Holy Time Change, Batman

So, did everyone remember to change their clocks back?  I didn't have to as most of the clocks in my house do it automatically.  Okay, so that means the cable box on my TV and my cell phone.  Less thinking, more looking like a genius.  No?  Okay, so it just goes to show that I'm into the whole "do it for me" thing.

I'm still on track as far as the Nano thing is concerned.  Kinda loving the story that's coming around.  I just have to get myself to a point where I worry less about the word count, but it makes me work a little harder.  I do have to admit that my main character is now seeing a therapist, poor thing.  LOL.  But at least he's trying to help her with her issues.  Nice guy.

I can't believe I'm so getting into this.  I think I'm finally finding my writing groove again.  I still have some issues to work on, but it's getting there.  I have to get myself out of that rigid article writing mind set.  I spent so much time doing those before walking away, that I still find it hard to do anything else.  Like this blog for instance.  It's hard for me to just do posts like this one.  I feel like I have to have a structured technique, but I really don't.  If you read me, cool.  If not, life goes on.  It's that simple. 

I'm finding that now that I'm doing the Nano thing, I'm having fun writing again.  And that's what it's all about, right?  To have fun with what you do?  And the really cool thing is that I'm starting to get ideas for stories again.  Not just the one I'm working on, but others for the future.  It's not feeling so forced anymore.  I still have a few road blocks, but not nearly as many as before.  It's a great feeling.  Maybe now that I'm starting to get my groove back, I'll be able to post more often here.  I like having an outlet for all the weirdness that is in my head. 

Okay, so I'm done boring you with all my stuff.  Keep on keeping on my friends.  And as always, happy writing.

Yes It's Another Nano Post

Well, day one is well under way.  To be honest, I almost backed out.  I know everyone else jumps in and has all their ideas ready to go and kicks butt in the first week.  Not me, I'm just the opposite.  And the biggest issue was that up until I actually started writing today, I still wasn't sure in which direction my story was going to go.  But go it did and I'm happy to say that day one ended with over 2000 words down.

So I won't go into a lot of details about the story, but I've decided to go the fantasy/paranormal route.  Not so much because I planned it, but because that's where my characters decided I was going.  Yep, I'm letting my characters write the story for me, after all, it is their story. 

I'm not a huge romance person, but I do love a good romance and this story seems to be starting out that way.  My lead female, Lydia, meets and falls for a guy called Martin.  The kicker is that she's plagued by horrible nightmares and he's the first person in her life that doesn't tell her it's all in her head and that there might be a real reason behind the dreams.  That's all I can tell you so far, as that's all I know.  But I think he really wants to help her, the problem is that I don't know yet if she really wants to be helped.  Does that make any sense?

I'm enjoying this story, so far.  The main reason I've only finished Nano once was because I enjoyed the story I wrote from beginning to end.  The others got stale and I had a hard time finding a way to keep the momentum going and baled.  I know, bad toad.  Oddly enough, the only other time I finished, I let my characters write that story too.  So maybe that's the secret.  I don't know for sure, but we'll see where the month goes. 

Okay, I think I've bored you enough.  I need to get some sleep and try to figure out where the story's going to go from here.  If anyone's doing nano and wants to add me as a buddy, you can find me under the name crsenter.

Happy Writing, ya'll!!!

National Novel Writing Month

OMG!!!  It's that time of year again and I'm diving in head first.  Yep, I've officially signed up to be part of this year's Nanowrimo.  I'm a little nervous, but I know I can do this because I've done it before.  It's been awhile, but I did actually finish in 2007.  If I did it once, I can do it again.

I have a couple ideas on what I want to write about, but getting the story to go from being a fleeting image in my brain to a whole thing by the end of November is something else.  I'm not sure if I can get clear to the end, but I'm sure gonna give it a good shot.

The next trick is in figuring out which of my ideas I want to go with.   Both major ideas are set in the paranormal genre.  One has to do with the world beyond; as in what happens after we die.  The other has to do with one of my favorite topics; the Ancient Alien theory.  I have to do some brainstorming and soul searching to see which one I like better.

I'll let you know where we end up.  I hope I don't get lost in thought.....or translation.  LOL

Happy writing

The Fey by Claudia Hall Christian

Alexandra Hargreaves is a happily married woman, daughter of a prominent senator, drop dead gorgeous....and the baddest of the baddest Green Beret. But missing memories of how her entire team was massacred and recurring phone calls from a mysterious man claiming to be coming to get her, drive this thriller from beginning to end.

My take on The Fey is that it's a really great read. Once I started reading, I had a hard time putting this one down. The main reason I wanted this book was because of the title (The Fey), and this is one of those times when you shouldn't just a book by it's name. It has NOTHING to do with fairies in the paranormal sense. There is no magic, no mythic beings, and none of the things I love in a book. BUT, this was one of the best reads I've come across in a long time.

The best thing about The Fey is that it grabs your attention from page one and takes you for a helluva ride to the very end. You get the feeling that you're part of the story and you can actually feel her emotions as she tries to move on from being the sole survivor of a gruesome slaughter, to finding out who and why her team was murdered.

The characters in this book feel like real people with real flaws and real emotions. The husband isn't who he claims to be, the father isn't who he's supposed to be, and there are twists and turns around every corner.

Even through all this, there was one main thing about this book that really did bother me. The sheer number of typos and missing words throughout the book was a little unnerving. I'm one of those people who happens to get tripped up when trying to read something that's filled with that many mistakes. However, the storyline was so good that I did manage to get past it. And with this being the first book in a series, I do hope author Claudia Hall Christian opts for a professional editor to get through the rest of the series.

I give this book 3.5 stars. I'd give it more but the lack of editing kind of a problem for me. It's a good thing thing the story was as good as it was or I couldn't have given it that good of a rating.

The Fey is a great read, but beware of the number of errors throughout the book.

Reading My Brains Out

Hello my little angels.  I wanted to stop in and let you all know that I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth.  I have, in fact, been reading my brains out.  I've been approved to read 2 more books through NetGalley.com, which for me is like a huge thing.  I've also been downloading a lot of free books from Amazon and reading the crap out of my poor little Kindle. 

Be on the lookout in the coming days as I'm working on some more book reviews.  I've just finished one book and am almost finished with another.  For someone who didn't read more than one or two books a year, I've been reading like a crazy woman for the past few weeks.  Don't ask me why, but I just can't seem to get enough.

I've also been spending more time with my honey and my granddaughter.  Grandpa and I have just signed papers giving us temporary guardianship over our 18 month old baby girl, so my days and nights are a lot more full.  I still have the desire to write, but I'm having a blast with Baby Girl.  Being a grandma is probably the coolest job I've ever held.

So anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I am still here and I haven't forgotten about mt angel babies out there.  Keep on keeping on and happy writing.

Character Assassinations

I'm bored.  I've tried to post certain prompts on certain days and I've become stale very quickly.  Maybe it's because I have the attention span of a cocker spaniel.  So today I'm just going to post some character names and a little something about them.  Why? Because I can.  And  because my little friend Katie said she liked some of my character names.  (Seriously, go visit Katie, she way cool).

Corbin McMillan--A retired army captain who still dreams of his days in battle.
Lily Farnsworth--A spoiled little rich girl who's just been sent out on her own.
Talia Lowenstein--A high school teacher trying to run from her inner demons.
Toby Jenson--A former football player with a heavy gambling habit.
Leesa Bentley--A cocktail waitress with a horrifying secret
Mitchell Donahue--An aspiring writer plagued by nightmares
Charity Douglas--The youngest child of parents who lived in a 60's commune
Nikko Pollucci--A police officer who's grandfather was one of the country's most feared mafia bosses
Carlos Espinoza--A father working to keep his children from becoming members of his former gang
Shelby Messersmith--A young woman working her way through a drug addiction.

There you go my little angels.  Until next time, happy writing.

Elfin By: Quinn Loftis

What do you get when you put an 18-year old high school good girl with an ancient assassin who happens to be an elf?  A book that I personally found to be almost impossible to put down.

I'm not one of those reviewers who's going to give you all the details then pick the book apart.  I'm going to tell you about it the way I see it and I loved this book.  I honestly didn't think I would as I'm not usually into the whole sappy love story thing, but this one is different.  It is a love story, but of a much more mythic caliber.

The main characters are Cassie Tate, a high school girl who's more interested in graduation than anything else, and Triktapic, an ageless elfin assassin who works for the dark elf king.  Not exactly the two people you'd put together in a story, but it works.  Throw in a gothic best friend and some otherworldly characters and you've got the makings for a great fairy tale for a modern age.

The only thing I can say about  this book that I did NOT like is the way it ends.  As this is only the first book in a series, I can understand that there is more to come.  However, I did think the ending was more of a cliffhanger type thing than the end to a book.  I can't wait until the next book comes out just to see where these two end up.

On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the bomb), I give this book a solid 4.  It moves along as a good pace, the characters are pretty realistic, even if most of them are mythical beings, and there's a great plot line behind it.  There's even a couple of twists in the story just to keep things interesting.

If you like a good story about humans and elves intermingling, check out Elfin by Quinn Loftis.  I'm glad I had the chance to read this book.

When-sdays 9-25-13

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN-SDAYS

Good morning my beautiful creatures.  I'm making sure this prompt gets out there, well, promptly.  LOL.  (Ya, I know.)  You know how this works.  I'll give you the main parts, and you give me the rest.  So as they say in pro wrestling and UFC fighting, "Let's get it on"!!

WHO--Chester Magnusson
WHAT--A pair of pliers
WHERE--The city park
WHY--To pay off a bet
WHEN--Mid October

There you are sweeties.  What can you come up with for this grouping?  Have some ideas???  Let me know and as always, happy writing!!

Tuesday Titles 9-24-13

Well hello my little babies from the flu fields.  That's right my babies, I spent yesterday pretty much laid out thanks to a nasty little flu bug.  Well, part flu bug, part hay fever, part cold.  Let's just say I felt like someone had stuffed one side of my face full of cotton and set the inside of the other side on fire.  I couldn't walk, I couldn't talk, and food was pretty much out of the question. But I still had my coffee, I mean I wasn't THAT sick after all.  LOL

Let's do some titles.  :)

1.) The Yesterday Pill
2.) Cruising Past Infinity
3.) Only The Phoney
4.) Beyond The Curtain
5.) Goddess of the Golden Gate
6.) The Art of Hexting
7.) Past Imperfections
8.) The Spinster's Sisters
9.) In the Shadow of Sunshine
10.) Nocturnal Tendencies

There you go my lovelies.  Please be advised that I am slightly medicated, so take that into account while checking out this week's entries.  Until next time, happy writing.

Read to Write

Far too often, especially online, I meet wannabe writers who claim they don't read as much as they write as though this declaration means they are more earnestly dedicated to the craft than the rest of us. Reading may be as important to writing as writing itself; no amount of education, of any kind, will teach you more than reading - except maybe learning to read critically.

If you really enjoy a piece and know how to read critically, a second read is always important. Your enjoyment the first time through comes from being caught-up in the story. You are unlikely to notice things like structure, pacing, even plot and character development because you are so enrapt in the story that these things go unnoticed. If they are done poorly, they stand-out like sore thumbs - they take you out of the story and you can't not notice them. The second time through, you already know the story so you can keep an eye on how the author works to achieve that suspension of disbelief and carry the reader along.

If you prefer, take notes while you read. Books with wide margins provide plenty of room though your notes can prove hard to find later. Notepad or a similar program can prove most useful here. Include the page, paragraph, and even sentence number along with your notes. You might also purchase a Cliff's Notes of the book and keep your notes in there. It can also provide great insight on everything from symbolism to language use and more - things you might have missed on your own.

Even without taking notes, you should read widely and voraciously, even in genres you don't care to write. Everything you learn is applicable to your development as a proficient, efficient writer.

Who Dunnit

THRILLER THURSDAYS

Back in the day when I used to do these prompt things all the time, I did a little thing called Who Dunnit.  The way it works is that I'll give you the crime and a list of suspects.  From there, it's up to you to bring it all together.  And remember, just because they're suspects doesn't necessarily mean they're the ones who did it.  Let's have some fun and solve a little mystery. 

1.) THE CRIME: A high school mascot suit is found torn to pieces in the principal's front yard.
THE SUSPECTS: Members of a rival school, the suit's occupant, the football coach, the head cheerleader

2.) THE CRIME: Several business windows are spray-painted over in gold and green.
THE SUSPECTS: The captain of the football team, a group of misfit teenagers, the leader of a political group, a group of men thought to be trying to start a new religion.

3.) THE CRIME: Several wheat fields surrounding a small farming community are set on fire.
THE SUSPECTS: A farmer who's fields weren't set ablaze, a group of boys from a neighboring town, the son of the local sheriff, the wife of the bank's president.

4.) THE CRIME: A pet store is broken into and several of the more exotic animals are stolen.
THE SUSPECTS: A rival pet store owner, a recently fired zookeeper, a group of animal rights activists, a group of local bikers.

There you go my little angels.  Have fun and see what you can come up with.  And you know the way it ends, my lovelies.  Happy Writing!!!

When-sdays 9-18-13

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN-SDAYS

Hi kids, hope all is going well.  I should have had this posted this morning, but you know how life is.  Gets in the way, gets out of hand, gets lost in the shuffle.  So anyway, here it is, this week's When-sdays issue.  Hope you enjoy and find something that truly inspires you to play.

