Talking about life and turning it into ideas for stories and poems. |
It was LostGhost: Seeking & Learning that inspired me to start a BLOG/PLOG. I constantly have ideas flooding my mind, at least most of the time. However, sometimes I'm like anyone else and suffer from the dreaded writers block. When that happens, I can come back here to a journal of interesting topics and lists of words fit to inspire the worst best poet. Please join me as I blog about life and plog about poetry. It's all combined into one for your inspirational needs. Feel free to use anything as inspiration for yourself. Settle in and stay awhile. Visit with Angelica. Maybe she'll be as demanding awesome with you as she is with me! My muse is a poetry pixie dressed in pink My Muse My muse is a poetry pixie dressed in pink Yes, from her inspiring potions I plan to drink Many nights she whispers words of inspiration Until one night I need her and she leaves me in frustration She is a clever little imp, full of spice and sugar Even with her attitude, I’ll keep the little bugger ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **
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Prompt: How do you feel about creating themed Christmas trees? Do you feel it's fashionable to follow the different trends? Or do you feel its more important to keep the family traditional tree? What's your favorite ornament on the tree? When my husband and I first got married, I had a theme tree every year. Then came the babies, and things changed. First of all, my anniversary is in December, so for our anniversary we always get a special ornament that shows the year. We have one for every year we've been married. We also have special Christmas ornaments from foster children we had sixteen and seventeen years ago. We have a ton of ornaments that the kids have made, so now our tree is more traditional. Personally, I just like a tree full of lights and ornaments. I love the glittering twinkle lights and how they reflect on some of the gold ornaments from those early years. Now, we went to Ripleys Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, SC a couple weeks ago, and they have a festival of trees. Each tree represents one of the States. My favorite was the Alaskan tree. So, in their place, I like theme trees for sure. A friend of mine has a large enough home that she puts up three trees. Two of them are themed and one is a traditional family tree. I LOVE the one in her music room. It has a vintage music theme. It's gorgeous. Now, I have some personal news to share here. I will have Gastric Bypass surgery on Dec. 21st. I've been preparing for four months already, and I have a few more things to do. This is something that will greatly change my life, I hope. It will help by curing my diabetes and will help me with many of my other things. I'm excited, but I will probably be concentrating quite a bit on that instead of other things right now. With that said, I am not going to make my goal for NaNo, but I have written something every day this month, and that is still a win in my book. I've had some extra writing assignments to fulfill, and sometimes I don't have the energy to do much more. I hope y'all will forgive me for that. If you need anything from me, please just email me. I have several commitments on here that I need to finish, so that's going to be my focus before I have my surgery. Until next time... Live, laugh, and write! |
Prompt: What have human beings become? Did war make us evil or did it just activate an evil lurking inside us? Are we guilty of making permanent decisions based on temporary feelings? The Human Bill of Rights states that man is basically good and makes assumptions based on that premise. However, I believe what the Bible says. Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” I John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” I don't believe that war has made us evil. We already have the capacity to be evil, and because of the evil in this world, war happens. As far as making decisions on temporary feelings, I don't believe war should be taken lightly, but I believe that we should always stand for what is right. And fighting against evil is always right. Day 4 Thankfulness Today I'm thankful for my son Trae. He is fifteen years old and has never been in serious trouble. He's respectful and kind. He's always willing to lend a helping hand at home, with the neighbors, and with extended family. We always say that everyone likes Trae. He's just such a likable kid. And at church, all the young kids adore him and he is so good with them. We even have a baby at church that is about 17 months old, and she adores my son. And what's funny is my son is so tall. He's 6 feet 5 inches, and you would think that would be scary, but he gets down on their level and talks really soft. I have a feeling he will work with kids as a Sunday School teacher or Youth Director when he's older. I thank God every day for allowing me to adopt this precious boy and bringing him into my life!!! NaNoWriMo Update: Words Today = 1802 Total Words = 5928 |
