Your Story

How do you write?

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How do you write?

Do you draft by typing or writing longhand?

I must admit that for me, it depends on what I’m writing.

If I’m at work, I usually draft on the computer – by typing. But if I am trying to create something new, or if there is something I really need to think about… then I prefer to write longhand.

This morning I tried out the OCR features of my Jetpack app on my tablet to see if that was a viable option for drafting posts.

It wouldn’t upload, so I 🙂 think the technology has a bit further to go before it’s a viable option.

What about you? Do you prefere to draft in longhand – with pen and paper or screen and stylus? Or do is typing your preferred drafting method? Or… maybe you just skip them both and dictate your first draft?

So for today’s writing prompt, write about how you prefer to write. Ready … set … write!!!

What inspires you?

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A sunset, a rainbow, the endless power of the ocean…

All of these fill me with awe and wonder.  They inspire me to try to express in words what I see and feel in these moments of awe.

What inspires you?  Is it nature?  Music?  Or something else entirely?

Take a few moments to consider, then set your timer for 5 minutes and ready … set … write!

Starting again… again.

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I was looking at my posts and realized I hadn’t posted anything in 4 months… and before that, it had been sporadic for quite some time.

So… it’s time for me to start again.  To revise my expectations so that they are achievable and sustainable… then keep going.

What about you?  Have you ever had to start over again and again… and again?

Set your timer for 5 minutes and write about a time you (or your character) had to start over.

Are you ready?  Get set.  Write!!!

Love, Joy and … Play?

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The holiday season is here, and as you traverse all of the to-do’s on your list, don’t forget to add a bit of playfulness to your season.

Yes, that’s right, play. We know it’s the season for love and joy, but did you know that play can help you decrease your stress and feel the joy of the season more?

So for today’s writing, spend a few minutes thinking about a type of play you would enjoy. No one watching, no inhibitions, just the unfettered play of a child.

Now set your timer for 5 minutes and write about what it would be like. What would you do? How would you feel?

Here we go … ready … set … write!

What is your favorite time of day?

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This picture is Sugaro National Park at dawn. It was so beautiful!

Though dawn is a hard time for me in summer, it was wonderful to wake up and take a drive through the Arizona desert so early in the morning.

The sky was barely light, and creating an ethereal glow behind the cactus.

Dawn is so different than sunset, though I love them both. The light at the beginning and end of day creates scenes that are impossible at any other time.

What about you?

What is your favorite time of day? What is it that you love about it?

Set your timer for 5 minutes and ready … set … write!

Fall Traditions

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My daughter loves to do creative projects. Sewing, drawing, building … or even carving.

Creative projects have defined many of our annual traditions, and in October, that creativity is expressed in a jack-o-lantern.

This year’s jack-o-lantern ended up being a whole camping scene with car, trailer, and tiny pumpkin person. It’s definitely the most elaborate we’ve ever had.

Watching her carve and create was so amazing … especially since we don’t get to see her in action much since she’s all grown up.

What about you? What are your fall traditions? If you don’t have any, what would you like to start?

Set your timer for 5 minutes and get ready to write about it.

Ready … set … write!

Perfectly Imperfect

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I’ll be the first to tell you, “I’m not an artist.” In fact, it’s only been recently that I have begun to understand art.

Now, that’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed my share of plays, concerts and other art forms… but did I really understand them? 

No.  At least not in the way that an artist would.

Fortunately,  I’ve been blessed with artists in my life, and they’ve helped me understand art on a deeper level. 

I can look at some and at least recognize that they are trying to say more than the surface if the picture shows.

Or, I can listen to a piece of music and “get” that they are saying more than the words convey.

I’m still very much an amateur…

But isn’t that one of the beauties of art?  The purpose is to create… from wherever you are.  Then to share.

Whatever the form, all art is a perfect expression of the imperfect world we currently inhabit. 

And though my offerings will never be as grand as those artists in my life, they are a perfectly imperfect expression of what I am feeling… or wanting to feel (or express) right now.

So for today, I challenge you to set your timer for 5 minutes and then write, or draw, or compose… anything that makes you happy.

Then, let me know how it went in the comments.

Happy writing… or drawing, painting, or other arting 😉

What fear?

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Denial is a strong coping mechanism … and it can be effective for a while.

But eventually, the truth will not be hidden and our fears will make themselves known … often in explosive and hard to explain ways.

What do I mean by explosive? Well, we often hide our fear behind anger. So when the fear becomes so big, the anger can no longer hide it … the fear creates an eruption, spraying the debris from the anger to everyone within its reach.

Unfortunately, this explosion rarely addresses the cause of the fear, so the cycle of hiding and exploding starts again.

Facing our fears – or at least taking an honest peek at them – is the only way to identify what is actually causing the problem so we can start to fix it.

But oh, is it hard!!! Some of our fears have been so well hidden, they’re difficult to recognize even if we’re looking right at them.

But be brave, take one peek, then another. Find one fear, acknowledge it, and figure out why it’s there. Start to work on it, then take another peek to identify the next one.

It is hard and requires bravery! But oh, is it worth it when you no longer are a slave to your fear!!!!

What do you think? Do you have fears hidden in the corners of your mind?

Be brave, take a peek, and get help if you need it. Today’s free write is taking the first step by writing what you think of fears hiding and requiring bravery to face.

If you’d like to share, put it in the comments. But for now … Ready … Set … Write!

It’s Pi(e) Day

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3.14, the day of the endless number. Or … if you have a sweet tooth, the day to celebrate pie.

I don’t feel like I can write a lot about an endless number, except that it is creepy how often it comes up in the world of math and engineering. However, if we are talking about pie, there is quite a lot I could say.

Today, I think my favorite might be Raspberry cream. There is a restaurant here in our town that gets pies from a local pie lady who makes the most amazing Raspberry cream pie.

At Christmas my favorite is Pecan, closely followed by Apple.

What about you? Do you celebrate Pi day with pie? Did you even know Pi had a day? Do you like pie? What is your favorite?

Set your timer and ready … set … write!