Readin', writin', and unravelin' - May 28 |
Write your story for cash.
Have you heard of grass roots journalism? OK, neither had I until I visited Common Ties (http://www.commonties.com), a site that welcomes the submissions of everyone from award winning authors to high school students - the only thing that counts is having a story about your life to tell. That’s what grass roots journalism is: the stories of ordinary people, the experiences that are so familiar, the events that are universal.
Common Ties was started by a freelance writer and a book editor who want to walk in the online footsteps of Charles Kuralt. Remember On the Road with Charles Kuralt, the CBS show that told the stories of blue-haired ladies tatting lace, Alaskan fishermen, or a few diehards still living in a “ghost town”? Snapshots of life. And now Common Ties wants snapshots of your life.
If you are a writer - professional or hobbyist - or just a great storyteller, this site is a perfect place to submit a nonfiction story (750 to 1500 words). We all have experiences just waiting to be told to the world. What story have you told a friend that moved them to tears, laughter, or “That did NOT happen!” Any journal entries you want to share? Common Ties even lets you change names if your particular story would horrify your mom or embarrass the innocent (or not-so-innocent).
If nothing comes to mind you can use the weekly theme for inspiration. The deadline is each Tuesday so you have the weekend to work on it. And can you believe they actually pay for stories they publish?
Upcoming Themes and their Deadlines
eating disorders (June5)
fathers and fatherhood (June12)
moral dilemmas (June19)
weddings(June26)
honeymoons (July3)
suicide (July10)
The more I contemplate their themes, the more I think Common Ties wants to publish all the secrets we hide deep inside. Maybe it would be good to let them see the light of day - maybe not. What do you think about sharing your secrets for money? Therapeutic or bad decision?
Wednesday is puzzle day. How did you fair with Lewis Carroll’s doublets? |
Jodi M. Webb |
| About the author: |
| Jodi has been leading the crazy life of a writer for over a decade--along the way she's had a 6 foot tall ostrich try to eat her camera bag, rode in a medieval cart built by high school students, and held a super-sized gold chain recovered from a shipwreck. Unfortunately the gold chain wouldn't fit in her camera bag or she'd be writing to you from a villa in Italy--not Pennsylvania. When not writing she spends her time reading mysteries and World War II histories and baking cookies.
She's also working on her first book, a mystery that reaches back into World War II for a motive. | |
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