A Writer's Muses

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Giveaway and Author Interview #NinjaSFF

2016-11-20T15:26:00.000-06:00

I am privileged to have Brandon Ellis, the author of Star Guild, Episode Zero on my blog today.
This book is just one of 45 fabulous books that you can choose from here on the Ninja Writers website.

Here is Brandon Ellis!

Tell us what inspires you?
To make a difference in another person's life. I know entertainment is key when you write a story, and I think that getting people to "think" outside of the box is key as well. Not only with their mind, but most importantly, thinking with their heart. How can my book improve another person's life? That is the most important question as I write and publish my books.

What makes your protagonist different from the industry standard or genre standard?
In my books, I try to make it a fact that women are just as powerful, if not more, than men. This will be unpopular in some areas of the populace, and it will be popular in other areas. It's just my thinking and how I was raised. No one is better or worse than another, just unique and different. Nonetheless, I have some reluctant heroes that just want to live a regular life but find themselves living a remarkable and dangerous one all in the name of saving themselves and those they are with, and in some cases, saving an entire race of Beings, alien and human.

Tell us about your book(s)!
I have two book series out right now, which is a total of 6 novels. My first series is the PureLights Series, which won an award, which surprised the heck out of me. The PureLights are a race from another time, another dimension, although they were once in our timeline and our dimension. They were from a past civilization on Lemuria, which was a large continent with a technologically advanced civilization located between Asia and America--where some parts of the Lemuria landmass still exist in America today. It's a popular mythological place, and according to Plato, it was once real.

Before Lemuria sank, a few leaders knew about this impending disaster and found another dimension to another world, and with their thousands of followers, they traveled through a portal just before Lemuria met its fate.

However, our story begins with two young adults, Zoey and Coda, who live in a small city bordering a large forest just outside of Portland, Oregon. There, in that forest, they discover the portal. And, once through, they enter a world like none-other, and to top it off, they find themselves transformed. Coda, a black panther, and Zoey, a skylark.

You can imagine their shock...nonetheless...

They find themselves caught between an age old war and trying to find their way back home. Zoey and Coda go on an amazing adventure that takes them beyond the veils of everything they once knew, and into the terrifying grasp of the unknown.

Here is the link for Brandon's Pure Lights series:

The other series is also related to a myth and our history.

In 1849, British archaeologist, Austin Henry Layard, uncovered over 20,000 clay tablets in the Ancient Sumerian city of Nineveh, in an area now known as Iraq. The tablets told of an ancient race that had come before humans, arriving on Earth long ago and bringing with them untold technologies, and a mass genetic breeding program that the tablets claimed to have brought forth the creation of humankind.

And then these Beings left, taking with them everything they had, except the human race.

The problem is, they took some of us. And, those whom were taken have not returned, and have all but forgotten about their past and that these Beings had ever existed.

These humans are now thriving someplace else...alone.

Or, so they thought.

They are about to be in for a rude awakening.

You can find this book here!

Why do you love the Ninja Writers Facebook group?I met the founder of Ninja Writers at the Best Seller Summit in Nashville, Tennessee where four best selling authors gave us tips and strategies on how to become successful in the writing business. Shaunta Grimes, the creator of Ninja Writers, was a guest speaker there. She was amazing and inspired me to no end. I decided to join Ninja Writers shortly after that Summit and I have found no group as active as this one. It's incredible. Everyone here is unique and has a lot to bring to the table. I just hope I can give as much as I receive.

What is the one thing you can’t write without?
A computer. Well, I could probably write without one. I just love the sound of the keyboard when I type. Also, my family is huge. They give me a lot of ideas just by watching their interactions with the world.

Don't forget to check out all of the free books offered by the fabulous folks over at Ninja Writers!

When it comes to changing your life

2016-11-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

When it comes to changing your life, if you aren't scared, then you are doing something wrong. - Jen Sincero

Today's prompt for NaBloPoMo is: When is the last time you did something brave?

Reading the the posts from everyone that is blogging this month were so inspiring. My story of doing something brave my not be monumental to others but it was a huge step for me. I grew up in a very small town in the south. Lovely town, but the yearning for something bigger could not be suppressed. So, when the opportunity presented itself, I just packed up and moved to a much larger city in a neighboring state. I knew no one here and had only visited the city twice in my lifetime, but I am slowly forging ahead and making this my home.

I came across this article but one of my new favorite authors Jen Sincero over on the Huffington Post and she can say it much more eloquently than I can. Jen Sincero is the author of the book," You are a Badass, How to Stop Douiibting Your Greatness and Living an Awesome Life." I am listening to the audio version and had to stop during the first chapter and order the book because I want to be able to write it in and takes notes on the pages. One of the takeaways from this article for me is: "The key to growth is acknowledging your fear of the unknown and jumping in anyway."

