Hello, my fellow creatives!
If you’re not following Aerogramme Writer’s Studio yet, here’s their latest post, and probably a big incentive as to why you should. I have found a great deal of helpful information on their site, and this is an especially good one.
A residency in France? Scotland? Denmark? Yes to all, please!
Give it a look and Good Luck!
So in keeping with my goals of getting back on track, I offer you the following image for this week’s Writing Prompt. I have really missed these…and I can’t wait to see what you create!
For those of you unfamiliar with the purpose of the prompt, I find what I think are interesting pictures, post them, then ask you to share whatever you create from the inspiration I hope you find in it. I also share my own writing; short stories that I like to call flash fiction – under 200 words with little thought or editing. And I fully plan on writing a few this week, because this non-writing thing is nonsense. 😉
Happy Writing!
First of all, for all of you who have been so patient with me, I’d like to say…
I am finally moving into my new place this weekend. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited and relieved I am for this. All that routine that I’ve been missing will finally return. The chance to sleep on a normal bed again instead of an air mattress, or the opportunity to have access to all my clothes will be so nice. The hope of two weeks that turned into two months was too long.
So stay tuned, lots of things coming, I promise. Especially my review of Dragon Age Inquisition, which sadly, I haven’t been able to play as much as I’d like, and you all know how excited I was for its release. It’s awesome, by the way. New images for Writing Prompts will start to flow again, as will the accepting the challenges in that flash fiction style I’ve enjoyed so much, more writing tips, and a few more movie reviews are all in the works.
So thanks for not abandoning me in my absence. I can’t wait to get back on track and see what you’ve all been up to as well.
Keep up the good work! I wish you all the best!
It’s been a while, I know, and I have missed this part of my blog. I like finding images I hope you’ll find inspiring, and when I decided to take up the Writing Prompt Challenges myself, I was encouraged to continue…and here we are, No# 40.
I’ve been doing some soul searching the past few days as I lost one of my dearest friends on Thursday. We had been friends 25 years and since my moving back to Las Vegas, we had talked about getting together and reuniting our old group of friends, but just hadn’t made it happen. I was taken aback on Friday morning when I popped on Facebook for a quick minute before doing work and the top post was in regards to his passing. It hit me hard, and really got me thinking about life in general. I suppose that’s natural when someone dies unexpectedly.
Tomorrow isn’t promised. We shouldn’t wait to do the things we want. Everyday is a new beginning to make changes. Appreciate the ones you love. Find your passion.
So you may be wondering what this has to do with my writing prompt. I’ve been slacking. I’ve lost my passion for my writing, and I’m blaming a job, and the fact that we’re still staying with my friend because we haven’t found a place to live. I don’t have my normal routine, things are sort of chaotic, and hence my writing has been relegated to the furthest recesses of my mind. I don’t even think about it most days, and that is sad. I’m not going to get philosophical, but my friend’s death did put some things into perspective for me, and (more) changes are coming.
So in my continuing effort to get back on track it’s time to start writing again and rekindle my love! Here is this week’s prompt that will hopefully inspire –
I wish you all well, my friends!
Life can be funny sometimes. After two years of struggling to find a job in Los Angeles, any job, applying for any film related position I was even half qualified for and those I was overqualified for – 200+ resumes later, I only ever received two calls. A week back in Vegas and I had two interviews, thanks to a friend with contacts. To be honest (and hopefully my friend doesn’t ever see this), I didn’t really want either, but who was I to complain? So I sucked it up and decided which of them would be the lesser of two evils. After two promising interviews, a week passed without any word. Again I was faced with the prospect that I might continue to be jobless, and although yes, I was new to this market, I wasn’t sure how much more rejection I could take (especially when it’s not in reference to my screenwriting for which I know I’ll have to develop a thick skin).
I started another round of job hunting and ground my teeth in silence. I won’t go into the recent economic downturn and how so many people lost their jobs and homes, because this isn’t about that, but the thought that you might have to take any job for any pay is neither encouraging nor appealing.
I want to be a writer. I want Hollywood to come calling and for studios to get into bidding wars over my scripts, but that’s still a little ways off. 😉 So I figured I could try to find something within the realm of creativity and crossed my fingers as I searched the employment sites yet again. And then there it was…content writer wanted. I completely rewrote my cover letter, scoured my blog for a couple decent writing samples (one of which was my insight into Doctor Who which I would later discover was probably one of the best choices I made), and sent it off a little excited by the prospect.
