February 11, 2024

The Ebb and Flow.

Its hard to believe we’re 42 days into 2024. Sometimes 42 days sounds like a lot, other times I’ ‘m still caught wondering, what happened to 2023?.

I found some writing exercises and writing classes that want the hero’s journey in every story. Sometimes I just want to battle the dragons and have a good hearty meal afterward.

At this point, I’m more in the mood for a summer blockbuster than a poignant journey. I like to believe there is room for both. I do know it’s time to get back to my main projects. I’ve got Vampires to Slay, Ways of Eating to adapt to, and Flash Fiction to write.

Find a group that will support you and hour writing, that will lift you up instead of dragging you down.

TODAY’S Prompt: There’s always more around the corner

February 10, 2024

Winding up to Wind Down.

Tomorrow marks the end of the 42-day challenge, and its time for considering new projects and if I”m going to do something with 42 Flash before next year.

One of my plans calls for me to go through the best of the past year’s prompts and see about making an e-book version available. Other options/thoughts would be to switch over to a weekly challenge something.

Like always, I’m overthinking this as I try to come up with a plan. I know there are at least 2 people who are getting something out of the prompts which is reason enough to do something with them.

Grace. Grant yourself room to soar.

TODAY’S Prompt: The Long Good-bye

February 9, 2024

Experience is a teacher

When I first started writing, I played the long game. My stories were long and convoluted and full of descriptive narrative. I wanted readers who had never tasted an apple to taste it through my descriptions.

But then I learned nuance and the fact that there were different apples with varying sweetness. I also learned that unless the flavor was important, I didn’t need to fill the pages with its juice.

Besides, when you’re working with computers, juice does not mix well with hardware. I learned that unless it was important in the story, or in grounding the reader in the scene, it didn’t matter if the apple was a Granny Smith or a Ginger Gold. It only mattered if the story was ready for the apple, and the apple was ready for the scene.

In flash-fiction I learned the economy of words and how much/little 250 words could be and how important it was to use them wisely. I learned to write the important parts first, and then add the rest as time and room allowed.

And I still grin when I find room for a twist.

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Sometimes, it’s all you can do.

TODAY’S Prompt: You want me to say what?

February 8, 2024

Learning through Writing

One of the writing axioms is “Write what you know” I see this as a challenge to make things realistic. Which means, you could learn what you write.

One of my favoirte characters was a paramedic and I learned a lot about EMS writing the character, and whenever I start a character I find a way into their personality.

One of my favoirte tricks to getting to a character’s heart is through their stomach. Learn what they like, and perhaps learn their favorite cuisine.

It is a good excuse for learning something new.

Keep learning, it’s good for you..

TODAY’S Prompt: If you don’t know, ask

February 7, 2024

Running on Ice

My dad would tell the story of how, on an icy road, he went into a slide, meanwhile, another driver went into a similar slide. There was nothing either of them could do except watch as they slid into each other.

What ensued looked like a physical comedy sketch as they managed to slide and stagger to a light pole.

A police officer saw their antics and figured they had to be drunk until he stepped out of his patrol vehicle and was immediately on the ground. As my father and the other driver formed a human chain that helped him to the light pole, he understood the nature of the accident.

The weather changes, the seasons change, and your life will change. Accept that change and love yourself for who you are now, and who you will be.

TODAY’S Prompt: Not everything is as it appears

February 6, 2024

Panic

Some days are harder than others. Then there are the ones where you’ve been working but you seem to have gotten nowhere.

You remind yourself that there’s work to be done and you plan things out and then life happens and that to-do list goes right out the door.

Then there is the moment of panic when you realize, you need to post something in 6 minutes. Something that until now hasn’t been written

Life is fluid. Learn to go with the flow, and how to use it to your advantage

TODAY’S Prompt: I can’t do this, but it has to be done

February 5, 2024

Signs of the times

When I was young we would travel a lot in Pennsylvania Dutch areas, most of the Burma-shave signs had been relegated to tourist gift shops but some of them (and similarly paired signs) still exist or did the last time I traveled through the area.

Sadly, in some cases, one of a pair of signs has vanished. One such par was “Alternate right of way” with “Take turns” beneath it. One series that was in Maryland read “Stay Alert.” “Stay Alive” “Don’t Exceed” followed by a speed limit sign of 55.

One I only saw in gift shops was “30 days hath September” “April , June” “and “the speed offender.”

A lot has changed, including speed limits, and whether you’re allowed/should have a series of signs or not.

I will leave you with set of 3 signs all of which were placed within a 1/4 block area – Where you had a 4 way where the two lanes turning left and right said “Do not Enter,” and straight ahead was also marked “Do not enter.”

Humor is where you find it and laughter is almost the best remedy for what ales you. I have always believed that a situation you can laugh at is one that will never get the better of you

TODAY’S Prompt: humor is where you find it.

February 4, 2024

One step ahead

I sometimes think in lyrics and today’s involves the line “One step ahead, and two behind.”

This concept can be a bit depressing because it means for every step you take, you’re falling further behind. But, if you combine that with other lines like “Everything old is new again.” then, perhaps, your two behind means you are closer to the next thing than you think you are.

Sometimes, especially in writing, you need to step away, to climb to the peak, and look back so you can see what you need to do to get where you want to be. Sometimes the race is won, not by pushing ahead, but by enjoying what is around you now.

Now is the only thing that is real. Yesterday was easy, it’s long past, and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed so take today for all its worth and face each day as the gift/challenge it is.

Optimistic? Sort of. Simplistic? Definitely. Does it work? I don’t know. But then again, I never know.

Don’t overthink it.

TODAY’S Prompt: Don’t overthink it.

February 3, 2024

Patterns

We often say “Forgive and Forget” and sometimes add “But remember.” because we watch for patterns. Red flags, warnings of things to come.

I know I will forget something, or I’ll think of it too late to do anything and then forget to write it down so I forget the next day. It’s a bad habit, but I am working on it. Sometimes the only way I know time has passed is when the background sounds change.

Sometimes the best way for me to keep track of time during the day is to have a playlist going so that when things finish (or restart) I know x minutes have passed.

That’s good for the short term, but I’m realizing it’s also good for knowing the long term – was I using a cassette, a CD, or a playlist when I wrote this? Changes in season, in technology I never really thought of it.

We all have our way of marking time and I sometimes envy those people with perfect recall. Sometimes, I don’t. No sense of time means that I can be like a Golden Retriever where only the here and now actually exist.

It means I might get hurt again, but it also means it’s the first time.

Sometimes the best (and hardest) thing we can do is let go. Sometimes you just have to take it on faith that there is something more. Sometimes, you have to create it.

TODAY’S Prompt: Letting go

February 2, 2024

Groundhog Day

The day we throw caution (and science) to the wind, or do we? If the groundhog sees his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it’s a forecast of an early spring. 

I always wondered if it was a matter of the tilt, the sun’s positioning, or just the current weather pattern but no– the date was chosen because it was halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. And (according to USA Today, the prediction is only correct 40% of the time.

Oddly they discount it’s validity, and yet we tout the validity of meteorologists who would kill to be right 40% of the time. It really depends on how you view it, but at the end of the day, whatever gets you through, gets you through.

Focus on the positive. Instead of saying “This is going to go wrong.” let’s thing “This is going to go right, but remember that right or wrong, doesn’t just happen and it isn’t just vibes you put out sometimes it’s work and sometimes it’s just dumb luck. Choose to put in the work and adjust as needed

TODAY’S Prompt: The future may be unknown, but we must assume it will be there.