O’ahu Writers Retreat at Mokule’ia

11/01/2025

Hie thee to Instagram! . Post a little profile.

Exciting news! I'm hosting a monthly writing contest on my Instagram to inspire my fellow writers with joyful writing prompts. Creativity doesn't need to be hours of disciplined grueling, but can be a burst of creative fun! Let these short quips bring more play into your words.

November Writing Prompt: Everyone has THAT person in their life — the one you hope does not come to Thanksgiving dinner. We're all thinking, "This year, please no."
Write a description of the dreaded Thanksgiving guest. Label whether it's fiction or non-fiction. I'll pick a winner from each category. The winning responses will be re-posted on my Instagram and featured on SinAndSyntax.com.

Comment below your response to enter. Keep your comment to a max of three sentences. Winners will be picked on Saturday, November 22.

10/23/2025

Last minute notice, but excited to announce that Sean-Joseph Choo, who entertained us at our pa‘ina last year, will be performing in the Bay Area Musical Improv Festival this weekend. He invites you to come watch! Our show is on Saturday afternoon in the 4:30 slot. More info here:

Announcing the performance schedule for the 2024 Bay Area Musical Improv Festival!

10/17/2025

FREE WORKSHOP NOV. 1: Join me for a fun romp through the paradox of personality. "The Art of the Literary Portrait" is open to all writers in any genre. I will offer pointers for observing character and prompts to help you capture human complexity. Ample opportunity to exercise your sketching skills and share the results. Saturday 11/1 ... 3-4:30 pm. Please share!

In her workshop The Art of the Literary Portrait, Constance Hale offers writers pointers for observing and capturing human complexity. How do you draw the physicality of a person in words? How do you get at the character's inner life? And how do you treat yourself—author, narrator, first-person vo...

09/26/2025

Sharing this FREE Bamboo Ridge reading/event with writers in Hawai‘i, including retreat teacher Donald Carreira Ching. Be There. Aloha.

Join Donald Carreira Ching and friends online for an afternoon of fiction, poetry, and conversation.

08/29/2025

Sharing this because it's so important that we all express ourselves--and not just in memoirs, poems, and pretty prose. There are lots of great tips here, including on how to think about your audience, and how to make sure you get heard. (Or, um, read.) I hope Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes can talk about this kind of writing in April 2026.

These contentious times call for us to express the strength of our opinions in writing

08/21/2025

These are the dog days of August. Are you writing? Avoiding writing? Thinking of what you will write this fall? I’m doing all of those, and also realizing that I have a nice gap in my editing schedule, as two clients just turned their final MSs into their publisher and a big piece I edited (see below) came out in Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/napalm-girl-photo-controversy-investigation-vietnam-war-1235395151/

I’d love to offer you a special rate for coaching and editing for la rentrée, that period the French recognize as back from vacations, back to school, back to the Big Reset—the “return” to work, cultural activities, and a general re-engagement with daily life.

From now through Sept. 15, I’m offer two hours of coaching or editing for $100. If you want more than that, let’s talk. I can offer you a special rate for more work, too. (Some of my credentials are below.)

Many of you know Malcolm Ryder. He created used AI to create this playful of my AI avatar stringing books on a tree. I love the spirit of that as I help others to imagine their creative projects. Be in touch via the contact button at sinandsyntax.com if you’re interested.

My credentials as an editor, and testimonials are here: https://www.prosedoctors.com/constance-hale/ I need to update that info, because some recent editing coups include the Pulitzer for biography in 2022 for a longtime client, as well as the completion of a fascinating book on right-wing Christian women (for Norton) by another client, and a book on “money conversations” sold by a third. I've also edited Arlie Hochschild (Strangers in Their Own Land), the memoir of a veteran NFL linebacker, a book (Results) by the governor of Massachusetts.

But I don't mean to name drop. I edit all kinds of books by all kinds of writers. And love all of it.

08/20/2025

Our next "reunion" Google Meet is coming up on September 6. Mark your calendar! Details to come soon in an email, and here!

07/16/2025

This Saturday, July 19 at 3pm, author and creative writing professor Donald Carreira Ching will be leading a casual writing workshop at Native Books! He'll guide writers through utilizing details of taste, smell, sight, touch, and sound to write to, and about, a place or memory. This workshop will follow a reading from Donald's new book, Blood Work and Other Stories. 📖

We welcome all writers, no matter your experience level! You'll get to take home new writing ideas, as well as the postcard featured in this post.

07/16/2025

Highly recommended.

This Saturday, July 19 at 3pm, author and creative writing professor Donald Carreira Ching will be leading a casual writing workshop at Native Books! He'll guide writers through utilizing details of taste, smell, sight, touch, and sound to write to, and about, a place or memory. This workshop will follow a reading from Donald's new book, Blood Work and Other Stories. 📖

We welcome all writers, no matter your experience level! You'll get to take home new writing ideas, as well as the postcard featured in this post.

06/06/2025

Keeping a culture alive, one step at a time

06/01/2025