Color Coded Prompts and A Contest

There was no ROW80 check-in this Wednesday because the round ended so I immediately didn’t post. I had an idea and had even finished most of the work, but I just didn’t get to it. I have been looking for cool story prompts because I am a master procrastinator. I have found quite a few, but then I was thinking I can do better than that. It could be ego or just a desire to try to make things, but I created a few writing prompts. Of course I ALWAYS over complicate things so there are categories and pictures to go with them. One day I will learn to...Oh look SHINY!

Prompt Type:

Situation Drop-in Prompt - Red
Still need a gimmick because my brain is tired - Orange
Write a Story About Idea Prompt - Yellow
Include These Things Challenge Prompt - Green
Dialogue Prompt - Blue
Place Prompt - Indigo
Character Prompt - Violet

Today I have 2 new prompts for you all and a contest. We’ll start with the contest. I need a hand coming up with some type of prompt to fill my orange spot because I can’t just leave it out. It needs to be something general enough that I have room to wiggle and play, but focused enough that they all seem connected. The winning suggestion will receive a $20 Amazon gift card.

How you enter:

Leave a suggestion on the orange type prompt contest Google form. 



Yes, you have to leave your email if you want to enter. How else will I contact you if you win? No, I am not keeping them after the contest and you are NOT signing up for any sort of continuous emails. I can not be held responsible for email addresses entered incorrectly. Email addresses entered incorrectly will disqualify the entrant's suggestion from the prize. There are also a few restrictions on your suggestions. No profanity, sexuality, religion or politics in the type suggestions. If they are deemed to be outside of these restrictions your suggestion will be disqualified. I will stop collecting suggestions at 11:45pm on March 31st.

How you WIN:

On Friday April 1st, when the April Madness starts, I will post a list of the suggestions on my blog. Everyone has a vote even if you didn’t enter. The orange prompt type with the most votes by 11:45pm April 4th will be our winner and the person who suggested it will receive the $20 Amazon gift card by email. I will announce the winner on April the 5th. Good luck and thanks for joining in to help me complete my colorful set. Roy G. Biv also sends his gratitude.

Now on to the shiny new toys. I am a little obsessed with prompts at the moment. Probably because I am having trouble coming up with story ideas. Of course I did just come up with these so it seems counter intuitive, but I am convinced it is a different part of my brain or something.

As you can see with the red prompts you will be dropped into a situation. I chose red for this type because I always feel like these are meant to be emergencies that your character has to deal with. So CODE RED it is. The plan is to reuse the same artwork that I found on Pixabay and adapted by adding a color overlay on Picmonkey. If you have never played with Picmonkey you should definitely give it a look. It's a great free web based photo editor.

The blue dialogue prompt isn't something I came up with all on my own. I was in the grocery store and a woman said the first line and the second part was my first thought. I am not sure the woman was interested in some sort of revolution, but that is the kind of scene that flashed in my mind. It was fun to make these and I hope they spark some interesting stories one day. I have a few more and am planning to make even more. I am excited to share them.

What do you think of my prompts?  Let me know in the comments.

Photos by Pixabay.

404 Catchy Blog Title Not Found

Working on getting posts ready for Blogging from A to Z has taken most of my writing time. Which is fine because I can't actually write the flash fiction stories until April 1st when Camp NaNo begins. I am still using my phone to Swype things out and it is getting old. I need to get my freaking laptop fixed and very soon. I have been Googling and reading so I have a plan of action, but it makes me nervous because I don't really know what I am doing.

I decided to leave the beautiful Native American man with the new name alone for the time being and proceed with The Genre Flash Project. I have been scouring Pinterest and any other sources I can to try to find some prompts that will help spark my brain for some of the genres. Of course this led me to Seventh Sanctum where I proceeded to spend several hours generating all sorts of things, most of which were not helpful for my current goals. Then from there I found Chaotic Shiny and let me tell you this site LIVES UP TO IT'S NAME. I spent so long playing with the generator toys there I stayed up until 4 in the morning. Again, I didn't accomplish much I can use for these stories, but my D&D geek inside who adores playing with generators was immensely pleased. It's all about priorities.

