Friday, June 1st, 2012  It so happens that June 1 is Doughnut Day. And so, we must talk about doughnuts.
I’d rather have a piece of cake (or chocolate) than a doughnut, but there are days when a warm glazed doughnut beats everything else hands down. I also like a chilled Boston Creme with a tall, cold glass of milk.
I’m not a “sugar in the morning person,” so doughnuts for breakfast is anathema to me.
(The worst part of my honeymoon trip to Italy was breakfast. I’m afraid the Italians adore sugar in the morning with their strong, black coffee. I would ask for a plain dinner roll or slice of bread and invariably it would come sugar glazed. Sacrilege!
In the early morning, I would try to sneak into the kitchen and grab a loaf of day-old-bread to eat with my coffee. Oh, the squawking when they found me! Apparently, it’s just not done to eat day old bread in Italy!)
Here’s Your Prompt:
Good luck!
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 I had a wonderful time at Balticon this year, as usual. I pulled in late yesterday and could barely keep my eyes open. Long nights (at late panels) and early mornings (on early panels!) conspired against me.
I made some new friends, and re-connected with others. That’s always the best part. A con is like one great, big multi-day party.
I finally got to meet Melissa of the My World…in words and pages blog. If you love to read, you should check it out. Her site is LOADED with information, reviews, links to books, interviews, etc. (Melissa’s on Twitter and Facebook, too.) Wish we could have spent more time together chatting.
D. H. Aire dropped by the Broad Universe table while I was there, and we talked about lots and lots of stuff — too much to mention. I need to pick up a copy of his Highmage’s Plight. (It sounds fascinating!) And, if you want, you can become a character in Aire’s book and take on a role in the Highmage’s Plight at the Web site. D. H. Aire is on Twitter and Facebook, too.
Much of my time was spent at the Broad Universe table in Artist Alley, which happened to be across the hallway from the artist, Robert Quill. (A nom de guerre? I’m thinking, yes.)
 Artiste Quill sold sketches and prints from his naughty and nice notebooks and commissioned one-of-a-kind artworks of con attendees, soliciting them with such enticements as, “I can draw you as your beautiful self…without your pants.”
I paraphrased the first part there, but not the second.
The pitch sounds so much better coming out of his mouth, with its tiny hint of (faux) accent, and accompanied by the quirk of an eyebrow. And “for only hundreds more” (another of his catch phrases) you could have your sketch colorized and matted. He really knows how to work it (as evidenced by the many teeny-boppers who flocked –and remained — at his booth).
Showmanship aside, he does terrific work. I especially loved his Medusa, a striking piece inspired by his leggy, gorgeous wife.
Steampunk, anyone?
Fellow Broad and steampunk author Emilie P. Bush also had a table in Artist’s Alley. Steamduck, illustrated by artist Kevin Petty, turned out to be pretty popular. Steamduck is part of the one and only steampunk children’s book out there. You should check it out.
There were book launches and knitting and the Steampunk Ball and so much more to talk about! I’m sure it will wind up in later posts.
Friday, May 25th, 2012  What do you do when you’ve got the inclination to write a story, and the time, but nowhere to go? You’ve got nothing: no plot, no character, no idea at all.
Why, to the same place you’d go if you were facing this same dilemma in life!
A tarot card reader, a palm reader, your spiritual advisor, and the like. Someone who will give you direction and/or tell you about those special characters who may be showing up sometime soon in your life.
(Yeah, I started out tongue-in-cheek there, but didn’t want to offend anyone. Kinda gets watered down when you do that… So, don’t do that when you’re writing for real.)
A tarot deck is a deck of playing cards, usually 78 in number, with four suits and a group of “major” cards, all of which have been assigned specific meanings. Generally, a question is asked of the cards before they are shuffled and dealt to their spread. In this case, you could simply ask, “What story should I tell?”
Depending on the spread, or the layout of the cards, much can be predicted (that is, randomly generated) for a story.
I-Ching, Runes, and tossing chicken bones could also be used.
If none of those appeal, you can use the Bible to suggest interesting plots or characters as well. Randomly open the Bible to any section, close your eyes, and drop your index finger down on a passage. Use the single verse you’ve pointed to as a scene or story starter.
For more complexity, open several random sections in the Bible and drop your finger down. Some verses will speak of people (use those to build your characters); some verses will relate events or tell stories (use those for your plot). Combine several different verses to come up with an interesting idea.
The wonderful thing about these tools is that the pieces are plentiful, and the combined combinations offer thousands of plots and characters. Don’t rely on the first one you come up with. Try several different tarot spreads or variations of other tools to find something you really like.
Here’s Your Prompt:
Pull out your trusty deck of tarot cards and lay out your favorite spread. Pretend that what you see isn’t affecting your life, but the life of a character in your story.
