Story Time

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

It’s starting to look a little like summer.  Well, not the weather – that is currently cloudy and cool where I’m sitting – but the local stores have rolled out their inventory of beach chairs, swimsuits, pool toys, and sunscreen and the local swimming pool has been open for business for a few weeks now, so summer can’t be too far away.

Folks here in the U.S. will be celebrating Memorial Day on Monday.   Although it’s supposed to be a time to remember the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces, some think of it as the unofficial kick-off of summer, while others are just glad for a three-day weekend.

I’ve done a lot of traveling (for work, not fun) this month, and attended a lot of meetings, so I’m certainly looking forward to the three-day weekend aspect.  I have several things on my to-do list, though it’s quite possible that I won’t do any of them and will curl up with a good book instead.  One thing that I definitely will be doing is setting aside some time to get some words on the page.

Care to join me?

For those of you working away on a story (whether a first draft or a polished version on its way to publication), we’d love to hear a bit – whether it’s a scene, a paragraph, or even a phrase that you are especially pleased with and would like to share.

If you don’t have a story in progress, or just want to work on something new, maybe today’s writing prompt will catch your creative fancy.   This week we’ve got a theme to go along with our random words.

Ready?

Here is today’s writing prompt:

Write a story featuring:  a masquerade

And includes any (or all) of the following random words:

basket                  rum                riddle                   honor

melody                forgery           charismatic         castle

famous                fear                 ancestor              flimsy

extravagant        duel                 helicopter           blabbermouth

Whether you’re sharing a bit of your current work or writing something fresh based on the writing prompt, we hope you’ll join us for today’s Story Time.

Happy writing to all!

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

After 5 flights, 3 days of meetings, and more “talking to strangers” than I care to think about, this week is finally coming to a close.  Only one more black-tie event remaining and then I can call the weekend officially started.  It can’t be too soon for me; I have lots of “nothing” planned for the coming days.

This week’s travel did have its positive side.  I was in Minnesota, where I have some distant family members who I haven’t seen for years or rather decades, so it was nice to get a chance to visit.  The weather was beautiful and lilacs were blooming all over.  Their fragrance, like the accents of many I spoke with, brought happy memories of time spent in the area when I was a child to mind.  It was an unexpected bright spot for a trip that I hadn’t been looking forward to in the least.

Now that I’m back home, where overcast skies have replaced the clear blue ones that I left behind, it’s time for me to catch up on all the things that were put on hold while I was jet-setting around and talking to strangers.  First up on the list will be getting some words on the page.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

The cat is curled up next to me, I’ve got a tasty espresso beverage nearby, and a Georgette Heyer book just waiting for me as soon as I finish this post.

Life is good.

Unfortunately, my Friday will bring a longer than normal commute and a very long all-day meeting.  Not so good.  No doubt I’ll be itching for a nice workout at the gym or maybe a nice long walk when it is all done.

One thing that will definitely be on the agenda, assuming I have some functioning brain-cells left by the end of the day, will be getting some words on the page.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

May is shaping up to be a hectic month at the Day Job with lots of deadlines, deliverables, and things to do.  This week I got to interview candidates for a summer intern position on my team.  It was amazing the resumes the group of recent college graduates had.  Almost made me feel like a bit of a slacker.

With the interviews done and the candidate ranking completed, I can at least cross one item off my to-do list as I prepare to enjoy my Friday day off.

On the schedule is running some errands, including a trip to the lumber yard and the fabric store (not both for the same project).  Before I get started with my errands though, my pen, paper, story-in-progress, and I will be getting together for a little focused writing time.   I’m determined to check “get some new words on the page” off my to-do list.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

If it’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium.

Wait . . . that’s not right.

Actually, it’s Friday although sadly, not a day off for me this week.   Things have been crazy at Ye Olde Day Job which means once more I’ll be heading into the office and spending the day in meetings instead of hanging out at home in comfy clothes and playing with words.  On the plus side, I will get to have lunch with a friend I haven’t seen in a while, so there’s that.

Once I get home I’m planning on a nice dinner, an adult beverage, and some productive writing time.  I’ve had a few good ideas lately for the story I’m working on and I want to make sure to get them on paper before they’re lost forever.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

I just opened the front door to get some fresh air before sitting down to work on this post.

Bad idea.

Either the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse just raced through the neighborhood or something startled the family of skunks that’s nesting under my front porch.  Fortunately the cat was in the house, not outside in the line of fire.  Guess I’ll be keeping the door shut and hoping for a return of the breezy weather we had earlier in the week.  On the plus side, maybe it will keep the raccoons and possums away for a while.  They spent last evening thumping around the garbage cans, trying (unsuccessfully) to get inside them.

Good thing I wasn’t planning on any outdoor writing sessions in the near future.  Instead, I think I’ll head for my favorite spot on the couch, fire up the computer, and see if I can get some words on the page that I don’t just turn around and delete as soon as I re-read them.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

The end of another week already?  This one has sped by without my completing nearly as many tasks from my ToDo list as I was hoping.  On the plus side, I didn’t wind up adding too many new tasks to the list, so that’s a win . . . of sorts.

The focus this week has been on taxes (why yes, I did put them off for quite a while).  While the taxes themselves were fairly straightforward, the process of making sure I hadn’t overlooked anything meant I spent a fair amount of time sorting through all the papers on my desk and getting my files organized.  Sadly, it seems the last time I engaged in that particular exercise was just about a year ago.    Ah well, better late than never.

With the paperwork and taxes taken care of I can enjoy my day off work with a clear conscience.  Judging by the height of the lawn in the backyard, my day better include a little lawn-mowing.  After that, I’m planning on some dedicated writing time, starting out with either a run at the 200-word writing contest Kay mentioned yesterday, or an attempt at the random words below.  Whichever I choose, words on the page is my end goal.

Care to join me? Continue reading →