So my mom found these tracks in our backyard. We don't live in the woods, we're smack in the middle of suburbia, and we have a fenced in yard. Whatever it was came from the street, climbed the fence, ran across the yard and the tracks stop at a tree.
I posted on Facebook and asked everyone what this beast could be, I've gotten back grizzly, deer-bear, dear, buck, possum, wampa, rabbit, cat, cougar, werewolf, red fox, grey fox....
What do you think it could be? I'd love to see some flash fiction or poetry showing your ideas! Please leave in the comments, or comment with your link!
Rather than talk about the events that happened, the who, the why, I want to use today's entry to simply honor the memory of Brianna Benlolo and Tyler Johnson, two members of our community who lost their lives too young. My thoughts and prayers are with the families whose lives are now affected everyday because of this senseless tragedy.
The photo above was taken the day the mall re-opened. Notes of support were written on the wall of the boarded store. As time went on, the wall became completely covered, and flowers, stuffed animals, and other tokens were left in the memory of the victims.
Just a short little entry. I just wanted to announce some exiting news! I'm going to be starting a new project for February, a series on writing process. We've got several authors lined up to talk about their writing process; you guys are in for a real treat!
As we're getting ready for this project, are there any questions regarding writing process that you'd be interested in asking some of your favorite authors? Please leave your questions in our comments below, and you may see your question featured in our interviews!
It's going to be great! So stay tuned this upcoming February!
Music really resonates with stories for me. Last week my co-worker was listening to a piano station on Pandora, and a song was playing that I instantly recognized as the song playing during a very pivotal point in LOST. I asked who it was, looked it up, and I was right! For a good portion of the day to come, I couldn't get my mind off of that final episode of LOST (below, and now I have LOST on the brain again).
There are certain songs in my life that transport me back to a time and place, and there are some songs I can no longer listen to because they make me too sad. My dog was going into surgery, and If I Die Young by The Band Perry (below) was playing as they draped the leash over her neck and took her away from us. I was already terrified about her emergency surgery to remove a possible cancerous tumor, and going under the anesthesia. The song did not help... Needless to say, I was a crying mess.
Now, I can't stand to hear this song, and every time it plays, I remember that sad moment in my life.
So my challenge to you, create a short story, poem, flash fiction, or brainstorming session using a song (or two, or ten!)
Pick a favorite song (or a least favorite song, or any song at all). Sit in a quiet room, or put your headphones on. Close your eyes, and let the song transport you. What does it remind you of? A time and place in your own life? A piece of fiction? A movie? A TV show? Take this place you've thought up in your mind, and this is your setting.
As you listen to the song, what emotions does it conjure up? Make a list of these emotions as you go through the song.
Listen again, this time, listen for the five senses, write down any senses that come to you -- what do you see, hear, feel, smell, taste?
Listen again, and this time write down any images that come to mind. What is the tone of the song? The mood? Take notes on all of these items.
Now, if the song has lyrics, is there a particular line that stands out to you? Write down any words or lines from the song that come to mind.
As you listen to the song, is there a character in the song? Who is this character? The singer, someone the singer is talking about, an onlooker? Someone you think of completely outside of the song? Can you turn this person into a character?
I know these may be very strange things to think about, and may not apply to all songs. But after you've listened a few times, you should have a good amount of notes that you can turn into a story.
And remember to credit the song and the artist for your inspiration!! I hope you enjoy this little exercise!
Today I'm going to give you a few websites that offer some tools for writers. Check them out!
Write or Die http://writeordie.com
Get those words on paper! This website will help you do it. If you're not getting your words down on paper, it will make scary noises at you. Try it.
Agent Query http://www.agentquery.com
Looking for an agent? This website is a terrific tool for writers. It helps you find an agent based on lots of different factors, you can look them up based on genre,
Writers Digest http://www.writersdigest.com
Writer's Digest has loads of great articles, great series, and different workshops and classes you can sign up for. There is also a hard copy publication available in bookstores. Definitely worth looking into!
Baby Names http://www.babynames.com
Need some character names? Want to use some name symbolism? Search names here!
9 Tools No Serious Online Writer Should Be Without http://blog.crazyegg.com
The title says it all. Check out some of these websites!