You can check out Jen Sincero on here on Twitter and on her blog.

The mind of a creative person is like....

2016-11-01T20:31:00.002-05:00

....... a web browser that has 2,857 tabs open

This quote immediately popped into my head when I saw the prompt: "When you're having a bad day with your mental health, what do you do to help yourself?" for NaBloPoMo.

There are days I definitely feel like that this. Those are the days I feel overwhelmed and instead of trying to do each of my tasks one at a time, the Cannot Connect to Server error takes over my brain and I just disconnect from all of those "Open Tabs".

In the past, my go to has been fried foods, ice cream,candy bars or just a combination of all three! Have you ever tried a deep fried Snickers bar topped with ice cream? This very unhealthy combination added to a few, well quite a lot, of excess pounds, plus feeling so stuffed, just made me want to sit on the couch and watch Pride and Prejudice (ALL versions, but that is definitely another post).

Going to the gym has been one of the most calming influences for any anxiety I may be feeling. The thing that makes me most happy is not a thing, but a person. I have a new grandson and I could just sit and watch him explore his new world for hours on end.

Some days though, sleeping late, eating cookies in bed and watching all of the Netflix does help. If I am having a tough day at work, I go for a walk during my lunch break or stop by and check in with a friendly face. Writing or doodling in my journal is a creative way to lift my mood. Watching funny pet videos on Facebook or posting encouraging comments for others can truly brighten my day.

On that note, I will leave you with a link to a funny pet video.

Time to Revitalize

2016-10-28T21:42:00.000-05:00

re·vi·tal·ize

imbue (something) with new life and vitality

It is way past time to revitalize this blog. Once upon a time, I did have ideas for an informative, fun, and interesting home for my writing endeavors. My goal for 2017 will be to revitalize my blog and my writing.

NaNoWriMo 2016 is two days away! I actually won in 2013 but the past two years have been tough. I came close in 2014, but fizzled out about the second week on October last year.

My outline is almost done for this year and I have many scene ideas bouncing around in my. I did not have much of a plan last year and certainly not a well thought out outline. I discovered last year that working without an outline does not work at all for me.

I would like to share some links that have helped me prepare for this year:

Shaunta Grimes at http://www.whatisaplot.com/ has a great plot board video. She also has a great tribe called Ninja Writers over on facebook and leads the Ninja Writers Academy. She is hosting an online book club in the month of November as well.

I love this NaNoWriMo bullet journal idea and have been working away on mine for 2016.

This youtube staple from 2012 by Katytastic explains how to outline utilizing Scrivener, which is one of my favorite programs ever!

Lost by the Lake

2014-05-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

I would love to tell you about my morning sitting on the deck by the lake, watching turtles and ducks happily splash around and birds chirping a happy song. In reality, I am sitting on the balcony of my little apartment overlooking a parking lot with the thunderous sound of nearby city traffic. At least it is shaded by the fragrance of blooming magnolia trees and I have the glorious time to spend writing.

I have been very remiss in writing my current Work In Progress. Today however, the characters are very much alive in my imagination and I feel I must put the scenes to paper. One would think being unemployed for a month would give me plenty of time to write. Looking for a job however, has been my full time occupation. I declare an afternoon "vacation" day today to commune with my characters, and write the current scenes to free my imagination for fresh new intrigue.

A new character in my WIP has emerged in my imagination and I feel the need to flesh him out this afternoon before I spend half my evening reading. I love this worksheet by Rob Blair : Attaching the Flesh: A Character Questionnaire

What's on my currently reading bookshelf?

There is a wonderful artistic workbook entitled A Declaration of You (How to Find It, Own It and Shout It from the Rooftops!) by Jessica Swift and Michelle Word. It is chock full of wonderful advice, intentions, and declarations.

City of Jasmine by: Deanna Reybourn. I adored her Lady Julia Grey series and Whisper of Jasmine. I checked City of Jasmine out at my local library and had to wait almost a month for it to become available. Her characters are intriguing and the plots are exciting. The dreaded slow middle does not happen in her writing and is sure to keep a reader captivated. Her website is gorgeous as well!

My Parachute is a Flower

2014-04-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

Seasons always bring the promise of new beginnings. Spring is in the air here, bringing with it lots of pollen, thundershowers, and an amazing coolness in the air. We have had glimpses of the sun, but not much warmth. I cleaned my closet today and put away my winter clothes only to realize later the temperature outside is a mere 45 degrees.

This Spring also brings a season of job search for me. I am excited to take my accumulated skills out into my adopted hometown and meet an employer in search of my skill set. To facilitate this search, I scoured our local library for books to start me on the best path.

