator is a versatile tool with a multitude of applications across various fields and activities. Whether for creative writing, educational purposes, professional development, or simply for fun, random word generators can spark innovation, enhance learning, and provide endless entertainment. By embracing the randomness and unpredictability of generated words, individuals and groups can discover new perspectives, unlock their creativity, and engage in meaningful and enjoyable experiences.

[abneyconsult]

Esther Productions Inc., in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing presents two authors Ms. Joy Jones and Mr. E.Ethelbert Miller on April 20th. Info: aachildrenslit2023@gmail.com.

SEEING OURSELVES IN THE RIVER, IN THE MIRROR, IN THE WORLD: DC'S AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERARY HISTORY ON TOUR

Apr 20, 2024, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PMWashington, 3310 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, USAEsther Productions Inc. in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing presents two authors, Joy Jones and E.Ethelbert Miller “Joy Jones is a trainer, performance poet, playwright and author of several books including Private Lessons: A Book of Meditations for Teachers; Tambourine Moon, which was selected as one of the best books for children by the black caucus of the ALA and featured on the Bernie Mac Show; and Fearless Public Speaking. She has won awards for her writing from the D. C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, and the Colonial Players Promising Playwrights Competition, plus awards from both the D. C. Department of Recreation & Parks and the D. C. Commission on National & Community Service for outstanding community service.Joy Jones’ provocative op-ed on marriage trends for The Washington Post, “Marriage is for White People”, went viral. She is the director of the arts organization, The Spoken Word, and the founder of the Double Dutch team, DC Retro Jumpers, which has led exhibitions and classes throughout metropolitan Washington and abroad. Joy often leads workshops on creative writing, communications and black history.”  Ethelbert Miller is a memoirist, award-winning poet and 2022 Grammy nominee for the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album--Black Men Are Precious-- will be the guest speaker for the workshop, providing insights and tips into memoir writing. Mr. Miller is the author of two memoirs and several collections of poetry. He also is the editor of three anthologies of poetry. He is the editor of Poet Lore magazine and the host of the radio show "On the Margin," which airs Thursday mornings on WPFW-FM. He is the former director of Howard University's African American Resource Center, and has taught at several universities and colleges including American University, Emory & Henry College, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "AFRICAN AMERICANS AND CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ON TOUR, presented by Esther Productions Inc. in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing, is a humanities project that captures DC's rich literary history and the role played by Black writers in building canon and fortifying community. Supported, in part, by a grant from HumanitiesDC, the project includes a historical exhibition and conversations with some of the city's most acclaimed African American authors."  Register at https://www.estherproductionsinc.com/events-1/seeing-ourselves-in-the-river-in-the-mirror-in-the-world-dcs-african-american-literary-history-on-tour 

[afrikaabney]

Esther Productions Inc., in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing presents two authors Ms. Joy Jones and Mr. E.Ethelbert Miller on April 20th. Info: aachildrenslit2023@gmail.com.

SEEING OURSELVES IN THE RIVER, IN THE MIRROR, IN THE WORLD: DC'S AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERARY HISTORY ON TOUR

Apr 20, 2024, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PMWashington, 3310 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, USAEsther Productions Inc. in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing presents two authors, Joy Jones and E.Ethelbert Miller “Joy Jones is a trainer, performance poet, playwright and author of several books including Private Lessons: A Book of Meditations for Teachers; Tambourine Moon, which was selected as one of the best books for children by the black caucus of the ALA and featured on the Bernie Mac Show; and Fearless Public Speaking. She has won awards for her writing from the D. C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, and the Colonial Players Promising Playwrights Competition, plus awards from both the D. C. Department of Recreation & Parks and the D. C. Commission on National & Community Service for outstanding community service.Joy Jones’ provocative op-ed on marriage trends for The Washington Post, “Marriage is for White People”, went viral. She is the director of the arts organization, The Spoken Word, and the founder of the Double Dutch team, DC Retro Jumpers, which has led exhibitions and classes throughout metropolitan Washington and abroad. Joy often leads workshops on creative writing, communications and black history.”  Ethelbert Miller is a memoirist, award-winning poet and 2022 Grammy nominee for the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album--Black Men Are Precious-- will be the guest speaker for the workshop, providing insights and tips into memoir writing. Mr. Miller is the author of two memoirs and several collections of poetry. He also is the editor of three anthologies of poetry. He is the editor of Poet Lore magazine and the host of the radio show "On the Margin," which airs Thursday mornings on WPFW-FM. He is the former director of Howard University's African American Resource Center, and has taught at several universities and colleges including American University, Emory & Henry College, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "AFRICAN AMERICANS AND CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ON TOUR, presented by Esther Productions Inc. in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing, is a humanities project that captures DC's rich literary history and the role played by Black writers in building canon and fortifying community. Supported, in part, by a grant from HumanitiesDC, the project includes a historical exhibition and conversations with some of the city's most acclaimed African American authors."  Register at https://www.estherproductionsinc.com/events-1/seeing-ourselves-in-the-river-in-the-mirror-in-the-world-dcs-african-american-literary-history-on-tour 

[msafrikaabney]

Esther Productions Inc., in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing presents two authors Ms. Joy Jones and Mr. E.Ethelbert Miller on April 20th. Info: aachildrenslit2023@gmail.com.

SEEING OURSELVES IN THE RIVER, IN THE MIRROR, IN THE WORLD: DC'S AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERARY HISTORY ON TOUR

Apr 20, 2024, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PMWashington, 3310 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, USAEsther Productions Inc. in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing presents two authors, Joy Jones and E.Ethelbert Miller “Joy Jones is a trainer, performance poet, playwright and author of several books including Private Lessons: A Book of Meditations for Teachers; Tambourine Moon, which was selected as one of the best books for children by the black caucus of the ALA and featured on the Bernie Mac Show; and Fearless Public Speaking. She has won awards for her writing from the D. C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, and the Colonial Players Promising Playwrights Competition, plus awards from both the D. C. Department of Recreation & Parks and the D. C. Commission on National & Community Service for outstanding community service.Joy Jones’ provocative op-ed on marriage trends for The Washington Post, “Marriage is for White People”, went viral. She is the director of the arts organization, The Spoken Word, and the founder of the Double Dutch team, DC Retro Jumpers, which has led exhibitions and classes throughout metropolitan Washington and abroad. Joy often leads workshops on creative writing, communications and black history.”  Ethelbert Miller is a memoirist, award-winning poet and 2022 Grammy nominee for the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album--Black Men Are Precious-- will be the guest speaker for the workshop, providing insights and tips into memoir writing. Mr. Miller is the author of two memoirs and several collections of poetry. He also is the editor of three anthologies of poetry. He is the editor of Poet Lore magazine and the host of the radio show "On the Margin," which airs Thursday mornings on WPFW-FM. He is the former director of Howard University's African American Resource Center, and has taught at several universities and colleges including American University, Emory & Henry College, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "AFRICAN AMERICANS AND CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ON TOUR, presented by Esther Productions Inc. in partnership with The Black Student Fund and The Institute for African American Writing, is a humanities project that captures DC's rich literary history and the role played by Black writers in building canon and fortifying community. Supported, in part, by a grant from HumanitiesDC, the project includes a historical exhibition and conversations with some of the city's most acclaimed African American authors."  Register at https://www.estherproductionsinc.com/events-1/seeing-ourselves-in-the-river-in-the-mirror-in-the-world-dcs-african-american-literary-history-on-tour