Write on Wednesday - When the music's over.

Write On Wednesdays Exercise 22 - Select a piece of music that reflects the mood of writing you'd like to aim for. Press play. Start free writing. Write the first words that come into your head. When the music's over, so is the writing. I'd recommend finding out how long the song is before you start the exercise. You may feel cheated in your writing time if you pick a song by The Ramones. Of course, if you feel like writing a short, punky piece by all means, go for it!

It’s like searching for the perfect seashell at low tide. Countless dozens crowd the beach, each with their own unique design. Some have been buffed smooth, aged by time and salt; others are worn jagged from rocks and heavy feet. Each fantastically flawed in its own way. I know if I look, the perfect seashell is out there waiting in the jumbled heap just for me. It’s not always an easy search. I must carefully pick through the other shells to find mine, and in the process I may be left with cuts or scars, but it's all part of the journey. Those wounds heal in time.

When I see my perfect seashell I’ll know. Over the rush of the waves, it will call to me from the sand demanding to be picked up, put it in my pocket and carried home. Once I’ve found it, all other seashells will pale in comparison. Their beauty and individual differences surely still appreciated, but I will always long to hold the one that washed up, and waited, just for me.

I long to find the seashell that’s mine all mine. I will clean off the salt, caress the edges, and forever keep it safe.

Be sure to check out the other WoW posts here!

Lillie

Horror!

My heart beats faster, my hands are clammy, and I want to scream. I can’t even look it’s so horrible and grotesque. I’ve heard of this happening to others before, but you just never think it will happen to you. Especially not when I have the biggest, first date ever tonight.

Finally I make myself open my eyes and look at my reflection, and I still see the worst hair day in history!!!

Link up you're own five sentence horror story here.

The Versatile Blogger Award

I have been given the Versatile Blogger Award by Krista at I Take the Pen. Yay!!!!

Now, I get to pass it on!

Here are the rules:

Thank the person who nominated you. Tell 7 things about yourself, so that your readers may learn more about you, and nominate 15 other newly discovered bloggers, then let them know you nominated them.

7 Things About Me

1. Tennis is my favorite sport! I am glued to my TV during any of the grand slams, and any time I can catch a Federer, Clisters, or Isner match. I also enjoy playing, quite badly, every chance I get.

My Boy Duke

2. A little over a year ago I moved to the beach, and this past summer I started paddle boarding. It is so much fun being out far enough to see the awesome creatures swimming around in the ocean up close. But, not too close!



3. I have a Boston Terrier, named Duke. He is firmly of the mind that he is in charge of our relationship, all 16 lbs of him, but pull out a tasty treat and he’ll do just about anything.

4. I get antsy when it’s too quiet. My favorite background noise is Ray Lamontagne, Andy McKee, Adele, and Grace Potter, but I will listen to almost anything with a tune. Singing loudly in my car, pretending I can carry my own tune, makes me look forward to driving to work.

5. This past March, I finished my first novel. It’s a romantic suspense set on Amelia Island, and I am constantly going back to edit it and thinking about editing it. Does this feeling ever go away?

6. I love receiving cards. I look forward to the card just as much as the gift on holidays. There is a box in the top of my closet filled with every card I’ve ever been given, organized by occasion. Because of my serious addiction, I spend hours in the greeting card aisle each time I get the chance to give a card to someone.

7. Earlier this year I took up quilting. Prior to that, I had never so much as sewn a button on a shirt. Now, I’m addicted to finding new patterns and fabrics.

Christmas quilt I'm working on.

Winners!

I am happy to pass this lovely award onto the following fantastic bloggers:

1. Stephanie at Madness of the Heart

2. Car at End’o the Road

3. Sif at At the Bottom of the Garden

4. Kate at Spring Days, New Growth

5. Claire at Quilt of Dragonflies

6. Tasha at Random Thoughts

7. Adam at Merry Wanderer of the Night

8. Eloise at The True Adventures of Eloise

9. Rain at Iridescent Rain

10. Kimberlee at Scraps & Sass

11. Kirsty at Bowerbird Blue

12. Raymund Hensley at Raymund Hensley

13. Kristy at House of Prowse

14. Tiffiny at My Peculiar Journey

15. Angie at Write Me Happy

NaNoWriMo Prepared!

