My psychedelic bell bottoms and Audrey Hepburn shoes: How I turned my 1960s ‘stuff’ into a ‘happening’ at UC Irvine by Jina Bacarr
March 11, 2024 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as 1960s, homecoming, memorabilia, reunion, UC Irvine alumniI write novels about Paris WW2, the US home front during WW2, the TITANIC, the Civil War.
I live and breathe history.
So it’s no surprise I collect ‘stuff’ from history. Vintage clothes, chinaware. Jewelry.
And my own history, too. Childhood, teen years… and university life.
When I had the opportunity to help plan the Golden Anteater Society Event at the University of Caliornia Irvine (alumni who graduated from the mid-sixties to 1974), I mentioned I had cool stuff from the 1960s and voilà! My collection became part of the ‘memorabilia room’ at the University Club on campus. I was so excited to see alumni checking out record albums, university newspapers, Beatles magazines, Buffalo Springfield poster, mini-dresses, those psychedekic bell bottoms, and my hippie fringe purse.
The event was sold out!
I was also excited to display my latest Boldwood Books historical novel, Sisters At War (mentioned in my Letter to the Editor in The New York Times–you’ll see what I mean in the video along with the UCI event). I’ve come a long way since I was a student at UCI writing stories and dreaming of faraway places.
So many adventures since then… I drew upon the most difficult for inspiration to write Sisters At War about sexual assault against women. I never felt more vulnerble in my life as when I was writing Sisters At War and now the sequel Sisters of the Resistance.
A road that led me around the world and back home to the university when I clicked my heels three times.
Wearing my Audrey Hepburn silver slippers.
Jina
0 0 Read moreDianna Sinovic, Featured Author
March 1, 2024 by Dianna Sinovic in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Dianna Sinovic, Featured Author of the Month, Quill and Moss, Short Stories
Author of the Month: Dianna Sinovic
Dianna is a contributing author in the last three anthologies from The Bethlehem Writers Group, An Element of Mystery: Sweet, Funny and Strange Tales of Intrigue, Fur, Feathers, and Scales, Sweet, Funny and Strange Animal Tales and Untethered, Sweet, Funny & Strange Tales of the Paranormal. She has also contributed stories for the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable ezine, including “In the Delivery.”
Born and raised in the Midwest, Dianna has also lived in three other quadrants of the U.S. She writes short stories and poetry, and is working on a full-length novel about a young woman in search of her long-lost brother.
She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Horror Writers Association, The American Medical Writers Association, and The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC.
Dianna also has a regular column here on A Slice of Orange, titled Quill and Moss, in which she frequently includes short fiction.
Below, you can also listen to Dianna read her short story, “Cold Front” from the GLVWG Writes Stuff anthology.
Other books by Dianna Sinovic
Tari Lynn Jewett: Featured Author
February 29, 2024 by Tari Jewett in category Charmed Writer by Tari Lynn Jewett, Featured Author of the Month tagged as #Charmed Writers, #FireworksintheFog, #HeromsaForTheHolidays, #PleaseSayYes, Love and Mud Puddles, romantic comedy, Tari Lynn Jewett
Tari Lynn Jewett lives in Southern California with her husband of nearly thirty years (also known as Hunky Hubby). They have three amazing sons, a board game designer, a sound engineer and a musician, all who live nearby. For over fifteen years she wrote freelance for magazines and newspapers, wrote television commercials, radio spots, numerous press releases, and many, MANY PTA newsletters. As much as she loved writing those things, she always wanted to write fiction . . . and now she is.
She also believes in happily ever after . . . because she’s living hers.
Tari’s newest title is Love and Mud Puddles, available now.
Hannah loves her accounting job, the condo that she purchased herself, and her best friend Melinda. What she doesn’t love is baking. To be fair, she’s never tried. But when her cousin shames her into bringing homemade cookies to the family Christmas Eve celebration, she begins a quest to make the perfect holiday cookie.
Paramedic Josh also occasionally teaches kids’ cookie baking classes at his family’s bakery. When a beautiful accountant mistakenly signs up for a children’s holiday baking class, he realizes immediately that she’s in the right place.
Can this local hero help to save Hannah’s Christmas? Or will it all go up in smoke?