ROW80 Rundown

Make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - This is the last check-in for my truncated round, but I am proud to be back to writing after so long away.
Visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - I visited all 5 of the fellow ROW80 bloggers I was aiming for and even left some comments.
Write 500 words every day -
Thursday - 623 words on A to Z posts.
Friday - Made it to 537 words.
Saturday - An unexpected invite to come hang out with my sister and her BFF took priority over my writing goals. Of course our crazy friend Jose Cuervo kept us busy all night.
Sunday - Only 291 words on A to Z, but this post as well so probably there.


Pics from Pixabay.

Prompt Glut and Still Slacking

I was looking for a writing prompt for a flash fiction the other day and I spent like 2 (OK, maybe it was more like 5) hours on Pinterest reading and pinning the awesome ideas that abound. It was a secret board, but I liked it so much I wanted to share it with you all. Maybe you can find some inspiration there like I have.

I'm still working on flash fiction exclusively because there is less commitment and it makes me feel like I can pick it up when I have time. I have also found that for the most part I'm not spending so many distracted moments thinking about a story. I guess that's both good and bad. That isn't to say the orphan characters aren't still lurking about, but it is not as distracting.

ROW80 Rundown

Make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - Doing good or at least I will be when done here and hit the publish button. 
**EDIT** I couldn't get it done before the stroke of midnight. Sadly, I have turned into a pumpkin.

Visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - I visited 5 ROW80 friends posts, but couldn't get my phone to cooperate well enough to comment on any. It made me very sad because the best part is getting comments and I love leaving them. I have to figure out what is going on with my phone because I don't have a laptop at the moment so it is my computer.

Write 500 words every day -

Thursday - Working on another flash, but this time I want to share it here 562 words, but I didn't like the ending. It felt too abrupt even for flash fiction.

Friday - Only a little over 200, but not exactly sure how many because the backspace and I went on several killing sprees.

Saturday - The word of the day is slacker. Actually I didn't rest at all, but I also did no writing or editing.

Sunday - I didn't get anything more than this post done today. I had the opportunity to spend time with one of my best friends from middle/high school and her son. It was a good time talking and hanging out while the kids played at the park.

Where do you like to look for prompts when you need them? Can you recommend a good story idea generator? Please leave me a comment to say hello. Don't forget to let me know where you are visiting from so I can follow you back and see what you're up to.

Photos by Pixabay.

Pikachu Kept Me From Writing

That's not just some gimmick to get you to click. I have an Etsy shop and I have a few things for sale on a constant basis. When I filled my last order I forgot to restock. So now I am working my rear off making these cute little beaded Pikachu key-chains and don't have time for writing. I usually keep enough in stock that I can handle orders, which honestly don't come often, so I have a ship in 2 business days policy listed. All I can say at this point is big fat HAHAHA. Must get back to weaving electric rats.

What crafty things do you do? Can you make anything, besides people and a whole new world that is? Make sure you leave a comment to say hello. Don't forget to let me know where you are visiting from so I can follow you back and see what you're up to.

ROW80 August & September Goals Rundown

1. Write 2 Poms every day.
From the title and intro you know that my hands have been bound in a small Pokemon army and have not been free to type.

2. Post for every ROW80 check-in.
I am still doing this! Even if I have nothing, but failure to report.

3. Spend 1 Pom per day visiting ROW80 friends.
OK, so I planned to make this happen, but nothing doing. I still want to know what you guys were up to so I will probably click the old linky and stalk you all. Mwahahahaha. Um, that came out way creepier that I intended. Oh well, no time for edits.

4. Post to Twitter on ROW80 days.
Still on track for this goal. So I guess it wasn't a complete fail of a check-in. I got 50%, though that would be an F if I was being graded. I have sad, but with selling the Pikachus I also have moola and right now that's kinda important.

Photos by Pixabay.

Writer Down, Writer Down!

