Discover how ChatGPT empowers writers and authors with AI-assisted creativity, editing, and idea generation. This review by The Mechanical Muse explores how ChatGPT helps you write smarter, not lazier.
Back in 2017, I wrote a personal essay for grad school—no help from AI, because it didn’t exist for me yet. But in 2025, a detector flagged it as “likely AI-written.” Turns out, I might’ve been channeling The Mechanical Muse before she ever showed up.
These three early poems were written for high school assignments, but they reveal more than I expected. This post explores what they taught me about structure, rhythm, and voice—plus a free poetry mini-lesson to use or share.
These poems from a 1988 college writing class explore the feeling of being boxed in by love and family—through assigned prompts that unexpectedly revealed lasting emotional truths.
Revisit three reflective poems written in 1988, offering timeless insights on nature, silence, and the beauty of solitude. Each piece captures a moment of stillness, emotion, and quiet thought. Perfect for readers who love poetic reflection.
Jumpstart your class with these 25 creative 5-minute writing prompts. Perfect for warm-ups, journaling, or daily bell ringers. Includes a free printable PDF for teachers.
Before streaming took over, Redbox was our weekend ritual. Here’s how six months of $1 rentals, jump scares, and popcorn turned into something unforgettable — and how my best friend made it all matter.
“Truth doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it just stands.” Stand for truththrough lies and misconceptions.Stand for truththrough slander and deceptions.Stand for truthwhen all ails.Stand for truthwhen all else fails.Stand for truth,and by His hand, truth will guide you.Stand for truth,and in the end, truth will stand for you. 📬 Follow Vicky’s View Subscribe for fresh posts from the desk...
Postscript at the Start It’s been a long while since I last examined my rock pile. Life gets messy and busy, and sometimes self-care falls by the wayside. That large rock from 2008 represented one of the scariest times in my life. I was under investigation as part of a mortgage fraud scheme involving a strawman. I didn’t even know what strawman meant at the time. But a good criminal lawyer...
📜 About This Project I was honored to be one of 50 contributors selected from over 500 applicants for the Smithsonian and U.S. Postal Service’s Indians at the Post Office project. My piece, Last Home of the Choctaw Nation, was accepted for publication and remains part of the project’s archival collection—even though it was never publicly released due to image licensing restrictions. By Samantha V...
A flash fiction story capturing the emotional toll of war in just 100 words. Mud, innocence, and the grim reaper collide in a powerful snapshot of combat.
It was hard to remember my life before Pentecost. Some memories stood out—like the time I broke my nose playing jump rope, the ‘D’ my third-grade teacher gave me for cursive, and the merciless teasing we inflicted on our fourth-grade teacher. But everything else faded. One day, we were just a family. The next, we were Pentecostal. And everything changed. From Family to Faith: When...
Originally written during a 2015 MFA writing exercise, this short story explores how to describe a location without directly naming it. Through memory, emotion, and sensory detail, a haunting narrative unfolds — followed by a mini-lesson breaking down the writing techniques used.
From fake smiles to emotional collapse, this darkly honest story reveals 7 brutal truths about burnout in customer service — and why walking out might be the win.
A haunting short story of faith, guilt, and quiet desperation. When all is lost, one soul searches for forgiveness in the silence.
Vicky Edwards is a writer, storyteller, and lifelong observer of life’s everyday messes. She blogs about memories, grandkids, life, and all the weird little moments in between—some of it’s true(ish), some of it’s not, but it’s all accompanied by a tear or a smile. She’s written for The DeQueen Dispatch, contributed to national history projects, and served as an editorial assistant for The Lindenwood Review.