The Sequoya Review

Cracking Open the Capsule: Prompts

17 March 2010 · Leave a Comment

This week we have two more prompts for all you aspiring writers. Read them, reread them, use them (they’re great on toast) and post your creative findings in the comments.

Underline a part in your writing that feels weak.  Instead of getting rid of it, write it at the top of a new page, probe it, crack it open.  What’s the image inside?  What treasures might be buried underneath?  Or put an equal sign next to a sentence or word that’s vague and clarify what you meant to say.

from Writing Toward Home by Georgia Heard

If you were to assemble a time capsule of your entire life, what items would you select or make reference to?  Reflect on things you have done and events that have happened in your lifetime.  What would the time capsule look like?  Why did you choose the items that you chose? Where would you bury it?

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Starting a Journal

15 March 2010 · 1 Comment

I’ve been keeping track of Tayari Jones’ blog and recently read an interesting blog post a few days ago here. Jones wrote about wanting to start a daily journal and was in search of the perfect journal. She successfully found a Moleskine journal that was easy to carry and write in. I’ve always been jealous of the people who wake up in the morning and journal while drinking coffee or the breed of writers who refuse to go to bed until their thoughts are written on paper. I have tried many times to start a journal. All attempts have rendered unsuccessful. I think I have failed at the art of journaling because my expectations are always too high. In my mind I want to be able to right down play-by-play details of my emotions and actions of the day. I want to scribble exciting sentences about the handsome stranger I met on the street or the $100 bill I found in my car. Maybe if I lower my expectations and just write the bare facts of my day or just how I am feeling then I can successfully keep a written account of my life. My goal: start a journal and write in it once a day, even if I do have to make up exciting crap.

Chealsea Crouse is a senior majoring in Communications.

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Word of the Week

5 March 2010 · Leave a Comment

Tautology

noun. an unnecessary or unessential (and sometimes unintentional) repetition of meaning, using different and dissimilar words that effectively say the same thing twice.

example: A definition is the defining of that word.

another example (from xkcd.com):

"Honor Societies" from xkcd.com

"Honor Societies"

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Listening: an Exercise

3 March 2010 · Leave a Comment

Write the longest sentence you can, followed by the shortest.  Listen to the music of the words dictating the punctuation.  When you read your favorite writers, become aware of how each has her or his favorite punctuation marks.  Reread things you’ve written and see what punctuation marks and rhythms you tend to favor.

from Writing Toward Home by Georgia Howard

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Music Contest!

2 March 2010 · Leave a Comment

The Sequoya Review is looking for a musical act for their Release Party in April. Think you have musical talent? Submit a file or video and lyrics (if any) of a song that represents your style of music and what you would be performing to contests@sequoyareview.com for judging.

Prize: An opportunity to play your music at the Release Party of the Sequoya Review at Stone Cup and a video that will be on the homepage of the Sequoya Review website.

If chosen, be prepared to provide a playlist to the judges. The date of the release party is still to be announced.

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Top 10 Hottest Men in Literature

1 March 2010 · 3 Comments

IF you’ve every found yourself drooling over the dreamy man on the pages of the of a literature assignment, do not dismay friend for you are in good company. My goal for this blog was to list and rank the hottest men who made up our favorite fantasies, but I soon discovered the research I needed for that post was exceedingly difficult to perform. Sadly, there is no database of literary authors complete with a headshot and rating. Instead, I found tons of posts about the hottest men we’ve ever pretended existed. And honestly, that makes a much better top 10 list. Unlike real men, our fictional favorites won’t let us down with their inadequacies, because they don’t actually have minds of their own. They will forever remain the sensual and attractive guys we found so desirable without all the let downs those all too real authors are certain to be full of. I’ve compiled a list the blog posts of others literature fanatics and a little of my own opinion. I definitely don’t agree with all of them, but our online community has spoken. So here’s to the hottest men we will never actually get to meet in real life, but will always remember!

10. Severus Snape/ Sirius Black/ Remus Lupin: I was skeptical at first, but each of these magical men frequented quite a few top 10 lists. They may be a little unruly or sinister in Snape’s case, but their magical abilities are intriguing to say the least. Each of these long-haired guys are also outstandingly loyal to their friends, which is an excellent quality in lovers. Besides, they beat Edward Cullen any day, and that’s enough for me!

9. Erik from Phantom of the Opera: Another seeming wild card, this tragic guy has the rare ability to force a woman to be honest. Are we really able to get past the face behind the mask?  Erik maintains the ability to simultaneously seduce a woman, but still keep her honest. He’s definitely a keeper on this list.

8. Rochester: He’s intelligent, he’s articulate, and he’s a little unhinged. Despite his actions in the novel, many readers think he maintains his heart-breaker status even after it’s all said and done. He’ll always be the kind of guy you want to talk to even if you do have to get past a few skeletons in the closet.

7. Heathcliffe: He’s dark and brooding, but there’s something about him that sinister and sexy. If nothing else, he’s got passion, which is a must on this list.

6. Howard Roark: Unlike Rochester, he’s the kind of guy that only needs a few words to get a girl in the bedroom. With Howard, it’s all about independence, self-confidence, and power.

5. Atticus Finch: He knows what he believes and he sticks to it. He’s the kind of guy that is well-adjusted and will always be there for the ones he loves.

4. Holden Caufield/Zooey Glass: Holden Caufield represents the dark, moody thinker types women are always trying to “save.” But for those of us concerned about statutory rape even with our fictional favorites, we might feel better drooling over Zoeey Glass, another of Salinger’s dark and moody artist types who is completely legal.

3. Mr. Darcy: He’s the perfect gentleman: handsome, loyal and rich. Not to mention the fact that he saves his beloved’s reputation even after being snubbed by her. What’s not to love?