National Novel Writing Month is a new and exciting experience for me. I finished my first novel earlier this year. The first draft took much longer than 30 days, but I feel ready for the challenge of NaNoWriMo. The impending time crunch forced me to evaluate my writing process. I have completed a detailed outline, and have a clear vision of my novel, beginning, middle and end. Normally, I approach writing with a make it up as I go attitude, so the planning was daunting to me at first.

However, now that I have the outline, character profiles, and index cards full of random information, I feel more prepared to write this NaNoWriMo novel than anything I’ve ever written. I may just be a truly reformed ‘pantser’ now! I participate in a weekly writing prompt called Write on Wednesday. A few of us, who are taking on NaNoWriMo, were asked to write a short blurb on how we were preparing for the experience. Check out what the others are saying here.

If you’re planning to write 50,000 words in the month of November, I’d love to know what your plans and hopes for the experience are. Also, if you’re looking for ways to work on your writing each week be sure to check out Write on Wednesday and Five Sentence Fiction. It’s a great group of writers who will give you feedback and encouragement on your writing.

Five Sentence Fiction - Horror

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week I will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the inspiration word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just take your inspiration from that word.

This week’s inspiration word is: HORROR

I look forward to reading everyone's five sentences. Post your sentences on your blog, and link up your post below. Once you've posted, be sure to check out the other posts. Any feedback on Five Sentence Fiction is welcome!

Bad Writing is Good

“If you don't allow yourself the possibility of writing something very, very bad, it would be hard to write something very good.”

Steven Galloway

I have a nasty habit of taking myself too seriously. Or, rather, taking my writing too seriously. I don’t always have to have on matching socks, the most fashionable shirts, or be in touch with hot trends. I’m perfectly fine with my awkwardness. If I trip on my way into the store, that’s okay. Sometimes the pavement gets in my way. Cooking is always an experiment, and I will certainly fail at math without a calculator. Those things I’m at peace with. I’m flawed. Who isn’t?

But, until recently, I was unable to laugh at my writing. Well, unless I was sure I had written something full of comic genius. That quote by Steven Galloway is something every writer should have in 25pt Times New Roman painted on the wall above their desk.

I have notebooks full of ramblings and notes on novels I would like to write. For years, I carried around the idea for my first novel in my head, afraid that if I sat down to write it I would mess it up. It was such a beautiful story, with characters I loved, as long as it was in my head. I didn’t trust myself to recreate the plotting and dialogue without losing some of the spark in translation.

Then, life stepped in. In 2009, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. That’s not exactly something anyone wants to hear, but it is what it is. Everyone has something they deal with. Anyway, I’ve figured out, mostly, how to live with this disease and have adjusted my life accordingly.

I am certain, without the MS, I may have never written that first novel. I had to quit working for a while to get my symptoms under control. In the span of that year I wrote down all of the action that had been stored in my brain for the past five years. The sense of satisfaction in finishing that novel is without equal. It’s hardly literary genius, I am constantly thinking of things that need work, and my query letter is still a painful work in progress, but I am no longer a girl with just an idea, I have a completed manuscript. I am now working on my second, where I am putting all the lessons of what-not-to-do that I learned from the first novel to good use.

Write on Wednesday - I thought I saw

Write On Wednesdays Exercise 20 - Write the words " I thought I saw" at the top of your page. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write the first words that come into your head after the prompt. Don't take you pen off the page (or fingers off the keyboard). Stop only when the buzzer rings! Do this exercise over and over if you wish. Write beyond 5 minutes if you like, you can link it up as an extra post.