WHO--Destiny Avarez
WHAT--A 1966 Chevy
WHERE--The Desert
WHY--To get in touch with nature
 WHEN--A Tuesday afternoon

There you go my angels.  Have fun and happy writing

Tuesday Titles 9-17-13

I thought since I'd let my muse out to play last night, maybe I could do it again, but I'm not so sure she's up to the task again.  She was all happy to play last night, but she doesn't seem to be anywhere to be found tonight.  I'll do my best to invite her in, so let's see if she's in the mood. 

"Oh gracious goddess muse so light
Come and help my quest to write"

(She loves it when I compliment her.  LOL)

1.) Hidden Fantasies
2.) A Mile From Tomorrow
3.) The Mourning of the Knight
4.) Creatures of the Kind
5.) The Confines of Freedom
6.) Perfectly Imperfect
7.) Deafening Silence
8.) A Mother's Dream
9.) A Day Beyond Forever
10.) Finding A Final Love

There you go my little angels.  Though she wasn't as free with her abilities this round as she was yesterday, it's not all bad.  Have fun and as always, happy writing my lovelies.

Letting My Muse Play

MYTHIC MONDAYS

Well my darlings.  With any luck, my Internet issues have been fixed and life as we know it can get on as usual.  With that being said, I believe it's time to get back into the normal swing of things and you know what that means; new prompts.  Whoo hoo!!!  Happy dance!!!

I'm not sure which direction we're headed in this week, so I'm just going to let my muse loose and let her do all the work.  So if these are a bit out of whack, it's her fault, not mine.  LOL.  And away we go!!!

1.) You go to your happy place only to find that it's been overrun with your worst nightmare.  Describe the scene.
2.) You find the mythical lamp of Aladdin is an actual relic and has come into your possession.  You are granted 3 wishes.  What are those wishes and what are the consequences of those wishes?
3.) You come to discover that reincarnation is a real thing and you've lived more than one life.  Tell us about one of your past lives in detail.
4.) The mythical island of Atlantis is discovered and you've been chosen to document the event.  Give us a detailed account of how it was found, what was found to prove it to be Atlantis, and any other details you think important.
5.) You have solid evidence that a mythological beast exists.  Which one is is, what type of evidence do you have, and how to do you go about getting it out to the world without world governments getting to it first?
6.) Scientists have finally created a time machine.  You're the reporter chosen as one of the first to go back in time.  Where do you go?  Who do you meet?  What do they have to say to the future.
7.) You're one of the only people left on Earth. Who's left with you? Where has everyone else gone? How did it happen?
8.) You discover that immortals roam the Earth.  You have the opportunity to interview one of them.  Post that interview.
9.) You meet a woman who claims to be a goddess.  Who is she really?  Where is she from?  What does she do to prove her case?
10.) You're on an archaeological dig and find a long-lost civilization.  Who were they? What did they leave behind? What sets them apart from their contemporaries?

There you go my lovelies.  My muse seems to be working overtime on this one.  She's feeling a little froggy right now, so don't hold me responsible.  LOL

Happy writing my babies.

Literal Laziness

Hi all, this is Manodogs. I am new here but what I have to talk to you about is something to which we all can relate: I am lazy.

I recently received notice of an anthology that is seeking submissions. It is based on a novel by a well-regarded and rather famous author who has been a favorite of mine since childhood. The novel was also turned into a movie but it was ruined by the production company who recut it to make it more palatable to a wider audience. The movie is about 20 years old now and the rights have reverted back to the author (or another film company - I'm not 100% certain how that works) and the author, who also directed the movie, has restored the original cut. The director's cut is set for release later this year with the anthology following shortly thereafter.

I went to eBay and purchased a used copy of the book which I plan to start reading tomorrow while at the doctor's. Once I get through it, I plan on renting the movie on Roku and watching it again.

If my submission is accepted, it could be a real boon for my career. The problem is that the deadline is fast approaching and I have done none of these things...

I actually have an idea already, I just have to read this book, watch this movie, and at least outline the story by, like, this weekend. Then expand that outline into a 5000-word story. Then edit and re-edit it for submission. Then hope for the best.

And the new patch for World of Warcraft just dropped.

Deepest Apologies

As you can see, I didn't get anything posted for the past couple of days.  That's because my computer, my Internet, and most of my other technologically advanced items all went caput.  I spent most of yesterday morning on the phone with the Internet company, Dell, and anyone else who would listen to me whine.  But that's what I get for living in the sticks.  Turns out the problem is/was that the lines that come into my house aren't all that great.  Go figure!!

Hopefully I'll be able to get back into it next week with our regularly scheduled happy thoughts.  I want to post my review for the book I just finished writing, get back into our weekly prompts and maybe just hang out and have coffee or something. 

I want all my readers to know how much I appreciate them and how much the mean to me.  It does my heart good to know that someone out there is reading my blog and getting something out of it.  You guys and gals rock and make what I do worth doing. 

Happy writing my angel babies!!!

Tuesday Titles 9-10-13

Good morning my angel babies.  I hope you're all having a good week so far and writing your little hearts out.  I'm happy to announce that I've finished the first book from my NetGalley  book site and I'll be doing a review of it in the next few days.  But for now, it's time to check out this week's story titles.  Not sure where I'm going to go with this, but let's find out, shall we???

1.) Never Knowing November
2.) Beyond the Call
3.) Deafening Whispers
4.) The Cries of the King
5.) Inside the Walled Garden
6.) Crossing the Golden Line
7.) The Assassin's Pride
8.) A Force From Tomorrow
9.) Facing a Past of Sorrows
10.) The Days of Grey Skies

There you go, kiddies.  Have fun and let your minds wander into these new worlds.  I double dog dare ya.  LOL.  Happy writing my babies.

Mythic Beasts Abound

One of the things I love most about mythology are the many monsters and beasts that seem to shape just about every ancient myth from around the world.  Even the Bible told of great beasts such as the Leviathan and the Behemoth that roamed the Earth in the earliest of days.  So, my pretties, I'm going to invent a grouping of mythical beasts and give you a brief description.  You get to give them their stories, their heroes, and even their fates.  Are they good or bad?  Well that's all up to you.

