Write Anyway

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen everyone! I hope you have been having an excellent week so far (despite all the work and whatnot). Welcome to another Thursday Thirteen of writing prompts for you.

This week’s Thursday Thirteen prompts are going to continue on with prompts, questions, first lines, and other inspiration to help you get writing.

If there is another prompt you think would be helpful, be sure to let me know in the comments or by using the ‘contact me’ button under the site description.

1. Think of a time in your life that you needed to do something you truly didn’t want to do.
2. Try some free flow writing. Set a timer for five or more minutes and just see where your mind takes you.
3. Write a poem about your day.
4. Write a 100 word story on trust.
5. “Where have you been!”
6. Someone hands you a pill, promising you that your life will improve in all ways if you take it. Do you take it?
7. Think of something you’ve always wanted. Write about getting it.
8. While walking down the street, you feel someone slip something in your pocket as they walk by…
9. “Sometimes I like to pretend I’m somewhere far away where no one knows me…”
10. If you could change one day of your life, would you? If no, why not? If yes, what day and what would you do to change it?
11. You have to leave the home you grew up in and you can only pack one bag…
12. Create a perfect room with all your favourite things. What does it look like? Who is allowed in? What’s in there?
13. A major natural disaster has hit your area and it’s time to start picking up the pieces…

Check out my other Thursday Thirteens on The Book Stacks and Fiction Scribe

Hello hello and welcome to half way through the week.

Welcome to another mid-week random word bank. I rather like random word banks. There is a challenge in them that not only gets your mind working, but you can also end up with a scene that you didn’t know you had it in you to write.

I hope you find these word banks useful. If there is a type of prompt you would prefer to see, please let me know.

Remember, with all the words, you can use any form, any tense of the word. Eg. Laugh can be laugh, laughter, laughs, laughed.

For the first word bank, I don’t want you to write a short story or anything actually. What I want you to do is word association. For every word there, I want you to write the word and then write the first word that comes to your mind after.

For the second word bank, I do want you to write a short story (or something longer if you like) that incorporates this week’s theme. This round goes as usual; just include all of the words in the bank.

For the third word bank, it is something different yet again. I would like you to try your hand at writing a poem incorporating the words provided.

Enjoy!

First Word Bank
bourbon
listen
weather
Jamaica
Olympics
glow in the dark
computer
angel
gone
snow

Second Word Bank
speak
time
glory
mother
park
future
forgotten
love
nothing
together

Third Word Bank
curly
seat
red
scuff
crumbs
whisper
watch
phone
need
tissue

Yes, I do rather have a liking for the catchy day meme-type names. I can’t help myself. I imagine it’s a little annoying. I apologize.

Tuesday, Tuesday. There’s not much to say about Tuesday, is there? I guess I’d better get straight to the prompt

Today I was doing a little blog surfing and found a blog called A New Decade, written by Manuela. Her most recent post inspired today’s prompt.

Manuela talked about going on a run and stopping at a swingset. She thought about how long it had been since she had sat on a swing and that brought along other thoughts of childhood.

The swings were my favourite part of recess when I was in school and even before that I loved sitting on the swings behind my family home. When I got too old for recess, I still liked to swing on the wooden garden swing and enjoy the warm sunsets of summer - writing, talking on the phone, thinking, etc.

Today for your prompt, I would like you to think of a fond childhood memory like swinging, picnics, or whatever else made you feel happy, safe, and at peace when you were a child. Take time to step back and remember the moments and things that made your best childhood moments the best.

Remember, to help clear your mind before you start writing, take a few deep breaths. Focus on the sound of the air entering and leaving your lungs. Let the noises and worries of the day fade for a few moments while you focus only on breathing.

After you are calm, think about your childhood and start writing.

Wishing you much creativity.

Hello and welcome to a brand new week. The last week of July, in fact. It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating the arrival of 2008 and now we’re already going to enter into August.

Today we’re going to take a break in the music and are just going to do today’s 100 Words from the prompt courtesy of Velvet Verbosity. I hope you enjoy this meme and leave me links to your responses in the comments section.

Athena reached up and caressed the marble pillars, beautiful, cold, silent witnesses to a time long past. They had stood so proud and tall then, when they represented the beauty of current design instead of remnants of history. But even then they had been cold. Watching their fellow pillars fall under the violence and malice of those who could never truly understand the world.

