Random Word Improv

by

Elizabeth: Friday Writing Sprints

I am definitely happy to see the end of this week.  I spent most of it in “Leadership” training at Ye Olde Day Jobbe.  Long days of talking, networking, group exercises, and more networking are draining, especially for an introvert / non-people-person like me.

Fortunately, I’m all done (for now) and can look forward to a relaxing weekend and (maybe) a visit from the Easter Bunny . . . well, as soon as I take care of some of the work that accumulated while I was out in training I will.

After I catch up on work, and before I start thinking too much about chocolate bunnies and colored eggs, I’m going to carve out a little time for some writing.  Though I keep getting distracted in the midst of my efforts, I’m determined to give today’s story prompt and random words the old college try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

by

Elizabeth: Friday Writing Sprints

This week started with a twisted ankle and is ending with a multi-day mail server outage at work – someone must have released a bucket of negative energy into the universe.  Hopefully next week will be better.  True it starts with Tax Day (in the U.S.), but that means it can only improve, right?

Although this week has been a bit of a loss, the weekend should make up for it.  The cloudy grey weather of today is supposed to transform into clear skies and sunshine.  Perfect for my plans which include a band, a parade, and an adorable dog or two.

Theoretically my plans should also include some writing time, but we’ll have to wait and see how that goes.  I have a stack of books from the library, as well as The Lion in Winter DVD, so there will be some tough choices to make.  Especially since there are those pesky taxes to finalize as well.

I was able to spend at least a little time brainstorming about  today’s writing prompt while working out at the gym earlier today and would like to get those ideas down in writing before theyfall completely out of my head . . . as my ideas often do.  I’m determned to set aside at least a short bit of writing time before I get distracted by something else bright and shiny.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

by

Elizabeth: Friday Writing Sprints

Happy 1st Friday in April.  Are you as shocked as I am that we’ve already made it though a quarter of the year?

Seriously, has someone been playing with the calendar?  The weather outside says it is clearly early January.

Anyway . . . .

There is an interesting article online at the Guardian today – Fifty Shades of White:  the long fight against racism in romance novels.  It’s long (as the title suggests), but if you’ve got some time, you might consider giving it a read.  There’s even a quote in there from Pamela Regis from our McDaniel program.

One of my favorite lines from the article:

“You can relate to shapeshifters, you can relate to vampires, you can relate to werewolves, but you can’t relate to a story written by and about black Americans?” ~ Beverly Jenkins

 

While you’re reading, I’ll be going through my “saved links” on Facebook.  Judging by what I’ve saved – pictures of chocolate bunnies, french onion grilled cheese recipe, Irish cream pound cake – I must always be hungry when I’m logged in there.

Once I’m done procrastinating It will be time to focus on getting some words on the page.  I think I’ll start things off with today’s writing prompt.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

by

Elizabeth: Friday Writing Sprints

Well, we’ve reached the end of another week but not, apparently, the end of the fallout from the recent RWA RITA contest announcements.

Over on the Teach Me Tonight blog, there were some eye-opening statistics:

2016 US Census data on race/ethnicity
White: 61.3%
POC: 40.9%

2018 RITA Finalists by race/ethnicity
White: 97.3%
POC: 4%

As we talked about on Wednesday, the RWA Board has acknowledged the problem and is actively looking for solutions.  In the meantime, at least two of this year’s finalists – Susanna Kearsle and Ann Aguirre – formally withdrew their books from consideration earlier this week.  Additionally, Cherry Adair, who was supposed to be receiving the RWA Lifetime Achievement award this year also withdrew, although her action appears to be in response to criticism about comments she made, rather than a statement that RWA has a diversity problem.

More to come on all of this, I’m sure.

While I don’t have control over the biases (conscious or otherwise) of other people, I do at least have control over the words I do (or don’t) put on the page.  To that end, I’ll be spending a little quality time with my pen and notebook when I get home from work this evening.  I think I’ll start things off with today’s writing prompt.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

by

Elizabeth: Friday Writing Sprints

Here on the blog we are ending the week with some virtual champagne and high-fives to celebrate our own Jilly Wood’s final in the RWA Golden Heart contest.

*cue applause here*

The list of finalists for the Golden Heart (un-published) and RITA (published) contests were posted on-line Thursday morning and it was great to see a familiar name on the list.

Several of us will be in New York later this year at the annual conference, cheering her on (and living vicariously) as the award winners are announced.

In the meantime, all this excitement, as well as the publication progress several other Eight Ladies have made, is providing a healthy dose of motivation to stop procrastinating and start consistently getting some words on the page.  If only there weren’t so many other entertaining distractions!

To wake up my creativity and get it back in working order, I’ll be giving today’s writing prompt a try after I get home from work.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

by

Elizabeth: Friday Writing Sprints

So, did you make it through the week without access to Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday?

Did you even notice they were down?

We use some related apps here at Ye Olde Day Jobbe, so Wednesday included lots of browser-refreshing and refrains of, “is it up yet?”  On the plus side, we were probably more productive than usual that day.

Now that everything is back to normal (relatively), it’s time to turn our thoughts to the weekend.  The persistent rain here has finally taken a break and it’s been beautifully sunny (though chilly) for a few days.  I see some lawn-mowing and weed-pulling in my future.

I also see some writing in my future, though I may procrastinate my way through the weekend before I actually get to it.  Like Michelle, I am a permanent resident of Procrasti-Nation.  I will pull out my pen and paper eventually, however, and once I do I plan on giving today’s writing prompt a try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

by

Elizabeth: Friday Writing Sprints

Happy Friday.  Hope you’ve all recovered from any Mardi  Gras festivities you participated in this week.  I’d love to say I celebrated with bourbon, beads, and beignets, but sadly, that was not the case.

Maybe next year.

Instead of pre-Easter celebrating, this week was filled with an assortment of tedious tasks, including the annual ‘Shredding’ event at Ye Olde Day Job.  The idea is to get rid of all the paper that seems to accumulate in the offices.  Apparently even corporate American isn’t immune to the lure of Marie Kondo’s clutter-free-message.

I’m happy to report my desktop and file cabinet are remarkably clutter-free.  Although, to be honest, that has little to do with this week’s ‘Shredding’ event and a lot to do with my own naturally tidy tendencies.

Anyway, now that everything is tidy and the shredding-bins are full and ready for pickup, it’s time to get back to work and do some writing.  I think I’ll warm up my creativity during lunchtime by giving today’s writing prompt a try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →