Jerrica has A Way with Words
Web Content
Social Media
Blog Posts
Journalism
Writing Prompts
Blog Post Series - April 2025
Through my work placement I worked with Resilient Writers. One of my projects was a series of genre based web prompts. This was a challenging project because when it comes to creative writing, I find idea generation to be the hardest part and often work best with prompts and other restrictions to start me off. To be on the other side of that coin was very interesting and proved to me that I am more able to generate creative writing ideas than I thought!
An Excerpt:
Are you a mystery writer not sure where to start on your next writing project? Looking to get in a quick writing sprint to loosen up those writing fingers and wake up your creative brain?
Check out the list below. It’s been curated with different styles of prompts in mind to make sure there’s something that’ll really put you in the sleuthing mood.
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Mystery Prompts: The Setting
At least part of your story will take place here. Each place has an optional clue attached to really inspire you.
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A small coastal village on the edge of a pine forest. Contemporary. Your optional clue: a pile of cleaned marine animal bones.
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A large church with impressive stained glass windows. Contemporary. Your optional clue: not all of the stained glass depicts traditional christian symbology.
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A remote inn along a well travelled highway. Historical, late 19th century. Your optional clue: the previous owner had a sordid history.
You can find the full posts here:
Newsletter Blurbs
Email Copy - Fall 2024
These are my contributions to a group project's newsletter. We had a blog called Finding Fun in Ottawa which we promoted through social media including newsletters via Mailchimp. The intent was to give a little bit of exclusive information, but ultimately lead readers to our most recent blog posts.
What Jerrica Found
I’ve been having loads of fun around Ottawa making sure I get outside in the last few days of enjoyable warm weather. I brought my book to the park behind my house and watched the last few gooses in the pond. I’m looking forward to hitting a new bookstore and checking out a ceramic painting place to stay inside over the next few weeks. The past few weekends I’ve been browsing the markets around town; if you like weird, old or artisan goods you should click below to learn where to find them!
More Market Musings
Where Jerrica Went
Snow is falling! While I am not much of a winter gal, I did make sure to take a walk through the first snowfall of the year. Before that was my birthday, and I tried out a new (to me) place: The Mud Oven! We had a blast painting. I can’t wait to tell you about it, and show you the finished project but you’ll have to read on.
Pretty Kitty Revealed
Blog Promo X Posts
Social Media- Fall 2024
During my Writing for the Web course, I worked on a group project which consisted of contributing to a blog and the promotion of it. These are the promotional X posts that accompanied my blog posts on Finding Fun in Ottawa.
![Post reads:
The Mud Oven was a perfect birthday activity!
I highly recommend painting your own ceramics for:
Group get togethers
dates nights, or even
solo!
Hear more about my experience on [link]
the image is of The Mud Oven's Outside sign.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/63cd13_1ee76d67b5fa4b989d98d2c355f9d602~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_602,h_546,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/63cd13_1ee76d67b5fa4b989d98d2c355f9d602~mv2.png)
Painting Ceramics at The Mud Oven
Blog Post - December 2024
Finding Fun in Ottawa was a group project with three other contributors. Our main goal with the blog was to remind people there is lots to do in Ottawa and furthermore, to speak to those that aren’t looking for the bar scene. We all agreed that fun looks different for everyone, and we each looked at it from a different perspective.
Our third posts took a slightly different tone with the goal of being more narrative in nature, allowing the reader to live vicariously through an experience to see if maybe they want to experience it as well. I went to The Mud Oven to paint ceramics.
Painting Ceramics at The Mud Oven
My birthday just passed and as a fun activity my partner took me to The Mud Oven.
When we stepped outside that morning it was brisk but pleasant with a bright sun shining and an almost cloudless blue sky. This was great news since we use public transportation to get around. Our commute from Nepean to Bank Street was surprisingly smooth and definitely amplified the fun we had; we all know Ottawa’s buses are far from the best transit system.
Once off the bus it wasn’t hard to find The Mud Oven because of its colourful signage. It is an overwhelming experience walking in for the first time with ceramics and people and colour all over the place, but the staff are very welcoming. The lovely attendee behind the centre desk greeted us and explained the first half of the process: there are communal hooks around the space for your coats, please wash your hands to avoid oils from reacting with the supplies, and decide which piece you’d like to paint.
