Write Anyway

Friday! It’s Friday! Woohoo!

And…here we go!

1. I grew up thinking that no matter what, you had an unspoken debt to your family. Then I grew up and realized that not every family is ideal. We’re all just people. And some people don’t deserve a damn thing.

2. The Friday Fill-In blog, but that’s predictable, so I’ll go with the one before that which was checking my email… was the last website I was at before coming here.

3. Why don’t you just take a day off?

4. Candlelight with or without the presence of a hot bath (definitely a bit plus *with*) helps me relax.

5. Thanks for the margaritas.

6. There are so many things I find very off-putting, put the things I find that top my personal list are: people who give up after trying only once or only trying one thing, people who completely trust the media and the government, and people who think the people who disagree with them are ‘whacked’ or ‘crazy’.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to as usual, trying to relax which may involve a hot bath, computer games, cruising the internet and/or watching television, tomorrow my plans include a fitness walk with my wonderful husband and probably going to the second hand shop to look for clothes (no use buying them full price while I’m still losing weight) and Sunday, I want to relax as much as I can before another work week begins!

And that is it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with heaps of relaxation time as well as… Well, as well as whatever else you would like your weekend to be filled with.

Until later…

My husband is joining us today to share a few words.

When disaster comes, it can be difficult to identify with the people directly affected unless perhaps one has been through similar events.

The recent fires in Australia have brought out the best of humanity as Aussies rally around to try to help, in any way they can’ those fellow countrymen who have suffered so grievously.

It can bring tears welling as one listens to news of how, within two days the charities had to ask for people to stop donating clothes, blankets and other household goods because they simply didn’t have enough people to sort and process the mountains that had come through their doors.

Listening to the appeals as they soar into the millions of dollars faster than ever before brings a lump in the throat at the generosity of the everyday people of Australia, while hearing about the thousands of people lining up to give blood is heartwarming.

But how do you write about all this? Do you have to have experienced the pain, the trauma and loss in order to reach into those feelings to be able to express them vividly enough to cause those same emotions to rise in your reader?

Is it possible to sit outside the feelings but still describe them so well they resonate with similar moments in the lives of your readers?

I have been on fire lines, and worked in the camps set up in the bush where men and machines gather to do battle with the most ferocious servant man has had. Emergency situations change people; we see the best of them as they stand together to face impossible odds, to trust each other with their lives and to take on the impossible task of turning fifty foot flames from their path, of stopping inferno from devastating their community.

Can we write about heroism from outside? Is it possible to tap into an entirely new way of thinking and acting if we haven’t been there?

After starting to recover from the nearly week-long heatwave that blasted through Melbourne last week, we have once again been hit by the heat and reminded that yes, in fact we do live about eight miles from the sun.

Today Victorians and those residing in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory were advised to stay indoors, keep as cool as possible and keep the fluid intake up. Of course, there was (and is) a total fire ban in the hopes of making the lives of those out saving other lives in this heat easier. But add in the dust/smoke storm we had brewing in my part of the neighbourhood and things were just plain not easy.

Tomorrow, it is forecasted that areas in New South Wales will be the hottest place on Earth, reaching temperatures of 47 degrees C – 116.6 degrees F.

What does this have to do with me blogging?

Where I live, it got up to (at least) 45.5 degrees C – otherwise known as 113.9 F. While we did learn from our mistakes last week and ordered an air conditioner, my husband and I do try to be conscious of the environment so we turned it off as soon as we could open up the flat.

Thanks to the aircon, my brain is only partially melted, but it was also mostly melted last week and didn’t get long enough time to recover.

If I owe you an email, a response of some sort, if you wanted me to check out a video on YouTube or something on your blog, anything, I apologize. I am catching up (now that things have cooled down locally and I can think) as fast as I can. You can feel free to send reminders just so long as they are polite ones. I truly thank you all for your patience.

Oh, and if you could, please think positive thoughts for the men and women out there saving many Australian and international visitor lives by fighting bushfires and responding to calls in the SES (State Emergency Services).

A friend recently asked me, “If you could define what 2008 was for you in one word, what would it be?”

Without hesitation, I replied, “Fast.”

No word defines my 2008 better. The world whipped by so fast this past year, I feel like all I have been doing is trying to catch up. In the case of work and getting things done, that’s absolutely true.

Because of this, there are a lot of things I wanted to do last year that I didn’t. I don’t think I touched my scrapbook, though my wedding photos are all patiently waiting for me. (How’s THAT for procrastination?) I didn’t finish my work in progress – not even to the point of just the first draft being done. I didn’t spend as much time as I wanted out in the world meeting people, and I didn’t spend as much time with my husband as I wanted to.

Most of my time was spent working, thinking about work, catching up with work or something else related to work.

This year I want that to change.

Now, I don’t do resolutions. I do ‘general hopes for better things in the coming year’, but resolutions just tend to piss people off.

My hopes for this year, things I’ve already been working on for a couple weeks, are learning to relax a bit more, focus on the things that make me truly happy, find my way back to writing and to spend more time and devotion to those I love.

I also hope that, with the coming of the New Year, every one of you finds what you’re looking for and hoping for in this world. Just remember that the world is what we make of it.

Best wishes,

JM

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen, all. As per usual, I will be giving you a list of thirteen prompts in all shapes and sizes. They could be a first line of dialogue, a plot idea, or something else. I hope you enjoy and pick and choose as you please.

If there are any other types of prompts that you would find useful, let me know anytime.

Have a great day.

1. “And it was gone just like that!”
2. Write a fun limerick. (If you don’t know the structure of a limerick, check here.)
3. Write a scene where characters can’t say sentences over three words long.
4. Take away a piece of major technology from history and write about what the world would be like today without it.
5. “I can’t believe a word you’re saying.”
6. Try writing a set of haikus on something nature-related.
7. Free write for five minutes.
8. There is a line of thinking that we all choose when and where we are born on this world. Write a story involving that way of thinking.
9. “Yeah, he was Johnny’s hero.”
10. “You win.”
11. Write a scene without using the letter ‘L’.
12. Start keeping a journal of your dreams and use it as inspiration in your writing.
13. “A lot of people aren’t even aware of it.”

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

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen, all. As per usual, I will be giving you a list of thirteen prompts in all shapes and sizes. They could be a first line of dialogue, a plot idea, or something else. I hope you enjoy and pick and choose as you please.

If there are any other types of prompts that you would find useful, let me know anytime.

Have a great day.

1. Try writing a little fanfiction as a warm up.
2. “I wish it would stop.”
3. With the help of your friends, get a bunch of small piece of paper and write one word on each. Put all the papers in a jar. Now you have a jar full of prompts. Whenever you are feeling stuck, pick out one of the words and write about whatever comes to mind.
4. Instead of writing in the traditional way, try something different like turning the notebook upside down or sideways. If you’re on a computer, try a new font.
5. Write a scene or short story involving a foggy night or morning.
6. You have just found out you have to sacrifice something/one precious to you…
7. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
8. Find a list of phobias or superstitions. You’re bound to find some inspiration.
9. You’re stuck in your home - no way to get in or out - for a week. Will you be fine? Go hungry? Get claustrophobic?
10. The strongest storm you have ever been through is raging outside, but you have to go out…
11. “I don’t hate anybody. Hate involves too much energy. I just generally dislike everyone.”
12. Write about someone who is mute.
13. “Give it back!”

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

Thank goodness it’s Friday!

That’s all I have to say about that.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - When you drink soda/pop/coke, do you prefer to drink it from the bottle, a can, or after pouring it into a cup?

Soda still comes in glass bottles in Australia (plastic, too) which I still think is the coolest thing, so my preference is bottle if it’s glass. Otherwise, in a cup.

Soup - What television show are you willing to stay up late to watch?

Haha. Quite funny you asked. I stayed up late last night to watch Dr. Who. I’d also probably stay up late for a number of shows… If there is a documentary on that I would like to see, I’d stay up for that. It’s rare that I actually do, though, because I highly value my sleep.

Salad - Name one person, place, or thing you think of as brilliant.

I think my husband is brilliant. He knows a little about just about everything and is very good at sorting out problems. He’s quick with wit and solutions as well as patient.

This, of course, is taking the meaning of ‘brilliant’ in terms of intelligence.

Main Course - Would you be willing to work 4 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days in order to save gas?

No, but that’s because I work from home and don’t drive anyway. I think, though, that I would start taking the train and other such things before I would start going to an office for ten hours a day. No thanks.

Dessert - If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?

Silver something or other. Hehe.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, if you celebrate. If you don’t celebrate, I hope you had a lovely day off. Either way, I hope the time was filled with love, laughter, presents, and great food.

Given I had the Christmas message up yesterday, we missed our prompt. I’ll be posting the usual Tuesday prompt today along with a few extras, so be sure to check back in here a little later today.

For your prompt today you should have an easy time writing heaps.

Tell me about your Christmas! (If you don’t celebrate Christmas, talk about your other celebration experiences.)

Did you spend it alone relaxing or were you trying to manage a huge family gathering? What kind of presents did you give/receive? Did you have some fabulous food choices or was the turkey a bit dry? Were there any moments you’ll always remember or was it simply a nice day throughout? Did you have a fun holiday tradition to take part of this year?

Tell me about how your holiday(s) went for you and your loved ones. Be sure to include everything from sights and smells to tastes, moods, and the funny things your relatives do when they’re drunk.

While this is a good writing exercise, this is also a good way to preserve your memories. Time tends to make things a bit different than they actually were and also dulls the senses a bit, so it’s great to write while it’s still fresh in your mind.

I would appreciate it if you could take a minute to fill out a survey. I’m trying to figure out which way to go with this site and what will work best for readers here.

Your input it greatly appreciated.

People love telling each other stories about their lives and experiences. Some had a hilarious teacher they could never get along with and others were mischief makers in school. Some people are somehow always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Our lives are full of stories, both good and bad, and you might be surprised at the number of people who might want to read your story.

However, sitting down and writing your life story isn’t always as simple as “sitting down and writing your life story”. Often, writing about your experiences can send you through a roller coaster of emotion like you wouldn’t believe.

But that isn’t to say it’s not a good thing to get through those experiences. I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences, and while it was hard to get down on paper (on the computer, actually), it was one of the best things I could have done for myself. I’m still working on it because I can’t do much of the bad stuff at one time (it’s good to space these things out), but it feels a lot better having written it. It’s almost the same feeling of telling your best friend a deep, dark secret.

We can’t forget the good times, though! The good memories are what make writing your own story a lot of fun.

So where to start? You don’t have to start at the beginning (your birth) by any means. If you need an easy place to start, write: “On [today’s date] I decided to take a shot at writing my life story.”

See? Easy. Go from there. Tell me about yourself and all the places people in your life.

Get a start on that biography.

Time for another network wide comment contest for the public.

If I had $300 dollars I would buy________.

What would you buy with $300? Or even $200 or $100? Now is your chance to find out! Comment on any 451 Press site during the month of August and you could win! Three comments will be chosen at random to win a cash prize of $300, $200 or $100. The more you comment the more chances you have to win. So start reading and let those fingers fly.

Wrapping up this week of writing about Independence, I think we’ve made some progress. Monday, we started by free writing on the subject of Independence. Tuesday, explored some of the connotations and synonyms associated with independence. Wednesday, we explored some personal memories using independence as a theme. And Thursday, we considered the price of independence.

This has been a good week of writing. Have a great holiday week next week, and though I’ll technically be on vacation, I’ll write anyway. I hope you will, too.

TGIF, independence, week in review, writing, write anyway

Yesterday, I asked you to dredge up some “independence” themed memory to write about. How’d that go for you? Did you write about picnics in the park or a day at the beach that ended in a fireworks show to end all fireworks shows? Did you write about parades and celebrations with family and friends?

Or did you write about the price of independence? Even though the bumper stickers may seem to trivialize the words, freedom is not free.

Regardless of what you wrote, I hope it is a start of something great. And that’s the point – to just write, even when you think what you are writing will end up trashed– just keep at it and write anyway!

anything goes, independence, price of freedom, writing, write anyway

Let’s get over the mid-week hump with some memory writing about “independence” today. Spend about five minutes shuffling through your memory banks until you happen upon a favorite Forth of July memory, then take another 10 minutes or so and write everything you remember about it. At this point, just write. Don’t go back and edit or worry about spelling or grammar. There is time for that later – just get the memory written. (If you are not one to celebrate Independence Day, pick a memory that has to do with independence. Be creative.)

Once you have written as much as you can remember, put it aside for a few hours. When you have a little block of time, take out your notes and start drafting a more refined piece, knowing that the “final” product may take several revisions and/or directions. But as a writer – you know that is the fun part.

We’ll share our memory writing tomorrow. Have fun with it. And remember to just write anyway.

hump day, independence, memory writing, writing, free writing, write anyway

When I sat down to write my 10-15 minute free write/list on the “independence” topic for this week, I had a tough time separating the word Independence from words like Liberty, Freedom, Autonomy, Free Will, Emancipation, Choice, and Sovereignty. Big words, really – with a lot of connotation, depending on your perspective. I ended up with a long list of synonyms with definitions or examples scribbled behind each.

Independence, as abstract as it is, has personal definitions. Some aspects of independence are hard won, personal battles that define one as a person, as an individual. Other aspects of independence – on a grander, more intricately woven scale – impact a nation and her people as a group and are, if not as personal or individual, just as hard won.

The distillation of my free writing exercise, really, showed me once again – but this time in words – how very precious independence is because of all its connotations and synonyms.

What did you discover in your free writing/list making today?

move me, independence, free writing, lists, connotations, synonyms,