Category: Prompts

The middle of July, middle of the year, it’s Week 28 of prompts at More Odds Than Ends. This year is not going as planned, so I’m no longer planning and simply going with the flow. No, it’s not a cop-out, it’s more of a recognition that the universe has its own plans for us and my life will be less stressful if I do what I need to do, quit worrying about the “what-ifs”. While I do remind the universe of my wishes, I am grateful to be doing what I’m doing right now.

Continue reading “Planet Found”

For Week 27 at More Odds Than Ends, My prompt came from Leigh Kimmel: On a distant world is a single city with people remarkably human, and astonishingly friendly. Yet when asked about their society and history, they give evasive answers. Anthropologists attempting an ethnographic study came to mind and with that I thought of Jake and Serena, the anthropologist and archaeologist couple who have started to occasionally wander through my head.

Continue reading “Friendly City”

Now we are halfway through 2021. Week 26 of Odd Prompts. and things are rolling along. I don’t want to jinx anything, so I’m not saying anything specific. Get thee behind me, Murphy! I have been writing along on Book #3 and I’m happy about that. These prompts are keeping my creativity stoked and I’m grateful to all the participants at More Odds Than Ends. They have kept me creative and mostly sane this last year plus. On the real life social side (just as important), husband and I had a lovely afternoon/evening with friends yesterday for Independence Day. Lots of good food, good company, swimming, bocce ball, and conversations. Great day. Back to the writing and creating today.

Continue reading “Advice and Riddles”

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.

Continue reading “Running”

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.

Continue reading “Projects”

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.

Continue reading “Doors”

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.

Continue reading “Hidden Flowers”

We are in Week 20 of More Odds Than Ends prompts. Just like last year, I am being pushed in new and different directions with these prompts. It’s fun and keeps my mind stretching and in a creative mode. This is important for me as I’ve never really considered myself to be all that creative. I have had spurts in the past, but figured that was just sheer dumb luck. But now, with two books (that appear to be well-received) under my belt, I’m thinking that I’m more creative than I’ve given myself credit for. We’ll see.

Continue reading “Patterns”