1.) The Gamavole
A cave-dwelling being with 2 sets of eyes and triple clawed toes.
2.) Cariomni
A humanoid type creature that breathes through its skin and smells like fresh cut grass.
3.) The Almoriphance
A serpentine creature that lives in cold waters.
4.) Pangafore
A nocturnal beast with purple scales and no eyes.
5.) Mannochetta
A creature who resembles a woman without hair.
6.) La Forellania
Beings who have the ability to blend into their surroundings
7.) The Onavari
Winged creatures who live primarily in the mountains
8.) Colirama
Tiny creatures that live in trees and the ability to mimic anything they hear
9.) Stranka
A beast with 3 heads, one of which is blind, and one of which breathes out a toxic mist
10.) The Norvands
A tribe of shape-shifting beings who thrive on yellow flowers

There you go kids.  Have fun and see what you can do with these creatures.  You can make them evil, friendly, or you can choose more than one and have a monster war.  Whatever floats your boats, my babies.  Happy Writing!!!

My Ab Fab Blogging Buddy

Hey kids.  In the coming days, weeks, etc., you might notice some posts from someone other than me.  Don't freak, he's a good guy.  I'd like you all to meet one of my dearest blogging buddies, ManoDogs, aka Christopher Lynn.  He's got a few issues, but I promise he's pretty much harmless.

I met MOD several years ago in one of the many blogging communities I belonged to and we just kinda hit it off.  He's probably one of the most proficient bloggers I've ever known, while still being able to keep his own voice.  He runs several blogs, but he's most known for his site The Rundown.  On this site, he reviews all kinds of things such as movies, games, people in the news, people who do stupid stuff.  That kind of thing.  And he's been doing it for quite some time now.

Check out his site because in the coming months I'll be doing some guest posts on the site.  I'm kind of excited about it.  It's been a long time since I did regular posts on a site like his.  He runs another site called The OddBlog.  This one's a bit out of the ordinary, however.  It's got a lot to do with the unexplained and supernatural stuff.  If that's not quite your cup of tea, you might not want to stop by.  But if you get into that kind of thing, check it out.  I'll be doing some things over there as well.

It's important to make friends in this industry, not just contacts.  Contacts will come and go, but friends will be there to help you out no matter what.  Go visit my Ab Fab buddy, he's the bomb!!!

LegendFire Writing Community

Okay, first of all I have to apologize for this not getting posted before now.  If I work this just right, it will still technically be posted on Friday.  It's been a one of those weeks where if it can go wrong, it has.  But that's not important at the moment.

My plan for this post was to find some free writing communities for you all to check out, but I think I'm only going to showcase one.  Not because they're not out there, but I think it's better to just focus on one site at a time, plus it will give me fodder for future posts.  LOL

I found a pretty neat little writing forum called LegendFire.  I had to sign up before I wrote anything about it, as I thought it would be a good idea to see the inside before offering it up.  I'd make a great real estate agent.  Anyway, I was happy with what I found.

The first thing I always look for in a writing forum is when it was last updated.  If it looks like no one has done anything for some time, I won't waste my time.  This site had been updated only moments before I joined so that was a plus.  But let's talk about the real stuff.

One of the things this site offers is work critiques.  This includes all fiction, poetry, and non-fiction works.  There's a room called The Shredder and that's pretty much what happens to your work in there.  Other members shred it to pieces, but in a good way.  It's meant for anyone who wants brutally honest reviews of their work and suggestions on ways to improve it.  Probably won't see anything of mine in there anytime soon.

The site also has rooms for writing challenges, word games, and one for just general conversation.  They offer a group of rooms called The Knowledge Base which is made for those in search of information about writing, resources, and needs some questions answered.

One of the others things I look for in a writing community is in the introduction section.  I hate introducing myself, but it's always the first step in getting noticed.  In most other sites, I might get the room moderator to say hi once I've introduced myself.  This time, I had 3 people stop in and say hi, and a couple even took the time to stop by and see my blog.  SCORE!!!  Yeah, I was kinda happy.

I'm still getting a feel for the site, but all in all, I'm happy.  If you want to join in on the fun, the cost is a big, fat zero (aka free).  And if you do join, look me up.  You'll find me under the user name Miss Chris.  If I come across any bumps in the road, I'll let you know.  But until then, happy writing my angel babies!!!!!

September's 3-Word Scares

I thought we'd do another round of 3-word prompts today.  I kind of like doing this one, just to see what others can come up with.  So here's your mission, should you choose to take it.  Choose one of the groupings of 3 words and see what kind of thriller/mystery/scary story you can come up with.  Let your imaginations run wild or run for the hills, whatever.  LOL

1.) A broken tea cup, a rabbit's foot, a torn piece of paper
2.) A silver earring, a toy car, a tree branch
3.) A foot print, a model airplane, a lemon seed
4.) A candy box, 3 hair pins, an old spice rack
5.) A library card, a box of crayons, an oil lamp
6.) A bicycle chain, a cracked picture frame, a bottle of talcum powder
7.) A rotary phone, a butane lighter, a wooden box
8.) A lace handkerchief, an ornate tea tray, a hand mirror
9.) A hunting bow, a fishing pole, a snow globe
10.) A baby book, a porcelain doll, an old painting

Okay kids, make me proud.  Let's see where these ideas will take you and your imagination.  Have fun and as always, happy writing.  :)

When-sdays 9-4-13

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN-SDAYS

I wasn't sure how to do this one for today.  It's going to have to be a quick one as I don't have much time to play today.  So with that being said, here we go.  Let's hope it comes out as well as I hope.  LOL

WHO--Bobby Anderson
WHAT--An old baseball glove
WHERE--The attic of an old house
WHY--Reliving the past
WHEN--1947

There you go my lovelies.  I know it's not one of my best, but I think I've got a story growing just from putting this one together.  We'll see, maybe I'll even post something with this grouping in mind.  Have fun kids and happy writing.

Tuesday Titles 9-3-13

In yesterday's post, we looked at the world through the eyes of a child.  Let's keep with that theme and see what kinds of titles we can come up with that would work for a children's book.  I always thought about writing a children's book but knowing that the only thing I can draw is flies, I never got it done.  So here we go kiddies, let's have some fun.

1.) The Peanut Butter Express
2.) Flowers in the Field
3.) Taking a Trip to Timbuktu
4.) Got to Go, Got to Grow
5.) A Pretty Pet for Patty
6.) A Shoe for a Shrew
7.) The World Beyond The Garden
8.) The Rainbow Dragon
9.) Horses, Houses, and Helping Hands
10.) Marshmallow Mountain

There you go kids. Use them as you see fit and have a good time in the process.  And as always, happy writing!!

Through the Eyes of a Child

MYTHIC MONDAYS

Children see the world through different eyes.  They fear the monsters under the bed.  They still believe in fairies, the man in the moon, and the boogeyman.  They don't just think Santa is real, they know he is.  This week, I want to view the "other" world through child-like eyes.  And remember, some of the things seen in this way isn't all rainbows and balloons.