And then I saw them.
Using my sister’s computer, so I could remain in the vicinity of my crazy dogs who are still not comfortable because they don’t have any of their own things (we’re still in my friend’s living room), for some unknown reason, her computer did not recognize two misspelled words. Not big errors, two missing “i’s”, but there it was, strike one. I had one friend try to reassure me by saying I probably didn’t want to work there anyway, but what an idiotic mistake. I should know by now to never send anything off without another pair of eyes taking a pass. As writers we all know we never see our own errors.
The following day, I received an email saying that they liked my samples and wanted to meet with me. Score! (I don’t know why I just said that. I promise to not use it again.)
I called the office and asked to speak with the woman who had sent me the email, and had misread her name so I said it wrong, like really wrong…strike two. I shook my head for some time after that one.
Set up the interview for the same day, and I was not prepared for that so I was running a few minutes late…strike three.
I was pretty sure that was it for me, but the interview was with the two heads of the department, and they’re fellow geeks, so my interview questions were not only based on my writing and capabilities, but who I thought might win in a battle between Godzilla and some weird hybrid of a terminator-like being made up entirely of crocodiles that had hive mentality. When I sighed and said, “Why couldn’t you ask me about Captain America or Buffy?” they laughed. I quickly discovered they were fellow Dragon Age enthusiasts, and that was it for me. I knew I wanted to work with them.
A half an hour later I received a phone call, I got the job. Seriously?! I just got a job? A real job, writing? YES! The only catch, I had to start the following morning at 8:30 am. In the morning?
A few things – I hadn’t been up at 8:30 except if it was from the night before, and I had absolutely no clothes for an office environment. I hadn’t worked in one in some 15 years, so it was off to every store in a 5 mile radius to find at least one pair of pants. Besides the fact that about 75% of all my clothing is in storage, I really didn’t have anything to wear. Luckily after four stores I found two pairs of pants and they will now be my staples until I can afford to buy a few more. I forewarned those I work with about my limited attire, I know, such a girlie thing to be concerned about. I doubt anyone will even notice as I’m seated at a desk for 8 hours a day.
So there it is. I am now being paid to write. How strange is that?
Now if only I could find a place to live, get settled in, and get familiar with this new routine, then all would be right in my world…well, almost. 😉 I have to figure out how after spending all that time in front of a computer writing I will want to write my own stuff? Any tips are welcome and appreciated!
I wish you all well and hope you are working towards your goals! Best wishes, my friends!
Hello, my friends!
As the pressures of moving and all things associated set in, I find myself a little scattered. So I will apologize in advance for the sprinkling of posts over the next few weeks. Of course this all occurs after celebrating blogging for a year, when I’d like to keep up the momentum, but you know how life can be funny like that sometimes…
To tide you over in the interim, here’s this week’s Writing Prompt. This image inspires a few different ideas for me, so hopefully I’ll be able to find some time to write. Wanna join me?
Happy Writing!
Sometimes knowing a decision has to be made does not make the action occur any quicker. Nor make it any easier. Sometimes you need an external persuasive element, and sometimes you don’t want it or need it at all, but it happens nonetheless. In the face of such challenges, we, not only as writers, but just as people, need to maintain our perseverance.
Yes, this is relevant to what is happening in my own life, as a decision was made for me and The Sis, one we had been kind of trying to avoid for as long as possible.
It is necessary to remind ourselves that bumps in the road, detours, and change are just part of the journey.
And the “little something extra” is a freebie! Gotta love that!
I met with an entertainment career coach at the beginning of the year, Shawn Tolleson, here in LA. She helped to put some things into perspective, something I needed at the time. Something I may need again. 😉 She is offering a free online class. Here is the link to sign up.
Happy Wednesday!
This one spoke to me today…Are you inspired?
Join me in my Writing Prompt Challenge series. If any of the images get those creative juices flowing, share it with us!
Happy Writing!
The other night when I was talking with my fellow writers at group, one of them mentioned the “10,000 Hours Rule” by Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Outliers. The idea behind this is that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in any field. I would love to be able to figure out where I am on that scale. How many hours have I put into my writing and when do those hours start? Did they start when I was a kid telling stories, or when I was a teen trying my hand at my first novel, or when I finally made the decision to go back to school and found screenwriting? If we start from the moment I started calling myself a writer, I probably have a few thousand hours still to go.