I am not sure what happened, but by the time I realized I missed the midweek check-in it was already Thursday and I didn't have time to post. This is an extremely busy time of year for me. I have to find and organize the kids curriculum on top of a hundred other things that normally go on. Oh, who the hell am I kidding, I haven't been able to get this writer thing going. Every check-in feels like the same old crap. I post how I didn't reach my goals AGAIN and that I will do better next time or I rearrange my goals for the billionth time and still don't reach them. I am truly not sure what I am doing. It seems like I dream about writing, talk about writing and read about writing, but when it comes down to it I never seem to get much done. So here I am again saying that I haven't gotten much done. I know, you're all shocked.


ROW80 Rundown:

1. Spend 2 poms on plotting using Hiveword.

I was able to work on my plot Monday and Thursday. Today was a rough day where I wasn't able to make anything besides dinner happen. That may not seem like a lot, but it felt like a monumental task to me.

2. Spend 2 poms on posts for this blog.
Nope, not a peep since last Sunday.

3. Spend 1 pom on social media for blog posts.
More NOPE! Where did that damn cat get to?

4. Spend 1 pom on visiting other ROW80 bloggers.
I visited a little from last Sunday's list, but nothing for Wednesday's.

How do you make writing a priority? How do you get everything done and make time for writing? Why do I keep asking the same questions and not making any progress? <Possibly rhetorical question, answer with care.

Top by Pixabay.
photo credit: Procrastination dragon via photopin (license)

Brought to You by the Letter N

Today I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to Nope Cat. This check-in is brought to you by Nope Cat. Doesn't that bring back the warm fuzzies like you are watching Sesame Street? No? Well fine then. We move on to why Nope Cat is my new mascot.

ROW80 Rundown:

1. Spend 2 poms on plotting using Hiveword.
Nope, didn't get this done. Not even ONCE since Wednesday.

2. Spend 2 poms on posts for this blog.
More nope! I am sure you are all surprised.

3. Spend 1 pom on social media for blog posts.
This pom is 2 outta 4. Those odds aren't even as good as Meatloaf's and that's saying something. I'm not sure what it's saying, but definitely something.

4. Spend 1 pom on visiting other ROW80 bloggers.
I was able to do this and I am glad I was. I love seeing how the productive people live as I lay about eating bonbons and watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix.

In closing I believe I may need a swift kick in the ass. Figuratively or maybe literally. I am so disgusted with today already I am turning the calendar page and pretending today is a figment of my imagination. 

PS: Please leave me a comment and tell me who the mascot for your most recent post is, but also make sure to let me know where you are visiting from so I can follow you back. 

Photos by Pixabay.

Jam Packed Like a Tiny Clown Car

What the heck am I doing? Last night I was making a list of characters to be sure I didn't forget to make an entry on Hiveword for any of them. I realized I easily and quickly reached 18 without including the extras like the people who are also in the restaurant with the heroes or even there server who has a few lines of dialog. Trying to recall them all made my head feel like top. I started wondering how many characters is too many? The interwebs didn't have a clear answer probably due to the fact that the question is highly subjective and dependent on many variables. I found a lot of posts with guidelines and recommendations with a very similar disclaimer at the end saying that most everything they had just rambled on about doesn't apply if you are writing an epic fantasy. That made me think am I writing an epic fantasy? I don't know, but I received wise advice from author Elise VanCise. She said, "Don't worry about length. Just write the story and then worry about breaking it up if it is necessary later." I find myself so worried about things like genre, themes and how many characters that I am not getting much else done.

On the up side I did have a breakthrough with the antagonist. I now know what he looks like, how he effects the plot at the 2nd and 3rd plot points and some back story. It all came to me at once and I was struggling to get it down, but I believe I have succeeded. I am really looking forward to seeing exactly how he decides to torment my heroine.

ROW80 Rundown:

I am just starting the pom thing. While the theory seems easy and I was excited it also relies upon you having uninterrupted time to concentrate. I have none. My poms are littered with me saying, "Please stop singing by my head," and "Can you please smack each other in another room." My bed time isn't much past Gwen's so this has been a struggle. For instance while writing this post about 15 minutes in I had to stop and handle a situation that no one else was able to handle and couldn't wait. Mostly because some people feel reading directions is optional. While writing that sentence I had to stop a fight. I am starting to feel like this can never get done.