Always looking for any reason to hope, I cradle his words close so that I can replay them over and over again. He thinks I am wonderful, brilliant, and a great friend. If it weren’t for the friend part, this would be as good as a marriage proposal to me. I am on alert for a sparkle in his eye, telling tug of his mouth, anything to validate my heart’s reaction to him. We’ve been friends for seven years now. I have detailed memories of every second spent together. Dinners with his family, meeting his boss, helping him move last year when he got the job. Not a day goes by without his phone call. We talk about his day, my day, when we’ll see each other next. I can’t stop the school girl grinning anytime I think of him.

He’s not mine though, except in my heart. We’re just friends. Although, that’s temporary. It’s not the right time. He’s got a lot going on with the new job now, so maybe when he gets settled he’ll be ready to get serious. That’s what I tell myself. He loved the tie I bought him to wear on his first day. Said it was his good luck charm.

Friends say I’m pathetic, deserve more, should move on. My head knows they’re right, but my heart won’t listen.

Besides, yesterday I thought I saw something...


Be sure to check out the other WoW posts:!

Shenanigans

Amy smiled over her glass of orange juice at Lisa, smug in her ability to dupe her dad once again. Nope, he so didn’t have a clue they’d snuck out of the house last night. In another life, she and Lisa could’ve been cat burglars.

Stifling a giggle as her dad walked into the kitchen, she said, “Morning Dad!”

“You’re grounded,” he replied.

 

Link up your own Five Sentence Fiction and read the others here.

Five Sentence Fiction - Shenanigans

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week I will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the inspiration word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just take your inspiration from that word.

This week’s inspiration word is: SHENANIGANS

I look forward to reading everyone's five sentences. Post your sentences on your blog, and link up your post below. Once you've posted, be sure to check out the other posts. Any feedback on Five Sentence Fiction is welcome!

Write on Wednesday - Sunshine in a Cup

Write On Wednesdays Exercise 19 - Sunshine in a cup. Write the words of Emily Dickinson: "Bring me sunshine in a cup" at the top of your page. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write the first words that come into your head after the prompt. Don't take you pen off the page (or fingers off the keyboard). Stop only when the buzzer rings! Do this exercise over and over if you wish. Write beyond 5 minutes if you like, you can link it up as an extra post.

Drowning in the pool of bitter memories swallowing up my soul, I frantically tread. Flailing my sweeter memories about, willing them to sprout feathers to haul me from this vortex of agony, I search for a brighter place. But, these slick talons relentlessly grasp at me from every angle, pulling me towards the darkest of the dark. To a place light has never touched. A place without a glimmer or a shine, a rise or a set, a smile or a delight. As my toe unwillingly inches over the precipice, leaving drag lines in the water, a face flashes across my crippled mind. A face full of optimism, blue eyes big as saucers, and a pale pink bow of a mouth. She tosses me a rope, determined that I will use it to pull myself from the void. I strain to hear her words, as I see her mouth moving, but the wild whooshing whip of emotions drowns out all other sound. Widening my eyes, I read those sweet lips saying ‘I’ve got you Mama,’ and know I can tread forever or choose to pull myself from here and refill my soul with the sunshine of her heart.

Bloggers to Blog About

Just nearing the two month mark, I’m still a blogging novice in many ways. Thankfully, along the way, I have found many blogs packed with valuable information. The amazingly talented people behind those blogs have helped me tremendously.

A few of my favorites that are not to be missed:

J.A Bennet at A Book, A Girl, A Journey
Her blog is packed to the brim with information on blogging, tweeting, and writing, with a spicy side of humor.

Stephanie at Madness of the Heart
An amazing writer. I always enjoy reading her poetic prose.

Adam at Merry Wanderer of the Night
I look forward to reading Adam’s blog and his take on Write on Wednesday. Soulful, honest, and humorous.

Gill at InkPaperPen
Home of Write on Wednesday. Great weekly prompts to get you writing.

Abby at Something to Write About
An entertaining, informational award winning blog.

There are many other bloggers I've been inspired by, and I'm thankful to all of them. Writers rock!!!