But alas, her brothers and sisters were waiting for her. More relics, pillars, of an age long gone.

I rather like that one. I have always had a passion for history and the past. I’ll admit that another Mr. Frank Talbert 100 words did enter my mind – and Treasure even stepped up to say hello – but I figured it was about time for something a little different.

And there you have it. Remember to leave your link if you participate on your blog. I always like to read all the different ways people interpret the prompts.

Hi everyone!

Thank goodness it’s Friday! I feel like each Friday comes and I am more thankful for that Friday than any other Friday. But then the next one comes and, well…

I’ve found a new meme for Fridays! I’m quite excited about it. It looks like a lot of fun. So, without further ado, another meme to add to our inspiration bucket…

I’m going to do this Friday’s and last Friday’s…because I can. Enjoy! Feel free to join in the fun either here or on your own blog. (Be sure to leave me a link!)

Friday Fill-Ins #82

Those of you with multiple blogs or private blogs…if you could add your link to the Fill-Ins, that would be GREAT! Questions 4-6 this week are courtesy of Sherry! I like it when people give me questions on a wicked busy day Thanks!

Here we go:

1. I believe whatever doesn’t kill you ______. just leaves a lot of scratches and bruises.

2. If you’re good at something, ____. then by all means, do it.

3. Why so _________. glum?

4. Something is out there, it’s ______. completely unimagined thus far.

5. If my life were a sitcom, it would be titled _______. The Alto Soprano

6. Sitting on my back porch [if you don't have one, use your imagination] I see ___________. A big fence! Haha. The clothes line.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____! working hard, working some more, finish work!

#81

1. If I could be a fly on the wall I would ______. probably follow my husband around.

2. Jealousy is ____. not a good thing.

3. When I see a shooting star my wish would be that _________. people not ask me what my wish was because it won’t come true if I tell.

4. I’d rather be ______ than ______ any day! where I am, where I was

5. Certain songs when I hear them make me wanna _______. dance

6. If time were in a bottle ___________. then I would hope to own that bottle

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____! answered above

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen everyone!

This week’s Thursday Thirteen prompts are going to continue on with prompts, questions, first lines, and other inspiration to help you get writing.

If there is another prompt you think would be helpful, be sure to let me know in the comments or by using the ‘contact me’ button under the site description.

1. Listen to your favourite mix tape, CD, music video, etc and see where the music takes you…
2. “The pulse is beating so strongly.”
3. Go through some poetry books and find one that inspires you to write a short story.
4. Watch a ‘behind the scenes’ feature for something (anything) and use that to help inspire some free writing.
5. Write a scene with one character and then rewrite that scene with two (or more characters).
6. “I really have no idea what to tell you.”
7. Remember a time in your life when you were extremely tired but had to keep going anyway…
8. Find some of your parent’s music or look up the music from the year you were born. Who knows what might inspire you…
9. “Bloody good!”
10. Think of a time in your life when you were extremely relieved…
11. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who does/deals with something you have never dealt with. Write about your ‘experiences’.
12. “Well you have an overactive imagination because there just isn’t any.”
13. Go somewhere different today and let the new surroundings inspire you.

Check out my other Thursday Thirteens on The Book Stacks and Fiction Scribe

Hello once again everyone!

Welcome to another mid-week random word bank. I rather like random word banks. There is a challenge in them that not only gets your mind working, but you can also end up with a scene that you didn’t know you had it in you to write.

I hope you find these word banks useful. If there is a type of prompt you would prefer to see, please let me know. Otherwise I’ll just keep on keeping on.

Remember, with all the words, you can use any form, any tense of the word. Eg. Laugh can be laugh, laughter, laughs, laughed.

Have an excellent day!

For the first word bank, I don’t want you to write a short story or anything actually. What I want you to do is word association. For every word there, I want you to write the word and then write the first word that comes to your mind after.

For the second word bank, I do want you to write a short story (or something longer if you like) that incorporates this week’s theme. This round goes as usual; just include all of the words in the bank.

For the third word bank, it is something different yet again. I would like you to try your hand at writing a poem incorporating the words provided.

Enjoy!

