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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10479-Practice-Practice.html
Action/Adventure: November 18, 2020 Issue [#10479]




 This week: Practice, Practice
  Edited by: Leger~ Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

The purpose of this newsletter is to help the Writing.com author hone their craft and improve their skills. Along with that I would like to inform, advocate, and create new, fresh ideas for the author. Write to me if you have an idea you would like presented.

This week's Action / Adventure Editor
Leger~ Author Icon



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Letter from the editor


Practice, Practice


November is half over already! For those of you participating in the NaNoWriMo challenge, I hope you are moving along in your word count! It's a lot of writing and dedication of time. Even if you don't win, it is great for building a writing habit. I personally have a sense of relief when a big project is done. It may not even be publishable, but it's like this quarantine thing, I'm kind of sick of hanging out with these characters and its time for a divorce. I need that sense of distance so if I need to edit "Uncle Eddie" out of the story, I'm not locked into how cool he is and try to keep him. The edit process can be brutal, right?

The holidays are rolling in, so you may have time to check out some of the awesome contests on the grid. Many of them require low word counts. Take a look, something might tickle your creativity and get you writing. Use some of that at-home and vacation time to treat yourself to extra writing time, or edits! It's always good to practice your craft, no matter how small or large the project.

So while we're not feeling all the action and adventure out and about right now, dive in and try some new genres, a crazy character or a scene you always wanted to explore. It never hurts to work on your craft...with headphones on...and the Christmas music muted.

This month's question: How do you manage your creativity time during the holidays?
Send in your suggestions!

Answer below *Down* Editors love feedback! *Heart*



Editor's Picks


 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2237798 by Not Available.

There's no doubt about the fact that this pandemic ruined most of our 2020. Most people are saying that'll it'll all be over by December, so in order to commemorate our frustration towards this stupid virus and that ignorant person who drank bat soup, we want YOU to rant about your experiences in the pandemic. Tell us how this pandemic dowsed your plans. Channel all your frustration into a structured rant, drop a supportive review to a fellow member and win an MB(s) for it! But if you're glad this happened, you can surely write about that too!

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FORUM
ACRO*BATICS [Round Over] Open in new Window. (13+)
I supply an acronym; you make up what it stands for. My favorite entries win gift points!
#921363 by Davy Kraken Author IconMail Icon

In practice, there is a high degree of flexibility concerning which letters of a phrase appear in an acronym. In some cases, more than just the first letter of a word could be used. Such is the case with RADAR, which signifies RAdio Detection And Ranging. In other instances, words can be omitted entirely. This generally applies to prepositions, articles, or other small words, as in Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, better known as a LASER

Fill in the Blank Open in new Window. (18+)
Put your spin on these quotes!
#1349558 by Turkey DrumStik Author IconMail Icon

With each one, I'll leave a spot blank. This is where you put in your own word or phrase to breathe some new life into these sayings. Really, anything goes, but there are a couple rules for this activity.

 The Keys to Dynamic Reviewing  Open in new Window. (E)
A Self-Taught Course on Writing Outstanding Reviews
#2036800 by Katzendragonz Author IconMail Icon

Reviewing is a tool implemented by writers who want to help other authors improve their craft. Reviewing is also an essential tool for writers who want to improve their own writing. A review is not a simple statement of whether the reader liked the piece or not. A review should be helpful, encouraging, and honest.

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FORUM
The Science Fiction Short Story Contest Open in new Window. (18+)
A contest inspired by the serious need for more good sci-fi
#2140378 by BlackAdder Author IconMail Icon

The prompt for November is Social Media! Shared data and the ability to communicate with each other from our own homes has reshaped our world, for better and for worse. It's brought like minds together from across the globe, helped us make friends from our own homes, and put almost any kind of information possible at the touch of our fingers. A quick search can bring news from anywhere - or self-recorded videos about how to make an egg-free cake, win a computer game, or replace an engine part in an old mower - search engines may organize the network, but most of the content comes from us. But social media has a dark side too. It's been accused of exacerbating depression, spreading fear and anger, sharing misinformation, swaying political elections, or even coordinating revolutions. And how do you know that "person" you've been talking about isn't a paid operative, or that they're even human? Any story with communication across networks (by humans, aliens, or AIs) as a theme will be accepted - may this month's contest begin!