Prompt: Curses only have power if you let them. Do you agree? Do other concepts of life have power as well? I don't think magical curses are real, but I believe that people can believe in them so much that they will play out. And in fact, you may blame ordinary everyday happenings because of a curse. But I think that more than curses, people believe too much in superstitions. I mean, really? How can walking under a ladder bring you bad luck, unless of course, someone drops something on your head from above? And if a black cat crosses your path, how will that harm you? And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I step on a crack, it will not break my mama's back. And what's up with athletes that won't change their underwear as long as they are winning? They won't be winning anything except the game. I know that for sure!! Day 3 of my thankfulness! Today, I'm thankful for my husband. He loves me and takes care of me the best he can. And I love him with all my !!! NaNo Update Words today = 2071 Total so far = 4126 |
Prompt: Make a list of 10 things that make you smile. This is with Elle - on hiatus in mind. 1. WDC and the community here 2. My husband 3. My children 4. My furbabies 5. Cute little babies 6. Puppies and kittens 7. When I finish a piece of artwork 8. When I finish a piece of writing 9. When I help another person online or offline accomplish something 10. Last, but the most important... When I think about my Savior Jesus Christ and his word, it makes me smile. I could list at least ten more things, but I'll stop there tonight. I guess this is sort of like doing a "Thankful" post every day, which is something I'd like to do but I always get sidetracked. So, I'm going to try to do it again. I have to do two to make up for yesterday... I am thankful for a Heavenly Father that treats me like I'm his only child. I am thankful for a Savior that one day died as a final sacrifice for sin. NaNo Word Count at the end of day one: 2055 |
Prompt: What elements can a writer use to make his work in the horror genre scary? Just like any story, the ambiance comes from the details. Here you need to use the details in such a way as to build suspense. In a movie, you may have mood music, but in your story, you need to replace that with the pacing of your book. Begin with longer sentences and words, and as the suspense grows, make the sentences and words shorter. Build it up like a mountain until you reach a peak. You can have these build-ups all throughout your story. Just make sure you have the lows as well as the highs. You'll also use strong descriptive words and verbs to add to the feel of the scene. I don't write horror, but I do write mystery/suspense. I think you'd use the same techniques to make the story scary. New Contest: I love writing haiku, senryu, and many other Japanese forms. But our friend ruwth is running this really cool contest. So I'm going to keep any of my entries here. But to make it really fun, I hope many of you will join me in writing at least one poem for this contest!!!
echoes in the glass whispers of mom's sweet singing heard through my hairbrush |
murderous Monday-Halloween hear shrieking scream queens silenced amidst a bloody scene |
Prompt: What do you think the latest clown sightings are about and why do the clowns creep us out? Oh my goodness, I don't know what's going on with people. There have been several sightings in Myrtle Beach, and he was trying to entice children into the woods. He was caught, thank the Lord! Because the hurricane happened shortly after that, I haven't heard any more about the case, but I'm sure he didn't have good intentions by luring children away. On the other hand, all clowns are not bad. My uncle is a Shriner's clown. He works for all kinds of events that include circuses, parades, and visits to children's hospitals. His clothing and face make-up is happy and upbeat. But there are creepy looking clowns. In fact, my uncle told me that if a clown's make-up, clothing, or even behavior is in any way creepy or inappropriate, they are immediately fired. The Shriner's group he works with makes it a mission to give clouds a good name. I think we might feel that clowns are creepy due to older horror movies, or because of the few clowns who act the wrong way. For the most part, clowns are just good decent people. If the clown is part of a group, then he/she is vetted and usually safe. So think about that in the future when you see clowns. Now for a plug of a VERY old piece. In fact, it was one of the first flash fiction pieces I ever wrote. So, it probably has all kinds of errors and such, but I'll save the rewrite for another day.
And to all the writers who are participating... we start tomorrow!
