Greenwich Village Smoking vs. Low-Brow, Low-Life Smoking; Ah, the Ideals of Youth

I began smoking in college, in 1982, because I thought intellectuals smoked. Look at Jackson Pollock--that ubiquitous fag dangling from his bottom lip. His "No. 5, 1948" sold for $151 million and it was just a bunch of paint dribbles. If smoking was stupid, I wanted to be stupid like Jackson Pollock. Stupid like Georgia O'Keefe, Eugene O'Neill, Edith Wharton... the Greenwich Village crowd. The reds, the anarchists, the social reformers. I wanted to identify with them. 
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Christmas Memories: The Enemy Appendix, the Almost-Nativity and Snow for Christmas

This is a Christmas essay that I wrote. It might help you if you have to write a holiday essay. 


"The only reason I believe that Christmas 1997 actually happened is that we survived to tell the tale. No one could invent so unfortunate a series of events. I call it the Christmas of "The Enemy appendix, the Almost-Nativity and the Miracle Snow." Here's how it happened..."

How to Write a Musical Review

I write musical reviews for Associated Content and Yahoo! Here is an example of how to write a 400 word musical review for online or print publications.

"Croatian virtuoso pianist Maksim Mrvica plays classical cross-over and is himself a world class act. Since performing his first concerto at age 11, nothing, not even war, has prevented Maksim from creating beautiful music. Mrvica gives heart-stopping performances, made all the more memorable and poignant by the fact that this young man learned his art while his nation waged an epic war." Read more...

How to Write Truly Frightening Horror Fiction

Anatomy and Psychology of a Horror Movie
Halloween is the ripe for horror movies, but what exactly constitutes a horror movie? Does it need a plot twist? Suspense? Mystery? Zombies? Blood and gore? Satanic influence? A presence of evil? Here is a psychological analysis of horror movies.
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How to Write Mystery and Detective Fiction

How to Write Crime Stories and Detective Fiction that Mystery Readers Will Love
Tired of cracker-bland stories that readers only nibble?  What defines a story that readers gulp down whole, beg for more before the first even digests?  Characters, plot, climax and something else. Learn to write the gulp down whole stories!
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An All Souls Day Essay on Honesty

All Souls Day Stories: An Honest Little Boy
It's All Souls Day, and I'm feeling reminiscent. After homeschooling for years, it seems a little odd not to be wrapped up in holy day and holiday preparations. Here's a little story to warm you for the holy day. It's true.
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Doppelganger's Requiem

"You Know How Strong They Get when They're Crazy..."
Who is crazier--the asylum inmates or those who torture the mentally ill? In this story, the Genius Loci of an abandoned insane asylum looks with favor on the doppelganger granddaughter of a crazy woman and helps her settle some old debts.
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Free Printable Poem Templates and Poetry Frames

Free Printable Poetry Frames and Poem Templates
Poetry is one of the most expressive and unfettered forms of creative writing. Writing poetry can be daunting for beginners. I love to empower the inner poet. Here are free printable poetry frames and poem templates to break the creative ice.
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Mystery Writing Prompts, Horror Story Starters for Halloween

Mystery Story Starter Ideas
Need some story starter ideas for your next mystery? How about some creative writing prompts for students? Here are 15 horror, suspense and mystery story starters for you. Print and use for creative writing class. Perfect for Halloween. My favorite is 'The Letter from Yesterday'.
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Free Printable Halloween Word Games and Puzzles

Free Printable Halloween Word Games, Word Search, Word Scrambles and Puzzles
Little ones look forward to Halloween, but so do big kids. Got some big kids that need activities to keep them busy till trick-or-treat? Here are free printable Halloween and trick-or-treat word puzzles, games and word searches. Educational too!
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Essays on Psychology, Mental Health and Recovery

Emotional and Co-Dependent Recovery: Let Pain Be Your Guide
It's so easy, when facing a painful situation, to hide from negative feelings. But anger, frustration, pain, suffering guide us. Doctors say when recommending treatment to 'let pain be your guide'. This works in co-dependent recovery, too.
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Japanese Poetry- Haiku vs. Senryu

Haiku vs. Senryu: Nature vs. Nuture
Haiku and Senryu are Japanese poems, both of which have 17 syllables, of three lines with 5-7-5 syllabication, but the similarity ends there. Haiku are aesthetic nature poems. Senryu are darkly humorous poems.
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Using Popular Search Engine Terms to Find Article and Content Ideas

How to Find Article Titles and Content Ideas Using Search Engines
Veteran online writers usually have more ideas for articles than time to write the articles. If you struggle to find content ideas and article topics that will sell, however, here are effective strategies using search engine terms.
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How to Raise Children who Read and Write