1.) Invent a new holiday. Tell us about what time of year it takes place, how it's celebrated, and create an iconic being to be the face of your new holiday.
2.) You find you have the ability to see children's imaginary friends.  Choose one and tell us about them.
3.) You've been transported to a world you thought you made up as a kid.  Tell us about it using as much detail as possible.
4.) You have the ability to actually see through the eyes of children.  Describe your surroundings in that sense.
5.) Interview the monster that lived under your bed or in your closet.
6.) Some believe children can see and talk to angels.  Tell us what you think they're seeing and/or talking to.
7.) Create a scenario explaining why the young can see things that can't be seen as they get older.
8.) Look at any picture drawn by a child and write a story about what you see.
9.) You've just moved into a new house haunted by a little girl.  Tell us about her world from her POV.
10.) Think about what you were most afraid of as a child.  Write a piece using that fear as the basis for your story.

There you are, kids.  Remember to write your pieces as fanciful as possible.  They can be happy, sad, scary, or whatever you feel.  Just remember to have a good time during the process.  Happy writing my lovelies.

Free Prompt Generators

Hi kids.  You'll have to bear with me today as thanks to my gas company, I now know the meaning of the term "mad enough to spit nails".  But I'll get over it and life goes on.

Today I'm going to showcase some other sites that offer free writing prompts.  I know this seems like I'm kicking myself, but I think it's important to give writers a shot at finding other places to come up with ideas.  I'd like to think that someday, someone will do the same for me, but that's not the main issue.  It's all about the writing, not where you found the inspiration.  Here's a couple different places I've found that help me with my writing ideas.

1.) Free Prompt Generator
This is a simple little tool to help you come up with writing ideas.  You can go back and forth, or you can simply hit random and see what pops up.  The page looks like it was created for school kids, but I think it's a great place to get started.
2.) Language is a Virus
This generator is a little more directed towards adults.  Again, simply hit the button to find random ideas to work with.  It's pretty straight forward and there's some interesting ideas from this one.
3.) Adam Maxwell's Fiction Lounge
This one's a little harder to use, but not much.  Instead of simply hitting the random button, you just refresh the page.  It's finding the prompt that's hard.  It's in a little box next to the sidebar of the site.  Little off, but it works and there's some cool ideas there as well.
4.) Writing Fix
This one's a little off-beat, but it still works.  It's been awhile since this one was updated, but there are still a lot of ideas generated from this site.  Easy to use, not so easy to find.
5.) Grab Bag Writing Prompts
I kinda like this one as it gives you the choice of how many words you want generated in your prompt.  Choose from 1 to 10, you get however many words you choose.  And I mean just that, you get random words.  The other generators on this list give you random ideas, this one just gives you words.  Kind of a cool idea I think.

Well there you go kids.  I hope you find something worth writing about.  It never hurts to look outside for help, I know I do.  Have fun and happy writing.

People Watching

Have you ever just sat and watched people?  People do some really odd things when they don't know their being watched.  But it's kind of fun to just watch people and try to figure out their lives.  For today's Thriller Thursday entry, I'm going to give you a name and a bit of information about them.  Create a complete bio for these characters and remember to add a chilling aspect to their lives.

1.) Bradley Ferrisburg----a 4-inch scar across his chin
2.) Carri Ann Donahue---can't look people in the eye
3.) Francis McAllister---walks with a pronounced limp
4.) George Peterson---has a fear of blue cars
5.) Annie Paxton---always wears a silver rose brooch
6.) Jason Landers---never sleeps under the covers
7.) Dale Greenwood---always crosses his fingers when he passes a graveyard
8.) Lela Forester---refuses to eat peanut butter
9.) Carla Bentley---is terrified of cats
10.) Charles Carlyle---won't travel out of the city alone

There you go kids.  Have fun with this one and let us know who these people are.  And as always, happy writing.

When-sdays 8-28-13

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN-SDAYS

I know it sounds strange, but I really think this is becoming my favorite of all my daily prompts.  Not because it's the shortest, but because I never do these posts in advance.  I always do this one on the fly.  I let my own imagination run wild and just go with it.  This has become my free write of the week, just to see what I can come up with.  So let's see where we can go with this one.  Come kids, let's have some fun.

WHO--Robert Overmeier
WHAT--A floor lamp
WHERE--An abandoned warehouse
WHY--To prove himself to himself
WHEN--4 in the morning

There you go my lovelies.  Have fun with it and see where your imagination will lead you.  Can you rise to the challenge?  Happy writing.

Tuesday Titles 8-27-13

Well since I forgot to do this post for last week, I guess I'd better make sure to have this one ready to go.  Since I started reading books for NetGalley, I haven't done much of anything else.  I've been approved for 2 different books and one of them has me totally entranced.  I started the 2nd one, but quickly realized there was no getting into that one until I finished the first.

Anyway, I've got some new titles for you to work with for this week.  Let them grab hold of your imagination and create a story you didn't even know you had in you.  Or better yet, maybe that story that's been nagging at you never had a name.....until now.

1.) Cosmic Judgements
2.) The Alabaster Barrier
3.) The Beauty of Unseen Colors
4.) Running Away From Forever
5.) Once Upon A Terrifying Time
6.) When Kindness Kills
7.) Never With Friends
8.) A Misguided Rogue
9.) Silk Flowers and Fireflies
10.) At the Edge of the Sea

Have a good time, enjoy yourself, and as always, happy writing.

Writing From The Other Side

As I was trying to decide on which way to go with this post today, I got an update from one of the sites I subscribe to KCross Writing.  I just love this chick, she's a blast.  Today she posted a piece of flash fiction from prompts she'd found on another site.  It's not the prompts that caught me, but the story itself.  It just kind of grabbed me in a way I didn't think a story would.  It's about an uncle trying to explain life after death to his young nephew.  It's a great story and you should really read it.  Anyway, it made me think about the ways we humans look at the hereafter.  Since the dawn of time, we've always thought that there was something beyond this life.  There is even evidence that the Neanderthals believed in life after death.  So, let's see where our imaginations can go with these ideas.

1.) We finally find life on another planet.  Describe the afterlife as they see it.
2.) You're given the chance to have a conversation with an angel.  Tell us about it using as much detail as possible.
3.) Choose any god/goddess from the world's mythologies and tell how they'd fit into our modern society.
4.) How are today's ideas of the afterlife the same as in ancient times, and how are they different?
5.) Invent your own religion, complete with pantheon of deities, beasts, and heroes.
6.) You're given the chance to travel into the future.  How are the views of life after death different than they are today.
7.) If you could be a god or goddess, who would you be and why?
8.) Describe Purgatory in your own ideas and words.
9.) You've just crossed over.  What do you see, who's there to meet you, and where do you go from there?
10.) You're on trial for your eternal life.  Plead you're case as to why you should go up instead of down.

