Filed under: creativity, storytime, Writing | Tags: creativity, storytime, typing, writing
One place I know very well is the keyboard.
Not entirely sure what was driving me, but I just knew I wanted to be excellent at typing. All in all, I was a little obsessive with knowing the keyboard inside and out; it was my favorite class for that semester in middle school. It felt easy, but still like a challenge that I knew I could master. Something I knew I could be efficient in. (Do I sound like a projector yet?)
How funny is it that now I find such solace in closing my eyes and let my fingers fly over the keyboard, not having to look down. Knowing instinctually when I make a mistake, and my little right pinkie knows exactly where to pop out for the backspace button so I can keep going without missing a wink.
(Not to say I don’t make mistakes when I’m typing, but they are often minimal. Still proofreading this piece!)
And I just realized… my playing field is the keyboard. I love to play here, whether or not I’m looking at it. I can watch the TV and keep typing without having to look at down. Or, like I said before, close my eyes and tune in and see what wants to come through them… My fingers know exactly where to sit so I can hit any key I need to from any point.
And being able to type without looking is so helpful for automatic, channeled writing (how this post started!)… That way I just let the words flow without having to worry about where the keys are on the keypads. I just know, my fingers know—it’s practically second nature to me. So, I’m really grateful to my younger self who found such passion and pleasure in mastering something that would serve her for her entire life…
Aside from choir and theater, my computer classes were my favorite. I loved creating things on computers: I loved writing, especially. I spent my free time writing books on my dads’ computers. Then I learned to and loved building websites. I loved coding. I loved making graphics.
Truthfully, I should change that to LOVE because I still love doing these things, and more—where knowing the keyboard landscape further serves me. And those I work with for that matter!
Somehow this is what’s magical to me right now.
And why is this playing field making itself known now?
Perhaps it’s because I’ve been watching a bit of Grey’s Anatomy this week as my recent obsession with Shonda Rhimes has taken root, and I wanted to see her work at work. Which has been very fun from a writer’s perspective.
And an epsiode I watched, one from the first season when Meredith is wondering if she’s cut out for the job as a surgeon… And she ends the episode talking about how she “loves the playing field”.
And it came to me… This is my playing field. Having a keyboard and a computer in front of my to fill the page with words, stories, pretty photos, or graphics. This is my playing field and I love it. And the thing is, it’s not my only playing field, because I also have my imagination as well…
But this is the playing field that helps me to concretize the playing field of my imagination into something real. Something I can save or print or share online. That’s pretty cool!
While I love writing long hand, especially for journaling… Something about typing on a computer keyboard just brings me peace. Doesn’t even matter what I’m writing.
Because it all feels like play to me. When I’m writing my novels, blogs, or even social posts for my business, something about writing on a keyboard is endlessly fun to me. It’s not so much about crafting the perfect sentence or using big or extravagant words… Just the act of putting words on the page through my fingers. I love it.
Maybe this is why the blank page never frightened me. One of the biggest blocks and fears for many writers is the blank page… but for me, I can look at that page and see possibilities instead, and my fingers itch above the keyboard just to add something to it.
When you know something that well… it’s easier to play in it—to explore and experiment. What a delight that is!
What is it you’ve mastered that’s changed or served your life in ways you couldn’t anticipate? What is your “field” for your work, and how can you see it more as a place of play than just a place to do the work?
No matter what work you do, if you can look at the work through a lens of play…
You win.
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Filed under: storytime, Writing | Tags: creativity, do what you love, expectations, writing
Did I tell you I’m writing a book?
It’s a story that’s been brewing within me since high school, but somehow now is the time that it feels right to get it all fleshed out. It’s taking directions I don’t think I was expecting when I first started envisioning it 15 years ago, and I find that exciting. I have a general map of where it’s going but also releasing the reins to see how the story wants to be told…
I’ve always loved writing. As a little kid, I was the kid sitting in the shadows of the big brick building, notebook in hand and just jotting down story ideas as they came to me. I can’t count how many stories I’ve written, but just writing stories alone has always felt natural—creating characters and new worlds to explore as I wrote them down.
It came as no surprise when a healer in NYC told me that my sacral chakra was thumping and bumping with stories that wanted to be born, like warriors yearning to burst through into the world.
When the pandemic began, it felt important to return to my creative writing practice. As something to create, keep myself engaged, and to give myself permission to work on something I really wanted to work on.
My mermaid novel, the one I’m presently working on, practically danced onto the stage of my mind and said, “It’s my turn!”
