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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 7: Describe an action moment you’re most proud of. Share an excerpt.

This is from my novel Dying in Pleasure. It's an excerpt from a gladiator battle. "Pompeii,” he said, "I give you Diana, the Virgin Huntress.” The gladiators pulled the curtains and revealed Diana in the cage, helmeted so her face was covered completely; chains wound about

Why Creative Writing Coaching? I'll Tell You Why, As Plato

[I'm going to structure this one like Plato] WRITER: No, just no. Not going to do it. PLATO: Why? WRITER: I know how to write. I've written ten novels and a thousand short stories. Creative writing is supposed to teach me how to write stories, right?

PROFESSOR DAVID RUSH TAUGHT ME HOW TO CRITIQUE

This format for critiquing is one used by the former playwriting professor, David Rush, at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. The point of a critique is to determine whether or not the writer has created a work which conveys his or hers intentions. If the author wanted to write a horror

PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN GAVE US A POEM

A poem entitled Listen, author unknown. i no longer plead with heaven or go rummaging in books for answers to the questions life contains now i listen listen listen to this inner thing resounding in the pulsing and the pounding of my infant ancient veins. i no longer seek instruction

PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN HAD ALL THE ANSWERS

One of John's frequent handouts was a page of scattered quotes. Some had no attribution, which was his style. He assured the class that this page had the answer to any question we had about life. I suppose I agreed as I still have my original. My original

WHO IS PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN?

Between 1992 and 1996 I took Creative Writing and literature classes from John Hahn at Rio Hondo College in Whittier. My father, who had taken John's classes in the 80s, highly recommended I take the same classes. John was one of the most effective professor I've

AN ESCHATOLOGICAL LAUNDRY LIST: a HANDOUT FROM PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN

This is a handout I reconstructed. It was written by Shelly Kopp, author of Guru: Metaphors from a Psychotherapist. Retyping it made me realize that I should still have it on my wall. There are 43 things on the list. When Hahn discussed the list in class, there were nine

PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN LECTURE NOTES: QUOTES

Rio Hondo College is caught between a dump and a graveyard. That means something. Things like that aren't accidents. If your boyfriend or husband is into Playboy, get down on your knees and thank them. There are much worse, horrifying sick things out there---like women being put

FEBRUARY 14, 1983 LECTURE NOTES from PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN

Creative writers are never bored with the world around them. There is always something new for a child. People (Adults) are bored because they think there is nothing new. People tend to be uptight/worried about why others around them think of them. Artists have to become "as children&

Write for yourself.

If you don't like to read what you write, why should anyone else?

It is time to seize the cow

Why? Why are we seizing cows? Aliens are a boogeyman. In pop culture, we are told that aliens will kidnap us from our beds and do lots of weird medical experiments on us, including, though not limited to, an anal probe. I don't say this to disparage or