1. Spend 2 poms on plotting using Hiveword.
Thursday: 2 poms attempted. They were not as successful as I would have liked and that led to some discouragement.
Friday: 2 poms attempted and 1 was successful. The other not so much, but we move on.
Saturday: Dearan's birthday and most pom activity was put on hold. I only attempted 1 pom and it was very productive. This is when I pinned down my villain.
Sunday: Today is off to a rocky start and I am now grumpy.

2. Spend 2 poms on posts for this blog.
Other days I didn't have much to say here, but I may start putting stuff in as it happens. I think...that I was interrupted again and now have NO idea what I was planning to add.

3. Spend 1 pom on social media for blog posts.
I mostly spent this on Twitter and am not sure which days I was successful and which I wasn't.

4. Spend 1 pom on visiting other ROW80 bloggers.
I was able to visit 7 of my fellow ROW80 bloggers and that was awesome. I really enjoy this part of the blog hops so glad I was able to get around so much. Take that how ever you like.

What do you say to family to convince them to give you a few minutes peace or be able to figure out what they should be doing without you having to detail every step? **Edit** Someone has recommended Duct Tape. I may or may not be considering it. Leave me a comment and don't forget to let me know where you came from so I can follow you back.

Photos by Pixabay.

G is for Get Back Up

I missed F, which makes me sad because I was looking forward to that one. I was going to talk about fan fiction. I know if I try to make up the missed letter it will put me in a perpetual game of catch up and I have no desire to go there. So today I'm getting up, back on the horse and moving on.

G is also for grammar. Wait, stop, don't leave! I'm actually not one of the grammar police. I try very hard to make well informed grammar decisions in my writing and everyday life. However, that is not where I was going with this post. I  have realized that I spend a large amount of time worrying about grammar, so much so that it often inhibits my writing progress. To myself and others who are still working out the kinks in this writing thing I am recommending grammar light. If your not sure exactly how something is supposed to be written, in your first draft, do the best you can and move on. You will have other passes when you move on to the editing phase.

If you are looking for grammar tips delivered in a smart and funny way Grammar Girl is an awesome resource. What do you think about grammar? Do you feel that stopping to answer grammar questions while writing is distracting or will it drive you batty until you know how it's supposed to be done?

Good luck to all those taking the April challenges and thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment and let me know where your're visiting from so I can follow you back.

Procrastination is NOT a Friend

I have 2 more days until the madness starts and what do you think I am doing? Yes, that's right I am procrastinating! I spent a lot of time finding a background I liked more than the plane old purple that used to be on the sides. I do think it looks nice, but probably the time could have been better spent working on the A to Z posts that are kind of refusing to take shape. I could also be plotting the rest of the Camp NaNo novel, but no here I am playing with the settings. There are a ton of settings to play with by the way and they all do something cool. Of course there were a few that I didn't notice a difference, but I am sure they still did something.

Not that I have only been slacking off. I managed to make the A to Z thing a lot more complicated by planning to add some flash fiction into the mix. It's been a while since I've flashed someone. I, uh mean, participated in Friday Flash. I am actually really excited about adding this because I am having trouble finding writing topics for all the letters and I can always use a name is I have to with a flash fiction.

I am jumping all over the place trying to get things in order and making plans for the things I can do in advance. The problem is there isn't much cohesion and I am not really sure exactly where this crazy train is headed. Hopefully off the rails is not the  final destination. I find if I try stick with one thing I get distracted by an idea that pops up and then I have 2 choices. I can interupt what I am doing and try to hop over jotting down the idea somewhere hoping I can find it again and remember where I was before the idea hit. Then there's choice number 2, I can try to put the new idea on the back burner and continue what I was doing risking loosing it forever. I've been using the Evernote app on my phone to take down the note without switching tabs. It seems to help me remember what I was doing if I don't change what's on the monitor.


My post feels a little naked without my check-ins. I still have to work on deciding what my round 2 goals will be. I know I want to stick to the 6 goals thing and they will probably be tweaked versions of round 1, but still I worry about making them the right amount of challenging and achievable. I wonder if anyone ever adjusts their goals up because they are doing so well?

What are you working on?

photo credit: Self, 2013 via photopin (license)