While I previously self-published my first novel in 2015, I cannot say I have any expectations for this mermaid book… Kind of like I have no expectations as for how the nitty-gritties of the storyline will work out, as I let the inspirations come as I go. I’m typically a pantser (writing by the seat of your pants, a NaNoWriMo term), not a plotter, though I do believe an outline can be helpful. I don’t know what I’m going to do with this book yet, how I want it to be published, if I want to go self-publishing again, or if I think I’d like to shop it to agents or to a traditional publishing house.
I’m finding that I love just being in the process of writing it, without any expectation of what will come of it once the book is fully written—though I can already tell it’s a book of epic proportions. Somehow, this book has been transforming into an epic environmentalist fantasy mermaid rescue tale (or tail?), and it’s quite a thrill of a ride to see how it all unfolds.
Which leads me to what I’m musing on today…
Expectations.
Where, how, and why we have them, and how they ultimately serve us and our creativity. Particularly in regards to our dreams or what we want to accomplish.
This morning, in my reading time, I kept coming across the idea that God/the Universe/Source experiences life and itself through us as human beings. That expectations can get in the way of truly experiencing life to the fullest and essentially separates us from what IS by focusing on the future rather than the present. It does harken back to the whole “focus on the journey, not the end result” concept. How you can never truly know how something will work out and how expectations can set you up for disappointment, resentment, or even anger. (From Conversations with God, Vol. I)
The idea of releasing expectations to allow yourself to immerse into the experience you feel inspired to take, from my understanding, is how things can turn out even more magical than you plan for. Allowing yourself to do something for the joy and pleasure of it without having to think about the end result can open up universal possibilities to fill in the gaps and create something more than you imagine.
Why not take a passionate step forward even if you can’t see the way ahead
or what’s at the end of the road?
Why not enjoy the journey toward something you want,
but also allow yourself to be open to something even greater if you take inspired action?
Life wants to be fulfilled through us. Life yearns to be experienced just as we as humans yearn to experience life. If we put expectations on everything that will happen to us or how things will turn out, we could cut ourselves off from the universal flow that wants to work with us. We cut ourselves off by focusing on the future outcomes rather than staying present in the moment to our needs and inspirations as they come.
By staying open, by releasing attachment to outcomes or results, we open the doors to be surprised by life, by the universe, by the greater power present in every creation in this world…
So, I invite you to take a look at where you may be harboring expectations when it comes to your dreams, how you can release your hold on them, and how you can start taking inspired action just because that’s what feels right to you in the present moment.
Do something just to do it, because you love it. Not because it will get you something, somewhere, or someone. Focus on how it feels to do it in the moment so you can carry that feeling with you—because, ultimately, it’s the feeling of what we desire that we are chasing.
Stay present. Take a breath. Release expectations for how it will go or end.
And go write that book.* Just to do it.
***
* – Or any other activity you feel lit up by. ;)
As a writer, I’ve been through the editorial process with my own editor (and plan to again—even editors have editors). It’s not as scary as you might think! I credit my editor with helping my story to truly come out how it was meant to… And I want to help you do that too!
If you’re in the market for an editor who also knows what it’s like to be in the writer’s shoes (thus knows how to make it more fun and easeful), check out my editorial services here. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Filed under: A Little Me, Health, Music, On Stage, Updates, Writing | Tags: baby steps, brandgasm, Goals, guitar, music, novel, patience, song, Song Writing, whole30, writing
January
Goal
- Completing the Whole30. — DONE and documented. Now eating that way about 75% of the time.
What else happened
- Auditioned for Les Miserables at Pioneer Theatre–not cast but that’s okay.
- Rehearsals for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
- Looked for a place to live and found one!
- Wrote my first freelance article for a magazine (wasn’t a goal, but it’s a step in another direction I’m tackling!).
February/March
Goal
- Edit my NaNoWriMo Novel and polish up the ending. — Got through one read-through and copyediting… nothing as far as really editing things that need to be added/changed.
What else happened
- Joseph: Rehearsals in February and performances in March.
- Moved into my new apartment.
Here’s where I need to start making adjustments.
So I have a confession. I want to do all the things! Things like:
- Start a side-business for copywriting and voice-over work.
- Finish writing and editing all of my novels so I can publish them.
- Compose and write more music for an album/EP.
All this along with being able to work out down in the fitness center at my new apartment complex, keep a sane head at work and start auditioning for shows again by May or June. Joseph just ended and girl needs a good break.
