Running

I think these prompts are keeping me sane in the creative arena. Here we are in Week 25 at More Odds Than Ends and I’m still going. I am trying to pry myself out of this weird waiting game that I seem to be engaged in. Today, the plan is to just dive into the writing. If I get tired or stuck with one project, I’ll get up, walk around (inside. It’s disgustingly hot and muggy outside today), and then move to another project. I have three that are front and center, and at least two or three more clamoring for attention.

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The Beach Fixes Everything

So many things going on right now. Writing is not one of them. At least not one that is coming easily. I’m switching between projects, keeping up with prompts, reading, reading for research purposes, and yet… and yet. I know when I get lost in reading for fun (even if I tell myself that I’m looking at story structure, character arc, etc. etc.) I am avoiding something. So, I’m trying to figure out what exactly I’m avoiding. I’m not under any pressure to finish a project by an externally imposed deadline, I’m not dealing with crap I’d really rather not deal with. So, what’s the problem?

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Projects

Week 24 of 52. We are almost half way through this year already. Damn. At least the pace of things seems to be picking up. I have been in a weird sort of “I don’t wanna do anything” mood. I’m not sure why. I did switch between writing projects (I have three going at the moment) and made some headway on a couple. I know from experience with academia and research that switching between projects is the best way to make headway on any of them. But for some reason I have it in my head that I must do one at a time. I need to stop (or at least try to stop) being so linear.

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Doors

This week’s prompt sent me in a rather silly direction. I kind of like it. Maybe there’s something there. I’ve been a bit off this week. Not sure why. We’re still in a sort of suspended mode, waiting to see what happens on the job front. That makes me reluctant to make any plans, and then the proposed dates come and go, and here I sit. So, I’ve decided or realized, that I have to keep moving forward. Obviously keep writing. I’m not really sure what that stopped. I mean I can write anywhere, so why does that feel suspended? I’m not certain, except it may be a symptom of a mild level of stress.

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Cursebreaker: Ghosts In The Picture

I blanked on sending in a prompt for this week which is Week 22 at More Odds Than Ends, so I went with one of the spares. This one took me back to Cursebreaker. I’ve slowly been putting it together, in between working on short stories and Book #3. The prompt I decided on filled in a couple of holes that I saw and has also triggered some more thoughts about this story. You can find the other prompt-inspired bits of Cursebreaker at the link above. I chose the spare prompt: When they saw the picture, there were several extra people in it. Ghosts…

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Never Think About Yourself?

UPDATE: Here’s the bag:

I was walking out of the grocery store, Wegman’s (yes, I’m happy to name and shame), the other day when I noticed a display of company branded reusable bags. I glanced over and stopped in my tracks. Were they serious with this bullshit? The bag proudly proclaimed: “Never think about yourself. Always think of others.” That’s some potentially deadly thinking right there. Never think about yourself? How are you supposed to help others if you fail to think about yourself? Unfortunately I didn’t think to take a picture of the bag. I will next week if it’s still there.

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Hidden Flowers

This last week went by very quickly. Not sure if it was the travel we did for the Memorial Day weekend or what. At any rate, I spent three days away from the internet and that’s a very good thing. But now I’m back and I present here my prompt response for Week 21 of the More Odds Than Ends weekly challenge. My prompt came from AC Young: “Someone’s been practicing their spells in the woods again. The bluebells are all red.” I thought it would make a good addition to Utindri’s story after she managed to leave her homicidally inclined mother with the huckleberry-hemlock jam.

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