And I'm sorry, but the sign-up trinket is all gone. I'll make more next year! (Trinkets require an Upgrade to display.) Until next time... live, laugh, and write |
Prompt: What is inspiration to you? Aside from writing from prompts, is inspiration something you run into while reading or living your day-to-day life, or do you have a mystical attitude about it as if it comes from dreams or during a trance-like state? Ooo... Inspiration! We might tease about having a muse. Everyone knows my muse is a poetry pixie dressed in pink! Just look at the heading on this plog/blog. I've even written a poem about her. But really, that is a way to describe inspiration. I don't believe there's anything mystical about inspiration. We can find it all around us if we only look. I'm homebound most of the time, and I still find inspiration. One of the best ways I find inspiration is through my family. I've written a few poems about them, several blog posts, and I write about them in the Comedy Newsletter for WDC. I love to watch nature shows. And though I'm not out in nature a lot, I see enough from these shows to get a lot of ideas for my poetry. I have Hulu, Netflix, and a couple other services, but these are the two where I find shows from Discovery, National Geographic, Animal Planet, etc. Not only do I find inspiration for my poetry, but I also find information and inspiration for my novels. And see what I say here... Inspiration! I do not write about a specific program, fictional or true. I might take a little info from one or two shows and start asking "what if?" questions. These are the ideas that take me places in my novel. Right now I'm watching an old Law and Order:SVU and at the same time I'm writing a novel that involves human trafficking. In this episode, a Russian mail order bride was found raped and murdered. Now that gets me thinking along the lines of my novel. What if she was brought here illegally? What if she was kidnapped? What if she, etc.... Now I know how the show plays out, but that's not what I'll write. I hope I made that clear enough. There is a difference between plagiarism and inspiration. Remember, I'm an artist as well as a writer, so I am on DeviantArt about as much as I am on here. I find inspiration there for my writing, and when I read poetry, that might inspire a piece of art. I write thrillers and suspense: Look at this beautiful piece from a friend of mine. It is going to be the inspiration for the novel after the one I'm working on now. http://lolita-artz.deviantart.com/art/before-I-leave-607408140 This picture is haunting and fills me with emotion. Can it inspire you? What about a piece or two of my art? Here's a peek at my gallery. http://marphilhearts.deviantart.com/gallery/ And if something inspires you, you should tell the artist. They will often be flattered and would maybe even attach it to their image with your name on it. So let me know if I've helped you find your muse! |
Prompt: The Olympics began August 5th. Did you watch the pageantry and the presentation of the athletes? What did you think? Which country caught your attention the most? What sport do you enjoy most? Which do you like better the Summer or the Winter events? I watched the opening ceremonies with my family. We always encourage the kids to watch these type of things, but tonight they were both sick, so the slept on and off throughout. I thought the presentation was absolutely beautiful! Of course, my favorite country to look for in the parade is my own. But I enjoyed seeing all the other athletes as well. The one thing that caught my attention during the parade of nations was that many of the Arabic countries now have female athletes. This is such a progression for these countries. The way women are treated in many of these countries is often appalling, and when we see these types of improvements, it shows that change can happen! |
Prompt: Most of us enjoy stand-up comedy, but what do you think of stand-up comedy and stand-up comics? What turns a person with a funny-bone in him or her into a stand-up comic? I LOVE stand-up. I look up clean comics all the time on youtube. There is more to being than saying a few curse words. I've heard some comedians say that one of the things important to a comedian is to take everyday things and look at them from a new perspective. So, that is one thing that's important. And to be a stand-up comic, you cannot be shy, and you must have thick skin. Not everyone will get your comedy and not everyone will like it. I think that just as being a writer is a passion that burns inside you until you must do it, so is any profession that is in front of the public. To be a stand-up, you must have a passion for it. And first and foremost, you MUST be funny! Otherwise, it doesn't matter how much passion you have, you won't make any money. |
