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)

Knocked Down and Explosions

I'm not really sure exactly what is going on. I was knocked down hard by the 10th anniversary of a devastating personal tragedy. It was all I could do to complete day to day tasks and homeschool. It is the end of the round and my story is still bugging me. I contemplated not bothering for the rest of this round and just moving on, but the more I tried not to focus on how many days in a row I had gone without writing the more the story popped into my head. Do you know what it is like to try to concentrate on primary English lessons when some mad freak is calling lightening to set a huge pavilion full of people on fire and someone else is lobbing fireballs at them. Yes, I know it's a bit over the top, but my characters are getting frustrated and restoring to explosions in public to get my attention. Oh, the poor innocent bystanders.

I feel like I keep coming back to the same thing. The life I'm living VS the life going on in my head and I must tell you I'm getting on my own nerves. I know I have to decide what I really want to do and pursue it. I know homeschooling is a priority over writing, but I don't know how many things I can do while maintaining the small gains I have maid with my health.

I am aiming for writing and visiting ROW80 friends every day.

How are you all doing on your round? My hope is that it has been more productive than mine. 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 from Pixabay.

The Nothing Is Coming

There is so much difficult stuff going on right now that I haven't even made time to write. I think I want to do this, but I am feeling as apathetic as Morla. Though thankfully I am not currently residing in the Swamps of Sadness, but I feel like I have recently visited.

"We don't even care, whether or not we care"

I have literally made no progress on any of my goals. I have been busy tending to the home stuff, school stuff and personal stuff that writing has fallen to the wayside. I am listening to the book Quitter by Jon Acuff while working on other stuff. He is funny and I am enjoying it, but I fear in my current mood the advice is mostly bouncing off. However, one thing did stick in my head he said there is a formula to fill in and remind you what you need to do to keep you going toward what you are dreaming about doing with your life.

Do I want to _____? Then I have to _____.

He said it was easy to figure out and say, but hard to practice. So mine would look like this:

Do I want to be a writer? Then I have to write every day.

He also suggested using the time first thing in the morning before your excuses have had time to wake up to work on your dream. Then he had a very funny bit about getting up earlier. I am convinced. Trying to work on writing things after the kids have gone to bed is obviously not working for me. Dang, now I sound like Dr. Phil. So I will be trying going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. Hopefully I can beat my little early riser and get some stuff done.

What sacrifices do you make to chase your dreams? 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.



Photos by Pixabay.

Reading And Partying Not Writing

So if I'm reading and partying I probably don't need to tell you that very little writing has been done. On the long drive to my sister's house I was reading Rock Your Plot: A Simple System for Plotting Your Novel. I am only on the second chapter because it is very hard to read as the kids fight in the back seat. I think I read the same paragraph about 8 times before I shut it down and stopped trying, but I am enjoying it and look forward to getting back to it tonight. I don't see much of a difference so far between Rock Your Plot and Larry Brooks' Story Structure Series over at StoryFix2.0. However, it still has nice tidbits and you never know when something said in a slightly different way will create an aha moment. I am sure I can use as many aha moments as I can get at this point.

ROW80 August & September Goals Rundown

1. Write 2 Poms every day.
I was able to write on Wednesday and Thursday night, but Friday and Saturday were a no go. I had to edit a paper for my daughter on Friday night and it took me a long time. Then on Saturday I was at my nephews' birthday party. It was nice to hang out with family and have fun, but I missed my imaginary friends.

2. Post for every ROW80 check-in.
This one is later shorter than I like, but still here.

3. Spend 1 Pom per day visiting ROW80 friends.
I have been visiting my ROW80 friends. You guys are so busy and really hitting your goals. It makes me happy for you, but sad that I am not achieving everything I planned to. Instead of getting down I am using your inspiration to get myself going again.

4. Post to Twitter on ROW80 days.
So far I am still getting this done. Yay, done!

Photos by Pixabay.