Omaha.net - Local Writing from the Heartland

Omahans create documentary about urban farming

Chris Wolfgang — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:17:19 +0000

Have a patio garden? Growing Cities says you're a farmer.

Last Thursday, the downtown studio of artist Watie White was beyond packed. Not to check out new prints, but to check out the work of two young Omahans determined to wake their city up to the growing (pun fully intended) movement of urban farming.

Top 10 don'ts of clubbing

Chris Wolfgang — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:43:57 +0000

How not to behave in a club

Professor Wolfgang here, prepared to shed some light on that tricky topic: How to Behave in a Club. After a recent evening at a local dance joint, I suggest the world of clubbing would be a happier place if we all agreed on a few key points.

10. No bare feet. I raise my right hand and confess I’ve done it too. You’re out in the sexiest heels and the DJ’s too good for you to leave the floor. Okay, you can have one freebie night with the take-your-shoes-off thing, but don’t make it your night-out M.O. There are cute flats out there. Make sure you’re wearing them or have them stowed in a bag next time.

Are you Intelligent Enough to Write a Novel?

Sean M. Riley — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:37:15 +0000

Be Brilliant and No One Will Care

“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of (poor fiction),” –Hemingway confided to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. “I try to put the (poor fiction) in the wastebasket.”

Strike a pose

Chris Wolfgang — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:26:34 +0000

Omaha Fashion Week inspires new Omahan

This is Awesome:

Omaha Fashion Week: March 2012

"You should get up on the runway," my friend whispered.

The designers were showing off their clothing racks on the far side of the room. A few people still lingered in the rows of chairs alongside the runway, chatting about the collections they’d just seen. The long, thin platform that had been the area of focus for much of the night was now being ignored.

It was Friday night at Omaha Fashion Week. And the runway was empty.

I waved a hand. "Oh no, I wouldn’t want to show anyone up. Let the models have their night."

Business Lesson #4: Follow the Wisdom of Your Inner Child

Daphne Eck — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:24:06 +0000

The Women I Admired (And A Few I Didn't)

I used to be wise. I used to tell the truth. Being me used to be just enough. It was a long time ago, but I still remember little bits:

I didn’t care too little or too much about being one of the smartest kids in class. It just was.

I was happy for my little sister to teach me how to do a cartwheel, climb a tree and do a flip on the trampoline. I felt no embarrassment about someone younger being better at it than me.

And when I got tired, I crawled in bed and went to sleep, even if my friends were over to play.

The Search for the Great Story

Sean M. Riley — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 04:07:16 +0000

Being entertaining is far more important than being honest.

The first and most fundamental question every storyteller must ask is do they have a great story to tell? Is it good? Do your friends find it mildly amusing, somewhat sad, or really good in parts, or do they find it great? Most aspiring writers don’t write great stories, but you shouldn’t let that stop you. It should only start you, if you really want it, on the journey to that great story.

Another fundamental truth that all writers, and aspiring writers, must come to grips with is that writers are a dime a dozen. Great stories litter our libraries and bookstores. Do you have a great story to tell? Most people do. There’s nothing special about you, or your "great American" story, not yet.

Will the real writer please stand up?

Sean M. Riley — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:20:08 +0000

Da Vinci's design for success based on questions

I would love to tell you that you have a lot to learn from me if you want to be a successful writer in one regard: I’ve never quit. I would love to tell you that my passion for all forms of writing has overwhelmed all of the potholes I’ve run across in the road, and I’ve always stood strong in the face of those negatives to one day be a successful writer.

Online Dating: Your Virtual Glance Across the Room

Lisa Zentz — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:10:09 +0000

How to Improve Your Online Dating Profile

I’ve been quoted as saying “Online dating is like dragging a magnet through a bucket of nails: it’s the pr*cks that make it painful”. This shouldn’t be interpreted as being sex specific or limited to online dating. Dating, in general, is a game of Love Roulette – you never know when you’ll find one that blows your mind, or drives you back to being single for awhile. It’s not surprising, though, that so many daters of a certain age (OACA) turn to the internet to meet someone.

Baggage: Now available in a convenient relationship size!

Lisa Zentz — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:20:31 +0000

We're not talking Samsonite, folks.

Dating after divorce isn’t for sissies. As if getting to know someone wasn’t complex to begin with, now we have baggage. Baggage is like the term “high maintenance” – it’s open for interpretation. The amount of baggage – tangible or emotional – you believe you have is irrelevant. To one, your baggage may appear to fit in an overhead compartment, to another it may look as though a half dozen Merck storage units will be required. The term baggage has become an excuse, a euphemism for “things I don’t like about you” or, for those truly honest, “things I don’t’ like about myself”. We have baggage, but we can’t keep it all – where would we put it? A short list of things to clean up now:

Game Face

Lisa Zentz — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 04:16:18 +0000

The dating game. Bring it on, I'm so ready for this!

The dating game. Bring it on, I’m so ready for this!

Oh yeah, when we were young, limber and played to win, we went all in. We were there, we were on it and when we had an opening, we were ready. "Pick me, coach!", our hormones cried out, bless their foolish little endocrinologic nature. Cheered along by the X and Y, we went long and scored big. We didn’t care how many times we were blocked, tackled or the ref called foul, we were on a mission to preserve the species and fall in love!

Wow. I’m breathless thinking back on those days. Or, maybe I’m just winded.