Tari’s other Books
Growing Feathers by Neetu
February 26, 2024 by Neetu Malik in category Poet's Day by Neetu Malik tagged as growing, Loving, Neetu, wings
Growing Feathers
we were wingless
until we knew love
our breathless breath
lifted us
into rainbows
eagle-like we soared
fearless and bold
flapping newfound wings
feathers soft as gossamer
and it was then
we understood
the lightness of being
©Neetu Malik
Some of Neetu’s Books
Creating a Writing Journal by Kidd Wadsworth
February 25, 2024 by Kidd Wadsworth in category Infused with Meaning by Kidd Wadsworth tagged as Buio, Journaling, kidd wadsworth, Writing journal, YouTube
Creating a Writing Journal
I wanted to stop forgetting appointments and lunches with friends. I wanted to keep track of events days, weeks, months and even years into the future. After 18 months of watching YouTube videos, I discovered a minimalist system that has worked well for me. I’ve been bullet journaling (called Bujo on YouTube) for two years now. It has revolutionized and simplified my life.
The must dos for creating a personal journal are fairly simple:
- The first one to three pages should be an index. It doesn’t have to be fancy. For example:
p.6 January Brain Dump. - Since I create my journal from a blank, spiral bound, notebook (dotted pages), I draw in my own calendars. Each of my journals lasts me about 6 months. Thus, I draw six monthly calendars. I use two facing pages for each month, so the calendars are large enough to hold important events such as dentist appointments or writing dates with my creative buds.
- Immediately following the monthly calendar pages, I use two facing pages to keep track of events that are scheduled more than 6 months out.
- For each month I also create a Brain Dump page. On this page I write all of things I want to remember as they come along. For example, replace the whole house water filter or order a book from interlibrary loan.
- Finally, every week on Saturday evening, I create a weekly spread. I use 4 pages divided length-wise to create space for Sunday-Monday, Tuesday-Wednesday, Thursday-Friday, Saturday-Tasks. On these pages I write down my to-do lists for that day. I use the Tasks section (the second half of the Saturday page) as a way of keeping track of what I want to do each week. The daily to-do lists are easy to create. I review the events scheduled for that week on the monthly calendar. I also refer back to the previous week and make sure that I reschedule any uncompleted tasks. Finally, I check the brain dump page. Are there tasks there that I need to schedule?
And that’s it. Short, simple, and most of all, in one place.
Last year I decided to also create a Writing Journal. When I first started my writing journal, I kept track of how many hours I wrote each day. I no longer do this. I write incessantly. However, if you find that your writing time is being co-oped by your day-job, your family obligations, etc., you may wish to add a time-tracker to help you prioritize and regain control of your time.
My must have pages are:
- Story Ideas – Story Ideas come at me so fast that if I don’t write them down, I’ll lose them. I try to write the story I’ve dreamed up as completely as possible, including characters names, what they look like, etc. Details are incredibly important. Specific snippets of dialogue I also record. I keep paper and a soft 6B pencil by my bed. When a story idea wakes me up at night, I write it down. I NEVER remember dreamed ideas in the morning.
- Great Words and Phrases – These gems provide endless inspiration. Consider: Braiding thoughts, glittering eyes, wobble-bobble, prattle.
- Books on Writing – I write down the titles of books on writing recommended to me by friends and writing professionals. These can be books on craft or the business side of writing. Since I can’t afford to buy all of these books, writing them down helps me save the titles and use inter library loan to obtain a free copy to read. (Typically, these are not fiction books in my genre.)
- Great Quotes – I love great quotes because they often include unique word choices. I always write down the name of the author of the quote. That way I don’t confuse my own good quotes with those of others. Yes, I write down “by Kidd Wadsworth” if I’m quoting myself. And yes, I do keep track of my gems, too.
- Goals – I both set goals and track how long it takes me to actually complete them. I’ve learned that I can write a novel in ~18 months. It usually takes a full day for me to send out a single query letter.
- Index – Unlike my daily journal, most of the pages in my writing journal are unscripted. I do not have monthly calendar pages, or daily to do lists. So an index is unbelievably important. I don’t worry that the items in my writing journal are not well organized. I write down stuff as it happens. I often use my writing journal for taking notes as I am writing, too. I use the Index to help me find everything later. And yes, the index is not well organized either. But it is usually no more than two pages long, so I can read through every line to find that one crucial item I need.
YouTube has proven to be a fantastic reference for me to begin journaling. But I had to disregard a lot of what I saw. I do not decorate my journals. I am not overly picky. If I make a mistake or draw a line in the wrong place, I fix it and move on. I am definitely not a perfectionist. Some of the journals on YouTube are best described as works of art. My journal is a tool. I do the minimum amount of work needed to make my journals useful, and then I get back to writing.
Happy Writing!
Kidd
Read Kidd’s Stories in the Following Anthologies
Featured Books
LOST IN THE LIGHT
One October morning in 1932, Vicente Sorolla entered the white house on the hill and was never seen again. Now, Detective Dori Orihuela witnesses his brutal murder in her nightmares.
More info →
