The year 2020 has proven to be one of the most bizarre in all of our lives. But the most telling thing that it has provided is a breathing space, a pause, a moment for all of us to consider who we are and who we want to be. Who we want to become as a person, as a society, as humanity.

In a talk by writer Beth Kephart, part of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) digital workshop series, she spoke about mastering the art of the telling detail. …

Writing Prompt — “Here are your instructions:” (6min)

STEP 1: Open the hatch to the panel. STEP 2: It will have 3 buttons: OPEN, CLOSE, BLOW UP. — STEP 2A: DO NOT PUSH the BLOW UP button. STEP 3: Press the OPEN button. STEP 4: It will simultaneously release the airlocks and lower the down ramp. STEP 5: Wait for the pop-up handlebars to extend. STEP 6: Take a large deep breath. STEP 7: Ask yourself — IS it breathable or are you chocking? — STEP 7A: If choking, please IMMEDIATELY push the CLOSE button. — STEP 7B: If it…

[Writing Prompt] For a creative type essay, you reluctantly choose weaponized time travel for your topic. When submitting it online a minute before the deadline, you are hit with a 100% plagiarism match to a dissertation made in 1941.

ERROR the red words flashed across the screen. “Error #14” meant that it was a 100% plagiarism match.

“What the?!!?!” said Nathaniel. “That’s IMPOSSIBLE!”

He clicked on the button that would display the actual essay that it was referencing the plagiarism. It was a document from 1941, during World War II.

He opened the file.

“NO… Way…” He said to himself…

[WP] When you die, you appear in a cinema with a number of other people who look like you. You find out that they are your previous reincarnations, and soon you all begin watching your next life on the big screen.

Bobby took one look around him and a thousand versions of him stared back at him smiling. Er, well, at least he thought they looked a lot like him. Some had long hair. Some had glasses. Some wore suits from the “Mad Men” era it seemed. Some wore farmers clothing, others wore doctor’s coats. They were all the things…

Last night, I encountered my first real experience with road rage. I was making a left off a freeway in the far right lane (out of 3 lanes). When I finished making the left, I realized there were parked cars in my lane so I had to immediately move over into the center lane next to me.

BUT, I suddenly saw that I had accidentally cut off a car behind me when I merged so suddenly.

NOTE: I understand this whole series of events was caused by me and this is my analysis of my own mistakes in causing this…

Have you ever found yourself climbing towards your goals only to trip and find yourself back down at the bottom of the mountain?

That’s because, without knowing it, you let the forces of evil distract you and then seep into your daily ways of thinking.

Note: By “forces of evil” you can interpret that in any way you like whether: Disney villains, human nature, the Devil, inner demons, etc… You still have the ability to choose your actions and own your life responsibility :)

1. Signs of The Slippery Slope

Sign: You’ll start to think, “Oh, it’ll only be this one time. It’s not a big…

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” ~Michelangelo

For anyone who is a writer, creator, and entrepreneur, this quote is for you. Whether you are trying to predict the future or tell a good story, this should be the paradigm for your life. It certainly is for mine and now I see angels everywhere I look.

What if life was your marble? What if the struggle that you’re dealing with is your marble? What if your own mind was your marble?

You have greatness within you. You just have to start carving until…