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 |  Daily notes and timed freewrites but mostly my blog |
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All comments are encouraged, I am interested in what others think and feel along the topics I choose to write about. Highlighted entries: [#732826] "In Memory"        ![Merit Badge in Supportive
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| Another busy day before the work week starts--lunches are made and packed for the first couple days I defrosted the fridge freezer and rearranged so I can easily find fixins for the crockpot for the end of the week lunches. Monday and Tuesday will be pork and barley. Maybe I will do chicken soup for the end of the week. eighty-nine words written today |
| spent all day Saturday doing the domestic thing and updating my mp3 player I listen to at work. Now it's close to bed time. Sheesh 8:03 pm ET Given my lack of inspiration, I don't have a set X of number of words to write per month or per day. I do, however, have a set routine to be available to write anything and any number when I sit with 'butt in chair'. This counts by the way  109 words so far today; counting this last sentence. |
| My Wednesday is winding down and I will be off to bed shortly. The drive home from work took me twice as long as normal with slushy snow and freezing rain making going any faster than 25 mph very fool hardy. I am exhausted from my high tensity drive. lol |
| Time for bed--weather guessers predict snow and icy rain today and tomorrow. Looks like winter has returned to soutwestern Montana. |
| Well I have tried several times to get back on line after being frozen out earlier yesterday. Either my computer is wacked again; or my internet carrier and connection is to blame. The result is the same--I'm denied access when I wish it. Just read the newsfeed: Tonight, we noticed some peculiar activity on Writing.Com. As a precaution, we acted aggressively and took all of our servers offline, so that we could do a very thorough security check through each and every area of Writing.Com... Phwew! nice to know it wasn't on my end that I couldn't get back onto WDC |
I'm dreadfully drowsy again--Been watching too much television I suppose  Hopefully, I will be getting up sooner than 12 or 13 hours from now. |
| I went to bed early--for a Friday night for me anyway--;around 3:30 AM and got up way late; around 5:00 PM. I haven't slept over ten hours straight in forever. In this case my sleep time goes over thirteen-and-a-half hours. I must have needed it tho, I feel fine--not grogged out or lethargic. I've been reading a book by Joe Clifford Faust called A DEATH OF HONOR The story is okay. I'm not the target audience in that I'm not male between the ages of 23 and 40. It is a mystery and sci-fi, though; so for that reason, I will probably finish the book. lol Published by Ballantine Books, New York [A Del Rey Book] copyright 1987. Some notes about the author: He lives on the plains of the Old Bozeman Trail (which places him in Montana). Mr. Faust is a member of the Small Press Writers and Artists Organization (SPWAO). Most of his work reflects his interest in music, dark humor and the workings of the human brain. The above are highlights taken from the About the Author blurb. Like I said I'm not the target audience, so the story is just okay in my opinion. |
| My Friday begins when I get up later this afternoon--Yes, I know it is only Thursday, but it is my last workday of the week; thus, it is my Friday. The end of this week also falls on the 120th day that I was hired on by the company where I work from the temp employment agency who found me the job. Four months--sweet. |
| Later today the mechanic will pick up my truck. I will get a ride to and from work with one of the guys who also works at the same place. I'm sure I will know more about the damages this afternoon--well, I hope to know more, at any rate. |
| Another weekend ends I'm all set for the work week--lunches are precooked and in the fridge and laundry is done. Update-01/21/14: 0640 for January 20, 2014 Today was the third anniversary of my son's death. Overall, it was a good day; in that, my mood was light. The day proved to be a bit of a challenge; however, as my truck broke down and I had to arrange for a mechanic to pick it up Tuesday morning; as well as, beg a ride from my neighbors to take me into work. I do hope it isn't anything overly expensive to fix--but that information will divulge itself later Tuesday I'm sure. |
| I gave a review earlier and while reading another story I just got suddenly sleepy--so I fav'd the story to continue reading later. To bed; to sleep; per chance to dream. Shakespeare? I must be tired. |
| First off, I don't traditionally rely on outlining when I write. I am a spontaneous, freewriter by nature. However, with my continual slump where that spontaneity is elusive, I have used the outline format to 'force' the story out. I do this when I must meet a deadline and I have writer's block. My writer's block consists of no words flowing--rarely do I have idea lapses. I generally always know where I want my story to go and what my character(s) must do to achieve a happy or sad ending. I just don't always have the joy of having the words flow which will paint the story portrait as I envision it. So I've learned to turn to the Plotted Story outline-- Plotted Story: A Complete Definition 1) A plotted story consists of a situation that is problematic. 2) There are attempts to alleviate the situation or get rid of it, which 3) usually fail and makes the probem worse. 4)There is a crisis where all seems lost. 5) Then there is the final solution that resolves the problem and changes the situation. Step one is introduced in the Beginning of the story; The Middle of the story is about steps 2 & 3 with the beginning of step 4 at the end of the middle. The end of the story winds up step 4 and completes step 5. One could effectively outline a plotted story in five Major listings with the second and third listings being the bulk of your story. For instance: The outline: I State the Major problematic situation A Introduce main character who will be most affected by the problem 1) Introduce 1st subplot and 1st secondary character 2) Before the end of Beginning have Main Character resolve subplot with hints of how this resolution complicates the resolution of main plot. B Introduce secondary character(s) 1) with their roles concerning how they may 2) assist or 3) interfere with the Main character. C Optional to introduce the villian/antagonist toward the end of the Beginning II Setup the first and subsequent attempts of resolving the Major problematic situation--this is the Beginning of the Middle story. A Show main character's internal struggles as the result of failing to resolve the problem 1) Second subplot which interferes with main plot resolution--with {secondary characters playing their roles of help or hinder 2) Third subplot which interferes with main plot resolution--with secondary characters playing their roles of help or hinder B Main character confused or puzzeled by increasing struggle and hinderances to resolve main situation. 