So that’s what we did. I’m terrible at estimating numbers, but the floor to ceiling shelves were filled with various statues and dishes, and I'm sure there were over a hundred items to choose from. We walked the stretch together discussing all the options. It took at least ten minutes to have even an idea of which we would choose. I was, of course, torn between all the gnomes and mushrooms. My partner ended up set on a zombie mug from the Halloween collection; I ended up going with a gnome-vibe cat figurine.
Now that our pieces were chosen we got the paint and firing explanation. This is the extra cool part of ceramic painting in my opinion. We weren't using regular paints, like acrylic, but were painting with glazes. This means a few things work differently than you may be used to. They are very thin, and dry very pastel, but they react strongly to the heat of the kiln.
There is a wall of swatch tiles to help imagine what your painting will look like, but it is truly a mystery until you get them back. The layers of paint are translucent which you can use this to your advantage to, in theory, get some very cool effects. Pencil is burned off in the kiln, so if you want to get super intricate with your design you can plan it out first.
We decided to discuss our colour and design ideas before jumping into our painting. Then started with a general base coat, my partner using green and I grabbed orange. Between each coat of paint sped the process up with a hair dryer.
On my third coat I tried to only paint certain spots hoping to add some dimension; you’ll be able to find out if that worked at the end of the post. I had another large area to cover and decided my cat's hat would be blue. Once I started applying, I realized it was giving “wizard” but I decided to lean into it.
Once those base layers were complete, it was time to dive into the details. I filled in the few spots that hadn't been painted like the insides of the ears, the toe-beans and the whiskers. Then went to town with single layers of white and dark orange hoping to add more dimension and variation. The final detail I added was paw prints up the hat, really leaning into that cartoon wizard hat: blue with stars.
Then we were left to wait. We handed off our freshly painted ceramics, paid and waited for the email to say they’re ready for pick-up. If I had thought harder about it, I would have made a slightly later reservation so we could have gone to The Belmont for drinks and a snack but we hit Bridgehead instead. About five days later, I got the email, which was actually sooner than expected! Check out our final products! I think they turned out fantastically.
Old Stuff. Weird Stuff. Artisan Stuff.
Blog Post - November 2024
Finding Fun in Ottawa was a group project with three other contributors. Our main goal with the blog was to remind people there is lots to do in Ottawa and furthermore, to speak to those that aren’t looking for the bar scene. We all agreed that fun looks different for everyone, and we each looked at it from a different perspective.
My second post focussed on the variety of markets and how, even if you don't buy, “window shopping” and chatting with vendors is very fun. You can find the original post here.
Old stuff. Weird stuff. Artisan stuff. The Markets of Ottawa!
Markets are not just a place to spend money but to explore history and creation. Depending on which market you’re at, you’ll have the opportunity to talk to creators and/or curators of various collections from “something from your grandma’s attic” to “freshly baked goodies,” and so many things in between. Don’t be afraid to ask vendors questions about their interesting finds and creative creations; they are bursting at the seams waiting to tell you more!
Lansdowne. Saturday afternoon. Sun brightly shining. Swaths of people crowd into the Aberdeen Pavilion to search through boxes of comics and records and old photographs. Surrounding the edges of the pavilion are vendors with nostalgia and vintage finds; while nearing the center, local artisans show off their handmade creations.
You’ll find treasures like vintage tea sets, and booths filled with old telephones and cameras. There are shelves filled with frog figurines and boxes of old advertisements. For those looking for something a little less old, vendors selling homemade bath bombs, hand drawn stickers and crocheted stuffies are peddling their wares too!
I love chatting with vendors about pieces in their booths. My favourite finds have been a very warm sweater, a weird little “tree wizard man” and, the one closest to my heart, a wood carving. This past 613flea, I found the fourth in my collection of Caron figures.
A dear family member started my collection; he was insistent that I take his and put great emphasis on them being made by an artist from Quebec, but he just couldn’t remember the name. A few weeks ago, I found one at the flea market! The vendor was able to tell me a little more about the figure and the artist, and now I'm set to search for more to add to my collection.
