For this weeks prompt, I choose an image. This image. An American nickle, dated 2067. First, I’m glad to see the mint in Philadelphia, Penn is still around in 45 years. Second–TIME TRAVEL!!
Stephen Hawking’s said in, A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME, “If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?”
Evidently leaving their coins strewn on the streets of American, haplessly waiting for someone to pick them up and marvel over why it’s here in the first place.
Does it exist? What would you say if you found this coin mixed into your change?
There’s a song by Irving Berlin. It opened The Great Gatsby (1974). It plays though the opening credits–setting up the story. You see many the small luxuries that fill Gatsby’s life, including numerous photos of Mia Farrow portraying Daisy Buchanan. The song is titled, What’ll I do.
What’ll I do, when you are far away, and I am blue, what’ll I do?
What’ll I do, when I am wond’ring who is kissing you, what’ll I do?
When I write, I listen to music. If I were to weigh writing against music and how long they’ve been in my life–music would actually win by two years. It is something that feeds my soul just as much, if not more, than reading. A melody and words. How can you beat that?
So when I set out to write a novel there is a song list involved. It may never show up in the manuscript–but it’s there. With the new title I’m working on, What’ll I do, snuck into the folds of a playlist that includes tracks from Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, and Fugazi.
You may be wondering how.
How could something as desperate and lingering as this classic tune ever fit next to Smells Like Teen Spirit? But that’s life for you. It never quite fits… You find yourself sitting around talking to your MC, and she smiles at you with that gleam in her eyes. You recognize it instantly because it’s reminds you why she’s doing what she’s doing–and suddenly I know the answer to, “What’ll I do,” where she’s concerned.
What’ll she do? Let’s just say it may not be the best way to deal with things…
I can’t image I’m the only person who uses music to help set moods and tones. Is this something you do? What songs have found their magical way onto your writing playlist that you never thought would be there?
I shall await your answer as I sway to Irving Berlin… When I’m alone with only dreams of you, what’ll I do?
I am SO excited for this prompt. If you write a book based on this prompt, please tell me about it–but I LOVE THIS PROMPT!!
It is another science fiction prompt (next week I’ll do something different, scout’s honor!)
“Scientists recover alien DNA from a meteorite, and bring an alien species to life”
Dr. Diane Morals hunched over the microscope, brown eyes wide as dinner plates as she watched what everyone told her was impossible happen. Mitosis. But not just any simple earth bound organism–she was witnessing mitosis of an alien being.
“Ren,” she yells without moving an inch. “Ren, you have to see this.” It was only then she pressed the buttons that loaded the images onto the labs screen.
Ren, a forty-something Japanese-American with salt and peppered hair inched to Dr. Morals side. He reached out, gently squeezing her shoulder. His fingers pinning down her wavy black hair she normally kept twisted on her head.
“Is that the specimen?” His voice wavered like a think strip of paper on a breeze.
Diane shrugged free of his hold, not liking how the heat from his palm bleed through the fabric of her clothing or having her hair touched at all. She moved to the side of the microscope, a silent gesture to invite him to look through the tube.
“Yes, Dr. Ando,” she said, as formally as she could manage without sounding like the cold snob most of those working in the laboratory thought she was. “Unlike all the other experiments, the introduction of chimpanzee DNA seems to be the right fit.”
All thoughts of how much they disliked each other were forgotten as the ramifications of what they were witnessing sunk in.
They just completed the first ever alien, earth animal hybrid.
I’ve been writing for years–more than I care to share on days, because my ego takes hold and I feel like a failure.. I know how bad that sounds, but if you write, than I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
Will I quit? I’ve tried and failed at that as well–so I suppose I’ll keep going until I succeed.
You’re probably wondering what this has to do with an astronaut playing the guitar in the international space station–but it is because of this astronaut (Commander Chris Hadfield) that I decided to write this post.
Back on September 14th I took my seven-year-old son to see Commander Hadfield talk about his new children’s book, THE DARKEST DARK.
This is his first children’s book and is about when he decided to become an astronaut. Intended for small children–the picture book speaks about overcoming your fears to reach your goals.
I saw next to my child in an over stuffed hall of a catholic church as Chris Hadfield paced up and down the center row–a lot of the times stopping next to my son’s chair.
Mr. Hadfield read his book, spoke about growing up in rural Canada. A country that, at the time, didn’t have a space program. He spoke about deciding that he would figure out a way to get into space–and he did.
When I’m in the thick of writing–thinking about how many years I’ve been at this–it’s easy to forget how much progress I’ve made. It’s easy to forget that the trick to overcoming ones fears is an endless process. You have to keep moving one foot in front of the other. You have to keep taking deep breaths and continue on that slow climb.