Jubilant

Five Sentence Fiction: Jubilant

Face turned upward, she smiled triumphantly as the sun warmly caressed her skin. In the beginning, it felt like those five years would go on for an eternity. Now she just wanted to wrap her arms around them, hold them close, and never let them go. Those years turned into memories, and now armed with the knowledge she'd aquried, she had new memories to make. Older, wiser, prouder than she’d ever been, she stepped up to shake the outstretched hand, grasp the hard earned diploma, and head out to place her personal stamp on the world.

Five Sentence Fiction Week Two - Jubilant

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week I will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the inspiration word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just take your inspiration from that word.

This week’s inspiration word is: JUBILANT

I look forward to reading everyone's five sentences. Post your sentences on your blog, and link up your post below. Once you've posted, be sure to check out the other posts. Any feedback on Five Sentence Fiction is welcome!

Embracing Chaos

I am an absolute control freak. I need things just so in order to function properly. There are times when I let my control issues keep me from writing. Seemingly simple things will throw me off. Like if the desk isn’t as clean as I’d like, the curor is blinking too fast - almost mocking, or the dictionary is sitting on top of the thesaurus. When clearly the thesaurus should be on top because it’s smaller; That’s just how the universe meant things to be.

There are other things, outside of the harmony of my writing space, that keep me from writing. Conflict in my life, from a bad day at work to a nasty note from the mailman about where I park my car, can throw my whole writing mood askew. I’ve been fostering a Daschund for the past month, and today his adoptive parents took him home. He is a very special dog that will make an excellent addition to their family. I’m heartbroken that he’s gone, but I know he will be well taken care of.

So, today as I let myself shed a tear or twenty over this precious dog leaving, I realized that real life and emotions are what make writing great. It’s not about everything being perfect. How boring would that book be? If I embrace the chaos, harness it’s power, it will just enhance my writing rather than hurt. I must get over my need for everything to be just so and write through the irritation, anger, or tears.

I’m curious if there are things that keep you from writing? And, if so, what do you do about it?

Write on Wednesday - Make it better

Write On Wednesdays Exercise 18 - Look through your previous WoW posts (or select a short writing piece that you would like to work on). Read through your piece carefully and let's attempt to make it better. Look for redundant words, cliches or overused phrases. Chop and change. This is not an exercise in word count, it's not about simply whittling it down. Make it a better piece of writing. Post your original and edited piece. THEN, throw it to the*wolves. Ask for advice from WoWers. With help you can make your writing shine.

I chose a small section from the first chapter of my WIP that has bothered me lately.

Original:

         A few tears swept down the slopes of her cheeks, and she nodded forlornly, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here. I had no right.”
         His heart clenched recognizing her raw pain, but instead of softening it made him angrier. “Damn straight you had no right. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not interested. Either you wanted to be with me or you didn’t. Either you loved me or you didn’t. You, all by yourself, for your own reasons, decided you didn’t want or love me. I wasn’t even important enough to rate an explanation. I used to want to know, but honestly I don’t care anymore. It’s over. Just like you wanted.   You shouldn’t be here. There’s nothing left to say.”
         She stared at him in stunned silence for a moment. He’d never said those things to her before. Never been so blatantly hurtful. This Ethan wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. Her Ethan was level headed, funny, tender, and always mindful of how his words could effect someone. What had she done? Had he become this way because of her? “Ethan, I’m sorry…I’m…just so sorry.”
         Fumbling for composure, she stood to leave. She looked down at him like she had more to say, but just shrugged, turned sharply and jogged the distance back to her car.
         Coward. She was a damn coward. She ran when she should’ve stayed. She deserved every flicker of anger that flashed in his eyes.