If you don’t have your own deck, or just want the convenience of an online dealer and layout, here are several sites you can use to generate a layout:
– Facade.com
– The Artist’s Inner Vision Tarot Cards
– The Tarot Goddess
Use I-Ching, Runes or other tools to find similar ideas.
– The I-Ching Online
– Flytrap Interactive I-Ching
– Free Runes
Use the Bible (with the method described above) to generate a story plot or character sketch.
Likely, a lot of the ‘fortunes’ you will receive will be obscure. You might need to give them some thought before the story reveals itself – but then, you wouldn’t want to be handed a story on a silver platter, would you? Good stories always take some thought!
Good luck!
Tarot Card Image from The Artist’s Inner Vision Tarot Deck
Friday, May 18th, 2012  I have a tea set that belonged to my Grandmother Spina. It’s a lovely shade of periwinkle blue with matching cups and saucers. Not really a feminine color or style, yet feminine all the same because it’s a tea set.
I keep it in the same curio cabinet as my doll collection, and I see it everyday, reminding me of her, keeping her spirit alive.
I love that about the pot. I’ll never make tea in it, never shared tea in it with my grandmother, but the memory of her having it is there all the same.
Things, like my teapot, become talismans, lucky charms, or bridges to the past. Touchstones. Reminders.
They can be motivators, or de-motivators. They can represent loss, or terrible things. Depending on what they represent, their presence can implore you not to act a certain way or do a certain thing.
The “thing” doesn’t even have to be tangible. It can be a once-held conversation, a fleeting thought or a note written on a card.
Here’s Your Prompt:
- Write about a special token from your past. Why do you keep it? What does it mean for you?
- Write a story about a character who has such a token, and then loses it. What happens?
- Go through your closet and put your hands in every coat or jacket pocket until you pull something out. Write a story or poem or journal entry about this thing. Or, use this ‘found’ item in a scene or vignette of one of your story characters.
- Write about something you brought home from a journey.
- “..a shield lifted up above the side of the ship, and the point of the shield was upwards, in token of peace. And the men drew near, that they might hold converse.” ~ from Bullfinch’s Mythology: IX. Branwen, the Daughter of Llyr. The Mabinogeon. Vol. III: The Age of Chivalry.
- Write about:
- a token of love
- a token of hate
- something that belonged to your grandmother (or grandfather, sister or brother)
- a hand-me-down, a used article of clothing, a hole in your shoe
- something you found in a book (a scrap of paper, a bookmark, a ribbon, or a passage)
- Enobarbus: How appears the fight?
Scarus: On our side like the token’d pestilence, Where death is sure.
~ William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, Act III. Scene VIII.
- Write about something you found.
- Write about something you want, but can’t have.
- Conversely, write about something you wanted and received, but that doesn’t mean as much now that you have it.
Good luck!
Friday, May 11th, 2012  On this date in 1934 a huge dust storm sent 350 million tons of silt and topsoil catapulting eastward from the Great Northern Plains, some of it reaching as far as New York and Atlanta.
The reason?
When the plains states were settled in the mid-1800s, the land was covered by prairie grass which kept the ground moist and kept soil from blowing away during hot, dry times. When farmers began plowing the grass under to plant crops, the soil dried and had nothing to keep it from blowing away.
Worse, the U.S. involvement in World War I in 1917 created a huge demand for wheat, and farmers plowed under more and more grassland, thanks also to a new invention: the tractor. Farmers continued to plow after the war, as even more powerful tractors came on the market. (In the 1920s, wheat production increased by 300%, glutting the market by 1931.)
In the early 1930s, a severe drought caused crops to die, and wind to carry the dust from the fields. Storms increased yearly until 1934 when the number of them decreased, but the severity increased, causing the worst dust storm in history on May 11. The New York Times reported, dust “lodged itself in the eyes and throats of weeping and coughing New Yorkers,” and even ships some 300 miles offshore saw dust collect on their decks.*
Here’s Your Prompt:
- Write a poem, essay or journal entry about being unexpectedly caught in a storm.
- Write about being caught in a dust storm, wind storm or any kind of storm other than rain or sleet or hail. Was it a small storm, or a large one (affecting your town or the entire state)? Did you need to seek shelter? If so, where?
- Write about:
- biting the dust
- dusting it up, or dusting it off
- gathering dust
- when the dust settles
- dry as dust
- dust bunnies
Theorize about how something we’re doing today could unintentionally cause a catastrophe such as the dust storm of 1934. What would we need to do to prevent it? How could we fix the problem if we don’t?
Would you ever consider being a storm chaser? Why or why not? What do you think the risks would be? What do you think the rewards would be?
Scientists risk their lives chasing tornadoes in hopes of learning about them. What do you think these scientists are trying to find out? What do you think the benefits will be for society if scientists find these answers?