1) subplot four a) secondary character assisting antagonist found out and dispatched b) antagonist actions/reactions 2) subplot five a) secondary character assisting antagonist found out and dispatched b) antagonist actions/reactions III Setup the subsequent and final attempts of resolving the Major problematic situation--this is the middle and ending of the Middle story. A Continuing main character's internal struggles 1) subplot six a) secondary character assisting protagonist, but for their own agenda--either defeated by protagonist's resolution or benefiting from protagonist's resolution. b) antagonist actions/reactions 2) final barrier to the main problem is resolved at a devasting cost to the main character and a) a secondary character assisting pays for the failure b) antagonist actions/reactions IV Setup the Climax for resolving the Major problematic situation--ending of the Middle story. A Show main character's struggles as the result of failure B Show Emboldened antagonist--set up for final confrontation 1) Final subplot which interferes with main plot resolution-- 2) Cost of resolving this final subplot V Resolution of the Climax--the End story. A Show Antagonist final confrontation--antagonist can only win B Show main character's final decision and willingness to die fighting the impossible odds-- 1) Final Antagonist actions and fate 2) The final cost and reward (if any) to the protagonist 3) Show how the main situation as well as the main character have changed |
| I just dropped in to clarify the list I posted to yesterday's blog entry. The longest phase of my life--still in progress, I hope--is my life writing. Started writing with serious intention when I was 14--John-boy Walton was my role model in that I started keeping a personal journal. My writing activities have waxed and waned over the years only to come back with gusto after a long drought. The summer after graduating HS I wrote several lengthy stories, a couple I still have in a box. I stopped writing from the time I went into the USAF (age 20 until 1990, when my life crashed down around my ears--then I wrote most of the poetry I have displayed in my portfolio. Then I fell in love and writing was abandoned again. I started writing stories for an online RPG I was involved with in 2000 and discovered Stories.com in 2001--I've stalled in my writing several times since but I've never stopped completely. Overall, my writing skills have improved more in the last 10 years than all the years before, I think feedback from the 'now' WDC community is to blame for the improvements. I'd love to go on and on with this topic but it is well past my bedtime. Today is a workday and I must needs sleep. |
| That part of my life is over-- my childhood with my mother started at birth ended at the age of eight my childhood with my father started when I was eight--ended at the age of thirteen my adolescence with my father ended at the age of seventeen my pre-adulthood under the guidance of three mature women; Grandma Bessie, Midge, and Helen; started at age 17 and ended at the age of twenty my young adulthood in the military started at 20 and ended at the age of twenty-six my active role as wife (started when I was 21) and mother (began when I was 25) ended at the age of twenty-nine my active role as college student began when I was 26 and ends when I graduate at age thirty-three my role as openly-gay mother began at the age of 36 my sons left home to be on their own by the time I was 46 (empty nest) my overt (out in the open to myself and others) battle with and acceptance of my base sexuality started when I was 29 and resolved at the age of forty-nine my middle-aged journey with self acceptance and self-identity began at 49--still in progress at age fifty-nine my role as surviving parent began at age fifty-six and is still in progress. I became a grandma the first time when I was 47--I am now a grandma 6 times; all grandsons. |
| Yep, this has been a slow and inactive weekend. For me, this constitutes a normal weekend. Being Sunday, I spend my time getting ready for the work week. I cook all my meals enmass since I don't really have the time to cook my lunches and such during the week. This week I will have yogurt and beef stew (beef, potato, carrots, onion, celery) and boiled Pork and cabbage (pork, cabbage, carrot, and onion). Both one pot meals cooked slow in a crock pot. added January 12, 2014 at 9:09pm Sci-Fi distant future--War between planets--Saving cultural artifacts from destruction both on Earth and Mars--as a testament to mankind's diversity. Let China have Mars--WWV circa 2262--The reach for space is abandoned by all governments except China--When impending WW5 threatens to destroy all life on Earth, Governments dig under mountains to save their notion of which human genetics is to be saved. China is only government who plans to colonize Mars as their way to survive as the last humans in the universe. As a back-up contingency, there is a 'Chinese' population sequestered in the Tibetan Mtns. Spin-offs from "Let China have Mars"-- Book II--"Emergence from the Mountain" circa 2375--Chinese emerge from under Tibetan mountains to find a world cleansed of life-- Book III--"Return to Origins" circa 2400--Chinese return from Mars to explore a world desolated from war, to find scattered populations of human cultures who survived under their mountain refuges. Book IV--"Two Worlds to Rule" circa 2450-- The above story inspirations just popped into my head when I least expected it. Isn't that just the way the muse works most times? Well, for me anyway. Which is why I carry a notebook and pen with me most times. Book two also has spin-offs or inclusions--the other under the mountain emergences all around the world--One being the Humana under the mountain project I'd attempted to write for my 2012 WDC Nano project. |
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Remember, write first for yourself. Who cares if anyone else likes it? That's not why we write. Just remember what Robert Frost said: "Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words." Yes, it's that's simple 
Ken