Edited:

         Four tears escaped, tracing down the slopes of her cheeks. Each tear carried the weight of the past eight months. Savannah swiped them away quickly, not wanting him to see. She hadn’t come here for his sympathy. At least she didn’t think so. Why had she come?
         “You’re right. And, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m here,” she whispered.
         As Ethan watched the tears stream down her face, he felt each one like a sucker punch to the gut, but instead of softening they left him angrier. “Damn straight you had no right. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not interested in your twisted version of love anymore, Savannah. Either you wanted to be with me or you didn’t. Either you loved me or you didn’t. You, all by yourself, for your own reasons, decided we were done. I wasn’t even important enough to rate an explanation. I’ll be honest, I used to need to know so much I thought I’d go crazy not knowing, but honestly I don’t care anymore. It’s over. Just like you wanted. You shouldn’t be here. There’s nothing left to say.”
         She stared at him through the fog of hate his words left hanging thickly between them. He’d never said those things to her before. Never been so blatantly hurtful. This Ethan wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. Her Ethan was level headed, funny, tender. What had she done? Had he become this way because of her? “Ethan, I’m sorry…I’m…just so sorry.”
         Fumbling for composure, she stood to leave. She looked down at him wanting to tell him everything. Maybe he would understand. No, she had been right not to tell him, that was the single thing she was sure of. Unable to stand the stark despair playing across his face, she stood and quickly jogged the distance back to her car.
         Coward. She was a coward. She ran when she should stay. She deserved every flicker of anger that flashed in his eyes, but running had become an unwelcome habit, her only weapon.


Be sure to check out the other posts for Write on Wednesday

Taking Flight

This is the only poem I've ever attempted. When I was in college, it was published in our literary magazine. I use poem loosly because it is a craft I've never honed. Enjoy!

Wildly wandering wherever the wind flows.
Firm foundations further from grasp blows .
Meaning muddled by manic material phases.
Savvy soul searching surfaces melancholic faces.
Bravely blundering burdened by inescapable disgraces.
Learning life leaves lesions only love replaces.

Five Sentence Fiction - Delirious

For the past two weeks I've participated in Words on Wednesday. If you haven't visited Gill's amazing blog, check it out!! I've enjoyed WoW so much, I wanted to create something similar on my blog that would be a quick, fun weekly writing exercise.

Five Sentence Fiction has been one of the ideas that keeps coming back to me. It's about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week I will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the inspiration word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just take your inspiration from that word.

This week's inspiration word is: DELIRIOUS

My contribution for this week:

 "From my perch on the log, I watched the squirrels watching me. Between us sat one fat, rugged brown nut. We were all thinking the same thing. Who would get to that nut first? But, when I lunged the squirrels vanished, taking their nut with them, and my eyes fluttered to reveal stark white walls, a nurse, and curious looking monitors."

I look forward to reading everyone's five sentences. Post your Five Sentences on your blog, and link up your post below. Once you've posted your Five Senteces, be sure to check out the other blogs. Any feedback on Five Sentence Fiction is welcome!

Happy Writing!

Write on Wednesday: Choose your own adventure!

Write On Wednesdays Exercise 17: This week, we are going with Karen's idea for an open choice week. So take a look at the old writing exercises (you can find them listed in my sidebar: WoW Writing Exercises), find one you'd like to try (or retry!) and link it up to the linky below. Short and simple instructions this week. If time is an issue perhaps you would like to try one of the 5 minute stream of consciousness exercises.

This being just my second week participating in WoW, I was excited to be able to do an exercise from a previous week. I chose: Write On Wednesdays Exercise 3 - I remember: Write "I remember" at the top of your page. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Use "I remember" as your prompt and write down the first words that come into your head for 5 minutes. Stop when the buzzer rings!...

I remember when I would leave my house giving no thought to anyone but myself, when I filled my pantry with food only I wanted to eat. I remember when all my shoes were safe, my leashes for surfboards, and my leftover plastic bags for banana peels or watermelon rinds.

I remember when my couch was free of hair, my floor pristine and shiny, my pockets empty of crumbs.

I remember the day I learned to worry about the safety of my shoes, my couch growing a beard, or mystery spots on my floor. It was the same day I found complete, unconditional devotion in a wriggling, black and white package.

I remember the day I fell in love.