To prove I’m not an idea-stealing pain in the ass, I have to note that I had no idea Chuck Wendig made an ENTIRE post dedicated to the 350 words a day thing. I only saw the graphic. Because I’m lazy and negligent, I didn’t look deeper into it than that. So, for your pleasure, here is the link to the actual Chuck Wendig post!
(The #350words chat is still going, though.)
Filed under Writing
Okay, so I’ve been working on getting my writing together. I’m really prone to creative slumps (otherwise known as laziness and depression), and I’m tired of giving in to it. I want a writing career. I want to breathe life into my characters. I want a finished product for once.
Well, here’s my solution:
But seriously, I’ve teamed up with some friends and taken from this piece of Chuck Wendig awesome. We are going to write 350 words per day, with weekends off, at the very minimum, and complete our works in progress. We’re going to write as writers should: consistently.
I encourage all of my writer friends to join us! We’ve got a Twitter hashtag chat going at #350words and we’re ready to be held accountable (and commiserate) for our creativity!
Will you join us?
Filed under Writing
Whether writers of fiction, poets, artists, assembly line workers, teachers, or housewives (insert your or your mother’s occupation here, of course), the role of our mothers in our lives will never be insignificant.
So, here’s to mothers everywhere!
Just so you know, it’s customary to wear a white carnation or buy them for your mother today. It symbolizes the purity of a mother’s love.
Another tidbit? The founder of Mother’s Day advocated (read: fought violently) for it to be rescinded when it became too commercial.
What are you doing for your mother today? What have your kids done for you?
Who are your favorite/least favorite mothers in literature and why?
Filed under Writing
Since this topic was suggested a couple of years ago, I struggled in defining the role of a writer in both society and community. I’ve read and researched and worked to narrow down the title of “writer” in a sea of professions. It occurred to me recently that, maybe, it wasn’t a “profession.” Writing is something people do from the heart, and lumping it in with “making a living” completely defaces the point. So, I tried again, this time without books or search engines trying to define the role of “a person who writes” on “people who don’t write.”
There are different types of writers with different end-goals in mind when they put pen to paper. Some of us want to change the world, make it better. Some of us want to turn a profit. Some of us just want the experience of writing. The options are endless and no two writers will give you exactly the same answer. The role of a writer, as a writer, in his community and in society will ultimately be defined by the role of writing in the life of the writer. This is a blog that centers around fiction, so, for the sake of consistency, let’s stick to the topic in terms of writers of fiction. Also, I can’t tell you how or if a writer may choose to impact their community, I can only tell you how I hope to impact my community in terms of my writing.
The list isn’t long, but those three points are very important to me. So, instead of telling you what your role as a writer should be in your community, I want you to tell me what you feel your role is.
What parts of you, as a writer, do you feel are valuable in your community, locally and globally? How do you translate your love of writing into helping others?
Filed under Writing Life
A lot of you might know that I’m from Massachusetts, so you can probably understand that I’ve been glued to the television recently. The bombing at the marathon and the subsequent shootout and manhunt were hard to avoid, even in Florida. They were everywhere. Watching the news teams across half a dozen networks cross-checking with one another, getting things wrong, exaggerating, recanting, apologizing, re-reporting–it was nerve wracking.
Worse?
Waiting on Monday for the phone calls, text messages, and Facebook updates from people that I cared about was agonizing. But you know what? It didn’t get easier when I had everyone safe and accounted for. The people that were affected telling their stories, sharing their fear, and, most of all, helping each other, only made it more important that I stay updated.
When the thousands of photos and video clips flooded the FBI, when people responded and pitched in, and went above and beyond what was called for, I wanted to know more. I wanted to help.
I’m nowhere near Boston. I should be, but I’m not. It’s impossible not to feel helpless when you’re 1500 miles away from the place and people you love in a time like this. What could I do? I posted links to the Red Cross on Facebook and urged people to help.
They didn’t need the urging. Seriously, I’m sure you’ve all seen the reports of people doing everything they could for each other, opening their homes to victims and police officers, feeding and hydrating law enforcement during the manhunt. It was amazing to me what people will do if given the chance. Being able to see the good in people in the face of such horror tends to lap at the cynicism in me just a little.
Now, for those of you who don’t think there’s much left to do, that everything is wrapped up and over, you’re wrong. Those people injured and killed at the marathon are going to have incredible hospital bills, living expenses, and the like. There’s this charity on InktothePeople.com and there’s one day left to order a “Boston Strong” t-shirt, $15 of the $20 goes to the victims of the marathon bombing. Ready?
G&L’s three-year anniversary is on Tuesday, and I’m going to ask something of you. If you’ve ever enjoyed Goggles & Lace, if you still read in spite of my sparse updates, or if you just feel like offering up a random act of charity, order a “Boston Strong” t-shirt. I would be really moved if any of you ordered one of these t-shirts, a fantastic anniversary gift to G&L.