First Word Bank
God
wireless
stream
football
celebrity
mall
travel
president
cough
tissue

Second Word Bank
father
park
bag
sneeze
purple
run
conversation
review
meeting
nerves

Third Word Bank
sacrifice
cater
touch
sun
walk
need
food
spring
flower
muse

Last week, one of the people I work for came to me with an idea for a project and was wondering if I wanted to do it. He’d mentioned the project to the group of people I work with before, and I had backed away because I wasn’t all that interested.

But when he approached me privately, I had to admit that the money was good (and definitely needed right now) and that I could do what he wanted. After a bit of poking around to make sure I could do what he wanted properly and quickly, I happily agreed.

It wasn’t until after I started that I realized just how huge the actual project. The part that should have been the easiest was actually the hardest and what was projected as a two to three day project is now on day four of starting in the morning and working late into the night.

All that and a cold as well. Thank goodness for wireless giving me the ability to work from bed.

I’m whining a bit, admittedly, but I have been feeling the pressure of next week’s deadline rather keenly, as I want to do a good job but also want to get everything done on time. I’ve been using the tips and tricks I learned in school to keep from going into panic overdrive, but that doesn’t make me wonder what I was thinking at some points.

When is a time in your life when you had to work to a deadline? Did you make the deadline? How did you feel after making it/not making it? How did you feel after it was done?

Today I have a cold.

Today I’m not feeling very musical.

Today is one of those days I would like to just crawl back into bed and sleep the day away until I’m feeling back to normal. I have to admit that I can get a bit whiny when I don’t feel well. My husband tolerates it pretty well, but I reckon that’s because he gets to work. Plus, he’s just getting over this particular cold and knows exactly how crummy I feel.

But as much as I would like to skip work and just sleep (or watch crappy television until I fall asleep), I have a lot to do and a huge project that I need to get done ASAP. So, given that and given the fact I’m not at all keen on straight black coffee, I need to find things that will pick up my mood and help me wake up.

So, today, I bring you some perky songs that will hopefully help you to wake up as much as they are helping me get through the day. That’s right. Here at Write Anyway, we do stimulants the natural way. Or… wait… I said that wrong…

The first is Sara Bareilles’ Love Song which has really taken off here in Australia. It’s one of the few songs I haven’t minded hearing over and over on the radio. I hope you like it.

The next is Colbie Caillat’s Bubbly which isn’t quite as perky but still keeps me going.

What songs help you perk up and get going? Let me know in the comments!

It seems the fun isn’t quite yet over at 451 headquarters.

451 management recently purchased all kinds of new equipment and is in the process of switching everything over to those new systems. As you can imagine, doing all that isn’t easy and comes with its own hiccups.

I’ve been told that the blogs shouldn’t experience a lot of down time, but you can expect hiccups, burps, and maybe even the occasional fart in the next few days. Be assured that everything will still be puttering along and you should definitely come back!

I promise you that we are just as tired as you when it comes to the sites’ down time. Hopefully everything will be switched over by the end of this week and next week we will be running back to normal next week. (Or maybe even starting this weekend…)

Again, I’m so, so sorry for the down time. I know that, even when it’s out of your hands, a blog having down time can reflect negatively on the blogger. I have some interesting things coming up in the future, though, so I hope that is enough to keep you coming back.

And, just to keep you entertained while things are getting taken care of (not that I think you can’t entertain yourselves), here is the link to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along blog. There is a lot of fun to be had and the final installment is coming soon!

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Be well and have a fantastic rest of the week.

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen everyone!

This week’s Thursday Thirteen prompts are going to continue on with prompts, questions, first lines, and other inspiration to help you get writing.

If there is another prompt you think would be helpful, be sure to let me know in the comments or by using the ‘contact me’ button under the site description.

1. “Hi. My name is Alex.”
2. It’s a cool summer’s night and you’ve just woken up in the middle of a park with about three dollars in change, a note clenched in your right hand, a massive headache, and no memory…
3. If you had an unlimited about of money to spend on other people, what would you buy, for whom, and why?
4. Write lyrics for the song of your life.
5. “I can’t quite figure it out. All I can really do is just think about it a lot and hope for the best.”
6. You’ve just been instructed to go on stage because it’s time to give the speech…
7. Create a character profile based on your ideal view of yourself.
8. Use one of these photo prompts as inspiration.
9. Try some free flow writing. Set a timer for five or more minutes and just see where your mind takes you.
10. “The things you say. They just make me feel so…”
11. Write a poem about the first time you fell in love.
12. If you had to live on an island with only one person for an entire year, who would it be? Why?
13. Try #9 with some music on in the background.

Check out my other Thursday Thirteens on The Book Stacks and Fiction Scribe

Hello once again everyone!

Welcome to another mid-week random word bank. I rather like random word banks. There is a challenge in them that not only gets your mind working, but you can also end up with a scene that you didn’t know you had it in you to write.

I hope you find these word banks useful. If there is a type of prompt you would prefer to see, please let me know.

Remember, with all the words, you can use any form, any tense of the word. Eg. Laugh can be laugh, laughter, laughs, laughed.

For the first word bank, I don’t want you to write a short story or anything actually. What I want you to do is word association. For every word there, I want you to write the word and then write the first word that comes to your mind after.

For the second word bank, I do want you to write a short story (or something longer if you like) that incorporates this week’s theme. This round goes as usual; just include all of the words in the bank.

For the third word bank, it is something different yet again. I would like you to try your hand at writing a poem incorporating the words provided.

Enjoy!

First Word Bank
aliens
impossible
Mars
kaleidoscope
contract
mother
hand
Texas
peanut butter
sunshine

Second Word Bank
brother
church
bell
red
slap
create
bag
water
lunch
press

Third Word Bank
sweet
cradle
whisper
lavender
barely
music
fresh
sudden
walk
cheer

One of my favourite parts of the newspaper is where people get to write in and talk about how they feel about current affairs and anything else. Today I’d like you to write a letter to the editor.

The editor of your life.

Yes, that’s right. I want you to have fun and write a letter to the editor of your life, letting him or her have all the praise/hatred you care to put in the letter. But that’s not the only challenge. I’d like you to write two letters. The first can only be one sentence long (the body of the letter). The second must be a minimum of four sentences.

And that’s it! Everything else is up to you. Have fun!

Click the more tag to read what I have to say…
(more…)

Hello, it’s Monday. I think the weekend went by entirely too fast, don’t you?

Today brings not only the start of the week but also my very late contribution to the Velvet Verbosity 100 words. Believe it or not, I worked over the weekend and still didn’t get to writing it before now. I hope you’ll excuse the delay.

This week I’ve decided to have a little fun with my character from last week. Mr. Talbert is just a little too much fun to so easily leave behind, so I hope you’ll enjoy another one of his 100 word adventures.

This week, we take our inspiration from the word: City.

Enjoy…

City. City. Filthy, filthy city.

The city was just one big concrete bug farm.

I’d just like you all to know that I actually love the city. Melbourne is probably my favourite place on earth and it’s a huge city. However, Mr. Talbert let me know quite clearly what he thinks of the city. The unfortunate thing is that he doesn’t have much to say about the countryside either…

Leave a link to your 100 words or put your contribution right in the comments.

Have an excellent day.

A couple weeks ago, my husband had to do some travelling for work. He flew down to Tasmania early Friday morning and few back on Monday night. While that’s not exactly a spectacular event for many couples, it was the first time since I moved to Australia that we were separated.

I was quite nervous about him being away, but once I knew he was safe and sound in Tasmania, I began to adjust to being alone. Even before I moved to Australia, I had been living with other people for nearly half a year. So for someone who hadn’t spent the night alone in a home for over two years, I think I did pretty well.

Reflecting back on that time, I think it was good for both me and my husband. However, being alone certainly isn’t always fun and we can all remember a time when being alone inspired strong feelings, be them positive or negative.

That’s why I would like you to reflect on being alone today and write about it. To help you with your inspiration, here are a couple songs about being alone.

Enjoy, and happy Musical Monday.

On My Own – Reba McEntire

This is actually the song that inspired this prompt. It’s one of Reba’s older songs, but I’ve enjoyed listening to her music growing up.

All By Myself – Celine Dion

Of course I had to include this classic with a theme like ‘alone’. I’m not actually particularly fond of the song, but I figured I would include it anyway.