I’ve seen the dust so black that I couldn’t see a thing,
I’ve seen the dust so black that I couldn’t see a thing,
And the wind so cold, boy, it nearly cut your water off.
I seen the wind so high that it blowed my fences down,
I’ve seen the wind so high that it blowed my fences down,
Buried my tractor six feet underground.
Well, it turned my farm into a pile of sand,
Yes, it turned my farm into a pile of sand,
I had to hit that road with a bottle in my hand.
~ From the Dust Bowl Blues, Woody Guthrie
“Charge it to the dust and let the rain settle it.”
Write about any other natural disaster, such as a tornado, a landslide or avalanche, a tsunami, or an earthquake.
Write about a storm that personally affected you in some way. What kind of storm was it? How did you get caught in it? What were the consequences?
Write a story where a storm is the inciting incident. (The inciting incident is the action or event that sets in motion the central conflict of the story.) Or, write a story in which a storm plays a major role.
Write about:
- the calm before a storm
- the eye of the storm, or being in the eye of the storm
- weathering the storm
- stormy weather
- any port in a storm
- a storm is brewing
- storming out of a room
- taking something by storm
We are the voices of the wandering wind,
Which moan for rest and rest can never find;
Lo! as the wind is, so is mortal life,
A moan, a sigh, a sob, a storm, a strife.
~ The Deva’s Song, Sir Edwin Arnold
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Quote from History.com’s May 11 entry.
Image Credit: A dust storm strikes Powers County, Colorado, in April 1935. Image: Library of Congress, FSA-OWI Collection, Repro. Num. LC-USF343-001617-ZE DLC.
Friday, May 4th, 2012  I spent a few days last week and this on a writing retreat with my face-to-face critique group. We traveled out of state, to Cacapon State Park in West Virginia, and hunkered down for a few cold and rainy days in the mountains.
The cabin was beautiful with hardwood floors and paneling, a stone fireplace, and set in the rustic location of the woods.
It was modern enough to have a full kitchen – with microwave – as well as forced air heat (and cooling) if we needed it.
It was everything you could want in a home, and yet, it wasn’t home.
There’s nothing better to me, than arriving home after being away. (And I don’t care if it’s a vacation I’ve gone on, or a visit “home” to my folks’ house, or just being at work for a full day…I enjoy coming home.)
Home is safe.
It’s more comfortable than any other place. It’s got my things laid out just the way I like them.
It’s mine.
Here’s Your Prompt:
- Write about coming home.
- Write about the old neighborhood.
- Write about something quirky in your house which drives you nuts, but you wouldn’t change.
- Write an essay: though I live ____________, my real home – my heart of homes – is ______________.
- Write a story where your character is homesick and can’t return home for a long while (if ever). How does he cope?
- If you journal, write about a time you were homesick. How did you feel? When were you able to go home? What did you do to alleviate the desire for home while you were gone?
- Write about:
- something in the closet (or the basement)
- knocking down walls (figuratively or literally)
- a room of your own
- Write about running away from home.
- Write about:
- moving out
- moving into your own apartment for the first time
- buying a new home
- losing your home
- Write about a world in which there are no homes left. How do people live? What if there were no space on top of the earth, so new apartment complexes are built down? What if the moon were able to be colonized and governments were offering homesteads to folks to move there?
Good luck!
Sunday, April 29th, 2012
- To start a new project.
- To complete a project.
- To recharge your writing batteries or find your Muse.
- To relax or rest. To catch up on your reading. To gain a fresh perspective.
- To reward yourself for what you’ve accomplished so far.
- To be alone to write.
- Or, to be among fellow writers with whom you can discuss ideas, get feedback, or bask in the support of like-minded people.
- To evaluate your skill, your projects or your deadlines.
- To organize your manuscript(s) and prioritize.
- To write in a focused space without the interruptions of your daily life.
Friday, April 27th, 2012  April is National Poetry Month. How did we get to the end of it without having a single poetry prompt?
I like poetry, but I’m not a good judge of what makes a poem good. I prefer the Dr. Seuss rhyming kind to free verse — and I think anything “… bouncy, flouncy, trouncy, pouncy,” is, of course, “…fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!!!” *
I like Shakespeare’s sonnets, e. e. cumming’s clever words (more for how they’re laid out on the paper than anything else), Shel Silverstein, and Dante. I like dark and angsty, abhor maudlin and sentimental, and enjoy a really good sci-fi poem which makes me think.
My favorite poem is Invictus, by William Ernest Henley, introduced to me by my best friend in high school. (Hi, Charlie!)
I’d much rather a friend introduce me to a poet than to find him on my own: it’s both a ringing endorsement and a shared memory…
How do you like to find your poetry?