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SURVEY
Journey Through Genres: Official Contest Open in new Window. (E)
Write a short story in the given genre to win big prizes!
#1803133 by Writing.Com Support Author IconMail Icon

The task is simple: Write a short story using "Alternate History" as inspiration!


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FORUM
WEIRD TALES CONTEST  Open in new Window. (18+)
A Contest Inspired by the Old Pulp Fiction Covers of Weird Tales Magazine
#2083492 by Beacon's Anchor Author IconMail Icon

SPECIAL NANO MONTH: Only 500 words will be required. Yeah, man, Flash Fiction, Buddy!

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FORUM
EXPRESS IT IN EIGHT  Open in new Window. (13+)
Poetry-sharing Activity for expression and entertainment!
#2232169 by Solace.Bring Author IconMail Icon

This isn't a contest, but rather, a place to share your poetic expressions! As you are inspired, add an 8 line, titled poem to this collection. (The poem's title doesn't count as one of the 8 lines.)

 
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Ask & Answer



This month's question: How do you manage your creativity time during the holidays?
Send in your suggestions!


Last month's "Action/Adventure Newsletter (October 21, 2020)Open in new Window. question: What side of the brain do you use to write?


Quick-Quill Author Icon: I think I'm right brain. I'd like to be left brain in that I transposed from a panster to a plotter. I don't plot the story but I know the end or at least the idea of where the story will go. I write each chapter by the seat of my pants and then work the story as I go.

Monty Author Icon: Often I write things that don't seem to have an origin inside my head. How weird is that?

Pumpkin Spice Sox Author Icon: I use both sides of my brain. I am trapped in the middle. Sometimes my right brain takes off and goes other times i cant get it to let out a peep. I try to outline when that side is in force and write when that side is in the drivers seat.

jolanh Author Icon: I prefer to use all of them....NAILED IT

King Merrio Author Icon: Since I am left-handed, I use my right side of my brain when writing on paper, because of the fact that the brain's connected in an inverted fashion to the body, but digital writing requires both hands, therefore both sides.

bryanmchunter: I'm not sure which side, since my brain works like an old Commodore computer. Sometimes, it takes me a while to think of something.

Anna Marie Carlson Author Icon: I have a creative mind. I would say that I would use both the right side as well as the left side. After all, the left side has to be right some time. A little bit of a joke; I'm hoping that it will make someone laugh.

Beholden Author Icon: Sometimes I wonder how wise it is to try to understand how the miracle happens. I really don't think it matters which side of the brain does what. It's more important that it keeps doing it. Let us not forget the story of the goose that laid the golden egg.

Paul Author Icon: Both.

s Author Icon: *Sigh!* Sides of brains... *Sigh!*
Well, let's see, I am a writer so that's creative. I am also a scientist, so that's technical. So... both.

Lynn Nichole Author Icon: Based on the newsletter's discussion about the characteristics of the right and left sides of the brain as they relate to writing, I find that my right brain expresses itself most prominently in my writing. I write up a kind of storyboard for each sequence or chapter so that I have some direction to work off of, so I use a significant amount of left-brain activity for writing, though when it comes down to the actual writing, my right brain definitely dominates. I think this explains why I've had a tendency to throw out entire chapters and rewrite them from scratch; my left brain takes a look at what my right brain did while left to its own devices and says, "Oh, dear...we're not going to get anywhere if it's left like this. We've got to have structure, people!"

Kotaro Author Icon: Both sides are constantly communicating with each other. It’s never only one side unless the connection has been severed or the brain has been damaged.

John & James Wegner Author Icon: Who says we each have one? But in all honesty, we think each side just kind of dukes it out with the other. Good post. \m/ Forge on! \m/.

kerrimiller: I use both sides equally, as language processing has elements from both hemispheres. The two sides of the brain aid each other in most activities of our daily lives and are connected by the corpus callosum.