You have to read more, write more, ask more questions, endure more rejection, but attempt to continue that journey.
At the end of the night, after Mr. Hadfield shared his life and book with us, the floor was opened to questions and answers. A father of two little girls asked what advice Mr. Hadfield could give the children in the room about finding the path to success. Hadfield said this, (I’m paraphrasing), “Go to your local library (or book store) and see what sections you gravitate to. Chances are you end up in the same sections each time. These topics are the things we find passion in when no one else is telling us what to do. Now, pick the one you’re most passionate about and make the conscious decision to go after it.
Pick an end goal, and then work to it. You’re end goal may take years, but say, ‘this weekend I’m going to do [this] to work toward that goal.”
I decided a long time ago that I wanted to be a published author, but hearing those words reminded me of all the things I’ve done to work towards that goal thus far. Yes, my end goal is still in the future–but giving up really isn’t an option. It’s not, because quiting the only true way to fail–and I’m not a failure.
Neither are you.
So, in closing–inspiration is everywhere. Sometimes it’s on twitter talking to other inspiring authors, or on facebook in the form of a writing group, and sometimes it’s in the hall of a catholic church listening to the first ever Canadian Commander of the International Space Station say, “Remember, my goal was to walk on the moon. I’m a failure, I’ve never done that. I’ve only been in space 3 times and lived in the space station for six months.”
Keep on writing. And as a little bit of fun, enjoy this video of Commander Hadfield singing and playing David Bowie’s, SPACE ODDITY.
I’m going simple this week. Science Fiction prompt:
There’s a spy trapped in your computer.
He or she needs your help to survive.
What do you do?
Maybe it’s not that simple, but it’s direct. What do you do if you learn the conscienceless of a spy has been downloaded into your computer?
My take:
My eyes were glued to the cursor. Suddenly it’s repetitive blinking felt more like old Morse Code than a reminder as to where I left off in my writing.
I read the text again–“I’ve been downloaded into your computer. Please help.”
What are you really supposed to say to something like that? Well, beside–haha! Funny joke! I wanted to believe that was the end of it. That somehow someone from Twitter or Facebook hacked my account to mess with me–but I ran the diagnostics. I checked, re-checked, took my computer to a shop and had them check–but when I booted up for the umpteenth time, with no real reason, the messages started again.
“Why wont you answer me?” they said.
“You know I can see you through the camera, right? And may I add, pants would be a nice touch?”
“Why would I be asking you for help if I didn’t actually need it.” This was a good point, but still… You’re trapped in my computer?
The comments and questions wore at my psyche until I couldn’t ignore them any longer. That’s when I finally typed, “What do you need me to do?”
And they wrote back, “Finding my body would be a nice start.”
I wanted to think outside the box today, to present a prompt in a different way. Back when I worked in an office I was bored a lot of the time. Not that job was boring, but I did have down time. When that happened I would email my friends. A couple of them and I would create fantastic stories that were much more amusing than we felt reality ever could be.
My favorite ‘made up lives’ still comes up to this day–well over a decade after it was created. We are cowboys. I am Whiskey–because I’m a feller who likes his drink, and my girl friend was Bone–because she had buried her far share. Including the beloved Carl who was accidentally shot one night, because Bones had a penchant for shooting first and asking questions later.
Each time we created a story it always started the same. One of us would write a sentence and it was up to the other person to say what came next.
For this Wednesday’s Words, I give you this sentence. Tell me, what comes next:
She stood out from the crowd, because…
This is what I think should happen:
“She stood out from the crowd, because she was the only person who didn’t have identical coats, and hair, and shoes, and leggings. She stood out because she didn’t belong. I knew she must belong somewhere–we all belong somewhere–but it wasn’t here, not with this group of homogenized conformist.
I glanced around to see who else noticed her sleek black hair, oval face, and nearly extra foot in height–but when I looked back, she was gone.” –A
But what do you think happens next? Share with me in the comments or blog about it and tag me!
I’ve been writing for a long time, but its only recently I’ve called myself a writer. When meeting new people, and they ask what I do, I tend to say, “I’m a stay-at-home mom.” This isn’t a lie. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for nearly five years now. (It will be five years next month. Let’s have a party. You can bring the chips.) As I was saying–I’m a stay-at-home mom, but I’m also a writer.
Why is it so hard for me to answer, “What do you do?” with, “Well, I’m a writer!”
It shouldn’t be hard, but it always is.
Somehow this last book I wrote–the one currently on submissions–helpped me bridge this gap in the personal assessment of myself. Now, I’m a, “stay-at-home mom, who writes when my child is in school.” So, I have yet to cross the entire bridge, but I’m a lot closer than before.
