We’re a supportive group of fiction writers writing in English. Most of us have been published, but that isn’t a prerequisite. We meet monthly in the Amsterdam Zuid area to share our work and give constructive feedback. Fiction for ages YA and up are welcome. Interested? Send us a message via our Facebook group or…
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Dear C. M. Chang #4: Oh, you’re a writer? I’ve always wanted to write a book.
Dear C.M. Chang, Whenever I mention I’m a writer, I can’t tell you how many times the person replied with: “Oh, you’re a writer? You know, I’ve always wanted to write a book too.” The way they say it makes it sound so trivial, as if it’s like deciding on a whim to buy a…
Dear C. M. Chang #3: Why is that writer successful?
Dear C. M. Chang I cannot believe this jack-ass of a writer I know is so successful. The metaphors he uses are as cliché as you can get, the plot lines are holy as Swiss cheese, and his story is as predictable as when my dog needs to poop. Yet he’s got an agent(s!), his…
Dear C. M. Chang #2: Waiting for my muse
Dear C. M. Chang, I cannot write unless my creative muse is with me. So many times I’m waiting and waiting until I feel inspired. What am I doing wrong? Inspirationless, O. G. Dear O. G., Are you living in Ancient Greece? The muses are a myth! What you need to do is simple. Sit…
Dear C. M. Chang #1: No time to read
Dear C. M. Chang, I’m a writer, but I have no time to read books. Work, writing, my attention-starved spouse, and my annoying little dog take up all my time. They say that writers should read, but who has the time? I don’t. Sincerely, I. Toobusy Dear I. Toobusy, This has gotta be one of…
Luxury stress
Tomorrow marks a year of working from home. One would think that working from home would lend more time to personal pursuits. Totally the opposite! Work has been nuts. But I can’t complain. I have a job where I can work easily from home. I am healthy. My family is healthy I have a great…
Witches, Beer, and Toxic Male Culture
This story really intrigued me. Every wonder how witches with pointy hats got started? It connected with beer! It was a way for the female beer sellers to be easily identified at a market. So when the men decided they wanted a bigger cut of the action, they labeled these female beer sellers as witches,…
Real Amazons kept both breasts
I’m always on the look out for articles and books on ancient feminist culture. I have recently started reading Adrienne Mayor’s ‘The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World’. Then just today I ran across this article in my Google News feed from National Geographic. A fun appetizer for her book….
Book: The Deep — Mermaids descended from slaves
I was excited to discover this novella concerning mermaids – THE DEEP by Rivers Solomon – that descended from pregnant slaves thrown overboard. The creatures fascinated me and at the end of the book the author provides an explanation as to what triggered this world. I devoured this, actually more literary feeling, work in a…
The world from my FISH book trilogy is coming true – and that is not a good thing!
During my morning debrief on Google News I ran across this article, which is very much in line with the world in my FISH triology. In FISH, the sea is ‘poisoned’ and a death trap for all living life. But new life emerges that can thrive in it. I wonder what will be the new…
Fur Elise middle-eastern style
If you play classical piano, I’m sure you’ve had your go at Beethoven’s famous bagatelle, Fur Elise. So this version performed in Baghdad is sure to charm you.