"What Color is Your Parachute" by Richard N. Bolles came highly recommended. I was expecting a multiple choice personality test as was surprised to find this updated book offered much more detailed information regarding job search.

Two of the exercises that have caught my interest have been the "Describe Yourself Discussion" and the "7 Ways of Describing Yourself" flower petals. I was recently asked by a job search mentor to send a description of myself and after reading this exercise, I realize the one I wrote was highly generic and very bland. A re-write is definitely in order.

The flower exercise is one that puts the whole of job searching into perspective. There are 7 petals and each represent an area relating to a career in general. Listing my favorite knowledge areas or fields of interest took some thought to narrow it down to 8. My preferred kinds of people to work with, salary range, what I can and love to do, preferred places, and working conditions are just part of the flower. Petal 7 was the thought provoking "My Goal,Purpose, or Mission in Life" statement.

I am fortunate that a church in my community provides a service that is beneficial to job seekers and employers. Job seekers are partnered with a mentor throughout the process. Having an expanded support group should certainly be helpful.

But I don't read that genre!

2014-02-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

I will admit it, I am a historical fiction and pre -1950's cozy mystery addict. Books on the Tudors? My bookshelves are groaning. The same goes for several mystery series. So, naturally, between reading about all of these long ago kings and queens and the occasional country manor murder, there is little time for other types of works. I guess truthfully, I just don't make time for them. Henry did hare 6 wives and there are so many books to read about them!

A few years ago, a wonderful show came on HBO entitled The Game of Thrones. I was quiet happy to find a copy of the book among my son's science fiction collection. I was even more surprised to find that I loved that book and even more than the television show. I honestly thought I had discovered some hidden treasure of a book and had to laugh at myself for being so behind the current times!

I decided this year, I would once again tackle a genre type project and read something from as many genres as possible, but with a bit of a twist. I want to read new authors, struggling writers, self published writers, and all of those in between. I want to read the writers who truly believe in what they have written and are happily marketing it their own way.

Do you have a book to promote? Let me know and I will buy it, read it, tweet about and most likely blog about it!

Here are some of the sites I will be referring to this year. Be sure to send me your link.

Indie Author Network

Awesome Indies

World Literary Cafe

Do you read the book first?

2014-02-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

TCM is currently showing 31 Days of Oscar nominated and winning movies and it is one of my favorite times of the year. I pay an astronomical cable bill each month and I really only watch one that one channel. There are many reasons I enjoy movies made before the 1960's and the characters are what draw me to them.

I will admit I have not read the book based on tonight's movie. The differences I have read about in the movie and in the novel give me pause for reading it now. Of course, it is inevitable but I do hope it does not change my regard for the movie version. So many movies are made from books that do not stay true to the author's vision that I often hesitate in seeing the movie before I have read the book.

"The Heiress" strikes me a terribly sad movie, but oh, that Olivia De Havilland! The movie is based on Henry James 1880 serial "Washington Square"and is located here to read free from Project Gutenberg. There is a more modern movie by the same name released in 1997, which of course, I have not seen. I do wish I could have seen the 1947 play with Wendie Hiller. It was also revived on Broadway recently and featured Dan Stevens, formerly of Downton Abbey.

Most people associate Olivia De Havilland with the role of Melanie Wilkes in "Gone With the Wind", but her abilities were so much more than that character. If you have any doubts, just watch "The Snake Pit". She does manage to work magic as the character of Catherine Sloper as the heiress of the title. I believe this movie could translate into modern day. The character of Catherine is socially awkward, shy, honest and her plainness is only highlighted by her insecurity in herself.

Her father reminds me so much of modern parents who just want to protect their children from the misunderstanding of others. In some ways however, her father has the air of a misogynist. Catherine only desires what almost every human being craves and that is love. They way she is shown love by the two men that matter most her shapes her attitude on the subject. Her father's love comes with comparisons to her long gone mother. Once her father decides to disown her and leave her to her penniless beau, she still decides to elope with the man. She does agree to a six month trip to Europe with her father.

We are given an insight into the character of the young man. He admits he squandered his money. He frequently visits the house to visit Aunt Lavania while Catherine and her father are gone. We are teased with the idea that he IS only out to marry Catherine for her home and her money. He does dubiously mention that he is really not the type to work for money. All I can say is, um hum, I know some of those guys now in real life. Catherine is determined to marry the man she loves and is willing to sacrifice her comfortable home and her inheritance. She tells the young man that they will never ask her father for anything and they shall live upon their own wits. The young man leaves her waiting and breaks her heart. He does return years later and tries to renew his acquaintance. She tells him to go and get his things and she will pack. He returns ringing and knocking upon the door. Catherine calmly finishes her needlework and retires upstairs, leaving him outside calling her name.

