Category: Writing

At Least 100 Words #1

Photo by Artem Saranin on Pexels.com

This is the result of essay #7. Writing and posting at least 100 words or more is a practice to use habit to spark inspiration. For the next several posts like this I will be reminding myself and you that about this challenge. I am a writer who does not write. I was seriously ill and hospitalized for the last 3 months, with the corona-virus and pneumonia. The fact that corona-virus is on the rise, mutating and airborne is a special fear that haunts me. Living with uncertainty is a terrible for many people and still we survive.

I normally have a quote that may resonate with my first paragraph at least. I don’t have one. I haven’t been looking at quotes for a few weeks. I have at least two days to find the quotes I want for next week. I think they should be overall themed but not feeling it yet. I think of myself as a borderline insomniac. My definition is that I can sleep, when I do sleep, and it is really easy to be up all night. Especially when I am doing something  I like. I was reading some guilty pleasure books. Which is embarrassing because I did tell myself I would start reading more edifying books.   As time moves on, sometimes I get that feeling that I am getting dumb.  It is partly my fault I do actively ignore current events and the state of world whenever I can.   Having the knowledge that the government in power has no concern for the people, they claim to respect and protect, is off putting at best, disastrous at worst.  It is another horrifying fear, that must be dealt with daily. 

I wish I could write this more eloquently on this topic, but I believe that there are many people on the internet doing just that.  I can only comment on how it is affecting me, personally.  I don’t consider other alternatives and therefore I manage. 

I don’t remember if I wrote it in essay #7 or not but I signed in for Camp Nanowrimo.  I borrowed the banner from the website.  It is the third week. I want to be positive about my writing, but it is difficult.  In the past, I would be more upset with my process.  I have a conflict issue in the story. It is hindering the narrative.  I should probably leave it alone and move to another section of the story, but I keep poking at it and coming up with nothing.  The experts I have listened to or read in the past are shaking their heads at my stubbornness.  My goal for camp was 30,000 words.  The story is supposed to be part of an anthology I want to put together.   I’m afraid it is possible the story is under-developed.  

This is one of my many writing dilemmas.    If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.

January 2019 the next five

Be Yourself, everyone else is taken 

Oscar Wilde

 A new week, another journal entry mashup.   It is possible that in February, I will do something different with these prompts.  I don’t know yet.   The week is getting busy and I almost forgot about this goal.  Here’s to keeping up resolutions.

1. A trip you want to take this year
In October a colleague and I will be going to Miami, Florida for the West Indian Carnival. We will most likely all play mas because that was the plan. The trip I am looking forward to is all in my hometown. My plan to is to visit the New York City Museums. One or two from every borough. I have been inspired by the Art Assignment on YouTube.

2. Your top three priorities
1. Complete then edit the short story Punch. Develop the short story Idle Hands. Continue to work on another story with the working title called the Returner.
2. Podcast – work on the Red Mushroom Podcast; it is a dream and near creative goal to have a podcast. The episodes will be about writing and the writing business.
3. Maintain this blog with at least a weekly post.

3. A list of places you have visited Places I have been to London, England; New Amsterdam, Guyana South America, and Mount Pleasant, Trinidad and Tobago.
All these visits occurred years ago. The England trip is over 10 years old. The Trinidad and Tobago trip, happed when I was a small kid. The most recent was New Amsterdam Guyana but at least 4 years ago. I went down to Guyana with my mom.  It is her birth country.  The last time I visited Guyana, I was a small kid. It was interesting because it was December and there were all kinds of Christmas decorations in 80-degree weather. It is probably normal for people who live in warmer climates in the United States. Since I am from the Northeast, when there used to be snow in December, it felt a little strange.  Like a Christmas in July advertisement.  The trip was a special one of the last things I did with my mom.  I didn’t stay longer than  7 days and I always regretted that I didn’t call my job and tell them I was stuck in a foreign country.

 

4. Do your actions match your words?
I am making an effort with these journal entry mashups. There is so much going on in the world. Answers to these questions seem like the most trivial. I’m doing them because I need to write. Sometimes writing is difficult. A journal prompt can help the mind focus.

The podcast is still in the developing stages. It always feels like two steps forward five steps back with the Red Mushroom. I want to blame the outside world but I know the buck stops with me. I have yet to control my creative life and everything else, because of this imbalance, I either get too much done – burst of creativity or too little done – blocked days or hours. It can be frustrating. If my day is pie, where are the slices going? I might have  an answer in a future entry

In the previous entry, I wrote that I have an exercise routine, I should perform at 6 days a week for 30 minutes. I have only been able to do that twice. Becoming healthy is important for me. I don’t work hard on it enough. I think if I write it here. I might feel a little guilty and produce positive results.

5. One thing you learned about yourself last year.
Last year I realized I don’t value my time enough. I am always willing to give my time to others for their purposes. However when I want to use my time for my own tasks. They are not given any regard. One of my many goals for this year is to value my time. It is the reason I am taking the time to write this entry. I know that I am the one who will have to put my foot down for my projects. Some people are going to have to get used to hearing the word no. For the sake of my precious time, I am going to have to limit by binge time. I will have to do an essay on that as well in the future.

 

In conclusion, I encourage anyone who reads this to take one of these or all of the prompts, think about your life and what is going on and answer them.  The results are always surprising.

 

End.