Westboro. Saturday morning. Breeze gently blowing. Crowds of people pacing up and down the strip of food-filled booths. If you’re ever looking for inspiration for dinner (or lunch, or breakfast) a farmers’ market is a great spot for it (and they have five locations!) You can find the usual seasonal produce, some unusual produce (they had paw paws the last time I was there,) artisan goods (like jams, cheeses and ciders) and even meat and eggs! Get ready to run the gamut and taste test everything you see. While tasting, be sure to ask the vendors a little more about their wares! They'll be able to give you cooking tips and pairing ideas if you choose to take something home.
I always make sure to stop by Farmgate to see if they have any new cider varieties in. They had mulled cider hot in a thermos to make sure we got the full tasting experience! My partner is always on the lookout for the hot sauce vendors. Fruit forward but super spicy is our go-to. If you’re a hot sauce lover, what’s yours!?
You’ll be happy to hear that many of the ready-to-eat vendors had gluten-free options (or were strictly gluten-free.) We tried Arepas Place; they served gluten-free (corn based) Argentinian, for lack of a better word, sandwiches with a few different filling options. We both got the Caprese, and they were spectacular.
You can find a variety of craft markets across the city year-round, but I want to draw attention to them now, because they are a fantastic place to start your Christmas shopping. I know it’s only November (as a November baby, I usually hate talking about Christmas this early) but the markets wait for no one! Both 613Flea and Ottawa’s Farmers’ Market have Holiday versions, but you can find so many others held in schools, community centres and churches across Ottawa. These markets provide all the aforementioned splendour, with a gentle sprinkling of holiday cheer!
Checking out The National Capital Artisan’s schedule is a good place to start, but keep your eyes peeled on social media (we’ll be re-posting any we see on our Twitter/X!) and your street corner for advertising of lesser-known, more local craft markets! Take a gander in the windows of your favourite small businesses and on bulletin boards at your local coffee shop; the markets are there and waiting.
Get Your Game On!
Blog Post - October 2024
Finding Fun in Ottawa was a group project with three other contributors. Our main goal with the blog was to remind people there is lots to do in Ottawa and furthermore, to speak to those that aren’t looking for the bar scene. We all agreed that fun looks different for everyone, and we each looked at it from a different perspective.
My first post focussed on the “Nerds of Ottawa.”
Pinball and Pacman, Catan and Dungeons and Dragons, Jack Box and Soul Calibur…
Not everyone defines fun as dancing all night or baking in the sun; some are content to play games indoors. Or maybe you're not a gamer but you’d like to try it out; these places have friendly staff ready to help you have your first great gaming experience!
Below, you can find a place to nerd out that fits your vibe whether you’re more a retro/alternative, classic beer and snacks or cozy cafe style person.
House of Targ is a pinball wizard’s dream. In this dark, basement grotto your ears will be filled with the sounds of soaring balls, bells, screams of victory and announcements that “your perogies are ready.”
You’ll find rotating pinball machines and retro arcade games alongside trippy art and delicious sips and bites.
I recall from my pre-gluten-free days, the perogies are delicious; since then, they’ve added a lot of variety for toppings. (They do have chips available for us gf-folks.) The drink menu is filled to the brim with geeky themed drinks like Romulan Ale and Dragon Slayer (they also provide mocktails!)
On weekends, Targ has free-to-play open on all the machines, just a small cover charge to get in. In addition to gaming, Targ holds live music events of various genres from folk to death metal.
Why I love House of Targ: it’s not often you get to play pinball and Targ wraps it up in a unique experience and venue. I enjoy live music, so that's an extra cherry on top. The trippy, bright colours and alternative vibe of the decor is chef’s kiss.
Level One: your kitchen table in the middle of the city. With its relaxed vibe, you’re sure to feel comfy spending hours here. Downstairs are gaming consoles spanning the years and platforms from NES mini to GameCube to PlayStation 5. Upstairs there’s a gallery of board games fitting for any group of any size. Worried about finding a game you’ll like? A Game Master will be happy to help. Level One also holds trivia nights, TTRPG games and Magic the Gathering events.
While you're there, be sure to check out their extensive food and drink menu. It’s filled with fusion dishes from kimchi perogies to taco miso chili salad and they make gummy candies (my favourite) in-house. For the gluten-free among us, THEY HAVE A DEDICATED FRYER! I repeat, they have a DEDICATED FRYER!
For the drinkers you can find a rotating tap, the usual bevvies and a themed cocktail list featuring gems such as Plum and Plummer. They also offer a mocktail list for our sober/younger crowd with beauts like Orange Ya Glad.