Fun fact: although the differences between the two sides are often exaggerated in pop culture, men have a more pronounced difference between two hemispheres than women.

I am a psychology major concentrating in neuroscience and behavior. Give me a break. I just like geeking out when given the opportunity. *Pthb*

Zen Author Icon: The idea that one side of the brain is logical and the other creative was disproved back in the 1980's. I'm a programmer of some 30+ years, and besides being 'logical', it is also by necessity, creative - which is handy when I write my novels.

Patrick Author Icon: For a long and joyless time the left and right, the blue and red duked it out in my poor rotting pumpkin brain, then wonderfully, mysteriously mercifully, but to the anger of the two sides who never ever agreed on anything .. said of his entrance, "cheesiily"..He arrived,Who man whooo? uhh? youve even confused yerself man!... yeah yeh yer right but,hmm, oh well,uh, too late tuh turn around now..Go go go! what? whaaaat?.. waaait wait, no i wont havin too much fun...Yes, its true,,,,, the "Jeep" creature..honk honk .. the Jeep creature indeed,you know him, used sparingly and carefully in The time worn but equisite "popeye" toons ....just showed up in muh brain.
Quaintly demurely, and by his toony real honest style, he was more ineresting than the left and right factions, he won man, and the two factions became smaller and smaller like the furies that they were,Bondage gone baby... freedom freedom, voices of resraint queried,"Patrick Heed! is it proper is it adult to do this, no sermons have been writtne in weeks, vacation is over Oh literary Pastor wannnabee....heed I say"
I confess I sreamed back"
it is as it is".
No time tuh overthink,ill ger back to yuh..
We piled into his big balloony airstream and rode away to save the nation with our pesonal jesus," all aboard" he said, uh.. he was as you know, a mime,( he had prompt cards,} he only had one rule, nobodies alowed to do that ...."Wiiiining" thing unti we all get to heaven....In Jesus name, ( forgive me lord) we ride,Coffe and a fun spirit made me do it. On the road again in jesus name love you all,Pray for our Nation with al your strength, icant do this anymore Jesus coud be comin Pax in Christos Patrick

jdennis01jaj: I utilize the cerebrum to create and the cerebellum to record. However, I connect to the ethereal plane to scavenge the material.

TheBusmanPoet Author Icon: I just use my brain the way it wishes to be. It has a "mind" of its own. *Rolling**Bigsmile*

tj-turkey-jobble-jobble-hard-J Author Icon: Seriously, who doesn't use both sides? I couldn't even imagine writing anything without being both creative and logical. Wait, I may have read a few things that were written by only one side or the other, but only the first few lines.

When writing, does anyone else use the front side? I do if I get stuck or forget what I wanted to type; you know, head banging the keyboard~

Trei Brossia Author Icon: My understanding about the hemispheres of the human brain is that the right side is the creative and whimsical of the two, and the left side is the logical and rational section. I've always said that I am so right-brained that it physically hurts to have to shift over to the left hemisphere when faced with the need to solve a mathematical or scientific problem. I also believe that the right hemisphere is that of an innocent yet mischevious child. The opposite is the stern and structured parent. The two need to cooperative and strike a union together. One that complements and strengthens the other, not competitively but interdependently. I have tried to write with my left brain, wanting to make sense and sound somewhat intelligent. But I know that my writing voice--my personal stylor brand--is one that is much lighter and relaxed and perhaps even a bit juvenile. I have been told that there are times that I am witty and times when I am tragic. It seems that I write my best stuff when I am in pain. I'm far more dramatic in this state, and it comes across as dark and serious. I think that is when both hemispheres of my brain are firing at full range, working together in harmony to express what it is I am feeling at that moment. Interdependently. Balanced.

elephantsealer Author Icon: Both sides of the brain has something wise and exceptional to say; so why not use both?

Thanks to everyone for your feedback in the newsletter and in the Newsfeed, your comments are always very much appreciated. Leger~

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