#AllTheHairspray Update: Ended up only using 2 bottles of hairspray during the course of the show. Finished the second bottle on closing night oddly enough. I need to go track down who guessed closest so I can send them a nifty giftcard!
But if there’s anything I’ve learned over the past few months is that you have to plan and that you have to take small steps to make big things possible. So I’m going to take a few “baby steps” in the next couple of months to get where I want to be.
Having a major Brandgasm between April 12 & May 31 to learn the tricks of the trade for good design/copy to make an effective business (step toward first bullet).
Learning to play guitar starting April 22 for six weeks (from Berklee College of Music, no less). Have you ever heard of Coursera? Because seriously… it’s awesome. Legit universities offering free online classes spanning hundreds of topics? Yes, please (a good step to have in pursuing third bullet)!
A reassessment of spirituality. This is more of a personal thing that I might go more into later. I’ve just been in a weird funk since this time last year, and it’s time that I address it. Gotsta figure out what I need to have a spiritual balance.
As far as music goes, my first goal that I want to do is turn Kellie Elmore’s poem “The Sweetest Thing” into an acoustic song with the piano. It’s rare that I read something and instead of reading it straight, my mind hums a melody with it… and she said I could. :)
Oh, and sleep. I’ve lacked a lot of that lately and that needs to be fixed too.
While focusing on those things, the novels will have to be put on hold unless I find a moment where I simply must work on them. Sigh.
Man, I knew I’d have to revamp my goals… but now it feels like a complete overhaul into taking baby steps. Which I will have to do again once my guitar and Brandgasm courses are done. You’d think planning baby steps wouldn’t be so daunting, but it’s a little scary to think… “I can actually do these little things… then I may actually reach that dream that I’ve always wanted to do!” A little scary, thrilling and all-together awesome.
I guess that’s why they say patience is a virtue.
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Filed under: A Little Me, Futuristic Musings, Health, Music, NaNoWriMo, On Stage, Plays/Musicals, Song Writing, Writing | Tags: 13, 2013, audition, Goals, music, musical, novel, Singing, writing
Did you know my favorite number is 13?
I was born on October 13, which is also known as International Skeptics Day, though I’ve never tossed salt over my shoulder on the very rare occasion that I’ve spilt salt. So there’s that and then there’s the fact that I’ve never had a negative experience surrounding the number 13–generally things are good.
And now I have a feeling that 2013 is setting up to be the year to beat. I’m going to make it that way.
In mapping out my goals and things I want to accomplish this coming year, I decided to break them into monthly pieces for the most part. In 2012, I found that the monthly projects I did turned out better than other things (such as VEDA and NaNoWriMo). And I feel like my motivation to make everything come to fruition keeps increasing the more I do.
So here are the goals and goings-on for this year! I’m keeping everything fairly flexible since things can change (namely due to possible auditions), but here’s a good idea of what I’d like to accomplish in the first few months.
January
Goal
- Completing the Whole30.
The why: I’m generally a healthy person, but I really want to see how different foods affect me and if eliminating certain food groups will optimize my body’s functions. So starting today, January 2, I’m doing the Whole30. I’ve been easing my way into the habits and meals I’ll be eating so it’s not a complete shock to my system. And if my body functions better (sleeping better, more energy, etc), I will likely continue and perhaps slowly reintroduce the food groups I cut out to see if I can handle them. Anyone else want to join me in doing this?
Goings-On
- Audition for Les Miserables at Pioneer Theatre.
- Rehearsals for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
- Making sure I have a place to move into when my lease is up.
February/March
Goal
- Edit my NaNoWriMo Novel and polish up the ending.
The why: Because you can’t complete National Novel Writing Month and do nothing with the 50K+ words that you wrote for it. I want to prepare it for trial readers and perhaps publishing if it is well received. This will be my first round of edits and hope to have a decent second draft by the end of March (since rehearsals will be insane).
Goings-On
- Joseph: Rehearsals in February and performances in March.
- Moving into a new place March 1–should be a ball.
- Audition for Ragtime at Hale Centre Theatre, March 16.
April
Goal(s)
- Participate in VEDA again.
The why: Because I loved the experience last year and I feel like vlogging really lights a flame under my butt to do something more (well, it did last August). - Finish up my website portal.
The why: I’ve been in the process of building a website for my music/performing purposes and also a website to be a spot for my writing (since I hope to turn both into a source of income in the near future). And because they are separate facets in my life, they need different zones on the web. They will still be connected–not like I have two identities–just separate. It makes sense in my head.
