Hello, Write Edge readers! Okay, raise your hand if you can’t believe it’s already August? Like you swear it was just March about 10 minutes ago?
I think, in some ways, we feel like if we could just pause the year and give scientists and our essential workers a few minutes to catch up, that we’ll be able to finish this year with a sigh of relief. That we’ll get back everything we’ve lost so far in 2020. Especially the people.
Time continues to pass, no matter how much we loathe it to.
One thing that allows us to capture a small piece of time, though, and turn it back — even if it’s in our hearts and minds — is stories. So don’t be afraid to share yours. Don’t be afraid to let people know how you think and feel and what they need to hear from you today. One way to do this is participate in others’ stories by reading. This week’s motivational quote reminds us why that’s so important:
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”—George R. R. Martin
I have new short fiction to share with you. Here’s a quick excerpt of the new story I wrote today.
What did I give Katherine that year?
He fought with his memory to bring up the answer, but it refused to yield. Refused to bring back a recollection of a trip to a store, a receipt tucked into the small zipper pocket of his wallet. Stonewalled his attempts to picture her reaction when she opened…what?
Speaking of stories, this week I’ll share the review of a new one. Or a new book, rather. Ironically (I promise, I didn’t plan this!) the book review I’m going to post on Wednesday is about how we tell stories. How we manage them when they get bigger than us. And how they might change lives in the most unexpected of ways. Find out on Wednesday what I thought of It Came from the Sky by Chelsea Sedoti; that review will be up on The Write Edge Bookshelf!
It’s the third quarter of the year, which means a new Thursday R.E.A.D.s. After years, Suzanne Collins released a new book, and she went back to the arena of the Hunger Games. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes came out this spring, and this whole month I’ll delve into it as a r.eviewer, e.ditor, a.uthor, and a d.reamer. Wonder what Thursday R.E.A.D.s is? Find previous R.E.A.D.s books here on The Write Edge Bookshelf!
And on Friday, I’ll have brand new Insta-pics to share, including a fun new addition to my writing studio to keep it shining bright. Find other Instagram posts by using my handle, @EktaRGarg, or go to my Facebook author page. See you for all that on Friday!
Have a fantastic week, readers, and stay safe, stay home, stay hydrated, and stay healthy!
E.R.G.
Let your friends know what's going on here this week!
Hello, Write Edge readers! I’m back with my latest parenting post. Here’s a quick excerpt:
From the time the girls were too young to understand the words, I’ve made them repeat a particular sentence after me: Smart girls find a way to fix the problem. As they got older, I forced them to parrot it back like a call-and-response—“Smart girls do what?” I’d demand, and one or both would roll their eyes and intone, with flat words, “Find a way to fix the problem,” the syllables words drawn out to indicate how utterly sick and tired they were of having to repeat the adage.
Also, my newest episode as host of Biblio Breakdown is out now! Get writing exercises and the idea of mood in your writing within the context of The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni. Find the full episode here on The Writescast Network!
Have a lovely weekend, readers! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, and stay hydrated. Don’t forget your masks!
E.R.G.
Let your friends know what's going on here this week!
Hello, Write Edge readers! I’m back with another book review. Today I share my thoughts on the recent release The Day She Came Back by veteran women’s fiction author Amanda Prowse. Here’s the opening to my review:
A teenager is left without any family after her last living relative dies. She’s shocked, then, when the mother she thought had died of a drug overdose comes back, healthy and very much alive. The teen must decide if she can forgive her mother for disappearing and figure out how to move on. Acclaimed women’s fiction author Amanda Prowse is back with another winning novel about grief and restarting relationships in The Day She Came Back.
Also, another reminder for you writers out there looking for writing exercises. This Friday I’m back with another episode of Biblio Breakdown on The Writescast Network. I’m talking about the mood of a piece — how to set it and how to maintain it — within the context ofThe Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni. If you’re curious what the Biblio Breakdown might be, check out the last episode I did about patient storytelling within Where the Crawdads Sing. Then subscribe and mark your calendars for the newest episode!
Stay safe, stay home, and stay hydrated, readers!
E.R.G.
Let your friends know what's going on here this week!
