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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.

A Wrench in My Flashing Plans

I'm so excited about April. I've been working on my Camp NaNo/Blogging from A to Z combo project in all my stolen moments. I have been writing the posts that will go around the flash fiction so that part will be handled. I'm still looking for ideas for a few letters (I'm looking at you Q, X and Z.), but I'm making progress. I'm thinking I may have to expand my concept to find styles that fit the letters. Someone suggested writing a flash fiction in quatrains. I don't think that's a genre, but it starts with Q and would most definitely be entertaining.

Martin Sensmeier with this look is very close to what I envisioned.

I was full steam ahead with The Genre Flash Project when I received an email today I have been anxiously waiting for that has thrown a bit of a wrench in my plans. There's this character I know I've mentioned him before. He sprang into my brain really detailed and came with a female love interest as well as her best friend, but he didn't have a plot or a name. He is a Native American so I went looking for a fitting name, but didn't like what was available in the translation sites and baby name books. Then I stumbled across the Native Languages of the Americas site. They are having a fundraiser to help preserve Native American languages. For a small $10 donation they will give you 3 names that match your criteria as best as possible and how it would sound using English phonetics. They stress it isn't a spirit name and it is intended for a pet, boat, fictitious character, etc. Well, that is perfect for me and this dude who is freaking bugging me. I gave them a lot of things I knew about the character and in a little over 2 weeks they sent me the most perfect name. It fits this character and I'm in love with it.

So the wrench is now I kinda want to play with him, but he still has no plot. The naming actually turned up an interesting subplot, but nothing strong enough to build around. So there's a romance and a family drama in this guy's POV, but what the heck is he really doing? Are there romance novels from the guys POV? Do they switch? I have never read just a romance. I have loved books where there is a strong secondary romance plot, but haven't gotten into romance as the reason for the storytelling alone.

ROW80 Rundown

Make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - Later than I would have liked, but I'm still standing.
Visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - I visited 3 fellow ROW80 bloggers. Not a reached goal, but at least I got around. You can just take that however you want.
Write 500 words every day -
Monday - On Monday I caught the plague and thought I was going to die. My son got better just before I got sick so I knew it was short lived, but I had no idea how bad my poor baby was feeling.
Tuesday - I was better so continued writing on my phone. I made 582 words and most of them were the ones I intended. It was kind of frustrating because Swype can be such a birch.
Wednesday - Short moments in a waiting room and while I was waiting on dinner to get done equaled this post and a bit more work on Genre Flash. So over 600.

What about a project really gets you excited? Have you come across any awesome resources like request a Native American name? Please share in the comments. We could all use more amazing resources.

Photos by Pixabay.

Abducted By Robots

Right so this sounds like a title for a bad Sci-fi sorry, but alas it is my life. Now is time for a little game I like to call good news/bad news. The good news: my daughter's robotics team made it to their regionals tournament. The bad news: It's 22 hours away and our car will not make it. More good news: there's a spot for her and her junk (Why do teenage girls have so much stuff?) in the coach's van. The bad news: my baby girl has been gone for a week and I missed the competition. Good news: they had a live feed so we were able to follow along. More bad news: their robot fell off a ramp during 2 different matches and was stuck on it's back like a helpless turtle during 2 different matches. The best good news: all the kids on her team are great sports and they had a fantastic time even though they didn't make it to the worlds competition.

Score Board

Good News - 4

Bad News - 3

April is fast approaching and I'm still not sure what happened to February. April means double whammy time. I'm going to do it again, or at least attempt it. Blogging From A to Z Challenge and Camp NaNoWriMo. The “plan” is to write a flash fiction piece for every letter of the alphabet satisfying both requirements for A to Z and Camp NaNo. I'm only aiming for 20,000 words, but that's 167 more per day than I'm aiming for and missing at present. I'm thinking it has to be better than last April as long as I stay out of the hospital.


ROW80 Rundown

Make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - Sadly, I haven't been here in a while. There is just so much robotics stuff to do.
Visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - More no, but I am coming to visit you all now.
Write 500 words every day:
Thursday - I spent some time working on my Blogging A to Z/Camp NaNoWriMo plan, but not 500 words worth.
Friday - So much nothing.
Saturday - I went to a birthday party with lots of fun and games, but no writing. I'm sure that doesn't count.
Sunday - I wrote this. Does that count?

Are you planning to jump into any of the writing challenges this April? Do you know of any other challenges that would be fun to try? Let me know in the comments.

Photos by Pixabay.

There Be Genre Choices Ahead

Someone asked me the other day what genre I write and I immediately responded with fantasy. They followed up by asking my why. All that came to me was, "I have trouble with reality." We both laughed, but it got me thinking why do I write/read mostly fantasy? Of course there is my love for Renaissance Faires, Lord of the Rings and D&D that fuels my desire to spend as much time in a Medieval Stasis type situation as possible, but it's the magic. Yep, always the magic that gets me. I was reading my old flash posts and backed up files. They are all a quick romance flash, traditional or contemporary fantasy. Which I actually thought was urban fantasy, but I lack the grit required to be in that category. Then I was wondering how many categories are there? I found list upon list of categories and subcategories many of which I honestly never knew were a thing or the proper name for. It was a bit confusing until I found this genre map. It looks cool and is interactive.

