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 The founder of Mother’s Day advocated (read: fought violently) for it to be rescinded when it became too commercial.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
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
No featured blog this week, but I will let you all in on some nonsense.
The blogging tribe idea has gotten a very slow start. We’re all trying to hold onto our enthusiasm, I think. My work schedule has included far too many 10-our shifts for my liking, so it’s been hard to really kick things into high gear on my end. In all straight up honesty, I can’t wait to move back to MA. Firehouse is draining me of anything that brings me even the faintest bit of joy.
On the up side, I plan to be back in Massachusetts by March. I’m either taking up bartending or hairdressing, I haven’t decided which, but both look like some measure of fun, even if it’s only to find out I’m terrible at one or both. I need to keep writing, and that’s been a bit of an issue lately. I’ve been working at some flash fiction pieces that I’ll share soon, as well as some character creation. In another realm of things, I’m getting myself situated with making candles and beauty products. My new shop, The Midnight Magpie, will be open online hopefully within the month.
I know, I’ve got my hands in a lot of different pots right now, but I really need to find some measure of happiness in my life before I go completely insane.
On that note, expect a Flash Fiction piece on Wednesday, featuring a new character. In fact, the next two weeks will feature brand new characters! Yay!
Okay, enjoy your Monday.
–KM
Filed under Life
So, Maria over at mino wrimos and I have decided to create a beyond-NaNo challenge. We’re challenging all of you to complete this novel, from first draft to polished masterpiece, by May 31, 2013. We want to make use of our Create Space codes this year, and, since most of us have issues finishing things, we think this will be fabulous fun for all of us! (AND we’ll have an excuse to keep chat at Write Write and Write going in the off-season!)
2. You have to pick something to give up for 30 days, starting June 1, if you fail! Post that in the Facebook group. You HAVE to decide on something to give up BY MAY 1! No welching out come June 1.
3. You have to post regular updates! Whether it’s daily or weekly, whatever, you have to keep us updated. Those of you with blogs/vlogs, broadcast your progress!
Need ideas on what to give up? Maybe don’t give up anything! Give up something you love, something that you tend to waste time with (tumblr, a specific food, video games, television, reading, etc.). Or, if you have nothing to give up, consider pledging to do something you’ve been meaning to, dislike, or should be doing. (Educational reading for 15 minutes a night, exercising 20 minutes every morning, cleaning every day, learning a language, starting yoga, etc.) Don’t be afraid to get creative!
So, who’s in? 8D
Filed under Writing
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