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THE 3 BEST REASONS TO WRITE SHORT STORIES

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THE 3 BEST REASONS TO WRITE SHORT STORIES               Reason 1: Authors have the capability to alter lives. It’s only through fiction that one can understand reality. What does that mean? Stories are catalysts in defying the natural laws of gravity. Readers, as if on a magic carpet ride, are lifted to a higher level of awareness where the unclear suddenly becomes obvious. A story’s thematic resonance has the power to change paradigms, shift priorities, and offer clues to help solve the mysteries of life.             Reason 2: The act of sharing thoughts and imagination through story indicate your recognition that all living creatures are united in the indisputable triptych of being­—birth, life, and death, regardless of geographic location, monetary solvency, education, race, and creed.             Reason 3: A recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled, Why Good Storytellers Are Happier in Life and in Love , states, “Storytelling is one way couples bond when a rel

THINK (-OUTSIDE) WITHOUT THAT FREAKIN’ BOX

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“Discovery consists of seeing what everyone else has seen and  thinking what nobody has thought.” —Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1893-1986)     Hungarian physiologist Here's a post that focuses on the value of thinking outside  without the freakin' box: List all the ways that these words relate: Sand, Hand, And, Wand, Land Yes, there is the obvious—all the word contain the word ‘and.’ What else? Here’s a hint: Stack the words differently. Sand Hand And Wand Land Notice anything? No? Here’s another hint: Your grandma wears one. Get it yet? No? Okay then, let’s copy the first letter of each word and see what we have. S – H – A – W – L             Since childhood, you’ve been taught to recognize patterns. Our brains look for patterns. You’ve been programmed to think in patterns. It’s therefore understandable that when you looked at the words above, you immediately recognized the apparent relationships among them. The ‘and’ word stood out and eclipsed

LIVE AND WRITE WITH DISTINCTION

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“One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” .                                                 — Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944)  French writer and aviator; from The Little Prince As a adjective, distinction is a word seldom used today to describe a person’s character. As a verb, it is seldom seen. Look around. Cultural similarities, predictable behavior, and conventional attitudes snuggled together within the walls of shopping malls across the country are perfect examples. Brand has replaced handmade specialty products. More and cheaper has replaced less and finer. Moreover, we’ve lost the insistence that our leaders, writers, entertainers, manufacturers, and neighbors bear the banner of distinction. There is safety in numbers and it remains easier and far more secure for a writer to travel the path of the unadventurous than to journey down the road less traveled. That’s not to say that every writer is living a life of coward

INTERVIEW WITH JO SPARKES - SCRIPTWRITER, SPORTS WRITER, AUTHOR, TEACHER, & MORE

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This is my fifth interview with a co-author of the new Sci-fi and Fantasy anthology,  Reality Glitch:   11 Sci-fi & Fantasy Stories by Authors From Around the World.  Today I am excited to have with us multi-talented writer, Jo Sparkes. Hi Jo! Hi Gerard. I’m excited you’re here, and I’m eager to have my readers get to know you and the variety of your work. I'm going to begin by giving everyone the scope and range of your talent. Jo's work includes scripts for Children's live-action and animated television programs, a  direct to video Children’s DVD, commercial work for corporate clients, and a feature writer on ReZoom.com, where one of her subjects landed the website’s ‘Man of the Year’ award.  As a contributing writer for the Arizona Sports Fans Network, where she was called their most popular writer, she garnered popularity with her humorous articles, player interviews and game coverage. Jo was unofficially the first to interview Emmitt Smith when

JAMES FIELD: SCI-FI AND FANTASY STORIES FROM NORWAY

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This is my fourth interview with a co-author of the new Sci-fi and Fantasy anthology, Reality Glitch:   11 Sci-fi & Fantasy Stories by Authors From Around the World.  Today I am excited to have with me a friend and a terrific author, James Field. Hi James . Hi Gerard. I’m happy you’re here, and I’m eager to have my readers get to know you and your work. Let’s begin by telling the readers a little something about yourself, James.   I was born in Essex , England , in 1951. My early days of work as an engineer led me to Norway where I met my future wife Kari. She moved to England where we married and raised our two daughters. We moved back to Norway in 1985. My wife and I now live far in the north, well within the Arctic Circle , in the land of the midnight sun. Life here is slow and comfortable, blessed by unspoiled nature and its magnificent moods. Being creative in the written form gives me vast pleasure. I hope, dear reader, you will take a break from

MICHAEL GARDNER: ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S BEST SCI-FI/FANTASY WRITERS

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This is my third interview with a co-author of the new Sci-fi and Fantasy anthology, Reality Glitch: 11 exciting stories by authors from around the world. Today I am excited to have with me a friend and a terrific author, Michael Gardner. Hi Mike . Hi Gerard. It’s wonderful to have you here. I’m excited to have my readers get to know you and your work. Let’s get started, shall we? Tell us a little something about yourself, Mike. I’m a humble writer from Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud, better known as New Zealand . I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My first work, aged two, was written in red crayon on the kitchen wall. It wasn’t well received. Since then I have been working on my craft to please my readers more. Without a reader, an author is nothing. Writing has been a great journey. When I started the journey, I thought I was destined to be a science fiction and fantasy writer. I love these genres but the more I write, the more I’ve dis