Friday, February 26th, 2016

Writing Prompt – Anticipation

Tall stalk of wildflower with purple petals.It’s cold and windy here today, and I should have expected it, because we had some icy precipitation late last night and that never bodes well for the morning.

But last weekend it was warm enough outside to wash the car and do some painting. So it had me hoping for an early spring.

No such luck.

But here I am anticipating it.

I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty in the garden and uncovering the fig trees. I’m ready to sweep winter’s grime off the garage floor, and do a bit of spring cleaning. Hell, I’m ready for shorts and flip flops.

How about you?

Here’s Your Prompt:

  • In a letter to Paulinus, Pliny the Younger said, “…the happiest man, in my opinion, is he who lives in the conscious anticipation of an honest and enduring name, and secure of future glory in the eyes of posterity.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
     
  • Remember Heinz Ketchup Commercial about anticipation? “So Good It’s Worth the Wait” ? Write about a time that anticipation was worth the wait. (This could be about you, or about a character in your story…)
     
  • Conversely, write about a time when anticipation wasn’t worth the wait. How did that make you (or your character) feel? How did you (or your character) react?
     
  • Write a scene in which the main character is anticipating good news, and received bad news instead. Or, write a scene where your character is anticipating bad news, and receives good news instead.
     
  • Make a list of things you’re anticipating right now. Choose one or two and write predictions of what you anticipate will happen. Next, write how you’ll feel once these anticipated events will occur. Now, write and essay about your future. If you’re moved, write a poem instead.
     

Good luck!

Thursday, February 25th, 2016

Audio Edition of Stoned in Charm City – Coming Soon!

A Favor for a Fiend (Charm City Darkness 2) by Kelly A. HarmonI’ve just made an official offer for Stoned in Charm City to be produced as an audio book!

I’ll be sending the paper files to the narrator later this week, and receiving an audio file of the first several chapters for review by the end of March.

Color me excited!

Barring any complications, the narration should be complete by the end of May—just in time for Balticon!

Friday, February 19th, 2016

Writing Prompt – Then and Now

Old Church ClockHere’s a prompt that will make you think. Take your time and be honest with yourself.

First, make a list of ten-to-fifteen words that describe you as a child.

Next, make a list of ten-to-fifteen words that describe you as you are now.

Here’s Your Prompt:

  • Write about how the lists are the same. What child-like qualities have you maintained? (Or what adult-like qualities did you possess as a child?) How does it make you feel to know that in some ways, you’ve not changed? Do you wish you were more mature?
     
  • Write about how the lists are different. At what point did you mature? What word was the beginning of the turning point in your life? How do you feel to have lost those child-like qualities? What do you enjoy about being more adult?
     
  • Think about the first word on the list describing your child-self. Why did this word come to mind first? What are some things you said or did that characterize this word?
     
  • Similarly, think about the first word on the list describing your more mature self. Why did this word come to mind first? What are some things you say or do that characterize this word?
     
  • Write a poem, Ode to Yourself. Write it in three parts: the first stanza should describe your child-self and use some of the words on your first list. The last stanza should be about your adult self, and use some of the words on that list. The middle stanza should be a bridge between the two—or a transition—and use words from both lists.
     

Good Luck!

Friday, February 12th, 2016

Writing Prompt – It takes Two

Two white capsule pills sitting on the tip of someone's index finger.I’ll bet you thought, when you saw the title of this prompt, that we’d be talking about two people.

Couples.

It’s that close to Valentine’s Day, after all.

And I admit, I thought about it—but what fun is that? So, today’s prompt is about two of something—but not people.

Here’s Your Prompt:
 
Pick an idiom, write about it – a poem, character sketch, story sketch, scene—whatever. Mind the rules: no people as principal “players” in the prompt…

  • two of a kind
  • of two minds
  • one step forward, two steps back
  • two birds with one stone
  • two shakes of a lamb’s tail
  • it cuts two ways
  • two-timer
  • lesser of two evils
  • no two ways about it
  • can’t serve two masters
  • knocked down a peg, or two…
  • two bricks shy of a load
  • eating for two
  • terrible twos
  • two-faced

Good Luck!

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016

Honorable Mention – Writers of the Future

Certificate from Writers of the Future, denoting Honorable Mention for the Story Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble.I posted this on Facebook last week, but forgot to mention it here: I just received my certificate from Writers of the Future for my story, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble. It’s a wonderful little tale about witches who create the best steel cauldrons in the world–but their entire operation is put in jeopardy when the dragons fail to produce fire hot enough to make the steel.

I had a lot of fun writing it.

I’ll be sending it off to other markets in hope of placement. Keep your fingers crossed!