Story Time

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

By the time you read this I’ll probably be knee-deep in information overload at the RWA national conference.  While the conference is a great place to learn new things, it is, more importantly, a great place to network and can be a great way to re-focus and re-energize one’s writing.

There are a number of great sessions on the agenda, many of them happening concurrently so I’ve been forced to make a valiant attempt to be in two places at one time.  So far so good, though a magic teleportation device would certainly be a handy thing to have about now.

One set of sessions I’ve definitely made sure to attend are the hour-long “Writing Sprints.”  The first such session was hosted by a couple of my favorite authors – Tawna Fenske and Kristan Higgins.  It was appallingly early in the morning (for me at least), but was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss, even if I needed an extra-large jolt of caffeine to get me going.

There will be another such session today.

Care to join me? (Virtually, of course).

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.  Seriously – feel free 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 based on Michaeline’s post on Saturday (“You Can Rent A Man in Japan”).

Ready?

Here is today’s theme:            “Rent a Man”

Here are today’s random words:

gurgle               eye                      perfume             bittersweet

famous              contrast             riddle                  forgotten

nightmare         headstrong       swindler              forbidden

bluff                  voice                  abduction           freak

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

Oops – I was so busy trying to finish the latest murder mystery I was reading that I almost forgot it was Friday.  On the plus side, I figured out who the murderer was before I reached the end of the book, so it was time well spent.

Now that I’ve finished my book and have no immediate plans to start another, it’s time for me to spend equal time doing some writing.  I have a full day at work to get through first, but then it will be all about getting words on the page.

I think I’ll start off with today’s writing prompt and see what happens from there.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

This has been an odd week, what with the US 4th of July right smack in the middle.  We may have been celebrating our nation’s independence, but I really think of it as a holiday celebrating some really good collaborative writing.

I hope you’ve had a good week, whatever yours involved.  Mine will be ending with more of a whimper than a bang, due in part to an 8:00am meeting.  Who schedules 8:00am meetings on a Friday?  Probably the same people who schedule them at 5:00pm.

Anyway, once things are wrapped up a Ye Olde Day Job, I’ll be heading home for a relaxing adult beverage (or maybe a root-beer float) and then heading off to Ye Olde Writing Desk for some quality (or maybe quantity) writing time.  I think I’ll start off with today’s writing prompt and see what happens from there.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

Friday already?  How did that happen?  I seem to have lost a few days somewhere along the line; I could have sworn today was only Thursday.  I blame it on the warmer weather and all of the turmoil in the news recently.

I’m afraid I’ve wound up spending more time watching and talking about the news recently than working on my writing.  Fortunately, we’ve got a holiday coming up in the middle of next week, which means a few extra days off work and at home, which should be the perfect opportunity to get some words on the page.

I think I’ll get things started right now by giving today’s writing prompt the old college try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

Happy Summer Solstice (depending on when you read this).  What did you do with all of that daylight?  I’d like to say I made good use of it, but the truth is I spent an extra-long day at work and barely got out while there was sunlight left.

Definitely poor planning on my part.

At least I was able to enjoy a pretty sunset and I’ll have all day tomorrow to make up for today’s lapse.  While I’m happy to see the arrival of summer, I’m less thrilled to realize how much of the year has already passed by.  I have a long list of To-Dos for the year from back in January and the arrival of summer means I better get cracking if I’m going to complete them all.

One of the To-Dos that has been languishing is finishing my current manuscript-in-progress.  While the other Eight Ladies all sound to be making excellent progress, I cannot say the same.  I’ll be doing my best to get my manuscript back on track tomorrow with a morning of coffee, croissants, and creativity (writing, that is).

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

This week has had its share of excitement but I’m not sorry to see it heading for an end nonetheless.

Last week the Warriors, our local pro-basketball team, wrapped up their season with a championship win, which meant that this Tuesday, there was a victory parade with crowds of people and periodic confetti cannons.  More importantly for me, it meant that the streets around my office building were all closed off, requiring me to work from home, since teleporting into my office was not an option.

I was not too disappointed.

It was a beautiful day and I got to see the parade from the comfort of my own living room, while taking conference calls in my pajamas and avoiding a few hours of commuting.   Really, I should do that more often.

Now that the confetti has been swept up, the streets reopened, and the portable bathrooms taken back to wherever they roost, it’s time to get back to our regularly scheduled programming.  For me that means a trip to the dentist for a check-up, but then it’s off for something a little more enjoyable like lunch at my favorite outdoor café.  I’ll be taking my smoothest pen and my new writing journal and giving today’s story prompt the old college try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

Friday again – how did that happen?

This has been a busy week at Ye Olde Day job, with the arrival of this year’s batch of summer interns.  That, coupled with my meeting with a group of GenX staff members, has left me feeling positively archaic.  And tired.  They’re all so bright and eager and energetic.

My Friday looks to be filled with meetings (oh, what fun!).  When I get home there is a slow leak in the outdoor sprinkler system that needs to be located, which means digging up a bit of the front lawn, and a rapidly disintegrating back fence that needs propping up.

Before I get started on my delightful home-repair projects, I’m going to open up my writing journal, take the story prompt below, and get some words on the page, since I’ve been doing far more reading than writing this week.

Care to join me? Continue reading →