Delight

   My challenge for you this upcoming week is just to read or write. Immerse yourself in the process and jump into a new world. I have found that usually when I cannot write, I am just putting too much pressure on myself. I want to write something AMAZING and I will not be happy with anything less. I have to remind myself, and so should you, that writing is like milking a cow. If you squeeze too hard, nothing will come out.    On a different note, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is about to start, which is a great accountability challenge for anyone wanting to get a work going. I am not going to attempt it this year because of classes, but next year it's on!  Write By the end of my freshman year of college, I was carrying a sizeable burden on my shoulders, and every now and again it would lean in and whisper, Write . I didn’t want to write. I had resigned myself to only having sub-par writing skills and I certainly did not have anything to...

Last week I posted one line, "I've lost a lot of memories because I wrote them down." It was my hope that I could expand this into a full piece, but that has not happened. The good news is the following post came from an offshoot of it and I now have at least two other stories I can use for the upcoming weeks! Maybe, the original idea is just not fully cooked yet.  It needs more time to simmer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the following story.     My challenge for you this upcoming week is just to read or write. Expand your thoughts and jump into a new world. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is about to start, which is a great accountability challenge for anyone wanting to get a work going. I am not going to attempt it this year because of classes, but next year it's on!  Write By the end of my freshman year of college, I was carrying a sizeable burden on my shoulders, and every now and again it would lean in and whisper, Write . I didn’t want...

All week one line has been forcing itself to the front of my thoughts. I have the desire to expand on this thought, but I have not figured it out yet. My hope is that by next week I will be able to post the whole concept, but for today I will share this single idea. I'd like to challenge you to consider all the implications of this line and decide if you agree or disagree, just as I am. Please share your thoughts!  "I have lost a lot of memories, because I wrote them down." 

Hello fellow Readers and Writers! Last week I was unable to add a new story and writing exercise to the blog, but I am back and excited to share another story with you today! Exercise Time: Consider an element of science fiction, whether it be time travel, anti-aging innovations, artificial life, etc. Now consider one of these elements implemented into daily life. It's easy to forget that while time moves forward and technology increases, the human condition does not change very much. For this exercise I want you to place an element of sci fi into every day life. The setting can still be futuristic. Just don't forget about the human factor. How would the individual engage this element that is most likely becoming as natural to daily life as nature itself (or maybe nature is no longer natural)?  Allow yourself to be creative. Before, during or after you've done a little writing or brain storming scroll down, read my story "The Wedding Ring" for more inspiratio...

Hello fellow readers and writers! The last couple of days I have given a lot of thought to what I would post next. Finally, last night I remembered this story. I wrote Mother Nature's Tale two summers ago after a brush fire swallowed the hills near my home. Fun fact: this is the second short story I ever wrote. My goal has always been to write a novel, but this plot came to me in a cute, tiny package. I do want to mention as well that I consider this an allegory, which is my favorite genre. Somehow as a child I got a hold of a lot of allegories, beyond The Chronicles of Narnia, and they have held a special place in my heart since.  Exercise Time: Maybe you have been struggling to get a story going. You've had an idea stuck in your mind for years and no matter how many people you tell, no one seems interested in writing it for you. ;) I would encourage you to try scaling it down. Simply write a scene. Or try to fit it into a concise short story. While t...

Exercise Time: Write from memory. It's beautifully simple. Give it a try and let me know how it goes! The Cold Spring Tavern Despite the central fireplace’s warmth, a consistent draft drifted through the slits between the wood planks of the floor and walls, meaning I would be eating dinner in my coat. And although the space appeared clean, its age and décor gave the impression that cobwebs lingered in every corner and the dim gas lamp, which sat at the end of our table only lengthened the shadows. In theory, it was not romantic. And yet as I observed the history of The Cold Spring Tavern in the black and white photos on the walls and the hulking sturdiness of the stone fireplace, the romanticism began to swell within me. Nestled in the hills and hidden from Highway 154, the setting gives the impression that you are not riding within the luxury of modern technology nor are you driving along a smooth paved road (although you are) as you approach the restauran...