Now, instead of hearing about how much fun I must have ‘playing’ all the time, I get a new reply:
“Oh! That’s so interesting! What to do you write?”
“I wrote a novel. It’s science fiction.”
“Oh…” Quick subject change. (You know…because science fiction has a bad rap of being boring. It’s not. Read better books.)
But back to the issue at hand. The conundrum of “am I a writer” falls in the same vein as “if a tree falls in the forest and no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?”
Yes, it makes a sound, and yes, I’m a writer. No, I’m not on the New York Times Bestseller list–but neither have been many other writers. Maybe I will be one day. I’m not sure of that, but I am sure I’ll be published.
No, I’m not being egotistical. It’s just what needs to be done. But until that day is cemented in stone, I here by announced that I’m a writer. So if you meet me at a party (or more likely on a play ground) to answer your, “What do you do?” question is, I write.
And soon I hope to be sharing some of that writing on here for your pleasure! Do you write? Do you post it online? Leave me a link in the comments section so I can check you out!
THE PECULIAR MIRACLES OF ANTOINETTE MARTIAN, is the story of sisters Rose and Lily Martin. As children they were the best of friends. Raised on a flower farm in Tennessee–they were the sisters we all wish we had. Finishing each other sentences and dreaming of flowers and a life together–life was perfect until one day Rose had a daughter named Antoinette.
Antoinette is special. She is autistic to such a degree she needs constant care and supervision, but Antoinette is special beyond her diagnosis. She can heal with her touch and bring peace to places and situation where there once wasn’t any.
The birth of Antoinette, and her condition, drove the sisters apart–but can it bring them back together?
I very much enjoyed this book–heart wrenching, beautiful, and well written, PECULIAR MIRACLES is wonderful book that I’m so very glad I took the time to read. Very much like the author, Stephanie Knipper, PECULIAR MIRACLES has this way of drawing you in. Warm and caring, this world surrounds you with magic and and new beginnings.
Check it out here, and check out Stephanie Knipper on her blog.
The Prompt: Write a scene that starts with, “I haven’t told this to anyone before, but I’m going to tell you.”
— — — — — — — — —
Psst! You. Yeah, you–right there. This is for you. So… I ain’t told this to no-one before, but I’m tellin’ you. I’m sure you’re thinking, why? Why me? Why now?
It’s just time. Sometimes life works like that. Those secrets you bury so far down they make the soles of your feet it work their way back up your legs, torso, and throat until you have no other choice but to sing Dixie to the nearest standing person.
That’s you. Let me warm my vocals before the big guy ferrets me out.
I’m sorry if you don’t want it to be you. Actually, I’m not sorry. I’m not, because I ain’t never asked for this . Never wanted the damn thing–but I’ve toted it around anyway.
Shit. Wait.
You hear that?
There! That was a foot step. You know I’m right. It was clearly the sound of a footstep–
It’s outside, so sit down. I’m almost outta time. If I don’t tell you now, no one will know the truth.
Crap. That door won’t hold if they keep kickin’ it like that!
If I could grab your shoulders I would, but know this–IT WASN’T ME! Now you gotta go, but know it wasn’t me!! Just let me get out of this and I’ll tell you the rest. Meet me at…
Shh… go.
Hey, Minnow. What’cha doing here? This is Terrence’s hole. Aw, man! You don’t gotta be like that! Just put down the gun, man!! Put it down!
I’m excited, but I’m sure you could tell from the exclamation in the title. Autumn is nearly upon us (and by ‘us’ I’m referring to people who enjoy more than one season like we do in Los Angeles.) I may live in a perpetual like summer climate, but I am still a fan of fall and of reading. And that brings us back to my very first statement: I am excited!–for the Books With Friends Challenge being presented by the ladies at Love, Live, Read YA!
The “Books With Friends Challenge” is as easy as they come.
First–find a friend. In my case I’m teaming up with the talented and effervescent Michelle Joyce Bond–my friend (check), crit partner (double check), and I’m almost 95% certain she’s going to be the next Bond in the films. (Sorry, Daniel Craig.) You can check out her blog here!
Second–swap book titles. I picked, SANDMAN SLIM, for Michelle:
And Michelle choose, SIX OF CROWS, for me:
Third–read the books and then swap more titles!
Head over to Live, Love, Read YAand sign up! And remember, when you read tweet about it with #BooksWithFriends. The Challenge runs September 1st-October 31st.
Check back with Michelle and me to see what we’re reading, we’ve read, and what we think of each title thrown our way!
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