April's prompt was to imagine that HRW disappeared overnight and Joe Barboza's submission was a perfect fit. See the full prompt after the story. When Hampton Roads Writers first disappeared, I'll be honest, I saw it as an opportunity. An approaching freedom. A release. And I felt good for my creator, newly unchained to pursue... Continue Reading →
by M. Richard Eley In this part of the series, we'll take a look at the often misused and misunderstood "eM" dash, also known as the long dash. As with the eN dash, the eM dash is named because the length of the dash is…hah, hah, surprise, not the width of an "M" but the... Continue Reading →
By M. Richard Eley In my previous article, we explored the wacky life of hyphens. As we found out, a hyphen's main use is to break or join multiple-word compound terms. This time, we'll look at the eN dash. The eN dash, like its brother the eM dash, is named for the letter length of the... Continue Reading →
Looking for a quick and easy writing tip that can be incredibly effective? Read on!
By M. Richard Eley Part 1 — Hyphens Back in the halcyon days of yore–and typewriters–there was only one choice for a "dash": the hyphen key. We all know what happened next: computers ruined our lives with their digital pomposity, smug 102-key keyboards, and self-righteous spell checking. In the electronic age, we have five different... Continue Reading →
Two phrases together often catch a writer's attention. No Fee and Cash Prize! That's exactly what you'll find at HRW's 8th Annual Writers Conference. Attendees have the opportunity to submit in three categories: poetry; fiction; and nonfiction. Each category pays cash prizes. And did I mention there is no fee to submit? Here's what you'll... Continue Reading →
Naomi Nye’s poem “The Mother Writes to the Murderer: A Letter” begins with a quote from the Dallas Morning News: “Alicia didn’t like sadness.” The poem is about the murder of a child on her way to the store a block away from her house. The poem is powerful and haunting, vivid in its description of... Continue Reading →
National Poetry Month is in full swing and lots of poets are writing their hearts out in order to get to 30 poems in 30 days. Today, let's take a look at some short-form poems that can help you express your thoughts without taking up your entire day.
National Poetry Month takes place in April of every year. Founded by the Academy of American Poets, the month is focused on promoting visibility for poetry and giving poetry lovers a chance to highlight this art form. The NaPoMo Challenge During National Poetry Month, affectionately shortened to NaPoMo, lots of writers take up the challenge... Continue Reading →
"Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea forever." -Will Self There are plenty of resources who will tell you to carry a notebook, but why should you do it? What will it help you... Continue Reading →
Characters Corner 