They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but it is up to the author to write those thousand words. (Richard Petracca) The road winds gracefully amidst the trees. Is this all you see when you look at the picture? Or does your mind go wild thinking of what could be at either end…
Phobias are constant, irrational fears that afflict some people. Their fear should be taken seriously. The person should never be made fun of or belittled because of their fear. But as writers, we can bless (or curse) our characters with phobias and make the story so much more interesting. What happens if someone encounters the…
The month of April is full of crazy and unique holidays. Here are some that take place on April 7 for you to consider including in your writing. Will you find a family of beavers to observe on International Beaver Day? How many newspapers will you read on International Snailpapers Day? Will you take a…
Here in the United States, we celebrate Easter by going to church to rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, having Easter egg hunts, and eating the ears off chocolate bunnies. Well, maybe not everyone eats the ears off the chocolate bunnies, but that is something my husband used to do when our kids were…
Honey, that wonderfully sweet and sticky substance made by bees using nectar or pollen collected from flowers, is the only food that contains all the substances necessary to sustain life. It can also be used as a medicine. So if honey is such an awesome and nutritious food, how can someone become mad or even die…
The origin of April Fool’s Day, the holiday that delights those who love to play practical jokes, is a mystery, although it is believed to have had its beginnings in France sometime during the 1500s. No one is safe from pranks, practical jokes, and hoaxes on this day when humor reigns. There have been some…
Arsenic, cyanide, and strychnine are the classic poisons. The seemingly innocent little old ladies in Arsenic and Old Lace, one of my favorite movies, used these three poisons together in their deadly elderberry wine. One gallon of their elderberry wine contained one teaspoon of arsenic, half a teaspoon of strychnine, and just a pinch of cyanide.…
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17. When going to school, I would always find something green to wear on this special day. I really didn’t want to be pinched, and if I failed to wear green, the inevitable happened. Who was St. Patrick, and what does green have to do with this day? St.…
If you turn and see a box of Lucky Charms, does the picture of Lucky the Leprechaun on the front of it cause you to panic? Do you shy away from parties where others might be dressed as leprechauns? If so, then you might have leprechaunophobia. The world can be a terrifying place to live…
Do you prefer to write mysteries or romances, thrillers or fantasies, science fiction or historical fiction? Whatever genre you prefer to write in, I’m sure you can find a way to include one of these unusual holidays that occur on March 9 to add a bit of something different to your story. Do you own…
