This weekend, I had the opportunity to discuss creative process—which just happens to be one of my favourite topics. These are questions I've been asked many times, so you might be wondering about them too. When you write in the first person (“I”), are you writing about yourself? Not specifically--it's really genre-specific. Anyone who's read … Continue reading Creative Process: First Person, Present Tense
Creative Nonfiction is a sub-genre of nonfiction Less than two years ago, I was a die-hard fiction girl through-and-through, and the more literary, the better. I felt cursed with my poetic ease. I wanted to write novels. I wouldn't have believed it if you told me I'd become a fountain spouting creative nonfiction. But I … Continue reading Creative Nonfiction–What in the World is That?
Although I've tried, I cannot stop the poet within me. I do not want to be a poet, but poetry has always saved me from myself. If you are a poet, you'll understand that writing poetry requires you to delve into your inner mind and clutch and pull at the thread of emotion, unraveling it little by … Continue reading A Pot of Poet’s Blood
I thought I would share the first short story I had published exactly a year ago. I still remember how excited I was to get an email saying that my work had been accepted. At that point, I'd had a few poems published, but never any prose. I was so excited! 2016 was a windfall … Continue reading Short Story–The Waiting
Here is the creative nonfiction (CNF) story of a lifetime. Well...of MY lifetime. The original of this CNF (creative nonfiction) piece was written for a class assignment. I think that out of all the genres, CNF is my favourite and the most rewarding, but it's also the most difficult to write. You'd think writing down … Continue reading Creative Nonfiction: Soap Opera, Starring Rachel Kim
Before The Bucket List came out in 2007, I had read somewhere that everyone should create a list of 100 things to experience before they die. I made my original list which had about 45 items. By the time I misplaced this list, I had realized that writing down what I wanted to do urged … Continue reading How to Experience Life to the Fullest
Sometimes my short stories come one snippet at a time. I’ll suddenly have a character or a setting in my head, but the story is not clear. Usually, I open a new file and type out what’s in my head. I toss the ideas into a bulk folder called “Unfinished.” Once in a while, another … Continue reading Short Stories One Snippet at a Time
Once in a while, the first draft of a short story works. These are the stories you start and finish in one sitting. They usually need a second and maybe a third draft before they are ready to submit. Please understand that this rarely happens. When short stories are quickly written in one go, I … Continue reading Stories that Come Out Great in the First Draft
Warning: I'm Telling a Story and You Might Recognize Something There As a writer, I wander around absorbing my next story. It's not that I'm conscious about it all of the time, but the details work themselves into my mind and pop into stories that I tell. I am always taking mental notes about conversations, … Continue reading Who “Owns” a Story?
My Mother is Alive and Well Here it is--proof that I've been hearing my mother's voice in my mind for at least a decade. This is actually the first poem I had published in 2008. My mother's voice has been a running theme ever since. My mom wasn't really impressed with this poem at the time--she … Continue reading “I Killed My Mother”