Essay
The Flirtation of Eve. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
Writing about a crochet hook led me to the original sin. When my brother asked me to write a magical realism story starting with a single object, I picked the tool currently in my obsessive everyday use: a crochet hook.
By Ariana GonBonabout a year ago in Critique
An Easter Basket
Who remembers waking up Easter morning searching for their Easter basket hidden by that elusive bunny? Who also remembers what they usually got in said basket. Mine was usually filled with a chocolate bunny and a white cross surrounded by foiled eggs and jellybeans and those colored hard-boiled eggs we dyed the night before. My Easter basket was usually hidden behind the television or behind the curtains. Today, I know some baskets are filled with toys and candy of various kinds, but they always have a chocolate bunny. What was in your Easter baskets if you do not mind sharing?
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
The Monster. Content Warning.
The monster in my room. Have you ever woken up to find a monster in your room? I did, when I was four years old. It wasn’t your typical monster, it didn’t look like a monster but it was. It had taken over someone else. I was told by my parents to sleep in the same bed as the monster. This same monster had attacked several people. That’s what it did, it would attack one person and then that person would become the monster. Then that monster would attack someone else and then they would become the monster. Then when I was four the monster had attacked my sister and she became the monster. Then the monster attacked me. But for some reason no matter how hard the monster tried, I wouldn’t let it take over me. I would have dreams about myself becoming the monster and wake up terrified and shaking. But I didn’t want to be a monster, so I didn’t become one. And that’s when I realized that no matter what happened to the people before me, they weren’t forced to become the monster, they chose to. They were introduced to the monster and then they had to make a choice. Become the monster or defeat it, stop it from destroying everyone. The monster attacked me and it was bad but to me becoming the monster was so much worse because I would rather be hurt than hurt someone else. And that’s all it took, the way to defeat the monster was so simple and yet it had taken years for someone to stop it. All along all anyone had to do was stop being the same monster that had attacked them.
By Raine Fielderabout a year ago in Critique
Investment Thesis: Amazon Company is well-set to continue with a long-term growth trajectory on high-margin and rapidly growing businesses.
Introduction: Hardly any business in the corporate world has thrived time after time, one way or the other, the way Amazon.com Inc. is thriving in today's digital age. It's not often, but quite frequently, Amazon's quixotic mix of e-commerce, cloud computing, and digital services can be a very good bellwether for the general economy. Our investment analysis assumes that continuous scaling into high-margin businesses like AWS, advertisement, and subscription services positions the company for sustained long-term growth. The following section underlines some of the key factors touching on company fundamentals, competitive landscape, risks, and future outlook as considerations underpinning our investment thesis.
By Dunia Zakariaabout a year ago in Critique
Self-Editing Epiphany: A Creative Odyssey
Writing is a tightrope stretched over a chasm of doubt—every word a step, every edit a glance backward to see if you’ve fallen. It’s a solitary act of courage, where the writer spills their soul onto the page, then turns a ruthless eye on the mess they’ve made.
By Ramesh Mahato about a year ago in Critique
Astrocartography, The Medium's Veil. AI-Generated.
Astrocartography is the latest buzzword in the never-ending search for destiny shortcuts. The concept is simple: certain planetary lines supposedly influence your success, love life, and personal growth, depending on where you live.
By lawrence Njihiaabout a year ago in Critique
Breaking the Rules: A Bold Self-Edit of My Riskiest Writing Choice
Taking the Leap into Creative Uncertainty Every writer faces a moment of doubt when pushing the boundaries of conventional storytelling. This article is both a confession and a guide—a deep dive into my own risk-taking as a writer. I will share an excerpt that I once considered both flawed and full of potential. Then, I will analyze my editing choices, the risks I took, and how they reshaped my creative approach. If you have ever hesitated before breaking a rule in writing, this exploration might offer the encouragement you need.
By Alain SUPPINIabout a year ago in Critique
Who remembers....
Who remembers going on Easter egg hunts when they were little kids? I remember going on a few. The one that I will always remember is the one when I first started school, and the high school had an Easter egg hunt on the hill beside the baseball field. Now the hill is tall with pine trees, but back then they were small, and the adults were able to hide the eggs for us little ones to find easier. If I remember right, I did find a few of those eggs, but even now I still remember that hunt: 1970.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
A Moment On My Soapbox. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
Pulls out soapbox. History never repeats itself, but it loves playing a good cover. When we cease to understand, and only imitate, we doom ourselves and others into repeating the same chords, the same notes, eventually writing off a cover as a different song entirely.
By Matthew J. Frommabout a year ago in Critique
Easter baskets
Who remembers way back when on Easter morning going throughout the house hunting for a basket full of all sorts of treats. My childhood Easter baskets were full of foiled eggs and jellybeans alongside a chocolate bunny and a white chocolate cross. There was also assorted candies as well as hard-boiled colored eggs. Well, here is another memory. Who remembers dying those Easter eggs the night before or even a few days earlier? There was a brand called Paas that does still exist today. I remember seeing the tablets dissolve and couldn't wait to dunk an egg or two, and usually getting my fingers dyed too.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
What goes through the mind of an empty envelope?
Humans! Aah, the notorious ones gospelled with the prowess of pouring their hearts onto the folds of power, of unleashing the confinement of unsaid pain through the enigmatic flair of woven syllables through the crevices of their glistening minds.
By Hridya Sharmaabout a year ago in Critique