Be awesome, and pass the link along to others! There’s one day left! I already ordered two, one for myself and one for my mother. I’m excited to be able to wear it around Jacksonville. Take a lesson from Boston, everyone; it’s only $20.
Thank you all!
Filed under Life
This story was inspired by a chat in the NaNo Camp chat room last night. :-D Hilarity ensues when writers get together to procrastinate. Also, with this story, my word count is up 2000 words which almost catches me up to where I should have been last night. Just 3000 more to meet today's goal.....
Hope you enjoy!
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Captain Kit Fox strolled down the pier in her finest captain suit, her blackest eye patch over her right eye, and her blue and red falcon-sized dragon on her left shoulder.
Filed under Writing
Heya, folks. As promised, here are the scanned, handwritten images of “Dove.” You can read it here. Enjoy this week’s flash fiction Wednesday with nostalgia. I know I will.
Filed under Flash Fiction, Flash Fiction Thursday, Writing
This is not a long post. Just here to tell you that my goal for the Gump-A-Thon is 2k a day. It evens out to 58k at the end of the 29 days. EIGHT THOUSAND WORDS MORE THAN NANOWRIMO. I just do not even know what I’m doing to myself.
Join us over in the WriteWriteandWrite.com chat room if you fancy some writerly company, bottom of the page. =] Some of us will be write-a-thoning, others won’t, but we always love the company.
Filed under Writing
Heya, kids!
Over the last few days, I’ve been working hard at moving into a new place and getting some things on track. But I’m here now, at least for the month, and I’m settled enough to focus on writing. Which is necessary, since Wrimos with Gumption has that fabulous June deadline, and I’m not looking to drop caffeine and junk food for a solid thirty days if I don’t make it.
That’s why I’m proposing a couple of challenges. These challenges welcome everyone, of course, but they’re primarily directed at the Gump. Feel free to join in, though!
Challenge Number 1: Writing Gump-a-thon! I’ve had a hard time getting my mojo going lately. With moving and working and anticipating another move in March, life has been too hectic for writing. NOT ANYMORE. Today, I challenge you. From Wednesday, 6 February 2013, at midnight, I shall hold a write-a-thon! The write-a-thon shall end on 6 March 2013. I don’t have any rewards to offer right now, except that if you finish the write-a-thon, your blog/website/shop/book/whatever will be in its own featured post on G&L.
The Rules:
1. Set your own goal and stick to it. No flip-flopping. Pick a word count you want to achieve within the month, and make it happen. In order to qualify for the featured post, the word count goal must be a minimum of 10,000 words.
2. The write-a-thon starts at midnight on 6 Feb 2013. Beginning early will disqualify you from receiving your featured post. **EDIT** To clarify, you can use a novel you’ve already started! You just cannot count anything prior to 6 February. I apologize for the confusion.**
3. All word counts must be reported by 6 Mar 2013, 11:59:59 PM. Late reports will disqualify you from receiving your featured post.
If anyone has any ideas for rules or rewards, feel free to pitch them. And if any non-Gumpers want to be a part of the community, check us out on Facebook: Wrimos with Gumption: A Beyond NaNoWriMo Challenge.
Challenge Number 2: Freight-Train-of-Gump Edit-a-Thon! Coming soon!
Filed under Writing
This is a brief introduction to Kadri’s character from Kestrel. I’ve been doing a lot of work with her and her story lately, and it’s given be some perspective into the flaws of the story line. I love Kadri, she’s fabulous, though her ability to shut down emotionally unsettles even me. Enjoy her.
“I shot him. It wasn’t the most rational thing to do, but he was there, and I fired without batting an eye. I still don’t feel bad about it. In fact, I don’t feel anything. Adrian was a traitor; if I didn’t shoot him, someone else would have, and probably for reasons that didn’t benefit “The Cause.” They’d have shot him in cold blood, probably for money, drugs, or information. Not that I’m saying my principles were noble or anything. I’m just saying Adrian was the bad guy—at least he was in my story, and who are you if you aren’t the hero of your own story?
I’m getting a little off track. I shot Adrian once through the left eye as he held a knife to Talmai’s throat. I could have talked him down.
“They’re not ‘people,’” he said. I had heard that so many times it made my stomach churn. Not just because Talmai was an Ularian. I’m a clone. So was Adrian. As far as most humans are concerned, we’re not people either.
So I shot him. Talmai turned out okay, aside from a small cut where the knife had been pressed against his neck.
No one can tell me that we’re not ‘people,’ no matter what kind of ‘person’ we are. Human, Ularian, hyper-efficient enhanced human clone—people are people. But that notion is just the reason I’m here.
After all, if you’re not the hero of your own story, who the hell is?”
Filed under Flash Fiction
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