I have seen how my writing has changed over the years, and even in the short time I’ve been blogging. It has helped to hone my voice. So a big THANK YOU for helping me do that! Clearly, I still have a little ways to go.
As writers, we have to continue to learn and grow through practice, reading, and just being a part of the world – where we probably get most of our material. I have binders full of notes, and every once in a while, I’ll flip through them and stumble across some useful tidbit like the one I’m going to share today: the “Be a One-Hit Wonder” theory.
Yes, it sounds like a negative, but it’s really not. The idea is that we prioritize our work. Something I need to learn to do.
The theory is two-fold. 1) Evaluate which pieces are time sensitive; have deadlines (actual or self-imposed), or need lead time. And 2) Finish shorter pieces first as that boosts confidence and gives us closure.
The idea is to make consistent, manageable progress on those things we can control.
I think this concept is one of the reasons I’ve been escaping into flash fiction and fan fiction, the sense of accomplishment. And I even called one of my blogs “An Odd Sense of Accomplishment” when I talked about finishing my fanfic piece. There is a sense of relief at seeing a final product after long stretches without one.
Screenwriting is my passion, but sometimes it is a struggle to get the words on the page. I think it has to do with the awareness that I am passionate about it, I want it to be the very best it can be, and that every word matters so the value of its importance is heightened and therefore a harder end to find.
And this directly relates to last night’s late post. I have a third act to finish. That’s it. Completely manageable. Once I find that closure on this particular piece that I have long (long) sought after, I will evaluate all the other pieces in my portfolio and create my One-Hit Wonder list. Which projects will offer me that sense of accomplishment in a shorter amount of time and lead me further along my journey towards professional writer? I look forward to finding out.
What do you think of this idea? Is it something you might implement?
Best wishes!
The world is a mess, and the nice thing about being a writer is that we can seek refuge in our work. We can right the wrongs, we can create better worlds, and hopefully in the end, help others in some small way.
That’s not to say that’s what I’m doing here today…I merely escaped.
I haven’t written a whole lot the last couple of weeks, GISHWHES and stress were big deterrents, so I’m just getting back into my groove. I’m not sure how much I love the flash fictions I wrote last night, but sometimes you’ve gotta take a little bad with the good.
For the first image I had two distinct ideas, so I decided to explore them both.
Shanghai, 1939
War was imminent. The lifestyle she had become accustomed to would soon cease to exist. That didn’t frighten her as much as losing the man that sat across from her now. As she took in the appearance of her English lover, her eyes softened, and she became lost in thought. She wondered what would become of them as the orangey glow of her cigarette continued to burn and draw closer to her fingers. She felt the warmth grow, but she ignored it as she reached out her other hand to rest it upon his. It was a small gesture, but one that seemed to reassure them both.
Shanghai, 1939
Wei was a natural at deception. She had born to a hard life, but she could easily fall into the role of a proper lady or a courtesan depending on what the mission called for. A nice dress and a little makeup were all the disguise she required to obtain whatever she needed, be it access or information. She wasn’t one to ever be considered a threat, and she used that to her advantage. Her current target was completely taken with her, and as she sat there demurely, steeling herself against his longing gaze, she wondered how much longer she would have bear the leers and wandering hands of those in her agency’s sights. She held her right hand up, letting the lit cigarette burn as the signal to her fellow operatives that the target was ready for removal. She kept her eyes level and smiled to herself that he would never know what hit him.
The Trials
The Greenlee family had been the guardians of the final trial for five generations. It was very much a part of who they were. They tended to the stalk, cared for it, and aided the warriors who came from great distances to tackle it as part of their final test. It was dangerous, it took preparation, and those lucky enough to survive could count themselves amongst the most honored. When the eldest Greenlee daughter saw the knight and his horse coming over the horizon, her heart fluttered and sank. It was his time to take on the trials, and if they were both very lucky, their lives would never be the same.
And lastly, I thought I’d share a little of the new chapter of the Dragon Age fanfic I’ve been working on, but it was just a little too long, so I’ll save it for another day.
Happy Friday, and be well my friends!
*Quick edit, and total blonde moment, I accidentally called the first piece Singapore it’s supposed to be Shanghai. Oops.
A Writer's Discrepant Memoirs and Other Tales 