Elevating Cultured Narratives
Literal regeneration
Hi Friends:
Because writer’s block is proof of the ability to sprint away from victory, this issue includes:
A sip…
On the final day of the calendar year, the muse is expected to have the Last Word…
Happy New Year, paid subscribers, here’s to making it the best yet:
, , @bcobb22437, @brandy175593, , , @jodie94566, , , , and @presstowardsfreedom!A shout out…
To you dear Reader,
While I always share great writing-related advice, prompts, and so on, it’s appropriate to take a moment at the end of 2024 to highlight the most popular posts based on a bunch of immaterial nothingness.
And yes, you’ve likely read each of the following already, but that doesn’t mean the other good stuff (i.e., submissions opportunities) is recycled.
So here goes:
Creative Collaborations
The most popular:
The most commented upon:
The one that introduced new perspective:
The Poetics of Revolution
Trigger Warning: This installment is collaborative, and it should not be construed that either of the authors represents or shares Marxist views and/or engages in guerilla-style tactics or warfare.
Down in Hush Harbor:
The most popular:
The most commented upon:
The one that introduced new perspective(s):
Muse on Booze
The most popular -and- the most commented upon:
Committed, Unapologetic and Unrepentant
Without giving a damn about the adage and speaking impolitely… are you aware that abstract painter, author, teacher, and voice actor, William S. Burroughs, is considered the third most famous drug addict in literary history?
The most fun to research:
Nuggets of Knowledge
With refusal to enter the fray associated with whether cannabis is or isn’t a gateway drug… do you know activist, author, and all-around accomplished woman, Maya Angelou, imbibed during her late teens and early twenties?
The one that strongly suggests looks are deceiving:
Imaginative, Poetic, and Unbridled
With full knowledge of the fine line between self-invented and self-indulgent… do you know Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Britain’s greatest female poet, began an illicit and decades-long affair with opium when she was fifteen years old?
Savory & Succinct
The most popular -and- most commented upon:
The one featuring a favorite short story:
The one that suggests a need to divest/get rid of immediate family:
A sentence…
Prompts inspired by the turn of the Calendar:
“Write to make things right.”
“Pages are blank when there is a need to write opportunities.”
“Just because it’s the same old story, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be written.”
“Twelve chapters is equivalent to three hundred sixty-five second chances.”
“Slow or fast however the page flips, it’s one nearer to becoming the writer you know you are.”
A book list…
A few of the titles by BIPOC authors named best in 2024:
Yellowface, by R. F. Kuang
Ours, by Phillip B. Williams
Sugar, Baby, by Celine Saintclare
Bad Cree: A Novel, by Jessica Johns
Wandering Stars, by Tommy Orange
The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters
The House of Eve, by Sadeqa Johnson
While We Were Burning, by Sara Koffi
The Great Divide, by Cristina Henriquez
Horse Barbie: A Memoir, by Geena Rocero
The Cemetery of Untold Stories, by Julia Alvarez
The Bullet Swallower, by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
A Grandmother Begins the Story, by Michelle Porter
Swim Home to the Vanished, by Brendan Shay Basham
Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare, by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto
To Shape a Dragon's Breath: The First Book of Nampeshiweisit, by Moniquill Blackgoose
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst
A literary listicle…
Of cool ‘stacks by cool creatives:
B Stings ~ hosted by
Slapstick ~ hosted by
Life in Parts ~ hosted by
Decolonized Journalism ~ hosted by
Made for What’s Not Real ~ hosted by
A few useful tips…
On being a kick-ass creative:
Just do the thing(s).
If you know your audience, trust that it will find you.
Because all minorities are cultural storytellers, show don’t tell is literally biased BS.
If you need proof that genres are created, Urban Lit didn’t exist until Iceberg Slim began penning.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; however, insincere compliments are payment for an overall lack of imagination.
Do as agreed because a lie on paper is fiction, a spoken lie is the bond of a creative who has an overarching tendency to speak and tell damned lies.
All creatives are aware of and place a spin on what is demonstrated; therefore, it remains imperative to maintain consistently reliable creative citizenship.
The tendency to post passive-aggressive comments about a fellow creative and/or his or her work(s) is cowardice and does not earn, gain, or retain a true fan base.
A persona is a strategic mask of identity, a fictitious public image of one's personality, or an adopted social role. If your creative impression casts a negative impression, expect it to be critical and lasting because the opportunity to correct such is non-existent.
Because we are taught to write the experiences of others, it is far easier to coerce one into believing personal experiences are not worth writing about. Conversely, if you are a writer specializing in buffoonery be aware that because we are taught to write the experiences of others, idiocrasy rarely best sells.
A few contests…
Bethesda Magazine Essay and Short Story Contest
Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting
Craft Memoir Excerpt and Essay Contest
Fourteen Hills Stacey Doris Memorial Poetry Award
The Hillman Prize for Journalism
Dr. Paul Kalanithi Writing Award
Shepton Snowdrops 2025 Poetry Competition
Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History
A few fee-based accountability/retreat/workshop opportunities…
January 2nd
#WrAP2025 Kick Off & Write Along (Donation)
January 4th
Holiday Blues: A Creative Writing Workshop (£7.01 - £21.98)
January 5th
Intuitive Writing Circle ($4 - $8)
Sober Scribbles Online - New Year Writing Workshop (£7.50)
Writing from the Art (£7 – £9.15)
January 6th
Monday Writing Group ($15 - $30)
Ongoing
Indigo & Inspiration ($7.65 – $10 per session)
Series
January 5th, 12th & 19th
Rise Write. January Mornings ($50 - $60)
Unwind Write. January Evenings ($50 - $60)
A few fellowship/grant/scholarship opportunities…
Film and Video Production Funding – New England
Jack Hazard Summer Fellowships
Indian Arts Research Center Artist-in-Residence Fellowships
Kresge Artist Fellowships and Gilda Awards
New Jersey Heritage Fellowships
The Sidney Hillman Foundation Labor and Workforce Reporting Grants
Southern Prize and State Fellowships for the Literary Arts
Speculative Literature Foundation A. C. Bose Grant
Trillium Arts Western North Carolina HEAR Artist Grants
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
A freelance opportunity…
The Globe and Mail Saturday Opinion section seeks reported essay and op-ed pitches.
A few submission opportunities…
Lit Fox Poetry Series seeks poetry submissions.
Rattle seeks unsolicited poetry, translations, and book reviews.
Solstice Magazine seeks submissions of unpublished works.
A few sessions & workshops…
January 1st
January 2nd
January 3rd
January 4th
Writers Online Workshop - Publish and Market Your First Book
January 5th
Procrastination Therapeutic Journaling Self-Reflection Session
Unveiling the Soul: Poetry Prompts on Emotions and Womanhood
January 6th
In A Room Together - Creative Accountability Space
Let's Get Our Sh*t Together TOGETHER: 2025 Planning Workshop for Authors
Ongoing
Series
January 1st – 6th
An open critique group/open mic/shared reading…
January 4th
January 6th
Ongoing
A virtual artist/author/creative event…
January 5th
January 6th
A virtual book/script club…
Keep it 100 Men's Book Reading Sessions
Let Me Tell Ya! Book Club - Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks
And a final thought…
I wish you, dear Reader, the very best that 2025 has to offer. Because of your continued encouragement, I am already well on my way to an excellent New Year.
As usual, this installment contains affiliate links; I earn a commission if you purchase using either link.
Have a super chill, love-filled week and start to 2025,
After going back over all of these, I feel like a serious literary scholar. Keep up the excellent work in the coming year! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