There ya go kids.  Let your imaginations run wild in the Elysian Fields or through the bowels of the Earth.  Whichever way you go, have fun and happy writing.

Free E-books For Writers

Finding free stuff that's directed at writer's isn't as easy as it sounds.  It takes a little thinking, a little determination, and a whole lot of searching.  Today, I'm going to offer you a few free ebooks that are meant for writers in one way or another.  I hope you find something that helps you in your writing endeavors.

1.) Online Writing Jobs For Freelance Writers

This is a 50-page ebook that offers job leads for those in the article and blogging industry.  It also covers topics such as skills needed to land some of these jobs, how to apply for these types of jobs, and how to market yourself.

2.) How To Write Fiction Stories With Substance

This cool little ebook covers everything about writing fiction from creating realistic characters, creating great plots, and even how to twist together great narratives.  It's a great piece for beginners and established authors alike.

3.) Smashwords Book Marketing Guide

This ebook goes through and helps you market just about any book.  There are 37 different tips which have helped over 100,000 authors over the years.

There's 3 of them to get you started.  As I find more I think are worth it, I'll add them to the list.  Have a great day and happy writing

Thursday Thrillers 8-22-13

Last week, we did the three word thing and we'll be doing that again, but I have something different in mind for this week.  One of my favorite writing prompts was in working from the first line.  This week, I'll give you the first sentence of a story and it's up to you to make something scary, spooky, mysterious from it.  Have fun!!!

1.) The mailman drove past the house without leaving anything once again.
2.) The angelic statue in the front yard seemed to carry a sad look on her face.
3.) Our bus pulled into the campsite with a bang.
4.) A mist hovered above the field of wild heather.
5.) Thirty men topped the hill in full armor.
6.) Daniel's waitress refused to smile at his attempt at humor.
7.) It seemed everyone at the party was having a good time except Janice.
8.) The road was lined with trees filled with hues of red, orange, and yellow.
9.) Jimmy felt as though he'd die while walking through the mall with his mom.
10.) The shop was filled with masks from around the world, and from ages long forgotten.

There ya go, kids.  Hope you create something wonderful and if you do, be sure to let us know.  Have fun and happy writing.

When-sdays 8-21-13

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN-SDAYS

The nice thing about being a writer is that you can take just about any grouping of words and make them work for whatever genre you choose to write in.  Here's this weeks grouping.  Would love to see these make it into more than one genre, like a romantic comedy or even maybe a historical paranormal piece.  Where can we go with this?

WHO--Caroline Bigsby
WHAT--A green car
WHERE--A rose garden
WHY--To find something lost
WHEN--The middle of June

I hope you use these prompts, as a whole or at least in part.  Have fun and see where your world will go.  Happy writing.

Living The Mythic Life

 Mythic Mondays

According to Webster's online dictionary, mythic means something unreal, fictitious, or imaginary. With the onslaught of paranormal fiction on the market, it's obvious that all things mythic have taken on a genuine feel. And because this is one of my favorite genres, I think it's only fitting to add a bit of ourselves into this week's round.

~*~Describe your life as though telling a fairy tale~*~

~*~Create your own superhero based on your life. Discuss their goals, their purpose, their costumes, and even their sidekicks~*~

~*~Retell your favorite childhood stories from a different point of view~*~

~*~Choose one of today's biggest stars and tell their story as though they're being discussed by someone 5,000 years from now~*~

~*~You wake up to find yourself in an unknown place. Describe it—show us all the things you see and feel. Make us believe you're in a real place no matter how out-of-this-world it may seem~*~

I hope these make you think and give you something to write about. And as always, happy writing!

New Book Titles For Bloggers To Review

As a few of you may know, I'm a huge fan and online friend of author Andrew E. Kaufman.  If you haven't read his work, you really need to do so.  He's the BOMB!!!  His latest book, Darkness and Shadows, will be released in October.  However, he made the announcement last night on Facebook that there will be advanced copies available via his publisher on NetGalley.com.  I had no idea what this site was so I had to go check it out.

NetGalley.com is a pretty cool site if you happen to be a blogger, book reviewer, librarian, social media guru, or bookstore owner.  The site brings these people and publishers together to help get the word out about upcoming titles.  I signed up last night as I'd like to offer book reviews on this site as well.  There is, however, a catch.

Once you sign up, you've GOT to fill out your profile with as much detail as possible.  Publishers look at your profile to decide whether or not you'd be a good candidate to showcase one of their books.  They not only want to know about your website/blog (if you're a book blogger), they want to know what kind of following you have.  I'm really hoping I get a chance to do this.

There is no guarantee that you'll be chosen to review books for this site as it's up to each publishing company who gets to do the reviews.  At this time, I've only chosen 3 titles as I'll be thrilled if I get to do even one of them.  Once you do get to do a review or two, there is a chance that certain publishers will add you to their auto-approval list.  But I'm nowhere near that point yet.

So wish me luck and go check out the site for yourself.  You never know what titles you'll find and there's a chance you could read them and tell the world about them, before they go mainstream.

People, Places, And Things

I sure what I wanted to do for my first weekend anything-goes party, but I think I came up with something.  I pulled out some of my old notebooks and started looking at a few of the prompts I'd written in the past and came up with something totally different.  Okay, it's not totally different, but it's not something I'd done before.  I'm taking a little bit from different ideas I'd had in the past and merged them all together.  Here's the idea.  I'm going to post 5 different characters, 5 different places, and 5 different items.  You can either mix and match them, use them in order, or if you're up for a killer challenge, find a way to use them ALL in one story.  Here we go:

Characters
1.) Michael Abernathy--A lawfirm accountant with a secret in his past
2.) Jason Peters--An aging race car driver fighting with his inner demons
3.) Angela Morganstern--A twice-married school teacher who makes a life-changing decision
4.) Childress--A single dad trying to connect with his teenaged daughter
5.) Riley Fitzpatrick--A Vegas showgirl searching for the mother she's never known

Locations
1.) A parking garage in California
2.) A long forgotten cemetery at the edge of town
3.) A restaurant in New York City
4.) A corn field in Iowa
5.) A fishing boat in the Gulf of Mexico

Props
1.) A purple crayon
2.) A set of pearl earrings
3.) A linen napkin
4.) A toy car
5.) An antique parasol

There ya go kids.  Mix and match, play with them all, but whatever you do, WRITE!!!  Have fun my friends.  Happy Writing!!!!!

Free Calendars and Planners

Okay, this was supposed to go up yesterday but my date night with the Mr. was more important.  Gotta love a man who needs a date night as much as you do.  LOL.  Anyway for our first Friday Freebie, I've found some pretty cool online calendars and planners to help out with the whole writing process.  One of my biggest issues in writing is in finding the time and scheduling the time to actually do the writing itself.  Here's what I found for you:

Localendars

This is kind of a cool little calendar for you to use for your personal use or to use in a group setting.  Sign up is free and can be placed right on your website.  There is a Wordpress plugin that can be used and they are customizable. The down side is that unless you sign up for the premium (paid) subscription, there will be ads on these calendars.

