Writer Jo Malby

RobinReach

quiet
on shadowy hills
the mist thins

~ Elancharan Gunasekaran, @elancharang // #Photography by Joelle LB, @joellelb.bsky.social / https://linktr.ee/joelleLB #haiku #micropoetry

“Heroes and villains always have the same backstory—pain. The difference lies in how they respond… Heroes use pain. Villains are used by it… This fundamental conflict is what fuels the narrative and keeps readers engaged until the very end.” https://buff.ly/3ZmN5Mf #writingtips

“A library at night is full of sounds: the unread books can't stand it any longer and announce their contents, some boasting, some shy, some devious.” ~ Helen Oyeyemi #booksky

RobinReach

fishing boats
cast ripples
across the clouds

~ Michele Rule // #Photography by Justin D. Kauffman,
@justindkauffman.bsky.social (@justindkauff) / http://justindkauffman.com #vss365 #haiku

“Those two ‘failed’ versions of my novel weren’t failures at all; they were part of the process… Writing in my natural voice is so much easier—the words are easier to find and the #story unfolds all by itself… Once again #writing is a metaphor for life.” https://cme.sh/BMEsgN #writingtips #writesky

“I would like to be small enough to hear the dawn breaking, the tulip opening, the sand as it shifts under each tide, the long dream of rocks.” ~ Theodora Goss #writesky

RobinReach

she left
without a word
--distant stars

~ Lafcadio, @lafcadiobsky.bsky.social // #Photography by Alyn Wallace, http://alynwallacephotography.com #haiku #vss365 #micropoetry

“When you #write, find common ground… Readers should see themselves in the character’s vulnerability, uncertainty, their wounds and fears… Showcase the character’s hope and goals. These remind readers what’s worth fighting for, in #fiction and in life.” https://cme.sh/Hqoq3h

“Everything can nourish the writer. The dictionary, a new word, a voyage, an encounter… a book, a phrase learned.” ~ Anaïs Nin

RobinReach

after the storm
the river flows
into the sky

~ Barico, @njbarico.bsky.social // #Photography by Marc Adamus / http://marcadamus.com #haiku #俳句 #vss365

“When you’re trying to write your way through to that teetering stack of a finished draft, a quick injection of suspense is a great way to keep your #story’s engine fuelled. Suddenly, you’ll very much want to write on to find the answer.” https://cme.sh/7kb0og #writingtips #writesky

"Summer ended. The noises in the street began to change, diminish, voices became fewer, the music sparse... At night, from a distance, the parks and playgrounds seemed inhabited by fireflies, and the night came sooner, inched in closer, fell with a greater weight." ~ James Baldwin

RobinReach

bit by bit
stealing my sleep
full moon

~ Dandelion Girl (Lena K.), @moscowdandelion // #Photography by Jerad Armio, @awayiflew / awayiflew.com/portfolio #vss365 #haiku

“It comes down to caring deeply about the #characters & adopting a generous view of how to deliver an immersive experience to #readers. Let your #stories embody the form & length they want to be. Truly listen to your characters.” https://www.writersdigest.com/how-i-hacked-my-way-to-writing-a-novella

“I am alive, I live, I breathe, I put my hand out, unfolded, into the sunlight.” ~ #MargaretAtwood, The Handmaid’s Tale #booksky

RobinReach

end of summer ~
how the rain
tells stories

~ Andrea Cecon, @andreochka // #Photography by Camila Massu (@camilleshmeel) #haiku #micropoetry #vss365

“Becoming a better writer—growing as a writer—means that we learn how to listen to ourselves… to put faith into our ideas, our stories, our process, and our potential.” Trusting Your Own #Writing Process https://laurensapala.com/single-biggest-secret-pantsing-trusting-writing-process/ #writingtips

"Write it down... and then some morning when the world seems drained of wonder, some day when I am only going through the motions... I will simply open my #notebook and there it will be, a forgotten account with accumulated interest, paid passage back to the world." ~ #JoanDidion

RobinReach

tonight
I am stardust
who knows
what I will be
tomorrow

~ Lafcadio, @lafcadiobsky.bsky.social // #Photography by Mika Suutari #nightsky #haiku

“At its heart, #voice is about style…style in the sense of a flow, a rhythm, a cadence to the #writing… We leave fingerprints all over our work. That part of you in your work is what makes it something that no one else can duplicate.” https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2010/05/how-to-craft-great-voice

"But it was still summer. I didn't want to sleep. I never wanted to sleep these days. Then I didn't want to wake up. I didn't want the leaves turning, the nights turning dark early." ~ Louise Glück #poetsky #writersky

RobinReach

silently
evening
shadows
dive
into
the lake

~ Tanja, @joypops.bsky.social // #Photography by Paul Reiffer, @paulreiffer / http://paulreiffer.com #haiku #vss365 #micropoetry

"Literary misdirection creates those perfect moments when everything shifts and we see with new eyes... Perhaps that's the magic—not that the #story fools us but it makes us willing participants.” https://www.writersdigest.com/literary-misdirection-using-reader-expectations-against-them #writersky

"It was September, the season of the dog. Our parents didn't know where we were and didn't care. It was spectacular." ~ Tim Tharp #writersky

RobinReach

bus stop tea
I sip the last drop
of summer

~ Andrea Cecon / 'Short' https://buff.ly/hhEmz15 #haibun #haiku

💖 Love that you enjoyed them, Mary. Haiku is such a beautiful art form.

"I'm humbled by the realization that you could go [...] almost anywhere on the planet and randomly pick out anyone, and their life #story would blow you away. I'm awed by the incredible density and complexity of human experience.” https://buff.ly/44VZid5 @RozMorris.bsky.social #amwriting #writersky

“A sudden warm rainstorm washes down in sweet hyphens.” ~ J.M. Ledger

RobinReach

all day in flint clouds
light was explaining itself
in terms of water
peat-gold at the edge of dawn
brimming bone-blue pools at dusk

~ Catherine Baker, @catbake.bsky.social // #Photography by Mark Littlejohn / http://marklittlejohnphotography.com #tanka #vssnature

“It’s no wonder people struggle with motivation and procrastination… It’s important to recognise that this doesn’t need to be quelled or fixed, only tamed… It will always be present as part of the natural #CreativeProcess Just don’t feel guilty.” https://buff.ly/q3pskZB #neurodivergent #writers