FIRST SAY GOODBYE . . . AND THEN SAY HELLO . . . By Sand in Our Shorts Management

Maria Hudgins

As the saying, and the song, remind us, there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven, to include, of course, Blogs.

With a mixture of sadness (for us) and happiness (for her), we announce that one of our stalwarts—the incomparable Maria Hudgins—has asked to step away from her duties as a regular contributor to the Sand in Our Shorts Blog.

Maria has long graced the writing community with a vast body of work. She is the author of the Dotsy Lamb Travel Mysteries and the Lacy Glass Archaeology Mysteries. She has had short stories and novellas appear in a number of anthologies and periodicals. Her stories often feature her real-life interests such as chemistry, travel (she’s been to more than fifteen countries), archaeology, dogs, cats, and poisons. A native of East Tennessee, Maria now lives in beautiful Hampton, Virginia, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

Maria earned a master’s degree in plant physiology with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Tennessee. Having never studied writing, she credits her English teacher mother with instilling in her a great respect for our language.

Thank you, Maria. Heartfelt wishes for your future endeavors.

And as we say goodbye to Maria, we’re excited to announce that well-known and respected author Ellen Butler has agreed to join us as a regular contributor to Sand in Our Shorts. Ellen’s first post is in the queue and ready to launch on Saturday, July 5, 2025. Let me assure you, it’s a humdinger.

In addition to Ellen, we’ve lined up some excellent “Guest Bloggers.” Stay tuned to https://sandinourshorts.blogspot.com/ for details.

BEST WRITING ADVICE (PART TWO) : DON’T LOOK BACK!

If you’ve read a good deal in the genre in which you plan to start writing, as I recommended in “Part One” of my “Best Writing Advice” series, then you’re ready to consider this next tip.

Never try to write a great or even good novel (or other piece of writing) on the first go-round. Even Hemmingway said, “The first draft of anything is shit.” While that’s a bit extreme not to mention a little vulgar, I get his point. Don’t try to write every line perfectly or worry too much about the final draft while you’re creating the first one. Not only will it take much longer to finish, but it can also get in the way of your creativity. Another drawback, especially if you do not have a very detailed outline, is that you may forget what you were planning to say next. Worse, you may never finish the piece. Trust me, I have files full of the beginnings of many good books.

AMBROSE BIERCE – PART POE, PART TWAIN, BUT 100% ORIGINAL by Michael Rigg

Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914?)

Born on June 24, 1842 in Meigs County Ohio, Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and veteran of the American Civil War, who ultimately became as influential as the better-known American authors Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain.

His book, The Devil's Dictionary, was named one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. His story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" has been described as "one of the most famous and frequently anthologized stories in American literature," and his book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (also published as In the Midst of Life) was named by the Grolier Club as one of the 100 most influential American books printed before 1900.

A prolific and versatile writer, Bierce was regarded as one of the most influential journalists in the United States and as a pioneering writer of realist fiction. For his horror writing, Bierce has been ranked alongside Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. His war stories influenced Stephen Crane, Ernest Hemingway, and others.

In 1896 Bierce moved to Washington, D.C., where he continued newspaper and magazine writing. In 1913, tired of American life, he went to Mexico, then in the middle of a revolution led by Pancho Villa. Bierce’s fate is a mystery, but a reasonable conjecture is that he was killed in the siege of Ojinaga in January 1914. Some speculate, however, that Bierce actually traveled to the Grand Canyon, where he committed suicide. 

[Sources, quoted above without precise attribution: Ambrose Bierce | Biography, Books, Short Stories, & Death | Britannica and Ambrose Bierce - Wikipedia]

PROMPTS TO INSPIRE YOU, PART ONE, by Adele Gardner, aka Max Jason Peterson

As Adele Gardner, I regularly run micro poetry and prose workshops every spring and fall, titled Adele's Writers Cafe. They're free, hosted by Hampton Public Library, and held entirely online. I now have a collection where you can find past, present, and future workshops in the series (ages 18+, free, but registration required for each individual session via Eventbrite):

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/adeles-writers-cafe-micro-poetry-prose-3651389

All the sessions are live via Zoom, but they're not recorded, in order to protect the copyright and privacy of the authors for these new drafts. I create new prompts for each inspiration session in advance, compiling them on a handout distributed at the end of the event (I always strive to provide at least one more prompt than we'll probably get to, so you have something to take home and work on later). 

During the session, I give participants ten minutes per prompt to write, write, write. Then anyone who wishes is welcome to share what they created. There's no instruction or critique, just positive vibes. Participants may write short-form poetry or fiction.

We expect the work to be rough, our first thoughts and impressions, but there's so much insight, humor, and beauty that comes out of these sessions. Some participants have gone on to publish more polished versions of their work. Sometimes it just helps us get unstuck in our ongoing creations. (For example, a novelist might use a prompt to explore the psyche of a character.)

Since we could all use a lift to our inspiration from time to time, how about trying a few of these prompts on your own? Knowing that these are just rough drafts and you're not investing much time may help free your creativity. So set your timer for ten minutes, turn off the editor in your brain, and enjoy!

Returning: Your protagonist has been away a long time. Maybe they never wanted to come back; maybe they always longed to; maybe they’re drawn against their will, like returning to the scene of the crime. Maybe the old homestead is exactly the same, or maybe it’s unrecognizable or ruined. Maybe it’s time travel, and everything goes wrong—or your hero saves the day. Write about why they need to go or run; what’s stopping or driving them. Or who, because this can also be about “Until we meet again.”

Home: Sometimes home isn’t a place—but sometimes it is. Sometimes it arrives when one thought it wasn’t needed. Sometimes it’s the one thing our heart desires, and we go hunting high and low. And sometimes we discover it was there all along. Home carries a lot of emotions—positive, negative, or in between. Write about the concept, the reality, the people, the physicality. Focus on the sensory and/or the emotional, but take us there.

Song for ________:  Write a short piece paying tribute to someone in your life you’re thankful for, or about someone you admire whom you’ve never met: someone (any species) who’s had a positive impact, inspired you, changed your life for the better in some way, or whom you simply love.

Hard times: Sometimes adversity brings us closer. Sometimes we aren’t sure how we’ll ever get through them. They challenge us and bring out our best, our worst, our highs and lows. Show characters facing adversity or setbacks. This could be written from the point of view of “looking back” on times the character has survived.

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Adele Gardner's poetry collection Halloween Hearts is available from Jackanapes Press:

https://www.jackanapespress.com/product/halloween-hearts

Themes of Halloween, horror, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ray Bradbury. The press has seasonal discounts.

Max Jason Peterson has two stories in the new anthology Coastal Crimes 2: Death Takes a Vacation from Wildside Press.