I am off to read "Washington Square" now, but I would like your thoughts on reading the book first. There is an time traveling romance releasing this week and my kindle is calling.

My link of the week is a very entertaining site named Conflict and Scotch. His take on divorce and dating had me laughing out loud! The reminiscence piece "Worlds Oldest Boy Band" was just awesome.

I am a Habitual Offender! Overcoming Procrastination!

2014-02-06T21:17:00.000-06:00

Today I attended a workshop entitled "How to be a Writer and have a real life". One topic was procrastination, which according to freedictionary.com means: "To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness."

The word HABITUAL sounds so harsh but I realized it did describe my recent writing routine or rather the lack of a routine. I had several shallow reasons that I used to validate the lack of productivity.

After this realization, I have determined that the word for this year will be FOCUS! How do I plan on getting out of this procrastination rut I seem to be stuck in and FOCUS on the writing projects I currently have in progress?

1. Setup blocks of time in my day for writing. Once I added up the time I spend reading Facebook posts, watching you tube videos and television, I realized there are actually several hours in my day that could be better utilized. I say hours because I have only a small apartment and dog to care for after work.

2. Use a calender system! I have three sets of small stickers I bought in the school supply section and a notebook size calender. One represents writing done on my work in progress, one is for my blog posts and the third represents work done on my Writers Club projects. My goal is to have at least 5 stickers a week for my WIP, 3 for my blog and 1 for Club projects.

3. Save editing for once a week. Let the words pour out onto my screen and resist the urge to "perfect" each paragraph.

For further and more in depth information about the Procrastination of a Writer, I recommend the article "Procrastination" on the University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill's website. This article challenged me to think of some reasons I may have for avoiding certain tasks.

This article mentioned Five myths of procrastination and I readily recognized some of the signs in myself. Believing I cannot work in a messy environment and my writing has to be perfect were just two of the examples that resonated with me. I tend to spend large amounts of time rewriting the same passages and making little progress. One of the reasons I enjoy NaNoWriMo is because I am free to let the words flow and there is no time to pour over every paragraph several times.

Now that I have finished this blog post, I will load the dishwasher and then enjoy a few hours watching "Gone with the Wind".

NaNoWriMo is here!

2013-11-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

November is here and this year I will be attempting 50,000 in new surroundings. I moved to a large metropolitan area this summer and I am still getting my bearings. The NaNoWriMo write in I attended this week was spectacular. Our host invented his own NaNoWriMo party game. This was definitely the largest writing event I have attended.

Now, if you need an exciting way to keep up with your word count, I highly recommend this site: Awesome Word Counters

2013-10-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

Get a full size PDF of this poster and check out Brian Clark on Copyblogger

I have finally returned to my blog after being away for more than a year! I really lost my passion for writing during that difficult year. I have since moved, taken on a new job and connected with a great group of writers in my new area.

Invigorating my renewed passion was a mini workshop featuring the author of a new favorite series of mine, Suzanne Johnson. She shared some of her writing techniques with the group as she presented “Plotting for Pansters”. Her series, The Sentinels of New Orleans, is categorized as urban fiction and the first chapter of Royal Street really caught my attention. This paranormal romance set in New Orleans and is far out of my normal reading zone. I have always preferred a good cozy mystery. I do however, like to read the works of authors that teach workshops and I got hooked on this one. It did remind me in a small way of the few books in the Sookie Stackhouse series I have read.

I am glad I attended this workshop because though I have always been a plotter, I did take away several fresh ideas on weaving my story together. She showed examples of how she achieves weaving her plot, sub-plot and the characters into a solid book. I was mesmerized by the colors and technique she uses in her outline to represent each area.

I am filled with ideas for stories and novels, but the middle and sometimes the endings escape me. One of the books she recommended at this mini workshop was Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. I have spent the last two afternoons studiously devouring this book and taking notes. I have a solid idea, but I am very undecided about the ending.

With NaNoWriMo on the horizon, I hear people lamenting on their lack of plot and I will recommend this book to them to help jump start their stories. He lists several techniques for finding inspiration and some examples that were actually used in popular published works. I am also using a workbook that I will discuss in the next blog post.

What do Soup and Layers of Writing have in Common?

2012-08-21T09:27:00.002-05:00

Today I am honored to have a guest post by Becca Puglisi of The BookShelf Muse. I absolutely adore this website. It is an absolute must have research tool when I am working on a writing project

Soup and Layers

It’s hotter than You-Know-What right now in south Florida, an entire four months during which no one in their right mind would want to eat something as warm and wet as soup. But my husband and I were feeling a little sickish, so despite it being a thousand degrees outside, I pulled out my Poppy’s ancient pot. As I was adding ingredients every thirty minutes to my steaming pot of yum, I realized how similar it was to adding layers to a story. The first draft is usually bare bones, skeletal—more scaffolding than a complete structure. But once you start revising, you add the layers that flesh it out and make it thicker, three-dimensional. There are a lot of things you could add to achieve this goal. Here are a few on my current revision list...