Calendar Labs

This site has several different calendars from which you can choose from.  They have both monthly and yearly calendars, many of which are ornate and will fit the styles of almost anyone.  They've also set up a page for anyone wanted to get a jump on things and are looking for 2014 calendars.

Blogging Calendar

This one is a little different than the others.  This is a free printable weekly blogging calendar.  It's purpose is to help you set up the various posts you plan to do each day of the week, along with which links you plan to use and a space for ideas on the upcoming week.  There is a download button right on the page to make it easy for anyone to just print each one out for each week.

Freelance Planner

This page is filled with planners that are designed for the freelance writer.  Because not all writers do their thing the same, these planners make it easy to put your plans into action and make them happen.  There are several different planners to choose from created for the current month.  They also have links to download the planners for the upcoming month.  

Well there are a few to get you started.  If you know of any others you think will be of help to our readers, please feel free to add them in the comments section.  Good luck, keep at it, and happy writing.

3-Word Scares

THURSDAY THRILLERS

The Horror Flick

Some of the best scary stories are created from the most mundane things. For our first prompt option, I'm going to give you 3 off-the-wall items and it's up to you to create a story around them.

**A stuffed animal, 3 hairpins, an old flag**

**A yellowed picture, a stack of newspapers, a cracked vase**

**A piece of ribbon, a box of broken crayons, an angel statuette**

**An old diary, a set of lace curtains, some dried flowers**

**A lamp shade, a doll, an old painting**

**A ring, a stack of letters, an old cigar box**

**A rattlesnake rattle, a flower pot, a pair of scissors**

**A music box, a tea cup, a toy gun**

**A wicker basket, an old china hutch, a wooden crate**

**A trophy, a bowling pin, a page out of a book**

Have fun with this one. What can you come up with, we'd love to see it. And as always, happy writing.   

When-sdays 8-14-13

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY WHEN-SDAYS

This section is going to only have the one prompt. Its meant to give you a basis to get started. Where it goes from there is totally up to you.

WHO—Charles Avary

WHAT—A kitchen table

WHERE—Southern California

WHY—To hide from his past

WHEN—The first day of autumn

Have fun and happy writing

Tuesday's Titles 8-13-13

TUESDAY'S TITLES

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but they never said anything about judging it by its title. Here are a few titles for you to use to create a story that will thrill the masses.

**The Sun of the Moon

**A Splash of Heat

**A Thousand Years Away

**Chocolates From Daddy

**A Change of Scenery

**The Locker Patrol

**Creator Of Nations

**The Star Maker's Mark

**Little More Than Everything

**Seeing the Silence

There's a few to get you started. I hope you find something to spark a story or at least a first line. If so, be sure to tell us about it. Good luck and happy writing.

Create Your Own Myth

MYTHIC MONDAYS

Mythology is the fabric in which our imaginations are formed. Since the dawn of time, we humans have had a story for why our world works the way it does. Here are a few prompts to help you create a few new myths of your own.

1. Tell us about the goddess that makes the trees green instead of purple or blue.
2. Write a myth about how the first donuts were created
3. How did the rose become a flower
4. Pick and animal and create a legend around their most prominent feature.
5. If you were a god or goddess, what would be your claim to fame?

Okay, this is only the first day, and time goes by it will get better. I do this for myself to keep myself writing and for you, to give you something to think about. As long as we keep writing, we can create the myths that will one day be told about us.

Outlining A Weeks Worth of Prompts

Okay, so I've been working on some ideas as for putting up some new prompts and I think I have in ready to put out to the world.  I've come up with ideas for each day of the week (Monday-Friday + weekends).  I don't know how well this will work, but I do know that since I started posting on this blog, I've found more inspiration to write than I have in the past 2 years.  I'm kinda loving it.

So here's the rundown:

MYTHIC MONDAYS--As an ancient history fanatic and lover of all things paranormal, I want to devote this section to just that.  Not sure what I'll come up with yet, but I'll have something on this posted before the day is over.

TUESDAY TITLES--Simply put, I'll come up with some titles and it's up to everyone else to write the story.  I love coming up with titles.  It's usually how I go about starting a new story.  Now they won't all be great, but hopefully they'll give someone out there some inspiration.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY WHEN-SDAYS--Just the basics, Ma'am/Sir.  I'll post the basics, but it's up to everyone else to take it from there.

THRILLER THURSDAYS--This one's going to be all about the scare. I've got a couple ideas in mind, but we'll see where this one takes us.

FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL--My goal is to find sites and/or products for writers that are free to use, download, or whatever.  All I know is that whatever I post on these days will be FREE!!!

WAYWARD WEEKENDS--I was trying to come up with something Saturdays and Sundays and decided to put them into the same squish.  That way we can all take our time.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with this one, so I grabbed my handy-dandy Thesaurus and found the word "wayward" and saw the terms "unpredictable" and "impulsive".  Yep, that's the way to spend a weekend.  Anything goes.

So this is my plan.  I'm going to head to my word processor and see what I can come up with.  Wish me luck and play along.  It's just no fun when I'm the only one in the sandbox.  LOL

Daily Doses of Prompts

I found another writing prompt site that I thought sounded like a great idea.  The site is called Prompt A Day and they offered free prompts in fiction, non-fiction, and multi-media.  I was saddened to see that they hadn't updated the site since April of 2010, but I can totally relate.  However, it did get me to thinking about ways of keeping myself writing and getting back into providing my writing prompts as I used to do in the good ole' days.

Now, I'm not the kind of person who's going to take someone else's idea and just steal it.  I'd be way upset if that happened to me, so I'm going to tweak it just a bit.  I'm going to try and offer up a couple different ideas each day and will probably keep them in the fiction genre.  I might throw in a couple non-fic ideas, but I'm really trying to keep with the fiction thing here.  After all, it's always been my dream to be a fiction writer.

I used to have a thousand different ideas on writing prompts so I'll just dig into some of my old notebooks and see what's in there.  I used to do all my prompts with pen and paper as it seemed to get my brain moving a little better.  Maybe by reliving a little of the past, I can make myself a new future.  Sounds good in theory anyway.  LOL

Be sure to subscribe to my blog if you're in the mood for something to write about.  It might not be filled with great ideas, but you might be surprised and find something that just sparks your writing passions.

OMG I found a Dragon Writer

In my previous life as an online writer, one of the things I did was to offer writing prompts for my fellow writers.  I loved it and I really miss it sometimes.  I had a site called The Prompt Writer but because of personal issues and lack of funds, I lost the site and all the prompts I'd had on it.  Like 7 years worth of prompts.  I was really pissed about it, but at the same time I took it to mean it was time to move on to something else.

