Hi, Denise here.
June's winner for the WEP challenge, URBAN NIGHTMARE, guests for us today. Her winning entry was short, succinct and terrifying. Goes to show, we don't always need 1,000 words to get our point across. Again, congratulations Toi. Thank you for putting this piece together to inspire us.
Because of the poignancy and relevance of Toi's entry, I'm reposting here in case you missed it or would like a reminder...
Toi Thomas is a geek-girl, vinyl collector, chocoholic, movie buff, animal lover, avid reader and reviewer, blogger, vlogger, and an indie author of children's books, fiction, and nonfiction. Find Toi online at the following links.
Thanks so much for guesting for us Toi. And congratulations again for your win for URBAN NIGHTMARE.
And everyone, our next challenge is upon us. Please get your thinking caps on for LONG SHADOW. First post up on August 1. Entries ready by August 19 - 21. Once again, we will be practising WEP-Lite.
Denise for the team:
June's winner for the WEP challenge, URBAN NIGHTMARE, guests for us today. Her winning entry was short, succinct and terrifying. Goes to show, we don't always need 1,000 words to get our point across. Again, congratulations Toi. Thank you for putting this piece together to inspire us.
Because of the poignancy and relevance of Toi's entry, I'm reposting here in case you missed it or would like a reminder...
DRIVING HOME
It’s cold outside, but I can’t wear a hoodie.
My pants are too tight, but at least it doesn’t look like
I’m carrying.
My car is run down, but at least I’m less likely to get
pulled over.
I just need to make it a few more blocks…
#BlackLivesMatter
Take it away, Toi.
The Revelation of Expression Through Technique
Oh boy, is that title a doozy! I was pretty proud of myself when I came up with it.
Essentially, this article is going to be all about how I discovered the necessity of "Showing" readers my emotions versus "Telling" them about it. This is not a continuation of the long-running debate over Show versus Tell. I, for one, think there is merit to both techniques, but that’s an article for another day. No, this is me, Toi Thomas, admitting that I struggle with these techniques constantly until there’s something I really want to say.
For me, and likely, many writers out there, writing is an extension of my love of reading. It’s a form of escapism. It’s a chance for me to get lost in worlds and characters I’ve created. However, it’s one thing to write for one’s own entertainment and another to write for the masses. Pleasing others is much harder than pleasing oneself. I can tell you a good story, but you might find it a bit boring if I don’t show you any emotion.
That’s what I discovered when I started to write something that was more than an escape. I started working on a very personal short-fiction project. Something so special and private I haven’t even tried to share it with anyone yet. Still, when using a nifty read-aloud program to hear my words from a different perspective, it was clear that they lacked impact. For the first time, I didn’t need a critique partner or beta reader to point out where the initial weaknesses were ‘cause I could hear them. It was a true revelation for me.
I poured over that first draft and added about two thousand words to replace all the “feelings” words and convert them into physical descriptions. The whole process took thirty-six hours and I was mentally numb afterward. It may seem crazy to some to say that it took thirty-six hours to write two thousand words, but there was more to it.
I wrote and rewrote. I cried, I yelled, I paced. Moved things around and restructured them, all in an effort to perfect this piece so that it could properly express the ideas and emotions I wanted to convey. I can’t say with one hundred percent confidence that the piece is perfect because I recognize that a second opinion is still needed. Yet, I know when I hear my words spoken back to me now, they move me. It doesn’t feel like I’m hearing words being spouted out, trying to make me feel something. I do feel something. Maybe someday I’ll share this with someone, and they too will be moved by it.
Toi’s latest release: Why Are You Afraid?
There’s no easy way to explain racism, especially to young
kids, but the sooner kids learn the truth, the better they can combat it and
work to help make changes.
This is a light, yet serious, story about perceptions. This
book was written to help parents start the race conversation with their
children, whatever their race or skin color may be.
Website- The ToiBox of Words
YouTube- Toi Thomas
Website- Lit Carnivale
YouTube- Carnie the Bookworm
Instagram- @CarnieTheBookworm
Thanks so much for guesting for us Toi. And congratulations again for your win for URBAN NIGHTMARE.
And everyone, our next challenge is upon us. Please get your thinking caps on for LONG SHADOW. First post up on August 1. Entries ready by August 19 - 21. Once again, we will be practising WEP-Lite.
Denise for the team:
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@ToiThomas #WEPURBANNIGHTMARE #WEPwinner #guestpost https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/07/wepff-winner-of-june-challenge-urban.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim #amwriting #writingchallenge
@ToiThomas #WEPURBANNIGHTMARE #WEPwinner The Revelation of Expression Through Technique #guestpost https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/07/wepff-winner-of-june-challenge-urban.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim #amwriting #writingchallenge
@ToiThomas #WEPURBANNIGHTMARE #WEPwinner The Revelation of Expression Through Technique #guestpost #ShowDon'tTell https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/07/wepff-winner-of-june-challenge-urban.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim #amwriting #writingchallenge