Prompt: What do you think is the difference between a short-short story and a prose poem? This question is because some people are mixing up the two. Well, I'm glad you asked! This is one area where I can provide clarity. A short story must always have the same thing as any story... A beginning, a middle, and end. It doesn't matter if the story is 50 words or 50,000 words, this is always the case. You can write this story using clever literary devices and make it sound poetic. In this case, you might call it poetic prose. But it is still a story. However, a prose poem is a very special kind of poem. It is not free verse, so do not confuse the two. You can tell a story in a poem if you like. This is often called an epic poem or a ballad. However, in poetry, you do not have to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can capture a thought, a moment in time, or an observation of an item. It doesn't have to be a progression of events that comes to a conclusion. There is some disagreement about whether a prose poem is indeed a poem. But if you apply the rules of prose vs. poetry, you will see that a prose poem is it's own kind of writing. And remember, a prose poem doesn't need to rhyme at the end of each line but use literary devices throughout the sentences to give it a poetic feel. Prose poetry is used a lot in spoken word poetry. Usually, I see people becoming confused with free verse and a prose poem. The difference is that you should use complete sentences in a prose poem, but it is not necessary to do so in free verse. See my examples below using the same topic. Innocence lost - Prose Poem She's grown so fast and her childhood's past before my eyes. She lies in slumber while I remember how I snuggled her in my arms. And as she grew her legs swung over the end of my chair, but still I held her there. I tried to hold onto her innocence with diligence and tried to shelter and protect her from the world. But, alas, the world found a way to lure her astray. My little child has grown and influence has crept into her heart. It's done it's part to pay the cost of her innocence which now is lost. Innocence Lost - Free Verse She's grown so fast and her childhood's past before my eyes she lies in sleep I remember the nights I snuggled her I held her as she grew until her legs swung over the chair still... I held her there With diligence I tried to keep her innocence to shelter and protect her from the world But it found a way and lured her astray my precious girl has grown influence has crept into her heart and done its part... to pay the cost of innocence lost |
Poetry Reading Lilting lyrics roll off the tongue Rhymes, rhythm, and flow And the heart of the poem comes alive Feelings and depth Emotions in motion Meditate on the meaning Synonyms, antonyms, etymons Rich poetic and literary devices Combine in the soul... and make a whole... Metaphors and oxymorons, Onomatopoeia and alliteration Create interest and meaning When read aloud, it sings Though it’s not a song It’s a poem. It’s aural art. Peanut Butter Cookies One cup of peanut butter One cup of sugar Cream together with one egg Bake for twelve minutes Three ingredients Glass of milk GONE! |
Prompt: Write about the perfect spring day. Where would you go? What would you do? What a delightful prompt! And since we are in the middle of NaPoWriMo, then I must turn this into a poem. And since a perfect spring day is beautiful and free, I shall write freely and see where this leads. Somewhere grand? ... I hope! Spring is sprouting everywhere as trees dance with their new plumes. Bulbs are bursting from the ground and their flowers are in full bloom. The breeze whistles a little diddy, and I keep time to its melody. The whispered lyrics tease my hair as I rock in the old wooden swing. Curled up with a romantic book renews my wintered soul with warmth. Soaking in the sunshine for spring simple cares will find a new hearth. My Hiding Place There is a place from days of old, blest comfort I can find. In this consecrated stronghold there’s precious peace of mind. It hides me underneath the wings of God’s protective love. I meet him where an angel sings, along with saints up above. The Three Evils Consciously careful of all that we see. TV and internet rated PG is better viewed than maturity plus, where bodies are shown and the actors cuss. Everything we hear goes straight to our brain and out of our mouth we let it rain. Bad music, bad lyrics that demonstrate hearts full of anger, violence, and hate. See no evil, hear no evil, leads us to do no evil; leads to no fuss. I'm up to 12 poems. I will add 2 tomorrow and be caught up. |
My Computer, My Friend When I feel my voice is weak, and I’m much too panicked to speak, I go to my computer, my friend. When I feel my fingers stumble, and all I can do is mumble, I go to my computer, my friend. When I feel the world is blind, and bad news keeps me in a bind, I go to my computer, my friend. When I feel the world can’t hear, a simple message read loud and clear, I go to my computer, my friend. I can make my voice grow strong. I can steady the things I feel. I can open the world’s blind eyes. I can open the world’s deaf ears. All with my computer, my friend. |