1. Subplots. These secondary plot lines add complexity and girth and are almost always directly tied-in to the main plot line. A romance that complicates the main character's objective (The Hunger Games); a mystery that is solved at a pivotal point in the story (Saving Private Ryan); a friendship that spurs the mc on in her quest to reach her goal (Wither). Each subplot should have its own complete and smooth story arc. Keep this in mind when editing.

2. Theme. Some writers start with theme. Others figure it out along the way. Still others have the entire first draft done before they realize what the theme is (hello, me). However you do it, it's crucial to at some point identify your story's main theme so you can touch on it from start to finish. Think of your theme as a secondary subplot, one that needs a full arc from beginning to end. Revisit it frequently to add depth.

3. Character Renovations. Without fail, I get all the way through my first draft before realizing that my main character is missing something. I hate that. But that's what the revision process is for, no? To increase depth, to give us the chance to add an endearing quirk, uncommon trait, or a fatal flaw to be overcome. For maximum impact, make the trait one that either helps or hinders the character's ability to achieve his or her overall goal.

4. Meaningful Repetitions. These include anything that is repeated throughout the story and, ideally, grows or changes with the story. Symbols and metaphors are good examples. Common phrases or sayings. Meaningful objects. Settings also apply: a favorite hang-out, the place your character goes when she needs downtime, a location that has specific significance or emotional importance. These repeated pieces are like touchstones for the reader, connecting them with the characters and embedding the reader more firmly into the story with each repetition.

The soup was awesome, by the way. Hopefully, my story will turn out just as good once the revisions are done.

Becca Puglisi is one half of The Bookshelf Muse blogging duo, and co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. Listing the body language, visceral reactions and thoughts associated with 75 different emotions, this brainstorming guide is a valuable tool for showing, not telling, emotion. The Emotion Thesaurus is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords, and the PDF can be purchased directly from her blog.

Writer Wednesday - Taking a Trip

2012-06-27T05:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

It's midweek and you know what that means? We are three days away from the weekend! I know, I can't wait too.

So, we had an amazing turn out last week! Here are the stories we received:

Clothespin Commitment by Jack Carlson

A Child's Path and Escape by Scott Taylor

Murder at the Amusement Park (the ongoing story that inspired my own) by Tena Car

Lost by Landa

Summer of 1962 by Anne

I Love a Good Curse by Me

It's my turn this week! And it's my favorite part of the whole week because I get to choose the photo! Yay!

First a special shout to Carrie K. Sorensen and Jane Bussey for being awesome co-hosts. Also, if you enjoy the blog hop and want to help promote it, feel free to grab a button:

Click and copy this code

Two more bits of news before we get into the blog hop:

1) If you are interested in being a co-host for the blog hop, let us know in the comments! It's fairly easy, just making sure you are posting the blog hop post each week!

2) Also, Carrie is starting a new blog story hop! It's a lot of fun and it's so exciting to see where the story goes according to each blogger. She has a post about it on her blog. Or contact me via Google Plus. Or email or Twitter.

So, without further ado! Here is this week's writing prompt. Real quick, here are the rules:

1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (Or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

5) We were going to tell you to not take this too seriously, but reconsidered it because we know full well that asking writers to write something means that they will take it seriously. So, take it seriously, but don't fret/panic/pass out/hyperventilate/lose sleep/run in fear over it.

The Photo - Taken from...I have no idea to be honest...

Five Words - Generated with this Website

zip

hymn

computer

false teeth

peacock

Alright! Once you have your story created, post it below!

What if?

2012-06-25T05:31:00.000-05:00

This morning as I was baking turnovers, the title of a book I am reading popped into my head. The book is "What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers" by: Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter. I will post a full review after I have worked through more of the exercises. The first exercise caught my attention right away. "First Sentences: beginning in the Middle" This exercise challenges the writer to to think of a line that will grab the readers attention. Just for fun, I pulled three books from very different genres from my shelves and looked at the opening lines.

Mystery fiction "Cover Her Face" by P.D. James: Exactly three months before the killing at Martingale Mrs. Maxie gave a dinner party.

Historical fiction "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory: "I could here a roll of muffled drums."

From the self help section, "The Secret by Rhonda Byrne: " A year ago, my life had collapsed around me."

