Writing Free

Writing Journal + Writing Prompt =

A Short-Short Story

     I’ve blogged frequently about keeping a writing journal and using writing prompts to scratch out the beginning, middle, or end of a story. It might even turn into a complete short-short story in itself.

     Whether or not you feel like writing, you can fill a 5x7 lined page in a few minutes, and then you can say, “I wrote today.” And someday, needing to fill a page for a blog (like I need to do right now), you can thumb through the pages and find something that someone somewhere will enjoy reading as quickly as you wrote it.

     To wit:

The Fortune Cookie Prediction

     You will find good fortune. I chuckled over the strip of paper plucked from a discarded fortune cookie. Would that were true. I’d just lost my job. My rent was due. The pantry was almost empty. And I’d salvaged the fortune cookie from the street in front of the Chinese restaurant I was passing. (The aroma emanating from it made my mouth water.)

     Tossing the broken cookie and its laughable prediction in the nearest trash receptacle, I walked home and crawled into bed.

     Over weak coffee and a piece of dry toast the next morning, I scoured the want ads in yesterday’s paper salvaged from a table in the foyer of my boarding house. Receptionist, general go-fer. Safe, pleasant office, salary depends on qualifications, experience.

     I stood outside the address within the hour.

     After a half-hour interview in which I’d explained losing my job through no fault of my own, presented my business school and advanced computer training certificates, and demonstrated my skills, I was hired at an unbelievable salary.

     “Now,” my new youngish boss said, “this is a safe place. No disrespect or harassment tolerated. You dress modestly, speak courteously, and do your job. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the staff, and then—because it’s Friday—I’ll order in lunch. My treat.