Goings-On
- Hard to know yet! Fingers crossed for Les Miserables rehearsals though. If not, then I’d want to just focus on my music or a third draft of my NaNoWriMo novel while I can!
May
Goal
- Lay down and record at least 2-3 songs for my EP.
The why: Because I want to produce my own CD with my own music, and releasing my single in December has me raring to make more. And I just got an interface to connect my keyboard with my computer (a happy christmas to myself) so… magic may be going down before April. That’s just my goal month to have a couple songs done and ready to master. ;)
Goings-On
- The final BiSC! Sad, but I’m so totally stoked for it. I know there will be people I already know and love and new people to greet with monstrous bear hugs.
* * *
And BiSC seems like a good spot to end this list for now. ;)
Since I won’t know if I’ll be cast in a show that I’m planning on auditioning for yet (like Les Mis or Ragtime), so it’s hard to set goals without really knowing what kind of time I have to dedicate to them after the April/May marker. That will be a time to reassess what goals would be manageable with whatever time I do have.
But did you think I was done? NOPE! I have a handful of other non-time-sensitive (NTS) goals too.
NTS Goals:
- Once my 365 over at Something Write is done, I’d like to continue a similar pattern but less strict, but with 5 creative pieces a week.
- Blog here at MikShorty 3-4 times a month, or once a week. I think consistency would be better here.
- Trim out non-essentials in my life. This can include: unfollow/unfriend people who I no longer feel are a part of my life (had some major WTF moments going through my FB friends last week),
- Get in a work out at least 4 days a week, even if just for 15 minutes (dancing for shows is only partial credit, haha). I’m playing on Fitocracy if anyone cares to join!
- Have at least one day a month unconnected. A whole weekend if possible (no computer, iPad, and only answering phone calls/texts as required).
And that’s pretty much it for now! Looking forward to an amazing year!
So what are your goals for 2013?
What do you want to achieve?
And would you like to join me in any of the above? ;)
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Filed under: A Little Me, Blips, Dreams, Imagine, Music, NaNoWriMo, On Stage, Plays/Musicals, Remembering, Singing, Song Writing, Try, Writing | Tags: 2012, audition, fiction, hes not there, mikael short, music, nanowrimo, performing, recap, reflecting, Singing, single release, Song Writing, theatre, writing
Can you believe 2012 is almost over? I know for sure that I can barely believe it. Each year passes and I feel like more and more happens each time a New Year comes around.
Memo to Father Time: SLOW DOWN! A girl needs a chance to figure out what’s going on before she can go forward!
For me, 2012 turned out to be the year of picking passions, finding what those passions truly are and getting out of my shell to go after them. Inspired by one of my blog crushes, here is my “Eff Yeah!” list for 2012 in a reflection of what’s happened:
I started the year with four part-time jobs: Production/Social Media Intern at PCTV, Production Assistant at ABC 4 News, Communications Intern at the Salt Lake Chamber and I held down my monthly newsletter gig at Sinclair Oil Corporation. It’s okay my romantic life was in complete shambles because I had all of these to keep me completely occupied and distracted for nearly 70 hours a week in five days. And then spending every available moment with friends. And I effing owned all of my part-time jobs–to the point where PCTV and ABC 4 were both sad to lose me. One to the end of the internship, the other because I felt restricted in following my performing passions.
Performing totally trumps TV aspirations. They came first and I love it more, just saying. There are other ways I can do what I love without working in the news biz.
So I started auditioning at Hale Centre Theatre for every single show after I quit at the news station. It’s my “big fish” theatre. I will perform there one day. My time just hasn’t come yet.
In July, I was promoted to Communications Coordinator at the Chamber, and I’m still thrilled about it. My job is so much fun! It’s all writing, editing, research, social media, building websites and emails, and–get this–a magazine. Cool, right? Plus, it’s all deadlines and we all know how much I heart those. I work with some incredible people, and that never hurts either. It’s just a good gig all around.
Thanks to that promotion, and the kick-in-the-pants motivation that participating in VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) gave me, I knuckled down in finding my own place. As luck would have it, I managed to rent the second master suite in a gorgeous town home from a super chill girl for six months (in my third currently). Moving out of my parents house is most definitely an “eff yeah” moment! Now I’m looking forward to having my own place in 2013!
