This week: Agglomeration of Miscellaneous Thoughts Edited by: fyn  
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I am a collection of thoughts and memories and likes and dislikes. I am the things that have happened to me and the sum of everything I've ever done. I am the clothes I wear on my back. I am every place and every person and every object I have ever come across. I am a bag of bones stuck to a very large rock spinning a thousand miles an hour. ~~Macaulay Culkin
And aren't we all!
What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books. ~~Thomas Carlyle
Well, that's what life is - this collection of extraordinarily ordinary moments. We just need to pay attention to them all. Wake up and pay attention to how beautiful it all is. ~~Alexander Payne
I love people. Everybody. I love them, I think, as a stamp collector loves his collection. Every story, every incident, every bit of conversation is raw material for me. ~~Sylvia Plath
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| ASIN: 197380364X |
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Amazon's Price: $ 15.99
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As usual, as the year wends its way round the bend, I have a bunch of disjointed thoughts, ideas, and moments I'd like to share. They might just make you smile and feel good!
1. This has been the year of phenomenal newbies! We have some awesome new writers who are really, really good! And it was really nice following and getting to know several of them who are also our newest Rising Stars!
2. 21 Years. TWENTY-ONE Years! There are not that many websites that not only have lasted that long but flourished as WDC has done! We are SO fortunate to belong to the best writing site in existence. That, and all the work Storymaster has put into getting WDC moved to the new servers and the fantastic new things he'll be able to accomplish and offer us once all is set to go. I'm very excited about the possibilities to come!
3. I know I have done more writing this year than I have in the past several years put together. AND the coolest thing is I am not the only one to do this. Perusing the site has shown me that many, many people have done so as well and this is just exciting ... on bunches of levels! The more we write, the more we learn about our craft. It is an ongoing process and it is fun as we move forward in what we do! On par with that, is the fact that reviews seem to be becoming more useful as well in providing excellent information on what we can do to improve our work. The very best reviews offer helpful critiques with the reasoning behind the comments. While it is nice to know someone 'loved' a piece, the whys behind the thoughts as well as helpful suggestions are all part and parcel of getting a writer to that next level. And, I think, we all have that next level' we want to achieve!
4. I'm curious. Have YOU found some 'new to you' writers this year who have caught your fancy? Have you found new folks to follow? PLEASE let me know in the comments section so in my next letter I can share these writers with the community. Let me know WHY too!
5. While in the past, I must admit, I have not taken as much advantage of the newsfeed as I might (and should have!) this year. I have become far more aware of it. In doing so, I've found many more contests to enter, learned more about the writers here, and found ways to become even more involved! It's been an eye-opening experience and one that I almost can't believe that I haven't taken advantage of in the past. I literally missed so much. I don't anymore. :)
5 1/2 Thank goodness I've learned to SAVE my work periodically!!! The Internet went down mere seconds after I'd literally JUST saved all this. I would not have wanted to rewrite it all. And I am reminded of 'losing a poem' that was never able to recreate and it was forever lost somewhere between one cloud or another.
6. Comfort zones. Expanding one's boundaries in the types of writing we are most comfortable in has been difficult for many. It can be hard to put one's self out there in something new. But this year? SO many seem to be more willing to try and it is fun to see what people can do when they try new things. I've seen people who insist that can not write poetry excel at it after a few tries in differing styles. One does need to try on (so to speak) rhyming or non-rhyming poetry, or one form or another. We all learn in the process. Same goes with some poets I know who have ventured into writing short stories or flash fiction. I can think of a few offhand who have surprised themselves! This is just such good news to come across. Funny how one can become more than they thought they could be! Kudos to those who are branching out in new directions!!!
7. Check out The Quill Awards. This is a place to nominate some (or all) of the favorite new pieces you've discovered this year!!!
8. I can't believe I have over 1000 items in my port! Whew! Going back to why I was new, I'd never have believed it. And yet, over the years I've gone from a basic account to where I am now -- which is Premium Plus. AND worth every penny. One of the best parts is going back and back and rediscovering things I wrote sixteen years ago or ten or even five. It's fun to go back and read stuff that feels new because I'd forgotten that I wrote this or that. Sometimes, it is illuminating to see how far my writing has come. Other times, it is nice to trip across an old favorite and realize that it still is something special. Of course, some stuff, I realize could be way better if I 'rewrote' it now with the things I've learned. Sometimes, I do, other times I just edit a bit. I remember being terrified of writing dialog in the way back when. Going back and reading short stories without any interaction with other people seems so strange to me now. It is interesting how our perspectives can change over time.
And finally, WDC is such an incredible place on so many levels. Always something new to try, always a new cause to become involved with, and always new people to interact with. Some of my dearest friends on the planet are ones I've met and gotten to know through Writing.Com. They are all folks I never would have met if it hadn't been for WDC. The friendships have gone way beyond simply on a WDC level and now are part and parcel of everyday life. This sort of thing happens here. This is why WDC is so awesome!!!
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Some pieces from just some of my favorite writers on WDC!
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#2257427 by Not Available. |
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#1988897 by Not Available. |
| |  | The Painter (E)
I was driving to school and witnessed the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen.
#2181615 by CMBaker  |
| | The Broken Pot (13+)
It is painful when you discover a loved one has dementia. Mysteries of the Mind contest.
#2104659 by Tadpole1  |
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StephBee - House Targaryen  says: Sounds like a great road trip! Great obs! Can't wait to see what you do with it. I think it would make a great character driven adventure "Mark Twainian" story!
Rhymer Reisen  writes: First off, it was great to have you two here! It’s fun and an honor when someone wants to visit my world, and I appreciate all you sacrificed to make it happen. As far as this newsletter, you’re right on point with the message and your consistency…what you did in this newsletter is what you bring home as the point every time: the journey is a process we’re all just muddling through to find our answers. This substantiates that point by all the awesome poetry and stories I know you’re gonna create from this trip! And I can’t lie, there’s something voyeuristic in me that thrives on seeing how other writers live and work, to see the story and know the reality behind it. Brilliant! |
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Amazon's Price: $ 19.99
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For Authors: November 10, 2021 Issue [#11061]
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