The assignment for my creative writing class was a fun one: Write a story under 300 words that includes all the parts of ABDCE structure (more on that in the challenge), give your protagonist a strong desire, have your protagonist learn that he or she only has 24 hours to live, and give your character … Continue reading WRITER’S WORKSHOP III, May, 2020: Story Structure, Difficult Choices, and Birds
Author: Tanya Cliff
UPDATE: WRITER’S WORKSHOP II, April, 2020: Sally Packed Devilled Eggs, The “Deep-Holes” of Alice Munro
UPDATE: What have I packed? Spring, complete with coronavirus-driven sequestration, like everyone else. My spring also involves hundreds of newly started seeds for a garden and a young flock of chickens, the first three of which--beautiful Cuckoo Marans who lay dark chocolate-colored eggs--will arrive this week. I can't wait; more on that next week. For … Continue reading UPDATE: WRITER’S WORKSHOP II, April, 2020: Sally Packed Devilled Eggs, The “Deep-Holes” of Alice Munro
WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 4: A Celebration and My #1 Writing Tip
We came, we saw, we measured—twice. We cut 10% of the excess—once. We twisted our opening lines to create grammatical tension. We have arrived. It’s Week 4 of the Writer’s Workshop, and that means it’s time to step back and celebrate our hard work. Next week, I will be back with some fresh points to … Continue reading WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 4: A Celebration and My #1 Writing Tip
Hallelujah, Classic Poems Presented by Go Dog Go Cafe Baristas
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian Singer, Songwriter, Poet, and Author. The body of work he left behind is honest, prolific, and profound. While the lyrics to "Hallelujah" don't constitute traditional "classic poetry," they feel comforting to me in these pandemic days we share. I invite you to give a listen to the video version shared … Continue reading Hallelujah, Classic Poems Presented by Go Dog Go Cafe Baristas
WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 3, Curveball Challenge
Something to think about: Our talented writers have some amazing stories brewing in the Go Dog Go Café; but, the water is just getting hot, and we aren’t finished yet! Congratulations to everyone who has traveled this far in our first Writer’s Workshop journey. This week’s quote comes from a wonderful book for writers by … Continue reading WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 3, Curveball Challenge
WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 2, Batting Practice
Something to think about: “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.” John Gould to Stephen King, quoted from On Writing One more quote from Stephen King: “In the Spring of my senior year at Lisbon … Continue reading WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 2, Batting Practice
WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 1, The Fastball
Something to think about:My stepfather, a custom home builder, taught me the basics of carpentry: “measure twice, cut once.” Sounds simple enough, but it takes discipline and an investment in time to slow down and repeat the measurement, and the power saw can be unforgiving. Many are the boards wasted by a few mismarked millimeters. … Continue reading WRITER’S WORKSHOP I, Week 1, The Fastball
THROWBACK FRIDAY: I Played by Tanya Cliff
I played a beautiful song in multicolored notes scattered across a lined page carefully metered for sweet-sounding melody wind-blown notes from warm lips – the air-born gifts of a hand-held flute I played on a concrete step that led to a House of White flattered where they stole my sheet and blotted out the rainbow … Continue reading THROWBACK FRIDAY: I Played by Tanya Cliff
WRITER’S WORKSHOP, Get Ready
Exciting News!
Exciting News! I am going to be hosting a weekly Writer’s Workshop here on Saturdays, beginning March 7th. Please join me for a fun, challenging opportunity to stretch your writing skills in this friendly environment. I love the group at GDG! I’m thrilled to be joining you, especially in a format that explores the power … Continue reading Exciting News!
Go Dog Go Café 