As far as virtual life goes, I’m nearly done with my 365 days over at Something Write (will wrap up just after the New Year, but will likely continue to post something on there every day–I like it), I completed VEDA in August, and finished over 51,000 words of my dragon novel for NaNoWriMo. I’m a winner! :)
And then music? It’s gone better than getting into a show… I’ve been working more on the music aspect rather than lyrics, so I’ve laid down or composed more music for a handful of songs in the works. Just a couple of weeks ago, my single “He’s Not There” was released on practically all of the music distribution sites you can think of, like iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon MP3, Spotify, etc. It’s pretty rad. Go have a listen! :D
Along the lines of that, I also started a new “performing” website for myself. It’s going to be one of a couple that I will go into more detail on in my next post. ;)
To cap off several auditions at Hale, I finally decided to start auditioning for other theaters back in October. Figured it would be good experience and odds weren’t bad that I could get cast in other theaters (breaking into Hale is a bee-yotch even when you know someone in management)–because hey! I’m pretty talented and I know it (cue LMFAO dance). And now I’ve been cast in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, to show in March! Auditions can pay off if you stick with it and keep trying!
Even though things got rough when my step-sister passed away last month, that encouraged me to do everything I want to do as soon as I can do it, and also to give and share as much as possible… because you really never know when your time will be up. It was hard on Christmas Day when I realized I wouldn’t hear her voice again. Though we did have our differences, she was an incredible, intelligent and very caring woman.
Other “Eff Yeah!” moments:
- Having the most awesome friends a girl could ask for. The Amazeballs Trio–any moment with them qualifies as an “Eff Yeah!” moment.
- Reaching 500 subscribers on YouTube.
- Nabbing the Booty Shaking title at the Flamingo Pool in Las Vegas over BiSC.
- Participating in The Middle Finger Project‘s Copywriting Workshop over the summer and learned a ton.
- Watching all three seasons of Vampire Diaries in less than one month. Yes, that is so an accomplishment.
- Surviving a potential bomb situation.
- Getting over my unicorn.
- Conquering the Adventure Rope Courses at the Utah Olympic Park.
- Our CEO liking the speech script I wrote, and also immediately signing off on my text for our holiday card–aka: rocking my job. Booyah!
- Learning to cook!
- Managing to leave an imprint of my sweaty boobs on my friend’s TV. It was epic.
- Trying new restaurants, foods and flavors and enjoying it. For someone who used to only eat ramen and mac & cheese as a kid, this has been quite the endeavor.
- Learning how to properly uncork a wine bottle.
- Reading over 20 books this entire year.
And I kind of feel like I’m a master now. Can I have a badge?
Up next: I’m mapping out my goals for 2013. And I have plenty! You should join me for some. ;)
Who’s ready for an amazing 2013? And what was your favorite thing about 2012?
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Filed under: A Little Me, Good Things, Happy Dance Time, Magic, On Stage, Singing, Song Writing, Updates | Tags: cd baby, centerpoint theatre, diy daily, diy musician, do what you love, hes not there, itunes, joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat, nanowrimo, new single, new song, song on itunes, songwriting, spotify, thorny bleeder, writing, wrote a novel
So a MAJOR update is needed (Blips of November is still in the works–I know, I’m way behind. Busy time, I tell ya).
Things have been crazy busy, but a crap load has happened and nearly all of it has been good.
And I mean so good that I feel like I need to scream it all from the mountain tops.
Photo from gtall1 on Flickr
Yeah, that good.
So here’s what’s up:
This year, I’ve realized that if I want anything to come of music and performing, I have to do something about it instead of waiting for someone to just pluck me out of obscurity (which, even now, probably isn’t that likely). So I’ve been auditioning at Hale Centre Theatre (my big fish), and even started expanding outwards to other community theaters I’d heard good reviews of.
None of them had panned out how I wanted.
And when I didn’t get called back for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in November, I was crushed. It was already a hard time as it was so it’s safe to say that it was one of my lowest points this year (and that’s saying something). So I messaged the director to figure out what I need to be doing to make my auditions better and I got some great advice from him. And it’s from that advice that I got it in me that, even though I’ve been auditioning for a year without a role, I still don’t have to give up.
In my mind, I figured that all these failed auditions were leading up to something great, that they had to be not following through because the cosmos had something better in store for me. Because of that, I couldn’t just lay back and do nothing despite that being all I wanted to do.
And now that maybe true… something better is coming.
NUMERO UNO – Thanks to one of my fave email newsletters, The DIY Daily, I discovered CD Baby. I signed up at the beginning of this month, thinking this could be my chance to take my music into my own hands and start selling it. Within 12 hours of submitting my first completely finished song, the magic happened.
And now my single “He’s Not There” is now available on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify, CD Baby and host of other music distribution websites. AMAZING, RIGHT? My excitement over that has been through the roof. When you add the fact that I have amazing friends and family who either bought it and/or spread the word about it, you can pretty much picture me doing this all over the place:
All the happiness!