Think a moment about the reasons you might want to read these books. I bought "Cover Her Face" in an airport book store. That first line and the remaining paragraph are what prompted a five minute decision on a book to read during my flight and subsequent layover. "The Other Boleyn Girl" started a love affair with all things Tudor. When I read the first line of "The Secret", I thought, Your Poor Lady. Like most others whose lives are not perfect though, I went on to read this book and the following two books by Rhonda Byrne.

I learned from this lesson to make that first line, in that first chapter, on that first page, really grab that reader. I want the reader to feel something or to arouse their curiosity until it cannot be contained. The three authors above demonstrate the ability to engage their readers. The "What If" techniques will give us the ability to form a great and memorable story.

So this morning, as I sit outside eating said turnovers, I will continue to think "What if?" I will ignore the obvious answer to "What If I eat too many turnovers?" This is research and they are fuel for the machine. Have a great day!

Writing on Wednesday

2012-06-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Creative Wednesday Snapshot prompt. There were lots of different takes on last week's inspiration, put together by Jane Bussey at A Writer's Muses. All the stories are listed below, so you can click through them on your way to this week's prompt.

Messages, A Little Story... @ Scotty Watty Doodle All The Day

A Squirrel's Tale @ Pin and Tack

Grandmother's Own @ Puzzle Me Complete

Searching here @ Chasing Revery

It really is incredible how one prompt can inspire so many different views. I'm so excited to be a part of a blog hop that generates these different stories. This week, I got another chance to put together our photo and words. So let's get to it.

And the rules are:

1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (Or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

Here's this weeks photo from this link:

And here's this weeks words from this link:

Task

Digging

Flea

Price

Legend

There it is. So take a chance this week and see how your story pieces itself together. Once you have it, remember to share your link below.

Flash backs, Dramatic Scenes, and Confession

2012-06-15T04:30:00.000-05:00

Once again I offer another movie synopsis for review. The movie was filmed in 1937, so I do not believe I will be giving away a secret that could not be found on the internet. I chose this film because of the dramatic scenes and flashback qualities. I believe as a writer that experiencing these moments in film will greatly enhance a author's abilities.

The first part of the movie details how a naive young school girl becomes entangled with an older more worldly man while her mother is away. She is suspicious about his motives, but in a typical schoolgirl fashion, continues to fall for his charming personality. She finally starts to relax a little around him and he takes her to a crowded but out-of-the way cabaret. A spotlight shines on them and everyone sees them kissing in a corner. He sands up to protest and, dramatic moment here, the cabaret singer promptly faints and is moved to the lobby for the next act to appear. That next act showcases western shooting. The cabaret singer steals a gun and shots the gentleman in the back. Next we see her in a courtroom with another dramatic scene. Continue by clicking HERE:

Telephone Operators and the Interent

2012-06-15T03:30:00.000-05:00

What do we do without the internet? I am quite used to being connected on a 24/7 basis. Imagine my surprise when in the middle of remodeling my bathroom, I decided to Google a painting technique and there was no internet. My phone and iPad were useless as well. There are some perks in living in the country but internet access is not one of them. I am waiting on the internet access plan for all to take effect.

For the first time in many years I found myself on the 411 look up line with a frenzied sounding operator. After my service was troubleshot and restore, I decided to look up telephone operator statistics.

How many telephone operators are still on the job nowadays?

My current WIP has an unfortunate Telephone Operator from the 1930’s, so in the process of researching her role I will be gathering information on operators then and now. In 1919, according to the Communications Workers of America there approximately 200 local telephone companies with approximately 20,000 operators. By 1938, telephone operator employment had swelled to almost 145,000. According to an Occupational census in 2011, there are now 14,890. This was apparently, a job that offered security in the past and now is almost obsolete as technology continues to improve.

Back to the internet issue that is of utmost importance to my wired little mind. I called 411 the first time and got a disconnected number. The second time I called I got the number for a satellite company. I had no option but to continue calling the alternative number I received for them. Obviously the former telephone operators should have a customer service job with them, as I had to go through about forty keypad prompts. The operator there ever so kindly looked up the number for me. When I finally got through on that number it was only to tell me the previous number is experiencing trouble with their telephone line. I decided to take another route and try to get through to technical service through sales. I look at the numbers written on my notepad and feel like I should create a flowchart while I am waiting for a live person to answer.

I also took the time to program all of the numbers I received into my cell phone so I never have to go through this again. After my service was troubleshot and restore, I decided to look up telephone operators. There are currently about 15,000 employed telephone operators. In 1938, there were approximately 145,000.

Writing on Wednesday Blog Hop

2012-06-13T06:38:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be easing back into blogging. Tomorrow I will have a review of a nifty instant camera that is catching on big with the younger crowd. As a writer however, this camera appeals to me for quick instant shots or inspiration shots.

