#creative non-fiction

[seraphim-viktorious]

Reverent: An Anthology of Divinity

I am very excited to reveal that I've been accepted as a contributor for the Reverent Anthology, edited and managed by author @quintonli

This is a very special opportunity for me, and I dearly hope you will all stay tuned for updates and progress as it comes.

[jamiesonwolf]

Light Through the Trees - Creative Non-Fiction

I’ve started seeing the shadows again. I can see them out of the corners of my eyes when I walk into a room, or when I look up from a book I’m reading. I have tried to ignore them. The trees may have given me shelter when I no longer wanted to interact with the world, but they demanded a price. I hoped that I would never see them again. I try to ignore the shadows at first, but they’re growing…

[benggonzales]

My _______ Valentine

LOVE is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it does not proud. It does not dishonor others, It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). That is the best definition of love based on God's word.

LOVE is the most sweetest things that you would experience here in earth. Loving can also hurt you, because you need to risk something. It only hurt because you really love someone, that you will sacrifice everything for them. Loving someone is not easy but if you open your heart and mind for the true meaning of love, you wil just realize that "it's worth the risk" because you really loved.

The most comforting feeling is when you know that you are loved, this love I mean is not just Eros, Phileo, but Agape. That is 3 kinds of love, by the way. Eros is physical love or sexual desire and phileo is love of friend but the agape is the most sweet, it is deep, pure love and it is unselfish, and that is what love God is. He will never leave us nor forsake us. I experience His love and He never failed me, He restore my love and life.

People celebrating valentines day with their love ones, expressing their love through giving gifts, sweet chocolates and flowers. It feels so relief if you received that . We love each other and we have inspiration in life. It gives us strength when our beloved giving us an assurance that they will be on our side forever until their last breath.

LOVE is patient, but we get tired. Continue to love until you find who will be on your side until the end of your life. Other people find it useless, if you give. You are lose in your life. But the true one will help you win.

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

[gabrielmtc]

Baguio : The "Coolest" Place in the Philippines.

                Baguio, elevating 1,500m above sea level, at an elevation this high, you will definitely feel the breeze gliding on your skin making your shiver.

 Many of us has been to Baguio for at least one point in our lives, and for me, I mean, my 10-year-old me, it was my first time.

                After knowing that we will go to Baguio for summer, I was excited, because all of the things I have hear about this place was, “sobrang lamig dito, parang ayoko na umuwi”. So the little me cant wait to find out what’s really there, if its really “malamig” or its just a placebo effect that if you are in baguio you’re the one of the coolest person in the country, literally.

                So, the time has come and it’s the day that we go the city, I woke up at 2 am, bags already packed, heck I even slept with my clothes that I will wear for tomorrow beside my bed. I was really excited, to come and see the beautiful views of mines view, the elegant, and the classy “The Mansion”, and of course the popular night market at the Harrison Road just shy of Session Road. It is a place where both kids and adults will be happy whatever the city offer. The rental bikes you can rent with your family and friends, the swans on the pond, and the horses that you can ride. For me, the moment I stepped out of the bus it was the horses that greeted me a welcome to their beloved city, I was so happy, probably because that  was my first time seeing an actual horse in flesh. Happy and excited, the little me was running out of joy at the park yelling, but of course only in my mind “sa Wakas naka rating na din ako sa baguio”. After an hour of exploring and appreciating the beauty of the city we finally went to our transient and that’s when it all sunk in, “damn, Ill literally be in this city for a week, that’s so cool”. Little me was so excited thinking what are the many things that my family and I will do for tomorrow, lying down on my bed, thinking, just thinking, until my eyes unconsciously closed, and I fell asleep.                 The next time I opened my eyes, its morning my family and relatives were already packing and getting ready for the first day of our tour, after I saw them, I quickly stood up and took a bath, even though it’s so cold as a Pinoy-cultured kid, I. have. To. Take. A. Bath       

                Our first stop, Minesview Park, this place is unreal, the views on the Observation deck is breath-taking, while looking at the superb view I ate a delicacy called “sundot kulangot” in Tagalog, it literally means picking a booger from the inside of your nose. Ew, but as much as it sounds disgusting the taste of this food was so sweet and yummy, I really enjoyed eating the sweet candy while looking at the sweetest view in the whole city.