So a large thank you and a billion bear hugs go out to everyone who has listened/bought/shared my single. Feel free to continue to do so. ;)
PS before I move on: Working on more songs as we speak! Hopefully I will have a handful of songs done in the spring ready for an EP. That’s my goal for when I’m not working on numero dos (see below).
NUMERO DOS – I’ve just been cast in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre as a Wife in the M/W/F cast! Whose wife yet, I don’t know. The first cast meeting this weekend ought to shed some light on that. It performs throughout the entire month of March! PSYCH! Cannot even express my excitement at this point.
So not only is my music starting to get out to a broader audience, but I’m going to be in a musical too! Because of this, I’ve also revamped my website.
Not to mention the fact that I totally hit over 51,000 words for NaNoWriMo for November.
ALL THE GOOD THINGS.
Is it safe to say that success is mine now? All the things I love compiled into three weeks of amaze-ball-ness? AMAZEBALLS! It goes to show that perseverance and determination can really pay off. And working your ass off doesn’t hurt either. Well, it might, but it’s worth it.
I mean, really?
HOT DAMN! I’M ON iTUNES! Buy my song here!
Okay, there’s my excitement quota for the year. I’m finding my stage, both musically and writing-ly. So find your stage and rock it, okay? That’s what this life is for. Life’s too short to not be doing what you love.
What are YOU excited about? :)
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Filed under: Family, NaNoWriMo, Updates, Writing | Tags: bucket list, don't give up, donation, donation day, give back, nanowrimo, national novel writing month, writing
Well, first off, today is Donation Day for National Novel Writing Month. I’m all for inspiring students to be creative and I’m feeling particularly generous–so I donated 17 bucks (my average word count per day is just below that–I figured it would be a good number) and got this cool badge. :)
As much as I would like to say that NaNoWriMo has been easy, it hasn’t been. The first week was cake–I got ahead in my word count goals and was well on my way to the 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. The first weekend was even more amazeballs because I met with my local NaNo writing group, and made some awesome new friends.
But last week, something threw an unexpected hitch in my month and it’s been a struggle ever since.
My step-sister Joana passed away last week. It’s been hard to accept because she was so young (43), but it gets a little easier each day. Last week though, I didn’t feel like doing much at all. Apparently that’s acceptable behavior when grieving. It was hard and there wasn’t a day at work that I didn’t cry at least once. One of the days I actually locked myself in a closet for a half hour so no one would see me cry.
I did write, but I just barely made it by with the recommended daily word amount (1,667). This made me extremely glad that I was ahead of my goals at the beginning of the month or else I’d be super behind now.
Now, on top of insanity at work (a billion things going on!), I’m putting together the memorial video for my sister (the memorial is this weekend) and continuing on my trek with NaNoWriMo (I have over 23,000 words; there’s no way I’m quitting now). Tough month? You bet.
If there’s one thing that my sister’s death has taught me is that you never know when your time will be up. Many of her students at AUAF (American University of Afghanistan) have come forward in the past week to share how big of an impact she had on them, saying what a great teacher and friend she was. Those posts on FB make my heart ache. She should still be here, sharing her wisdom with her many students and doing something amazing with the Ph.D. that she just earned this year.
Consider my donation to NaNoWriMo as a tribute of sorts to my sister… she made a lasting impact on her students. Here’s $17 dollars–maybe I can make a difference for some young creatives as well.
If you want to do something, then you have to do it when you intend to because if you don’t… it likely won’t get done. That’s why I’m not quitting NaNoWriMo–I need to finish my novel. That’s on my bucket list. Then I’m tackling other things on that list, like moving to London as soon as my car lease is up.
Life is short. Live by passion. Live by service. Live by what you believe. Love with all you have. And don’t give up on anything you care about.
Here’s to not giving up & giving back when and where you can.
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Filed under: Flash Fiction Thursday, Stories, Try, Writing | Tags: acorn, fiction, flash fiction, literature, luck, story, stubborn, writing
When it comes to my WIP’s (works-in-progress), I usually stick with an idea long enough to get about 10,000 words and then a different idea distracts me. I’m trying to break this habit and I’m actually focusing on one story. I really hope I can see it through until the end. Here is a scene that I’ve been dying to write but haven’t reached yet in my story… “Acorns” isn’t the working title for the WIP but it works for this scene. Here’s the dialogue though, as I saw on a fellow writer’s blog a couple of weeks ago. It looked like a good exercise to me. Now, allow me to introduce… Asher and Thora.