Aaand we're back!

This time I am proud to say that Jane Bussey from Writer's Muses one of the blog hop co-hosts is taking over this week and I just love the picture she chose. But before we get to all of that, time to feature the amazing creativity from last week.

Age is Just a Number by Chessny Smith

Birthday Wishes by Kimberly Gould

A Morning Conversation and Late for Work by Scott Taylor

Charmed by Carrie K. Sorensen

The Magic Pen by Landa

Let The Games Begin by Me

And the rules are:

1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

Here's this weeks photo:

And here's this weeks words:

Jet

Chuckle

Hour

Grandmother

Missed

Okay, that's the prompt! Once you have your story written, post it below!

Upcoming Downloads and Story-A-Day

2012-06-08T12:34:00.003-05:00

I am on a medical hiatus from work at the moment, so my blog posts may be quite sparse. I have lots of new ideas on the back burner along with a fabulous download or two. These downloads will be available free for a limited time before that go off to be published for exclusive workshop use.

Around the web today:

http://storyaday.org/files/2012/05/StoryFest2012_250x173.jpg

If you are in the mood for interesting short stories, please check out Story-A-Day.

The lovely SARK had a great Creating Miracles conference call this week. Be sure to check out the replay here: Sark and Creating Miracles. Here awesome posters are now being sold on her website once again.

Stay tuned as I pass along bits of wisdom have gathered from various workshops a well as the fabulous freebie within the next few weeks!!

Writers Wednesday

2012-05-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, third times a charm. I've tried writing this post twice and my laptop keeps freaking out on me...so here we go!

We had an awesome turn out last week! I'm so proud to share the posts we received -

Enchanted by Chessney Smith

At the Top of the Stairs by Syndey Aaliyah

Alicia's Soul by Chasing Revery

Dogwood Days by Jade (this is from a prompt a few weeks ago)

By the way, if you ever see a writing prompt from previous weeks ago that you would like to respond to, go ahead! I will still promote it with next week's post!

Here are the rules:

1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

Here's the photo (taken from this link)

Here are the five words (taken from this link)

Stars

Envelope

Wave

Nail

Desert

Once you have your story ready, post it below!

My First Blog Award!

2012-05-22T10:49:00.000-05:00

This is the second best Award I have received lately and the Best Award (and first haha) I have received for my blog. The first was the “Hardest Worker” award along with a shared “Best Attendance” award from the lovely derby girls on my team!

Nicole Pyles over at The World of My Imagination presented this award to me. I promptly printed a copy onto photo paper and hung it above my desk! Thank you Nicole, I am honored.

Now, I must tell ten things about myself before I pass it along.

And then I must give the award to five other bloggers!

(By the way, at the end, if you are one of the recipients, just right click and save the image to your desktop if you want to use it on your own blog acceptance speech!)

It was so hard to chose 5 bloggers to award this to, but here they are:

Sally K. Witt , Chessny Silth, The Writing Nut, Donna Yates, My Random Mind and the bonus blog is by a friend and fellow derby girl Teralyn Pilgrim at A Writer's Journey. Teralyn's blog is amusing and insightful.

Alright, ten things...here we go:

1. I am in my late 40’s and still try to play roller derby. It has taken me a year longer than most because I could NOT skate on quad skates AT ALL.

2. I collect Houses and items from A Christmas Story movie. I actually visited the house in Cleveland and ever get there GO! My favorite Christmas Movie!

3. I loved dried beef from a jar with laughing cow cheese and can a make a meal out that.

4. I have a serious Coke Zero addiction.

5. I do not play facebook or role playing games, although the Game of Thrones intrigues me. My favorite tv show.

6. I would love to learn to play the violin. I have one now I have to find a teacher.

7. I don’t listen to the radio. I have a rhapsody subscription and listen to what the mood strikes me.

8. I have a playlist about Civil War songs I listen to when working on the Civil War book in progress.

9. I am studying the Buddhist philosophy.

10. I would love to work in a holistic environment and assist people with the issues they may have.

Cuckoo Birds, Depression and Writing Prompts

2012-05-20T17:25:00.000-05:00

My Cuckoo bird vs the real one

My blog has suffered here as the gloominess of depression has settled upon my person like a damp melodramatic fog. I am writing some about it over at View from a Cuckoo’s Nest. I also took artistic license with the cuckoo bird itself. As you can see, mine is much cuter and I found a mascot at a dollar type of store so that settled it for me. Now my bird needs a name, any suggestions? I suppose I should have used a Phoenix as one rising from the ashes of depression, but frankly I have always been a little cuckoo and I believe it fits me better. Besides have you looked for Phoenix bird stuff lately? J

So, as I try to regain control of the darkeness, I thought I would post some awesome writing prompts. I use these are part of my therapy, but I think they will be beneficial to everyone.

