Whitman's "Song of Myself" I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air, Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death. Creeds and schools in abeyance, Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten, I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard, Nature without check with original energy. Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with perfumes, I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it, The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it. Have you reckon'd a thousand acres much? Urge and urge and urge, Always the procreant urge of the world. A child said What is the grass?
The Poetry Society (Home Page) one star in sight Thy feet in mire, thine head in murk, O man, how piteous thy plight,The doubts that daunt, the ills that irk, Thou hast nor wit nor will to fight —How hope in heart, or worth in work? No star in sight! Thy Gods proved puppets of the priest. "Truth? All's relation!" Thy cringing carrion cowered and crawled To find itself a chance-cast clodWhose Pain was purposeless; appalled That aimless accident thus trodIts agony, that void skies sprawled On the vain sod! All souls eternally exist, Each individual, ultimatePerfect — each makes itself a mist Of mind and flesh to celebrateWith some twin mask their tender trystInsatiate. Some drunkards, doting on the dream, Despair that it should die, mistakeThemselves for their own shadow-scheme. That shall end never that began. To man I come, the number of A man my number, Lion of Light;I am The Beast whose Law is Love.
CALLIHOO Writing Helps--Feelings Table Character Feelings You can describe your character's feelings in more exact terms than just "happy" or "sad." Check these lists for the exact nuance to describe your character's intensity of feelings. SF Characters | SF Items | SF Descriptors | SF Places | SF EventsSF Jobs/Occupations | Random Emotions | Emotions List | Intensity of Feelings Kurt Vonnegut explains drama I was at a Kurt Vonnegut talk in New York a few years ago. Talking about writing, life, and everything. He explained why people have such a need for drama in their life. He said, “People have been hearing fantastic stories since time began. He drew an empty grid on the board, like this: Time moves from left to right. He said, “Let's look at a very common story arc. It starts with her awful life with evil stepsisters, scrubbing the fireplace. “People LOVE that story! He wiped the board clean and said, “Now let's look at another popular story arc: the disaster.” It's an ordinary day in an ordinary town. But the problem is, life is really like this... Our lives drifts along with normal things happening. “But because we grew up surrounded by big dramatic story arcs in books and movies, we think our lives are supposed to be filled with huge ups and downs! That's why people invent fights. We're trying to make our life into a fairy tale.
Able Was I … – A 544-word palindrome composed in 1984 by Dan Hoey (with computer assistance) Publishing Tips: How To Follow Up With A Literary Agent From Writer's Relief staff: It’s hard to be patient when you’ve sent out a query letter and still haven’t heard back from your literary agent of choice after a few months. How long should you wait to check in? While you should always follow specific agent guidelines when given, those are not always available. Is it okay to send a manuscript with a request for a signature upon delivery? Is it okay to ask a literary agent to confirm immediately that he or she received a query letter, proposal, or book manuscript? If you’ve got an assertive personality and are determined to follow up (even if the agent’s guidelines say not to), send a polite email asking for confirmation that your query was received. What is the ideal amount of time to wait before following up with a literary agent? A lot of literary agents have guidelines on their site, stating how long they’d like you to wait before following up. Are there extenuating circumstances that make it okay to send a follow-up?
Themes & Things To Keep In Mind When Writing Fantasy Stories and Adventures » Daily Encounter This list is far from complete. It’s not even trying to be complete. It knows better than that. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments! Weather Natural: sunlight, rain, snow, hail, fog, humidity, moonlight, wind, smoke, clouds, shadows, overcast skies, clear skies, lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, moon in sky during daytimeFantastic: summoned weather, unnatural coloration (eg. green fog) Terrain Changes Natural: sunrise, sunset, storms, seasons, earthquakes, landslides, sinkholes, animal migrations, inside vs. outside (light adaptation), plagues/famine, weathering, floods, tides, animal hunting habits & territories, volcanoes, firesArtificial: buildings, statues, roads being built & demolished; political power struggles; invasions/war; kidnappingsFantastic: divine will, powerful magic, gods (dis)appearing Landmarks After-Effects of Events Tricks Cultures Mysticism Events Unfolding Harsh Situations fatigue, hunger, thirst, extreme temperaturesenemy territories (invading?
201 Ways to Arouse Your Creativity Arouse your creativity Electric flesh-arrows … traversing the body. A rainbow of color strikes the eyelids. Creativity is like sex. I know, I know. The people I speak of are writers. Below, I’ve exposed some of their secret tips, methods, and techniques. Now, lie back, relax and take pleasure in these 201 provocative ways to arouse your creativity. Great hacks from Merlin Mann of 43 Folders
One Sentence - True stories, told in one sentence.