* * *
“Did you know acorns can bring you luck?”
“Who’s there?”
“Haven’t seen you around these parts before.”
“Who says I want to be seen by you?”
“Ouch… Pendergraff is your name, isn’t it?”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because they are the only other people at the park and you showed up with them.”
“Have you been spying on me?”
“Are you ever going to stop asking questions and just answer me?”
“I’m no Pendergraff, but I’m staying with them… what’s it to you anyway?”
“Only curious. You’re new. New things intrigue me. Did you know that hair as curly as yours is most prone to frizz?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my hair!”
“I’m just saying!”
“Well, what makes you think I want to know anyway?”
“You’re a curious person. I can tell. You look at the Pendergraff’s as though you want something of theirs but I can’t figure out what it is.”
“Shut up.”
“So I’m right?”
“No!”
“Stubbornness won’t get you anywhere, you know?”
“Well, it’s worked for me the past sixteen years of my life, all right?”
“More like fifteen since most people don’t start talking until they’re a year old.”
“I know that. I’m seventeen. Almost eighteen.”
“Hey, our ages are fairly close. So now that you’ve told me your age, why don’t you tell me your name?”
“Well, why don’t you… oh, I don’t know… buzz off?!”
“I’ll take what I can get, I guess. I’ll weasel it out of you eventually.”
“That’s if you see me again, Creeper.”
“No promises. See you later, Almost Eighteen. You might want to hold onto that acorn though. A thunderstorm is coming tonight.”
* * *
Have a great Thursday everyone!
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Filed under: Flash Fiction Thursday, Imagine, Stories, Writing | Tags: blogging, blood, flash fiction, heart, story, virus, writing
Cisandra won’t leave me alone. She’s been on my mind ever for the past 2 years. It started with research on blood types, heart conditions, and genetic diseases, which inspired a story about a boy… and somehow she ended up being in the middle of it which led to a whole new venture completely. What I love is that I know almost her entire past… but absolutely none of her future. She won’t tell me yet but she’s left hints. It scares me. So here’s a bit of Cisandra.
Breathe… whew. First day in school in over five years. There was no way I could feel more nervous. Nineteen and in high school for the first time. Well, the school didn’t need to know that. As far as they were concerned, I was an 18-year old senior intending to graduate at the end of the year. Wanting to complete my education certainly came with it’s costs after my dark years of not being able to attend school. Lying was one of the costs. Clenched in fists, my hands trembled my desk as my new classmates filled in.
“Try to avoid other students if you can,” my Uncle told me that morning. The other students seemed to make a impenetrable bubble around me as if they knew my secret. Mr. Grisham seemed nice enough, though he seemed as nervous as I. He was sweating the way I would be if I could sweat at all.
Wait a second. An abrupt heartbeat is somewhere among these kids. As if there was something stuck in their heart trying to stop it from beating. Could it be another one? I couldn’t bring myself to turn to look at the class yet. There was no way there could be one here. Uncle Garrison said he was the only known carrier in the state.
“Class, we have a new student I would like to introduce you to,” Mr. Grisham said, clearly choking on his words. Why would he be nervous? I’m certain I was the only one who had good reason to be. “Miss…” he started. Oh, here we go again. Who wants to bet on my mother’s grave that he will pronounce my name wrong?
“Cassandra?” he asked, looking at me in the eyes with genuine interest. I smiled sweetly and told him the correct pronunciation.
“Cisandra… The C is soft like an S.”
Mr. Grisham’s face flushed red, and I felt my stomach squirm. Oh, God, please not now. He may not be what I most craved, but he could easily satisfy… at least for a little while.
I wiped my face clean of any agony before turning towards the class to wave to everyone. Maybe someone will want to help me get acquainted with the high school scene. The couple girls that actually managed to make it into a Calculus class wore glasses and directly avoided looking at me. Maybe one smiled out of curiosity. In the back of the room, there were about six boys with maroon jackets on. One of them gave me an approving nod and an eyebrow lift as the others sniggered behind their hands. As my gaze crossed the room to see a guy in front of the boys with black hair, my eyes started to swell.
Quickly, I averted my eyes down to the bright red cast he was resting on his desk to avoid his eye. Oh, Jesus. It’s him. Now that I could center in on each person’s location, the erratic and abrupt heartbeat was coming from his chest. Although I was not looking directly in his eyes, I could tell they were puzzled. Did he feel the difference in his eyes too when he looked at me?