2. Rhett Butler: This unabashed scoundrel, is unique in his ability to love so completely despite being burned time and time again. If you’re still having trouble with this one, picture him without the mustache.

1. Jay Gatsby: What more can a girl ask for? He’s hopelessly devoted, impossibly rich, and throws the most amazing parties. He’s sophisticated and fun, if you can get past the Daisy business. Just get one of our guys in the number 1 spot to perform a memory charm, then spend the rest of your life in luxury Daisy free.

Rachel Sauls is a Junior studying Communications at UTC.

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Illiterate Child, Dance! Prompts, Round 1.

25 February 2010 · Leave a Comment

WRITERS, ASSEMBLE! Here is your first batch of writing prompts for the new year. Do whichever you like, and post one (200 words or less please) to the comments!

Prose Exercises

Do you have a memory of one place in childhood where you felt completely welcomed and loved?  It doesn’t have to be your own home, perhaps it was the home of a neighbor, a grandmother or grandfather, an aunt or an uncle, or maybe it was in a library, under a favorite tree, or at school — a place where the world seemed cheerful an safe.  Describe this place in abundant detail.

–taken from Writing Toward Home by Georgia Heard

Write a story about a person who is illiterate.  It can be about someone you have met before or just someone that you completely create in your imagination.  Think about the difficulties that this person faces in everyday life, and the emotions involved in having to admit that you can’t read in a world that is so communications-driven.  Why are they illiterate?  What are their strengths and weaknesses?  What do they love to do?

Poetry Exercises

“Dancing Around the Senses”
Write a poem that evokes the sensations of one or more of the five senses without using nouns or verbs that are directly related to the senses themselves. Think about how the word “boom” tickles your ears just a little bit and you’ll get the idea. Examples of words to avoid: smell, scent, aroma, odor, taste, touch, feel, sight, see, view, hear, listen, etc.

–from Melissa Donovan’s website, “Writing Forward”

“Repulsion”
Make a list of things you find repulsive – the smell of garbage, fast food employees, people who never shut up, etc. Choose one (or more) and write a poem in which you describe that person, place or thing in such a way that it becomes beautiful.

–from the “Poetry Resource Page” author unknown

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Quote of the Week – Elie Wiesel

25 February 2010 · Leave a Comment

A Sacred Magic Can Elevate the Secular Storyteller

Writing, however, is getting more and more difficult. Not to repeat oneself is every writer’s obsession. Not to slide into sentimentality, not to imitate, not to spread oneself too thin. To respect words that are heavy with their own past. Every word both separates and links; it depends on the writer whether it becomes wound or balm, curse or promise. It would be simple and comfortable to play with words and win; all it takes is to play the game and practice a bit of self-delusion.

But for my generation, playing games is not an option. We need to bear witness, we need to hope, with Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav, that with a measure of luck, some of our testimonies will safeguard the essence of our prayer.

Ultimately the Jewish boy from my little Jewish town was wrong: writing is anything but easy.

–Elie Wiesel

from the New York Times’ Writers on Writing.

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Silence – Gavin Cross

23 February 2010 · Leave a Comment

In a different world, you aren’t my brother.
And I stumble into life alone.
Empty sheets form nights without moon,
And missed conversations burn in my throat.
But that world can’t be so bad,
Because in it, you didn’t leave.
You were never tossed to sea
With heavy nights blanketed in cloud.
Water didn’t churn beneath the ship whose name
I never learned to hate.
And I never waited by the window,
Where friendship seeps into memory,
Beneath a hope for the moon to shine again.

~~~

Gavin Cross is currently a senior majoring in English creative writing with a minor in Psychology. He was published in the 2009 issue of the Sequoya Review and is a member of Sigma Tau Delta. A book that Gavin recommends is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Q: If you could be a character from any book, who would you be? A: Tigger from Winnie the Pooh.

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What’s New in Sequoya Review

23 February 2010 · Leave a Comment

In case you haven’t noticed (we admit, it isn’t totally obvious), the Sequoya Review website is undergoing a change in management! Don’t worry–all the great flavor is still there, in a new box. By flavor, of course, we mean content, and by box we mean online editor…that might have been an awkward turn of phrase. Forget it was said.

…Anyway, some changes that you might see in the coming weeks include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The history of the Sequoya Review, in its myriad incarnations. You’ll find this under the “About Us” tab and on the blog proper as we post “Blasts from the Past,” which the marketing department thinks is a better way of saying “Old Stuff from Previous Issues.”
  • Writing Prompts. Our professional team of crack promptwriters will deliver the very best in funky situations to get your characters in, or if you’re all about the poetry, funky instructions to get the creative juices flowing. Whichever persuasion you are, Bootsy and the Gang are sure to “Tear the roof off that” writer’s block.
  • Quizzes! Who doesn’t love a great quiz, whether it be “Which Deadly Poison Are You?” from Facebook or “How Many Appletinis Should You Drink to be Just the Right Amount of Coy?” from Cosmopolitan. We here at Sequoya Review feel it is high time to give the writing and reading community of Chattanooga a similar joy.
  • Fun Facts! No explanation needed–they’re facts that are fun.
  • Contests. One thing every writer needs is money. One thing most writers don’t want is a job. To remedy this, Sequoya Review will pass along to you, the starving writer, contests to aid you in your quest to be totally unproductive in the 1950’s sense of the word. Godspeed!
  • Poetry and Prose. We get a lot of great submissions from UTC students, but sadly we only have so much paper to print them on. And since reading really small print causes cataracts, we’re using the power of the Internet to bring you the Ones that Almost Made It! Stay tuned for the once-weekly feature.

Of course, we might think of some more awesome stuff too, so keep yourself posted! You never know what might be in store. Keep writing that chicken!

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