Back-to-School: How to Raise Bookworms and Kids Who Can't Put a Book Down
If anyone goes looking for me, I will not be found in front of a TV. I will be found with my nose in a book. Naturally I've raised bookworms who don't care a fig for popular television shows but can quote the New York Times best-seller list. Here's how.
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Using Onomatopoeia: Make Your Writing Sing and Dance

Onomatopoeia: Words that Name Sounds
Onomatopoeia (ah-nuh-mah-tuh-pee-uh) is as much fun to say as it is to write. Onomatopoeia comes from the Greek words meaning 'name' and 'I make'. Onomatopoeia is a long word that means 'sound words'; words named for the sounds they make.
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Creative Writing Tips: Antonyms and Synonyms

Creative Writing and Language Arts Activities: Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms are words that have the same meaning. Antonyms have the opposite meanings. Remember them this ways 'synonym' = 'same'; 'antonyms'='anti-', 'opposite.' There are synonyms for nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.
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'I Write Like' Facebook App: What Famous Author Does Your Style Resemble?

Facebook App 'I Write Like' Free Printable Creative Writing Book and Text Analyzer
Facebook has a fun new app; I Write Like is a website that offers creative writing helps and reference tools with a vintage flavor. Analyze your writing; which famous author do you resemble? Sign up for a free printable creative writing manual.
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How to Write Japanese Haiku Poetry

How to Write Japanese Haiku Poems
Haiku poems are more than just 17 syllables in three lines of 5-7-5 syllabication. Haiku are nature poems and contain kireji (cutting word) and kigo (seasonal word). Haiku contain a mood or tone shift and reflect simplicity.
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Popsicle Purple

Popsicle Purple
a haiku about summer and purple popsicles.
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Author Spotlight: Jeff Shaara 'No Less Than Victory' WWII Trilogy

Jeff Shaara's No Less Than Victory Completes WWII Trilogy
Jeff Shaara, son of renown American Civil War historian and author of The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara, has completed his own war requiem with the publication of No Less Than Glory, that last in Shaara's World War II trilogy.
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How to Make More Money from Your Google Adsense Blogs

How to Increase Blog Ad Revenue with Your Google Adsense Account
We love write, but we've go to make money. Here are tips for doing both. I've been earning Google Adsense on my niche blogs for two years now. In that time, I've explored many ways to boost my blog Adsense earnings. Here are ten of my best 'tried and true' methods for earning money on my Google Adsense blogs.
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Statcounter Free Blogging and Writing Tools

StatCounter Website Review: Blogging Tool for Online Writers
I've been managing online niche blogs for two years now. I've tried many online websites and software to improve blog hits and boost ad revenue. One of the most useful blogging tools that I've found is a website called StatCounter.
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Author Spotlight: Joseph Wambaugh 'Hollywood Moon' 40 Year Anniversary

Author Joseph Wambaugh of Hollywood Moon Nears 40 Years of Writing
Early 1980s Political Science classes put author Joseph Wambaugh's best-selling books The New Centurians, The Onion Field and The Choirboys at the top of required reading lists. Wambaugh's LAPD stories continue with his newest Hollywood Moon.
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Free Printable Article Writer's Monthly Organizer

Free Printable Article Writer Monthly Work Organizer and Calendar
Do you write, sell and publish articles online, for Associated Content, Bukisa, Demand Studios, SEED, Examiner or other online publisher? Then you need this free printable monthly calendar article organizer.
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Free Verse Poetry Writing Guide

Poetry Wrting Guide: How to Write Free Verse Poetry
Poetry gives voice to the soul. Writing poetry is like singing; it should flow from the spirit. Unlike tangible things, poetry is not so easy to dissect, critique or explain. There are some devices that poets employ to create poems.
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Dogwood Rhapsody: A Toast for Midsummer's Eve Fairy Teas and Other Woodland Frolics

Dogwood Rhapsody
A Whimsical Toast for Midsummer's Eve Fairy Teas and Other Woodland Frolics. Gentle little dogwood, princess of the woods, I love thee. I humbly submit this poem to your beauty and for use in all woodland fairy gatherings.

slender fairy dogwood

gracious waving frond

woodland princess presides

ore' reflections in the pond

regal, royal dogwood

dainty maiden girl

arrayed in emerald splendor

bejewel'd with opal and pearl

cheeky little dogwood 

hides midst stately birch

like a saucy little child

annoying her elders in church

gracious regent dogwood  

smiles upon the forest floor

scattered bracken and fern

worship and adore

waxy-pink dogwood blossoms'

scroll-rolled petal tip

offers milky fresh bouquet

for butterflies to sip

enchanted dogwood blossoms 

for dryads, nymphs and sprites

tiny china cups and saucers

for midsummer tea party nights

~marilisa