#YourStory

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!

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!

What’s for Supper?

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One of the hardest things I have to do each day is figure out what to make for supper. (I know … charmed life.)

The problem is that I get stuck in a rut and we keep having the same things over and over. Pasta, burgers, burritos, etc. I seem to have left all creativity behind … or it just takes too much work after a full day of work.

What about you? Do you struggle with menus? Or are you able to come up with exciting creations every day?

Take a few minutes to think about it, then set your timer and ready … set … write!

What will you do with your power?

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Between stimulus and response, there is a space. And in that space lies our power to choose. In our response lies our growth and freedom.

Some version of that quote has been ascribed to various people from Stephen R Covey to Viktor Frankl to several others who have said similar things over the years.

But no matter who said it … it got me thinking about my power as a human being. Power for good … power to create change … power to make the world a better place …

The more I thought, the more I had to agree with this quote. The ability to make good choices requires space (and practice).

Sometimes, I have to consciously expand that space. Other times, there is plenty of space naturally occurring before I can respond.

What do you think? Does your power lie in the space between stimulus and response? What will you do with that power?

Okay. Set your timer and ready … set … write!

How’s Your Balance?

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Bear standing on a cliff on one leg, juggling eggs.

Do you ever feel like this bear? Standing on a cliff, trying to juggle all of the tasks and commitments of your life?

If so, it may be time for a “time out” to re-center yourself, prioritize and create a plan for re-centering and moving away from the cliff. Do you need to pass off some of the things you are juggling? Great. Add that to your plan.

Next create a plan for moving forward in a sustainable way.

This will probably take several sessions of freewriting, and will probably take more than 5 minutes, but use today’s free-write to get started.

Bringing balance to your life is well worth the effort – and if you can get started before you are worn to the core it will take much less time and effort to achieve that balance.

So what do you say? Are you ready to start? Okay … ready … set … write!

Fall Traditions

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Applesauce in jars and applesauce cooking on the stove. What are your fall traditions? KariMolaWrites and you can too!

Fall is a time for change and preparation – the weather cools, the colors of nature turn from green to shades of yellow, orange and red and here in the Pacific Northwest it’s also a time for apples. One of our traditions since we have lived in apple country is to make applesauce every year. And since we live where the fruit grows, we are able to make applesauce from the sweetest varieties – most often Honeycrisp.

There is a little family run fruit stand just down the road from us, and every year we buy several boxes of their Honeycrisp 2nds to make applesauce. Apples that aren’t perfect – have some spots, are a strange shape, or anything else that would keep them from going to the grocery stores. They still taste great though, and mixed with a little lemon juice and cinnamon, then cooked down for a few hours, they make the best chunky applesauce in the world! Okay, maybe I’m a bit biased here, but that is what my tastebuds tell me. 🙂

But what about you? What are your fall traditions? Do you carve pumpkins? Go look at the fall colors? Something else entirely? I’d love to hear about them if you’d like to put them in the comments. But even if you don’t want to share, this is today’s writing prompt. So take a moment to think about your traditions, then…

Ready … set … write!

What Inspires You?

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Four pictures from nature that inspire me. A mirror lake with a swamped boat on a cold day, a wooden bridge on a woodland path, a sunset over sea stacks on the ocean, and a trillium blooming in spring.

What inspires you? A sunset? A path that disappears into the unknown? A misty, foggy day at the ocean?

I find that I am inspired by many things, but as you may be able to tell, nature in some shape or form is my biggest source of inspiration (at least in the “awe” category of inspiration).

What about you? Is nature the driving force of your inspiration? Or is it something else entirely?

Think about it for a minute, then set your timer and ready … set … write!