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Posts tagged ‘Ray Bradbury’

Jun 13

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Challenge your writing mind with free online short story and poetry classes

I’m a learning junkie, so I’m always excited to find new resources.

A One Wild Word reader alerted me to Academic Earth, which features a collection of free online courses from top universities, including MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

While it’s not the same as sitting in the classroom, and you don’t receive college credit, you’ll find class notes, suggested reading, and videos of lectures.

Here are several classes in the humanities category:

Writing and Reading Short Stories

Modern Poetry

The American Novel Since 1945

While you’re at it, check out this 2-minute video about the late Ray Bradbury’s book Fahrenheit 451: A Novel.

Apr 4

Three posts to celebrate National Poetry Month

In honor of National Poetry Month, I wanted to share three previous posts on the subject of poetry:

What I learned by reading poetry in front of the Rotary Club is a fun post about my evening out with other poets at a local Rotary Club event. 

In Improve your writing craft with this assignment from author Ray Bradbury Carly shares my all time favorite tip from this amazing man. Hint: this advice is not just for poets.

Three poetry sites to inspire your muse is a post that lists three websites I subscribe to and why.

Enjoy!

Mar 15

“Live at fever pitch,” and other advice by bestselling authors

Author Ray Bradbury, incredibly prolific throughout his life, penned several novels and over 600 short stories. He also gave many entertaining interviews sharing his writing advice to up-and-coming writers.

I especially love his advice to “live at fever pitch.”

Below is a post with a 1970’s interview with Bradbury on his thoughts about the role of literature and art in society:

“Ray Bradbury: Literature is the Safety Valve of Civilization”

And, in case you haven’t see them already, check out the following links with Kurt Vonnegut and John Steinbeck:

The Shape of A Story: Writing Tips from Kurt Vonnegut

John Steinbeck’s Six Tips for the Aspiring Writer and His Nobel Prize Speech

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Mar 12

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Out of sorts? Give yourself an injection of writing medicine

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Ray Bradbury

Do you ever feel distress, unease, or a tinge of depression? It could very well be that you haven’t had your proper dose of writing medicine.

My writing friends and I all agree that we feel out of sorts if we don’t write regularly enough. It’s a good addiction.

If you have the deep desire to write, you must feed it. For many of us, writing is our way of dealing with the reality of life. I believe that to be happy, people must find their creative passion, whether it’s writing, photography, drawing, or volunteering for a cause they love — whatever it is that makes them feel alive in the midst of this sad, happy, crazy world. Read more

Dec 28

Get a burst of writing energy from three of my favorite posts

One of my favorite things about writing this blog is how much I learn from it. As the year winds down, I thought I’d share several posts that were particularly energizing.

I discovered an interview online that led me to write, Improve your writing craft with this assignment from author Ray Bradbury. I’ve amped up my reading practice due to his advice. Read more

Aug 28

A haunting memory and Ray Bradbury inspired this writer’s short story

Where do you get your ideas for short stories? I like to think of them as slices of life. An event or image sparks an idea with an emotional response at its core.

Author Sam Weller says a haunting memory sparked, “The Girl in the Funeral Parlor.”  An image of a woman and her baby in a casket formed the kernel of an idea. At the end of the story, he explains how it came to be, including how he was influenced by author Ray Bradbury. Read more

Jun 8

A thank you to author Ray Bradbury

Often, when I need a dose of writing inspiration, I turn to Ray Bradbury. I’ll read one of his stories, watch him on a youtube video, or memorize a favorite quote from him. Like many others, I found Mr. Bradbury to be a remarkable human being and writer.

Thank you, Mr. Bradbury, for all you have shared with us. Below are three posts from other writers honoring him as well:

From author and musician Neil Gaiman: The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury — featuring an audio link of Gaiman reading the short story he wrote for Mr. Bradbury’s 91st birthday.

From writer Faye Flam a post on the most important thing she learned from Mr. Bradbury.

From journalist and editor Alec McCabe an article about the time Mr. Bradbury critiqued one of his stories and the three questions Bradbury asked (good questions for all of us to ask about our own stories).

How has Ray Bradbury touched your life?

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