• new poetry prompts

    New Poetry Prompts

    - By 

    Writing prompts are engineered to act as a tool to get you writing. They can extend themselves to any genre of writing that can help you, the writer, get your ideas on paper. You can use these new poetry prompts to inspire your own writing. In keeping with the theme of poetry for National Poetry Month, use the poetry prompts below to help you move past your writer’s block or use these prompts as a fun exercise to help you express your ideas. 3 New Poetry Prompts to Try These prompts are designed to inspire and challenge you in your…

  • Compassion in Action: Interview with Xulon Author Jacki Dirksmeyer

    - By 

    Editor Krystina Murray interviews Xulon author Jacki Dirksmeyer on her faith and the practice of “breaking bread” are impacting her local community. Feed My Peeps is an organization in St. Louis, Missouri geared toward delivering food from local restaurants, caterers, farmer’s markets, and schools. Founded by Jacki Dirksmeyer in 2012, Feed My Peeps keeps many homeless families and those with limited resources nourished with love and good food. It all started with Dirksmeyer’s trip to Kenya and meeting a cancer-stricken young man, after which she became part of the mission team “Get the Word Out”, where she began feeding people from…

  • Passive Voice: It’s So Passé

    - By 

      Passive voice has a time and place in writing, as it serves to be a stylistic additive in many books and papers. In some cases, people prefer passive voice in creative pieces, such as poetry and prose; however, writing in passive voice too often in your fiction and non-fiction pieces can cloud your writing. The “passive voice” can best be described as writing that quietly emphasizes the subject in the sentence, rather than the verb. It also indirectly guides the reader to a course of action or situation without a direct voice, which can leave readers scratching their heads. It…

  • inspiration for writing a book

    Goal Management: Patience + Persistence = Progress

    - By 

    Taking control of your writing dream means actively making your routine and writing goals a priority in your life. Some say writing is about inspiration, but it’s more practical than that. It’s about actively seeking inspiration while following through with an idea, and manifesting your thoughts into words. This can be achieved with action and persistence. The mindset you subconsciously (or consciously) have before writing is paramount in your level of enthusiasm. In other words, be confident and focus on your immediate goals, rather than the end result. Writing from a place of doubt, anxiety, or pressure seldom creates a positive result. If…