     He paused and smiled. “Do you like Chinese?”

~~~~~~~~~~

     This took about ten minutes to scribble down in my journal. Does it need tweaking? Certainly. Could it be the beginning of a longer story or the middle of one? Possibly. Does it qualify as writing? Most definitely. Give it a whirl yourself!

The Perils of Being Lost in Time

Having consigned Blest Be the Tie to my writing partner for some good stiff beta reading, I turned my attention back to a recent piece of fluff I’m calling What Are the Cactus Hiding? I’d done three edits, and it still stunk. Mostly, it was a disconnected story with a good plot which never quite came together.

So, I started through it again and found myself stuck like a fly to flypaper. It was going nowhere. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Why?

Then it hit me—I was writing a mystery with history, but I hadn’t made a timeline, so my dates were totally messed up.

Pause for the timeline.

However, because I’d neglected it to begin with, trying to sort out my characters—who lived when—who did what and when—because an exercise in frustration.

But not futility. Eventually, I persevered, printed it out and used it to grease the wheels of yet another edit. Now I’m getting somewhere.

Of course, there are two kinds of writers: plotters and pantsers, but IMO it’s the in-between that yields the most creativity and productivity. Having a basic framework saves time, not to mention much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth and the danger of consigning a good story to the dark recesses of the documents folder.

So the story, with much editing is now on its way.

Will Lauren and her brother Don figure out the mystery which surrounds the ruins of the original house on their parents’ property? They know their mother covered them with a large bunch of transplanted prickly pear which has run wild. What was she hiding? Why did she take Lauren’s childhood stash of buried treasures—blackened silverware, broken china, and a woman’s old-fashioned tortise-shell comb—at the same time as she planted the prickly pear, thus guaranteeing nothing else would ever be unearthed?

What rift became a chasm that tore their family apart? Is there anyone still alive who can make sense of it? If so, who are they, where are they, and can they be persuaded to give up the secrets still lurking within the foundation stones of the ruined mansion? And are those secrets linked to Lauren and Don—or to the descendants of the original owner of the house?

All will be revealed.

PS: Prickly pear are species of cactus! 

 ‘Way Down South

     When one thinks of the “Old South”, sprawling plantations with magnificent columned houses comes to mind. Indeed, the antebellum homes of this region are its treasures.

     Antebellum means “pre-war”, specifically the time after the American Revolution but before the Civil War and is associated with the southern United States. More specifically, antebellum is used to describe a particular type of architecture of the 19th century: Georgian, Neo-classical, and Greek Revival.

     Many of these homes have fallen into ruin, but others have survived to be listed on the National Historic Register. You can scan these images and research more about any which spark your interest. Many, purchased and restored by new owners, have become bed and breakfast meccas for tourists in the South. The Spring Pilgrimage in Natchez MS draws hundreds of visitors to view homes with evocative names such as Longwood, Melrose, Rosalie, Stanton Hall, and Magnolia Hall. (Mississippi celebrated its tricentennial in 2016!)

     Here’s a list of books you might want to consult if you’re writing in this period and want to go in depth:

     1)  Architecture Glossary:  Illustrated Dictionary for Architecture Words

     2)  Top 9 Books About Plantation Houses

• Great Houses of the South (Rizzoli, 2010)

• Plantation Houses and Mansions of the Old South by J. Frazier Smith/This book is a reprint from the original in 1936 and includes floor plans for many of the houses.

• Under the Live Oaks: The Last Great Plantation Houses of the Old South by Clarkson Potter (2002)

• Architecture of the Old South (Abbeville Press, 1993)

• Marvelous Old Mansions and Other Southern Treasures (John F. Blair, publisher, 2000)

• Vestiges of Grandeur: The Plantations of Louisiana’s River Road (Chronicle Books LLC, 1999)

• Virginia Plantation Homes by David Gleason (LSU Press, 1989)

• Plantation Homes of Louisiana and the Natchez Area (LSU Press, 1983)

• Georgia’s Grandeur: Georgia’s Lost Antebellum Homes and Plantations (Donning Company, 2012)

     Many of these books are quite pricey. I’d imagine they are “coffee table books” put out for browsing. But the second one, which is what I rely on a great deal because of the added bonus of the floor plans, was reprinted in soft-cover, and I found it used at a very cheap price. The other books may also be available that way.

     3)  What is Antebellum Architecture? by Jackie Craven at About.com

     4)  Wikipedia: Plantations in Mississippi (List plus links!)

     Besides being useful for writers researching a setting, these books whisk away the reader to places she’s never been and may never go. Writers need credibility--and all of us need to have our imaginations roused to greater heights!

Welcome, 2026!

      For some reason, I have a warm, cozy feeling about this coming year, although I can’t explain why. The news is bad, but what’s new? Prices are still high, but I’m okay. The West Texas weather is more like spring than winter, and I hope these balmy days aren’t a precursor to a very bad winter when it finally arrives. I’m a year older—one year past four score and ten—and motivated (but not driven) to make the most of every single day.

     With the annual January clean-out done (every closet, drawer, cabinet), my conscience was clear as I took myself off to my favorite writing spot, the Bearded Barista, located where I used to go see Santa as a child and look at toys. I spent a productive two hours with a peppermint hot chocolate and the faithful lappy, Penelope, before heading home for a quick lunch and the semi-annual dental appointment.

     Lots of plans on the list—books to edit, books to finish, books to write, and hopefully, to find a group of writers/aspiring writers who want to help each other learn their craft and keep each other on our toes. A local bookstore is already thinking about hosting the group if I can get it together. Having never done anything like this before, I’m trying to think it through and plan carefully before putting out the brochures.

     My Facebook writing page Vintage Romance/Romantic Suspense/Cozy Mysteries is being tended to regularly, hopefully sharing information/links for other writers.

      I hope to add a short-story page to this website in addition to once-a-week blogging, so keep an eye out.

It’s a daunting prospect for an old lady who should be rocking on the front porch. Maybe that day will come, but it’s not here yet!

~~~~~

Welcome to a New Year! 

     A new year is upon us with all its promises and possibilities, so make it your promise to yourself to write that story, article, or book! If you're already writing, then finish something and get busy rewriting and editing and rewriting again. In the process, start thinking how you want to publish your creation! Do you want to find a publisher for your book? A print/online publication for your story or article? Do you want to publish independently? Whatever fits your plans and dreams--don't wait! Do it! 

I WILL WRITE 500 WORDS

AND 

I WILL WRITE 500 MORE!