"Think about a time you thought, It's not fair. Write to tell the reader about something that happened to you that was not fair." This came from the great site : Prompt Genorator at http://jc-schools.net/write/create.htm. This prompt could cultivate many stories from Chick Lit to YA or even a thriller.

Some other great sites are:

Creative Therapy – These appear to 2010 and prior but there are some really good prompts to be found there.

Self-Help-Healing-Arts-Journal - offers prompts, affirmations, art projects and much more

The Writing Reader has an excellent article on How Depression Feels here.

Write to Done has an article on 31 Ways to to find inspiration for your writing.

I believe Utter Randomonium has the definite collection of writing prompts sites.

Also be sure to check out this marvelous site: BloomingHumans where they will be discussing appreciating the past and dreamseeding the future.

Please feel free to post any depression, writer's block or just uplifting stories!

Random acts of Kindness Project and Surprises

2012-05-18T07:20:00.000-05:00

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.
Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.
So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!
To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!
I have chosen to Blitz a RAOK on the following Writers/Bloggers:

Pat Bean of Pat Bean's Blog. This amazing lady and her canine companion travel all over the US and allows us to live vicariously though the awesome photos she takes. She has literally cheered an entire day for my by allowing me to pretend for a moment that I am in these places alongside her, but not in a stalkerish kind of way :) I have decided someday to live in an RV as well!

Angie Bailey of Lariats and Lavender - This lady has a fabulous blog full of eclectic items. I loved "What I wore Wednesday.She stays on the pulse of today and makes is a blast. She is also an advocate for causes that make a difference. I admire her for speaking her mind!

Melinda McGuire's articles at Melinda McGuire Writes, She has a great sense of humor and provides awesome writing advice. She also writes "with a Southern slant", which touches my down home about as southern as you can get soul!

Sally K Witt has a very entertaining and eclectic blog and is always entertaining. Her article on bathing suit shopping really touched home for me and it was hilarious to boot!

I also have a kindness gift basket for one of the lucky readers on this post. There are also a couple of smaller items in my bag of goodies here so, tell me the best random act of kindness you ever received!

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)
Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.
Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness? Let me know in the comments!

Wednesday Writing and Excuses Excuses

2012-05-18T00:49:00.001-05:00

I feel I must explain the rather sporadic nature of my posts lately. I have recently been hospitalized and they frowned on any electronics there, not to mention my lovely caffeine. I did hand write several amusing blog post on random scraps of paper and I do hope to get those posts when time allows.

I will probably be back at the hospital tomorrow so once again, I will have to surrender my precious communication equipment but I am prepared with several notebooks. My illness shows few outward signs, and most people can be completely unaware that it plaques me. I rarely talk about it, but after the treatment I have been receiving, I decided to share the good and the bad with those going through it. That blog will be A View from a Cuckoo' Nest.

I know this is late but here is the current week's Wednesday prompt:

Wow! There was an amazing turn out last week! I am so impressed by all the creativity out there! Last week's photo really got everyone going and I am proud to present last week's amazing submissions to our weekly writing prompt:

Cow Whisperers by Randy Lindsay

A Thousands Words by Chasing Revery

Horoscope by Chessney Silth

A Day in the Park by Anne

Conversations with an Ex by Me

I am so proud of this turn out! I hope more and more people join in!

So, here's the rules as usual just as a fresh reminder:

1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

Here is the photo (from this link)

And here are the five words (from this link)

Masking Tape

Chameleon

Hand

Computer

Lipstick

And when you have completed your story, post the link to it below!

Spread the word about the hop and let us know what you come up with!

Wednesday Writing

2012-05-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back everyone! This has been an amazing week and there has been so much creativity that resulted from last week's prompt. You guys are awesome! So, make sure to check out last week's prompt and the great posts that resulted:

Beach of Peace over at Lando-Loo, Where Are You?

Back to the Beach over at The Why, The how, and the What If

Rough Tides, at Chasing Revery (my co-host!)

A New Beginning (done by me!)

And today we have another prompt ready to go for everyone! But first, a quick shout out to my awesome co-hosters - Chasing Revery and A Writer's Muses. Make sure you check out their blogs!

As usual, here are the rules:

1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

Also, we have a fancy schmancy new blog hop button for you to grab. So if you have been having fun with the blog hop, grab a button:

Click and copy this code

Here's this week's picture (taken from this link)

And here's this week's five words from this link:

decoy

sign

pillow

dinosaur

Oh this should be fun, I just know it. So, when you have your story completed, post your link below: