How does your writing grow?

How do you write?

In peace and quiet?

With lots of noise?

From kids and toys?

A minute here a minute there?

Or sit all day and merely stare?

Do your fingers type for hours on end?

Or peck out a word every now and then?

How do you write?

Me? I prefer peace and quiet. When doing dishes give me a Country Music song to get the job done, but as for writing, I need quiet to hear my characters speak. I wish I could write for hours on end, but my life is probably much like yours, so I write when I can. A line here and a line there.

Does the love of words inspire you?

Poetry is one of the most beautiful forms of writing, but as you can see, not my talent. I wish it were. However, words do inspire me. Whether a limerick, headline in a newspaper, spoken by a child or written in a good thriller, I love them all.

Words inspire me when appearing on a blank page, as if by magic, one letter at a time they form a sentence. The sentences soon become paragraphs and before long a story fills the page.

What else would you call it but magic?

Not the magic of secret spells or potions but of stories produced from thin air and plucked from my crowded mind.

The fun part is grasping the words and throwing them at the page. The hard part is rearranging them into an interesting work worthy of a reader’s time. So that’s my goal. To write something worth reading.

Thanks for listening to my rambles today. I need to find some order for all the words floating around in my gray matter. Sometimes a little rambling helps.

Talk to me.

Leave a comment about how you manage to capture words, producing your stories, finding inspiration and keeping the magic alive.

Flash Fun-Trust Me

This week is the week for scary fun.

Trust Me

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, looking for a place to pull off the road. The gravel crunched under the car as they eased along a country road. He parked, and the engine sputtered falling silent.

“Sure no one can see us?” She shifted nervously looking out the window.

“I’m sure,” he smiled, glancing up at the moon, “unless a werewolf shows up, I think you’ll be fine.”

Before she could protest, he pressed his lips to hers. She melted against the pressure of his tight embrace. Her eyes grew wide when she felt the sharp prick against her neck.

She pulled away, “you said I’d be safe.”

“I’m not a werewolf.” He shrugged as blood dripped from his smiling lips.

Originally posted in May 2012 in response to a photo prompt challenge.

Need inspiration? Check out…

Two Sentence Horror Story

Ten Quote Tuesday

Halloween prompt What’s your story?

The Journey Home

The Journey Home

The morning awakened, as the darkness faded, to the sound of pounding surf. I pulled the Christmas colored shawl tighter, surprised at the warmth of the highland wool, this plaid that provided warmth to my ancestors for generations.

I peered over the cliffs and the first peace I’d felt in years filled my soul. Through the fog, the voices past and present reached out to my spirit.

My heart now renewed strength and my feet with purpose, and as the black dog walks alongside me I turned toward home. There are things to do; Cù Sith you’ll have to wait.

  • Challenge

I hope you enjoyed my contribution to 100 Word Challenge for Grownups #144.

  • Writing Practice

As a writer, I beginning to understand that practice is important, so I’m working on trying to do more exercises in the form of quick prompts. 100 WCGU  is a fun one to get the creative juices flowing. Join in the fun. Click on the link below.

100 Word Challenge for Grownups #144

…as the black dog walks alongside me…

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Keep that first thrill alive

You love, obsess, and write. With a little luck, a lot of sweat, blood and tears, maybe, just maybe, others will read and love your precious manuscript too.

I love to write. My husband loves the game of golf. Writing and golf have nothing in common, unless you take a peak at the inbox on our computers. As any crazy person does, we both obsess over ways to improve our craft. The result, our cup runneth over in the form of more information than either of us can process.

The running joke around our house is, did you delete or read?

This got me to thinking how these “tips” seem to run in trends, following the same subject. Which leads me delete more than I read. I mean, how many emails can I read on comma splices. See my point? Then came my ah-ha moment. Why do I pick one particular email, click open to a blog and read amid a sea of others on the same subject? What makes it different?

It’s the author’s tag or hook line.

Now I can see all y’all seasoned writers shaking your heads. Big deal you’re thinking. Everyone knows about tag lines. You like me have read everything there is to know concerning how to hook the reader. But sometimes we all need reminders. Tag lines are important for our blogs, books and emails.

Tag lines, and first lines matter. Hell, firsts of everything matter. Think of all the firsts your and the weight of importance they held your life. Your first love, kiss, date, dance, job, sex, car, roller coaster, high dive, beer, well you get the idea.

Firsts are important and my ah-ha moment came in realizing that first encounters with my readers must, be a good first for them. No make that a great first for them. Not sure my writing can compete with sex and beer, but I’m gonna try to step up my game and keep the thrill alive. I can’t think of anything scarier than putting myself out there to publish or perish. Yikes!

Here are some links to a few tips I opened. Enjoy, I did.

Choose Wise Guides

Put Passion in Your Writing 

Danger of Premature Editing

Just the Right Word

Use a Magazine to Improve

Should You Enter Contests?

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