Many of you know my life is in a big upheaval right now. And in the middle of it, we had some issues with the kids getting in big trouble. Sometimes you just feel like you can't deal with much more, and that's how I've felt all day today. We are still needed at my parents, but we have to go home for a couple of days. About 2 1/2 years ago we were in an accident. The other guy's insurance company only wanted to give $1,000 when my doctor bills were well over $7,000. They did pay directly to get the car fixed, though. Anyway, we have to be down where we live to give a deposition on Thursday morning. I'm tired and in a bad flare. I have cried for most of the day, and it's really just once the waterworks started, they wouldn't stop. Please, please pray for me and my family. Although we are all getting along great, we need people to heal from illness and we need trials to stop for just a few minutes. I hope you enjoy the poem I wrote to go with today's prompt at "Invalid Item" . Take me to our place again Lord take me in your arms Hide me from the daily grind Of trials… of storms I want to be in the cleft That cleft in the rock Moses climbed The place where he saw your glory Lord, take me to the cleft Whatever the cost to be closer I’m willing to give it to you But how much higher can it be I’ve given… I’m crying The storm is too great, so hide me Hide me in the cleft of the rock I need to see your glory, Lord I need blessed relief tonight |
Prompt: What are the examples of inner conflict in a main character that you can come up with? List them. Well, the way I look at this is what kind of inner conflict do you deal with, yourself? That's how you can best write it into your main characters. You've heard it before. Write what you know. The definitions for inner conflict according to dictionary.com are the following: 1. psychological struggle within the mind of a literary or dramatic character, the resolution of which creates the plot's suspense: Hamlet's inaction is caused by internal conflict. 2. mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses. Notice that internal conflicts are not conflicts with outside forces such as an enemy, an obstacle, or even with a person you love. Inner conflict can include the following: Dealing with depression - fighting with yourself to get out of bed or get up and face the day Dealing with PTSD - becoming angry at your own mind for tricking you into thinking there is constant danger Dealing with phobias - this is a big internal conflict with me. My own fears often keep me from doing things that would be fun or even beneficial. And I become angry with myself. Dealing with a new relationship - feelings of unworthiness vs. feelings of deserving to be loved There are many more, but these are things I'm familiar with. But you can break these down even further into specifics for your character. It's about what you are familiar with. But here's something funny I heard recently. "Hey, what are you doing?" "I'm arguing with myself." "Who's winning?" "Me." Just thought you would laugh at that one. And now for a poem. Buzz bumblebee buzz fly from flower to flower make heavenly honey |
After this, I will already have six poems written. How fun! I want to give a shout out to ~Minja~ since we had similar ideas for a haiku. You should check the set of five she wrote for a very Wodehouse challenge. They are in her blog. So without further ado... moonbeams like sunshine clear, bright is the time of dreams starlight shines, twinkles cherry blossoms swirl floral snow covers green yards a springtime blizzard |
I'm in an acrostic kind of mood tonight! My Muse My muse is a poetry pixie dressed in pink Yes, from her inspiring potions I plan to drink Many nights she whispers words of inspiration Until one night I need her and she leaves me in frustration She is a clever little imp, full of spice and sugar Even with her attitude, I’ll keep the little bugger And Joey won a custom acrostic through a package in one of the fundraisers I donated to. Here is my fun little poem for him. IamJoeyC Interesting fellow of the literary kind Admits within his writing, he is a mastermind Marauding shades of stories, poetically inclined Joey’s outlined works are more or less refined One minute he’s dead serious, the other not so much Especially his blog with his satirical touch Yet Joey is the nicest guy, not some such and such Come meet the man behind the poem, then take him out to lunch |
Dreaming Beautiful Dreams I snuggle my weary head pillow deep as I drift off in a billowy sleep. Then visions of beauty in white and pink my version of sugarplums interlink. There are sparkly hearts that intertwine with tea filled pots in a swirly vine. Jewelry that glitters in pink, white, and gold, in rings and pendants unusually bold. The flying creatures weave in and out of the starry dream and hover about. The butterfly flutters and fairies fly, as surprisingly so, a seashell floats by. This hazy glistening dream relaxes my spirit-filled heart with happy flashes. And when I wake completely refreshed I’ll be ready for life, no longer depressed. Please visit my DeviantArt account to see the companion image for this poem. I would share here, but the model doesn't allow the use of her image on other sites. http://marphilhearts.deviantart.com/art/Dreaming-Beautiful-Dreams-600377588 |
Prompt: Look up the definition of the word "FOOL" and write a poem about it. A Fool A hoodwinked nincompoop, a dunderhead buffoon, an ignoramus boob, an imbecilic goose, nerdy, numskull, nitwit, a clown, a jerk, a twit, dunce illiterate, an innocent dimwit, dopey dunderhead, a birdbrain, a blockhead, a moron, a bonehead, a simpleton fathead are only little words used in every world by women and by girls to bully and unfurl unrighteous judgment. |