Here’s a gaggle of new words for you:

Ersatz – an inferior imitator.

Example: The jeweler discovered the brooch was set with ersatz stones.

Mawkish – something exaggerated, or unpleasant tasting.

Example: Bailey always brings a mawkish dessert to the potluck, but we take some to spare her feelings.

Elide – to omit or strike out.

Example: Poets often elide syllables for a more sing-song rhythm.

Obstreperous – Rowdy, defiant, or noisy.

Example: The obstreperous man got banned from the restaurant.

Fogbow – an arc of light that’s visible against the fog.

Example: I found the fogbow captivating on this overcast morning.

I’m pleased to announce the release of my 8th book, Skoll’s Diary.

Africans and African Americans left Earth in 1900, and went to another planet in The Milky Way to escape mistreatment…

It’s now the year 3005 on that terraformed planet. We get a peek into the…

Okay. So I took a stab at poetry, once. A majority of it was terrible. Some, not so terrible. Here is one that’s decent:

Personal Afterlife

by Sean C. Wright-Neeley

In my heaven,

I would stay seven

for evermore.

And stroll a beach of chocolate shore.

Red butterflies fill skies, and swoop & dip,

As a don a skirt of roses on my hip.

There would be no dirt, no hurt, no tears, no fears.

No need for wishing.

Only my dishing

up French fries for breakfast while smiling up a rainbow;

one that’s not from a rude rain…

Sunflowers float around, too, sans stems.

How can something look so beautiful when decapitated?

Floral fumes never decrease or cease; no frowns to crease the face.

No cholesterol. No aerosol. No harps or wings.

Just colorful, busy things.

An eternal kindergarten for a woman on the edge of 50.

Joy, like finding…

Happy birthday, Emily! The poet was born on this day, December 10, in 1830.

I have recently gotten into the comedy/drama about Emily Dickinson, Dickinson, on Apple TV. It starts with Emily as a teenager, but showcases her life with modern vernacular. It’s an interesting and humorous take on an eccentric writer who had a penchant for white dresses, solitude, and writing poems on wrapping paper.

I was introduced to Emily Dickinson by way of 10th-grade English class. Her poem If YouWere Coming in the Fall grabbed me, and never let go. I can still recite it from memory if you woke me up at 3am, and asked me to.

I especially like Emily’s “dry rhyme.” That’s rhyming that isn’t as sing-song as traditional rhyme. For example, many poets pair words such as, “day/way, lay/say, right/sight.” Ms. Dickinson would pair words together, like “day/why, bother/utter, green/seem.” You get…

What with gift shopping, decorating, cooking, and catching up with family and friends, writing during the holiday season can be a challenge. Instead, here are seven ways to reboot your writing for when you return to the keyboard. Exercising different parts of your brain is not only fun but aids your creativity.

1. Try a new craft to decorate your home or to give as special gifts

Giving something you’ve baked, preserved or crafted by hand will be valued far more than store-bought gifts. My friend Ruth, makes gorgeous mini Christmas trees out of recycled magazines. Some are plain, others decorated with tiny lights as shown here. Even her grandchildren have put in their orders.

1. Meet new people

Much of life has moved online, limiting the people we meet face to face. Why not widen your social circle by attending a holiday event. Whatever your beliefs there’s bound to be something…