Why I love Level One: board games are expensive! I love having the chance to play a new game without having to dish out 80 dollars and risk not even enjoying it! The laid-back atmosphere makes it feel just like home (without the clean-up.)
Wizard Tower is not your average Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS.) While it has a large wall of board games, heaps of minis, stacks of trading cards and a selection of table-top roleplaying games (like D&D and Pathfinder,) it also has a large section of seating and a cafe which makes it a place to hangout as much as a place to buy your Magic cards.
Nearly every day of the week there’s an event (Magic, Pokémon, board game nights and Adventure League.) Whether you are new or old to the hobby you will be able to jump into these gatherings with the help of staff and community. If there isn’t an event going on, the tables and chairs are still there for you to pull up with a friend or two, and play Magic or rent one of their board games to test out! Not to mention they have simple snacks and cafe style drinks to make your stay all the more comfortable.
Why I love Wizard Tower: The plethora of events is what draws me to Wizard Tower as opposed to other FLGS I’ve visited. I like how much open space they have available because it creates a sense of community.
For the nerds that don’t wanna host, for the geeks that are actually extroverted, for the gamers that wanna get their groove on there’s a place for you. There are new and interesting people to play games with. In this time of being chronically online, sometimes it's good to step outside and touch some physical Magic cards and dice
Who Will Open the Jar?
Article (Satire) - March 2024
This piece was born of an assignment to write an op-ed or satirical article. I clearly went the satire route. There is some room for improvement on this one if only in keeping the tone satirical rather than breaking to a more op-ed style piece part way through. I like the piece; it is just a bit unclear in its structure.
Who will open the jar?
My feminine hands are just too weak!
Jerrica Black
March 17, 2024
“I’m a strong, independent woman that doesn’t need a man!” fourteen-year-old you said. And boy were you wrong! Now that you are a grown woman you’ve realized that you do indeed need a man to take care of you. How silly you were to believe that a woman’s brain and body would be able to survive this world; it was clearly made for men, by men, and you should stay home cooking and cleaning for your two evil sisters, I mean, your loving husband and grateful children.
Now that you’ve matured, you have joined the tradwife trend and think all your friends should join you in emulating the traditional, white, middle-class, heterosexual, gender roles of the 1950’s. Do you really need the rights enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1981? No, the Persons Case went far enough in declaring you (and most of your female friends) persons.
You’re not like those other women; you’ve eschewed modern feminism for something simpler. There’s no longer any need for you to think; that’s for your husband to do! You can spend all of your time nurturing him and your 2.5 children.
But what about the rest of women? What about the women of colour, the queer women, the people that are neither a woman nor a man? Where do they fit into this whole “return to the past'' trend? The answer is they don’t. Not only is this trend a step back in feminism, it completely disregards whole groups of people; extremists (on any side of any issue) are dangerous. Tradwives are moving back in terms of queer rights and race rights as well. It is clear that the wives of the 1950s they are emulating are those of white, middle-class, heterosexual couples. Tradwives, just like all the straight, white men before them, want the world to be simpler and the best way to simplify the world is to stop fighting and erase the people that make it difficult.
Tradwives may be a fringe subculture but that hasn’t stopped them from reaching large audiences the same way other political extremists do with the top influencers having tens of thousands of followers. The lack of intersectionality in this trend with other marginalized groups is terrifying. There is nothing wrong with having the choice to be a homemaker but the extreme views of tradwives as influencers are leading people to extreme views that end in prejudice and hate. If you don’t have the privileges required to follow this lifestyle, namely the financial stability of a family with only one income, they will speak poorly about you. We know that socioeconomic status is often tied to other identities like race. These people will be disproportionately targeted with the negative side of this trend just for existing in their own skin. It’s just another drop in the barrel of microaggressions if not full-out aggressive behaviour.
Social media is a difficult avenue to traverse. From a creator's side: being extreme gets you more views than having a nuanced take; from a consumer's side: it's far more interesting to look at something extreme. Tradwives and other right-leaning extremists (and left-leaning extremists too) will always get more eyes on them. This is why we need to emphasize teaching media literacy, so when kids (and adults) go on the internet, they can think critically about what they are reading and watching. Fear that these extremists will overtake reasonable people is real.