I've been having trouble with inspiration probably because I need structure and guidelines. If my options are wide open I freeze and nothing gets done. So I was thinking about seeing how many different genres I can work in. Some of them would obviously require a bit of research, but it seemed exciting and excitement is something that has been lacking from my writing attempts as of late. I think steampunk is where I am going to start because it has been on my mind. With gears, steam, fantastic machines and victorian fashion I think I wouldn't miss my elfs, gnomes and dragons as much.

Oh, almost forgot that the first flash I have shared in a long time was posted yesterday at the Lake Writers blog. Please have a look and let me know what you think.

ROW80 Rundown

Make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - Running late again, but still plugging along.
Visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - I visited 5 ROW80 friends posts, but still couldn't get my phone to cooperate and allow me to comment. I spent 7 hours Googling (There may be gremlins in my phone.) to figure out how to fix the problem. I don't think I found the correct solution, but a I reached a good enough that allowed me to be me instead of my my daughter on my phone. It would have been easier to just sit at my husband's computer, but I took a fall and sitting up was hurting so badly I couldn't bear it.
Write 500 words every day -
Monday - I started a steampunk flash. I got to just under 600 words, but it still needs work.
Tuesday - Took the fall Monday night so getting through the day was the most I could manage.
Wednesday - Went to the Dr and added just over 200 words to the steampunk flash, but then got to attend the Lake Writers meeting. We visited more than anything else and I had a really good time.

What genre do you write in most? What about reading, the same or different? What keeps you coming back to the same or skipping around? Let me know in the comments.

Photos by 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.

Shooting In the Dark

Since I am not really sure what I want to do with the characters that have been bombarding me I am focusing on other things at the moment to keep me writing. I was talking to my friend and Municipal Liaison, Elise, about helping out with content on the Lake Writers Blog and she recommended trying some things I haven't attempted or stuff that made me uncomfortable. She said something like lots of bad writing is practice for better writing, but much more elegantly I'm sure. So I decided to practice writing in first person. I wrote it and that took a long time. I edited it the first time and that took a long time. Then I tried to talk myself into sharing it looking for feedback and that took a long time. (Convincing myself to share not the feedback.) I am not completely thrilled with the middle, but like the beginning and LOVE the end. 

ROW80 Rundown

1. Make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - This is my first check in since I started so I am at 100%! YAY! (Though I am pushing it at after 11:30pm on getting the post finished.)
2. Visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - I visited 5 ROW80 friends posts and commented on 3.
3. Write 500 words every day - I wrote almost 800 words in a flash fiction on Monday that will appear on the Lake Writer's Blog on Wednesday the 24th. It is in need of some new love because 2015 was a rough year and things fall to the wayside. Tuesday I didn't write anything because I had to drive like 200 miles round trip with 3 kids in tow. Today I worked on this blog so not enough words. This section originally ended with I have some time before the kids are done playing and I am planning to get some writing done, but that so did not happen. 

What do you work on if you find yourself between projects or if you need a break from a project that is confounding you? 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.

Trying Not to Die is Hard Work

So I am surprised to find myself here again. Not the part where I am trying to figure out what happened to months on end, but the part where I am trying to write again. I don't think I officially said what the conclusion to the fun week long hospital stay in early April 2015 was, but the diagnosis is Multiple Sclerosis. I have been working hard on taking care of myself and for the most part am doing significantly better. There is still a long way to go and it is a forever battle with no cure, but I am managing much more efficiently than I was before the diagnosis. However, as the title stated trying not to die has been a lot of hard work. I hope you all have been well since I last checked on you and I am looking forward to connecting with you again and finding out what you are up to.

I am going well enough now that I am missing writing again. Sadly, my laptop is out of commision at the moment and I no longer have a geek to help me. I know after the million times (OK, like 2, but still.) I have posted about backing up all the things all the time I would have a recent backup, but no. Insert something about if you don't learn from history you are doomed to repeat it, shed a tear and move on. A long while back I realized I had based the antagonist of Most Magical Place on a combination of Alan Rickman's performance of Colonel Brandon and Severus Snape as far as mannerisms and looks. With his death I am sad everytime I look at my printed outline so I am thinking that it is time to work on something else for a bit.

Conveniently enough I have a character that is basically poking my brain with a freaking 6 foot sharpened stick pretty much constantly. I have him largely fleshed out (because he showed up that way) on Hiveword, but I have no idea what to do with him. I have 2 scenes in my head, but where they are going to or what lead to them I have no idea. There's a girl and her best friend that came barreling along shortly after him, but still no idea what they are planning. Yes, I have been told that they aren't real and I am the one planning, but it really does feel like I am watching these people and they are doing whatever the heck they please. I would think something like wouldn't it be nice if she stopped to talk to him. Then she would stop in her tracks as she is walking away, look at me and say, "Whatever, I am busy storming away right now and if he gets in my way I'm going to run him down." What is that about?

I am hopping on the ROW80 bandwagon again. It is a great place to find support and help as well as people to cheer when you have successes. I am only starting with 3 goals and planning to stay with them for the rest of this round. My goals are:

1. To make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays
2. To visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in
3. To write 500 words every day 

What do you do when you have a character or several, but no story to put them in? Where are the best places you have found prompts to help jump start a story idea? 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.
photo credit: Distaste for Photography via photopin (license)