Here’s Your Prompt:
- Write a poem about:
- a family secret
- an old love
- a weird fact or obscure trivia you know
- a cherished memory
- your favorite food
- Write a poem at least 50 words long using only one-syllable words. Mix it up and try using only two-syllable words or three-syllable words.
- Randomly pull 10-15 books off your shelf and write down the titles. Use as many as you can in a poem.
- Write a structured poem using a structure you’ve never tried before: haiku, sonnet, sestina, villanelle, etc. Here’s a link to 12 kinds of structured poems and how to write them.
- Write a poem in which the form contradicts the content.
- Write a poem that starts with a one word title, has two words in the first line, three in the next, and continues by adding one word per line.
- Poetry through reduction: take a piece of junk mail and cross out some of the words to create a poem. Start by eradicating some words, see how it reads, then whittle them down more and more until you have a lean, focused poem. Do the same with a page of text from your favorite author, a newspaper article or a magazine essay.
- Write a poem based on a famous work of art, a photograph or snapshot, or the view from your window.
- Journalers and essayists: What is your favorite poem? Why? Or, turn it around: what is your least favorite poem and why? Or, write about types of poetry? What is your favorite type? Least favorite? Cite examples to back up your statements, or write snippets of your own to do so.
If these aren’t enough, here are a few other prompts I’ve written which touch on poetry:
Good luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Words from the Disney Tigger song.
Friday, April 20th, 2012  I’m heading out today for some research at the Baltimore Zoo.
I LOVE the zoo. It’s been a long time since I’ve been, and I’m really looking forward to it.
My favorite: the snakes. But I also like the primates, too. And the giraffes, and the hippos. The lions, the tigers…
Oh, who am I kidding? I love it all, but especially, the snakes.
I’m sure you can imagine where today’s prompt is going? You guessed it: it’s about zoos and animals.
Here’s Your Prompt:
- Imagine visiting a far off planet. [Class M, if you will.] and you find the most unusual animals. Write about which one is your favorite and why. How do you have to care for this animal? How does it live? What does it eat? Could you bring it back to earth? How would you manage that?
- Me, Tarzan. You, Jane. (I really mean that the other way around. But if I’d written it that way, it wouldn’t have been half as effective!)
Imagine you — or a character in one of your stories — has been raised by animals. Describe life with these animals from early infancy on. Caveat: you can’t choose apes. Bonus points if you don’t choose wolves.]
- If you’re journaling, write about the best (or worst) time you ever had at a zoo.
- Another journaling prompt: write about an encounter with an animal that really sticks in your memory: have you ever been bitten by a dog? How about peed on by a toad? Tell us what happened.
- If you’ve never had an encounter with an animal…pretend. What would it be like to be a veterinarian? A lion tamer in a circus? A scuba diver who investigates invertebrates?
- Write about your encounter with an imaginary animal, such as a unicorn, a dragon, a werewolf or the phoenix.
- Imagine you are the one locked up in a zoo. Someone cares for all your needs. People stare at you all day. How do you feel? What’s the best part? The worst? In an animal zoo, the animals are given toys and their special habitat to make it more palitable to them. What does the zoo provide for you?
- What if you could understand the language of the animals? What would they say to you from behind their bars at the zoo? Do they like being there? Do they want to return to their natural habitats? What do they like or dislike about being in the zoo?
- What if all the animals in the world were locked up in zoos? Keeping pets is forbidden. Only farm animals are “free.”
- What if only all the “frightening” animals are collected and locked up? Which animals would those be? Why?
- Pretend you are Dr. Seuss’ character Gerald McGrew. Like him, what would you do, if you ran the zoo?
Good Luck!
Wednesday, April 18th, 2012  The new Broad Universe podcast is available, this one focusing on “changelings and transformations.”
BroadPod “Rapid Fire Readings” feature five or six authors reading for five or six minutes each from their work.
Authors included in this month’s podcast are Carol Berg, E.F. Watkins, Daniele Ackley-McPhail and Anne Wilkes, and of course, me. I’ll be reading from Selk Skin Deep.
Selk Skin Deep was published in Bad Ass Fairies 3: In All Their Glory (an anthology of stories about fairies, which harkens back to their roots. You’ll find no Tinkerbelles in the bunch).
Selk Skin Deep was inspired by the true-live tragedy of the explosion on board the U.S.S. Forrestal, an aircraft carrier which exploded off the coast of Vietnam in 1967. My story is about Cade Owen, who joined the U.S. Navy trying to alleviate the boredom from his nearly immortal life. Cade is a selkie – a shape shifter who is both man and seal. In Selk Skin Deep he learns about sacrifice, and what it means to be human. It’s my tribute to U.S. Service Men and Women.
Listen to the Broad Universe Podcast here.
If you’re not into podcasts, I’ve made the first five pages of the story available via PDF. Here’s a link to the Selk Skin Deep excerpt.
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