                I won’t be telling the whole tour in detail because it would take days for me to express it, like, 1 day for a day in Baguio? That would be insane!

                There I also a day where we visited The Mansion, and since its only a walking-distance from our transient, you guessed it, we walked, inside the vicinity, a lot of people walking, some are towards the mansion, and some away, and in the middle of them, is a body of water and is probably a man-made river this sets a cool ambiance to the place that helps The Mansion be more elegant and dreamy.

                Last day was different, I mean commonly last day is the day where you so called “sulit” your time because those are the very last minutes of your tour, but us, we just stayed in our transient, rested, but for me, it was sort of experiencing to actually live in baguio, because of course the locals don’t tour everyday so this final day for us was like, how does it feel to be a baguio local-resident? Is it more relaxing than living in the suburbs of manila? So, in our last day we lived like locals and stayed in our house, watching tv, chilling near the chimney, and me, as a “videogame-addict” I went outside with my dad and looked for a computer shop nearby. And we found one, so I rented 1 hour to play, and this was one of the times that I said to myself “gusto ko tumira dito”. To experience living in a place much more cooler than manila is different, like everything is different. The air is so much fresher and cooler. But sadly, we had to leave the city and go back to reality.

                For me, that tour was very fun and memorable, I mean its my first time right? First for me is always the most memorable. And although I love Baguio so much, I just cant forget the place where I lived and grew up, yes other places might be cooler, and more beautiful, the place where we  grew up always has a special  place in our hearts, and that’s the reason it’s called “HOME” there’s nothing like it, as much as Baguio is relaxing, the feeling of resting in your own home  is unbeatable, that’s when you feel that you are really resting.

                I won’t forget Baguio, it still probably one of my favourite places that I visited. But as much as I love home, I can’t wait to go back, and I will go back to… Baguio: The “Coolest Place in the Philippines.

[robertpatrick]

the photo box, edit update

I’ve been busy with numerous other projects, but took a few days to reevaluate some suggested edits from my editor and have decided to delete this chapter and two others from “The Photo Box”. It’s not that I don’t like them, but they didn’t add anything to the memoir I have written. Thought I’d share this one as it’s a favorite of mine, a little darling, if you will. Sic Gloria Transit…

[keyboard-squared]

365(ish) Days of Writing: A Year of the Ups and Downs of Creativity

Discover a year-long creative journey through the good and bad of writing.

In between the uncertainties and fears is a place where the only thing happening is right in front of you. The only action you can take is the next one. The only moment that matters is the one you’re currently in. 365(ish) Days of Writing: A Place Called “Now” I’ve got a new series going, and it’s now in full swing. This blog is full of writing tips, resources, and lessons I’ve learned as a…

[sundaynightlive]

an essay a day keeps the complacency at bay

When I first read this for a class, it gutted me. I looked around at the faces of my peers and found them listless, bored, ready to be done with this session and every session after.

I felt silly for wanting to cry.

(expand for spoilers)

[rozmorris]

Transitioning from non-fiction to fiction? Enjoy uncertainty and trouble

In many kinds of non-fiction, we tend to seek certainty. Answers. Solutions. But those qualities are not so desirable in stories. Most stories are about trouble in some way. But this is often uncomfortable for authors who are used to writing factual books. They don’t like trouble, ambiguities, uncertainties and muddy waters.     Here are a few examples I’ve recently seen from my work with…

[journalingirl]

Blue Photography

[dellisphelps]

call for submissions: solace

Please consider submitting work that uplifts, comforts, and consoles for the current issue of fws: solace. We are interested in reading your fun, funny work, your words of revelry in nature or joy in the present moment. We are not looking for directive or prescriptive writing, but writing that brings the reader into an immediate sense of the sublime, be it through beautiful imagery, humor, or…

[justforgetthepast-blog1]

Looking Forward

Photo by Jaime Reimer on Pexels.com See, I am doing a new thing!    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wilderness    and streams in the wasteland. ~ Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) I have to say it over and over again. My mantra for a new cycle of this one-woman show–my passion project. For the 2025 Spring/Summer edition of Teach. Write., I would love to publish the poems,…

[jdrachel]

(via What Do Mermaids Eat? . . . Corinne | John Rachel) Meet Corinne, a mermaid that was hit by a nuclear submarine. Read all about her and 18 other mermaids in the most uniquely beautiful fantasy/travel/cookbook ever! 

[janmorrill]

Day 10: Flight of the Flamingo - Or Not

Imagine you’re watching a flamingo. You can tell she’s an aged flamingo by her graying pink feathers and legs skinnier than perhaps even a flamingo’s legs should be. Now, imagine her clomping, step by step along a sandy shoreline. She’s surrounded by other flamingos, some bright pink and graceful. Others. like our Madame Flamingo, are older, but doing their best to retain the youthful grace most…

[finjasbone]

The Tanks

This is a long one, but a story that is based on truth and one I feel compelled to tell now that summer is here. I hope you enjoy it. Empty behemoths, arising in the middle of the woods, hidden from the city below. Today, they are useless, serving only as a quasi-canvas for local Andy Warhol and Picasso-wanna-bes and a refuge for the occasional homeless person. I hike to them exactly 3 times…

[mwsa-member]

My Dearest Bea: Love Letters from the USS Midway by Peyton Roberts

MWSA Review Pending  

Author's Synopsis

“Soon I’ll be home again and once more, time and life will have a meaning.” Bill Holston, USS Midway, 1951

In May 1951, a lovestruck sailor said a tearful goodbye to his sweetheart before boarding the USS Midway. Longing for home, he picked up a pencil and poured out his heart.

My Dearest Bea is a rare collection of intimate love letters written by U.S. Navy Band trumpet player Bill Holston to his new bride in Norfolk, Virginia, during the long months of sea duty following their wedding day. When the letters are discovered generations later, a blossoming romance leaps off the page transporting readers into the heart of a timeless love story.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction

Number of Pages: 136

Word Count: 26,000

[gabrielmtc]

True Narrative and Testimonies

True Narrative is a story, true story is a new home for long non-fiction narratives, it showcases one exceptional essay by one exceptional writer, it is also written based from personal experience offering a vivid report from real life.

Each issue of True story is a small immersion in a larger-like story or experience that makes us think differently about what it means to be human.

Some examples of True Narrative are the following:

-Personal Essays

-Fairy Tales

-Short Stories

-Novels

-Autobiography

-Histories

An example of True Narrative Essay.

● Introduction:

• Title: The Scotty Who Knew Too Much

• Author: James Thurber

• Thesis Statement: "The Scottie Who Knew Too Much" underscores the necessity of humility and curiosity in navigating unfamiliar challenges, cautioning against overconfidence and the failure to seek knowledge before acting.

● Summary: The story follows a confident Scottie dog visiting the countryside, who encounters two unfamiliar animals. Despite warnings, he plunges into confrontations without asking questions or learning about his opponents. His arrogance leads to defeat, emphasizing the lesson of humility and curiosity in navigating new challenges.

● Evaluation:

• The characters, particularly the confident Scottie and the wise farm dog, are well-developed and relatable. Through their interactions, the narrative highlights the consequences of overconfidence and the value of seeking information before acting.

• The plot unfolds in a straightforward yet impactful manner, with each encounter reinforcing the story's central theme. The Scottie's journey from arrogance to humility adds depth to the narrative, allowing readers to connect with the character emotionally.

• Overall, "The Scottie Who Knew Too Much" is a memorable tale that effectively communicates its message while entertaining the reader with its blend of humor and wisdom.

● Conclusion:

• In conclusion, yes, I agree with the thesis that "The Scottie Who Knew Too Much" highlights the importance of humility and curiosity in facing unfamiliar situations. The narrative effectively conveys this message through the Scottie's humorous yet enlightening experiences in the countryside.

● What are Testimonies?

•Testimonies are personal accounts or statements given by individuals to testify about their experiences, beliefs, or observations.

●Examples of testimonies are:

•"After trying countless diets, I finally found success with this meal plan. It's changed my relationship with food and my body for the better."

•"Joining the community garden has been a game-changer for me. It's not just about growing vegetables; it's about connecting with nature and my neighbors."

•"Attending the seminar opened my eyes to new possibilities. I walked away feeling inspired and ready to take on any challenge.