I wanted to get something posted here tonight so I went in search of some new writing prompts.  I might be one to write them, but I'm also one who uses them to get myself writing.  As I started to search, I ran across a site called Dragon Writing Prompts.  Well of course I had to check it out and was happy with what I found.  It's not just a site filled with writing prompts, it's a site that also talks about some of the techniques that can be used to improve your writing.  Yep, I had to go check it out.

I noticed that the site had been going since 2004 which is about the same time I started The Prompt Writer.  Kinda freaked me out that I'd never heard of the site before, but that's okay, I found it now when I needed it most.  I also noticed that the site owner, Joyce Fetteroll, hadn't been posting as much this past year as she had in the past.  I was lucky enough, however, to jump into her site just as she's starting to get back into it.  Keep it up my writing friend, I need your inspiration.

The best part about this site is that Joyce doesn't just offer written prompts, but she also offers visual prompts, stuff she finds on sites such as Facebook, and off the wall little sayings that make you really stop and think about writing something around it.

I totally loved this site and now if you'll excuse me, I've got like 10 years worth of stuff of hers to go through in search of something to write about because I must write again.

Feature and Follow

One of the ways I used to keep my blogging up was by joining in on some of the cool blog hops that go around the web.  I love blog hops, but had completely forgotten about them until I got an email from one of my favorite sites, Parajunkee.  Being a paranormal book freak, I used to read her blog all the time.  I've been a subscriber for a long time and was thrilled to see her latest post.  It's called the Feature and Follow and it's a cool way to get a blog noticed and for me to get back into the game.

PJ is just one of the hosts of this cool gig.  The other is an avid reader known as Alison from Alison Can Read.  I'd never heard of this site, but way glad I found it.  The awesome thing about this blog hop is that both ladies feature a different sites each week.  Nice way to find new sites to check out.  It's been so long since I did something like this and it feels great.

So, how does it work? Easy!  You have to follow PJ and Alison, plus you have to follow each of their choices for feature blog.  Then you do up a post---like this one---and add it to the linky scroll (you'll find it at the bottom of this post or you can do it on one of their sites).  That way, others can find your site and follow you.  But be nice and follow them too, after all, that's what this is all about.

Be sure to check out both sites to get all the required details so you have a chance at becoming a featured blogger too.  And let them know how you'd prefer to be followed.  I made sure to put my stuff at the top as you can either follow me via email or you can follow me on BlogLovin.  Either one is good for me.

Now get out there and make some new friends.

My Early Birthday Present

I have to give a big thank you to my awesome daughter for getting me an early birthday present.  She really didn't have much of a choice, but I appreciate it anyway.  She got me another Kindle.  She didn't have much choice as she broke my other one, but I never told her she had to replace it.  She did that all on her own and I'm happy, happy, happy.

The one I had I'd won in an online contest.  It was probably the coolest thing I'd ever won and it helped me make a very awesome friend.  I'd entered the contest to promote Andrew E. Kaufman's first book, While the Savage Sleeps (still my favorite book of all time).  What was really cool is that he and I actually became friends online.  He's not just a hell of a talented writer, he's a very down to Earth kind of guy.

When my daughter moved out on her own, she'd accidentally taken my Kindle with her.  I told her I couldn't find it and thought she had it, but she couldn't find it either.  When she did finally find it, it was smashed.  She cried harder than I did, and that's why she got me a new one.  I'm all happy again.  I didn't know how much I used it until I didn't have it anymore.  Someday I hope to have one of the bigger ones, but for now I'm happy with the little one.

Love my job

One of the main reasons I don't write like I used to is that I have one of those real world jobs.  And ironically, I love it.  I work for Joann' Fabrics and really do love it.  I'm kind of a crafty type person, though not real good at any of the crafts I do.  I have a horrible fabric addiction and working in a fabric store is like letting a crack head work in a pharmacy.

I've been there about a year and a half now, and am a key holder.  It's not exactly management, but it does mean I have a little more clout than most others.  I'm the freight coordinator which means all the packages that come in from UPS and Fed Ex are my responsibility.  It also means I get to see what comes in before anyone else, including the manager.  Kinda cool.  The only thing that bugs me is that we're already getting in our Halloween and Thanksgiving stuff.  Too early if you ask me, but it is what it is.  That's the retail biz.

I think it's important to work in an industry you actually like.  I know a lot of people hate their jobs, but everything is what you make of it.  There are days I'd just as leave not go to work, but that don't pay the bills.  It's much easier to just grin and bear it and be thankful that you have a job.

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Free Write 8-5-13

I used to write for a site called Gather.com, but for some reason they just fell off the face of the cyber-world.  One of the groups I belonged to had a daily freewrite session where a person could write about just about anything they wanted to as long as it was done in a certain way.  It was supposed to a solid 10 minute writing session without stopping to do any corrections.  The problem is that I have too bad a case of OCD to not stop and fix things, but I still did the writing part.

I think that's one of the reasons I can't seem to write anymore is that I'm not doing any free writing.  It actually relaxes the mind and allows ideas to flow a little more free.  There's no right or wrong topics to write about, as long as you're allowing the brain to do all the work.

Once you've allowed your brain to relax, it's a little easier to let the ideas come to the surface.  I have so many of them that they tend to get mixed in together.  That's not always a bad thing, but it's rarely a good thing.

By doing a freewrite at least once a day, I'll be able to start getting my thoughts back in order and getting my writing skills back to where they should be.  It's going to take some time, but it's a start.

No More Procrastinating

Yep, I just put together another blog.  Like I really need another one, but this one is hopefully going to pull me out of my writing funk, hence the name.

I'm coming up on 2 years of not writing at all and I'm starting to think maybe it's over for real.  But then I have days where I feel as though if I don't write something the voices in my head are all going to mutiny on me and that might not be a good thing.

Over the last couple years I've come up with several ideas to get myself writing again, but none of them seemed to work.  The problem, I think, is that each idea was too restrictive.  I put together a site just to post about the many contest sites I entered, but that didn't work as I didn't have the time to do as many as I used to.  I put together a site just about collecting things but I can't seem to get the brain to work in the way I'd like it to.  I'm still going to work that one, but it's going to take some work.

I've tried to revive a couple of the sites I worked back before, but they seem stale and I can't seem to find my voice over there either.  So I'm hoping this is what it's going to take.  A place where I can do a little of everything.  I can write my stories, add a few rants, and just talk about the things I find interesting or uninteresting.  This is my site!  A place where I can write just for the sake of writing.  Because I'm starting to think if I don't start writing again, I may just go insane.