How could this be? I was told Portland was clean of people like me, except my Uncle who was only a carrier. Then again, this boy seemed to fit many characteristics. People avoided him. That was clear by the way no one sat on either side or directly in front of or behind him. Just like me. The fair tone of his skin nearly matched mine. His highly audible (to me anyway) and abnormal heart beat plus the cast encasing his arm was a clear indication to me that the Virus had not taken hold yet but had tried to recently. And his scent slowly started to become apparent, seeping through the atmosphere slowly like a gas. My mouth watered hungrily.
Leaving the Panhandle for Portland was supposed to take me away from people like me so my addiction could abate. And here… here was someone who was either doomed to die or doomed to change. Either way, there was little chance of his survival. He was nearly too old, too strong for the Virus to take hold easily. If the Virus didn’t kill him in his transition, then who is to say that I wouldn’t finish the job after he became like me?
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Filed under: Flash Fiction Thursday, Sessual Side, Stories, Try, Writing | Tags: cheating, flash fiction, infidelity, romance, story, writing
Here’s me just winging it and writing what came to me. I’m thinking this genre or something along these lines is my calling… I’m curious to see if people think I could pull off something like this or not. Haha! Enjoy!
A warm hand curled around Rachel’s stomach, trailing across her rib cage, exploring the contours of the dip in her waist, and occasionally massaging pressure points along her collarbone and neck. Her wavy blonde hair was stroked aside exposing the left side of her neck. He continued to move his hands over her as though she were a nearly finished sculpture, smoothing out the edges.
At certain moments, it were as though he were trying to draw her closer to him by lightly tugging at her hips. She felt herself pull inward but at the same time, her body gravitated towards the hot, solid chest laying directly behind her.
Then there was his lips. They were almost expected. They pressed gently against her neck and she was sure his breath would leave visible marks with the way they scorched her. Branding her as though she wouldn’t be able to deny what she was doing at a later moment. Branding her incapable of justifying herself.
Then her conscience kicked in.
“You’re pushing it,” she said, snapping her eyes open, trying to pull away but the sexual chemistry between the two of them was unbearably undeniable. It had been since they first met a month before. Her self-control was being pulled to a thin wire. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
“Pushing what?” he whispered against her neck before kissing it a few more times.
“I’m still technically with someone. I haven’t broken it off with David yet.”
She was planning on telling him they were over within the next 24 hours. He slept with someone else. He broke any chance of her trusting him. And now the guy that her soon-to-be-ex said he explicitly hated was behind her, his roaming hands treating her to simple weaknesses David never really bothered to exploit. Like the breath on her neck or the gentle caresses on her belly.
The warm chest vanished from behind her and his hands rolled her over to look him. His lips were like a bow, soft with delicious curves. They stood out next his hard-lined jaw and pronounced cheek bones. He was, as she bit her lip in guilt thinking it, far too attractive to be lying beside her so closely. “You call that a someone?” he asked as he lowered himself to kiss her shoulder.
“Yes. Technically. I’m not a cheater. I don’t want to be like him.” She said firmly, finally willing herself away from him.
“This isn’t cheating,” he said before quickly pecking her mouth, which was slightly open so he kissed her teeth. It was awkward, short, and very unexpected. She gasped but couldn’t jerk her head away as her head was laying flat on a pillow.
“You did not!” she shot at him. But now his hands held her in place. She couldn’t move. She wasn’t a cheater. She would not be that girl.
“I did,” and he went in again. She had wanted to kiss him, but not like this. She wanted it to be after she broke up with David. After a preferable rebound too. She wanted to feel his mouth mold to hers slowly, softly, perhaps even hesitantly. Not these short abrupt pecks that probably meant nothing. Remaining still, Rachel did not reciprocate his advances, if that’s what you would call them. If she didn’t give in, she wasn’t cheating. When he pulled away, she rolled over, her back to him. And his hands returned to rubbing her back and neck.
“So what constitutes cheating for you, then? Huh?” she asked after a few moments silence, shifting back to lay on her left side in order to see him. He hesitated before answering.
“This probably would count as cheating actually.”
“My thoughts exactly,” she said before rolling back over once more. Her stomach squirmed and she crossed her arms upward in front of her, creating a cage around where her throbbing heart was. He sighed.
“Man,” he paused, “I’m sorry I made you feel like you were cheating on him. I didn’t mean to. You’re not a cheater at all. This is all me. It’s hard to control myself.”
“Try.” The coldness in her tone seemed to freeze the room.
MikShorty 