Writing Leads
Article (just the leads) - February 2024
This was an exercise in writing different styles of leads. We were given a lead style, simple written prompt, and a picture to build our lead on. This allowed me to practice different styles of leads as well as gain a better understanding of what types of stories lend themselves to what styles of leads.
1. Summary lead - World Health Organization issues report that shows COVID-19 variants could prove an even more serious threat in the new year (with 2 follow-up sentences).
New year, new threat as World Health Organization (WHO) report shows that variants of the novel COVID-19 virus may prove more serious as time marches onward. Researchers are hard at work analyzing new data on how the virus replicates and spreads. With more information the WHO will be better equipped to guide us in staying safe and healthy.
2. Dramatic lead (3 sentences) A visit to your birthplace home in the country after 35 years.
As I drive up the long, dirt road toward the stone house the smell of pines waft into the car. The smell brings back memories of digging in the garden and exploring the woods that stretch out for miles around the family home. After thirty-five years this location still brings back my childlike wonder but the town has changed and grown, hopefully, for the better.
3. Staccato lead – (With 2 follow-up sentences) An Ottawa landmark catches fire under mysterious circumstances.
Flames Blaze. Alarms sound. History lost. The renowned Devonshire House suddenly ablaze in the wee hours of Monday morning. Firefighters spent hours dousing the flames but only time will tell what damage was caused and under what circumstances, investigation is underway.
4. Quote lead – (With 2 follow-up sentences) A once in a lifetime comet was visible over Ottawa last night.
“We were so lucky to have such a beautiful clear night,” says Mina Huckleberry. A large crowd gathered, Huckleberry and her two children included, on parliament hill for a once in a lifetime cosmic show as Laney’s comet sailed past. The citizens of Ottawa were pleased with the rare clear night for this event. They brought the community together to share laughter, drinks and telescopes as they waited for it to happen.
5. Short sentence lead – (with 2 follow up sentences) A flash flood wreaks havoc on a small town after a dam breaks.
Just the tippy tops. That’s all you could see of cars in the small town of Glen Tobin this past weekend. As if shallow basement flooding wasn't enough, the pressure from uncharacteristic downpours led the nearby dam to break resulting in flash flooding.
6. Dramatic lead (3 sentences) A visit to a Canadian War Cemetery on Vimy Ridge in France.
The only sound was the whisper of petal against petal in the gentle breeze. The silence was as overwhelming as the vast stretch of headstones laid out across the field. One hundred seven years ago today, many fought and died for the freedom of others, at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Today, I wander through the Canadian War Cemetery in France speaking to others about their experiences and memories of both wartime and the people buried here. I’m left wondering what memories I might have shared had my great-grandfather not been buried here.
7. Startling statement lead – (3 sentences) A missing airplane has been discovered after missing for 40 years. There’s a major surprise.
Two hundred fifty two skeletons stared back at Andrea and Frederick Johnson from the fuselage of flight 407. During a scuba diving trip, the couple stumbled upon a wreckage not previously noted in the area. The number on the side of the craft rang a bell so they surfaced and called in the coordinates only to be told that they may have found the wreckage of a 40-years-lost flight.
8. Dramatic lead – A report issued by the World Wildlife Organization points to rapidly rising rates of animal abuse.
The braying of cows, clucking of chicken and bleating of goats spew from small cages at the Gellar’s farm. This is far from the only farm where it's more about population than the well-being of animals. The World Wildlife Organization has found rates of animal abuse are rising worldwide especially when it comes to farming for food. Poverty and the fear of going hungry have led even family owned farms to adopt worse practices to avoid their own suffering.
9. Summary lead - The Toronto marathon has a record-breaking 25,000 participants (with 2 follow-up sentences).
On October 19th, Toronto's downtown will fill with a record-breaking 25,000 runners for the annual marathon. A large part of the turnout will be wearing all pink as they’ve decided to use this opportunity to be heard. The Toronto Feminist Brigade will run the marathon as part of their protest for feminist advocacy.
10. Contrast lead – (with 2 follow-up sentences) Young Bolivian boys work in dangerous mines.
Young Bolivian boys' tiny fingers mine semi-precious stones every day to take home a morsel while their bosses make enough to buy the stones the boys are mining. The mines may provide a living for the boys but is it worth it when the hazards of the mines risk life and limb? Boys are sent home with bruises and cuts, in pain from the weight and the labour; that is if they are sent home at all.
