On July 4th, I posted a writing resource: WordPress Daily Prompt. I used that day’s prompt to write a short piece. That short piece has turned into a 5 part short story of 3,000 words. As part of my Wordy Wednesdays, I am going to share that story with you, one piece per week, for 5 weeks.
So check back on Wednesday for Part One of “TEN”.
Hello Ladies and Germs!
As part of a regular Saturday feature, I will be sharing at least one resource with you guys every Saturday.
This Saturday, I’m sharing a gaggle of random word generators. What can you use these for, you ask? I love random word generators for inspiration. Some of these generators will give you multiple words. Try using all the words in a poem or piece of short fiction. Use each word as the start of a chapter for a longer piece. Use your imagination with these words and let them carry you through to a wonderful piece of writing.
So, without further ado, here are some top notch random word generators. (I’ve also added links to my Resources page.)
Creativity Games – Can generate 1-8 random words
Word Generator – Generates random word and its definition
Text Fixer – Generates 6 random words
Random Word Generator – Generates up to 5 random words, allows for length and beginning letter criteria
List of Random Words – Generate between 5 and 100 words, allows for length, syllables, beginning letter and word length and will display the random words in a bulleted list, numbered list, paragraph or table.
Fourteen Minutes – Makes new words that are made up and really have no meaning. You can specify beginning letters.
Word Constructor – Uses letters from the word you enter to create a similar but different word.
Wordsmith – Generates a random word from their word-a-day archive, gives definition and some quotes as well.
Coyote Cult Random Word Generator – Generates a random word. You can click on the word to view the definition.
10. OneWord – Generates a random word and gives you 60 seconds to write about it
I hope you find some inspiration! Share your work with me, I’d love to see it.
Happy Writing!
~ Eileen 🙂
Hello Writers and Readers!
Another new feature here on my blog is Freebie Friday. Every Friday, I’ll give you something for free. It might be new pieces of writing, it might be books on Amazon or it might be something else, you never know what it will be!
For this, first Freebie Friday, I’m giving you one of my books for free! My book, Ghostly Bounty, will be free on Amazon.com today only! So pop on over and download your copy.
This is a book based on true life events as they were told to me by the person it happened to. Here’s some information on the book:
Ghostly Bounty: The True Story of Wealth Beyond the Grave
Larry is an average guy with above average dreams. Taking his future into his own hands, he invests in a house flipping project. Everything is going according to plan until treasure is discovered in the basement wall.
Mysterious events and disappearances begin to plague the project as Larry struggles to finish the remodel before his money runs out. Desperate for help, Larry turns to paranormal resources and learns that the house he purchased never really belonged to him at all.
***** Based on true life events. *****
Check it out for free today, Friday, July 13, 2013 only!
Here’s the link: Ghostly Bounty on Amazon
Ghostly Bounty by Eileen Maki
The True Story of Wealth Beyond the Grave
Happy Reading!
~ Eileen 🙂
As a new feature, every week, I’m going to use a random word generator. It might be OneWord, it might be something else. I will put 15 minutes on my timer in my Write or Die desktop edition and I will write something for 15 minutes or until I feel like the piece is done. (I’m sure 15 minutes will be over before I feel like the piece is done!) Then, I’ll post the writing here for you to enjoy!
So, here comes the first ever Wordy Wednesday entry….
Today’s Wednesday Word is: Derived. Resource Used: OneWord
Writing Piece – Unedited, 15 minutes of straight writing using Write or Die Desktop version
Derived
The fact that Paul was a prick was derived from the fact that he had never spoken a genuinely nice word to anyone in his entire life. We all despised him and wished him dead. Imagine our surprise when he made our day and ended up dead.
It was a Friday and we all got to work at our regular times, somewhere close to 8 in the morning. Some before 8, some (that would be me) slightly after 8. Paul never showed up before 9. He would waltz in, sloshing coffee from his alcohol-smelling take-out coffee cup and yelling ‘Good Morning!’ to anyone who would listen. He didn’t really mean it and we all knew that. He just wanted to appear like a good manager, even though he was anything but.
That Friday, we all got settled in to our desks, checking emails, chatting with one another about the shows we watched on TV or who called who for dates. It seemed everyone dated everyone in that damned office. Well, I never dated where I worked, so I always said no when co-workers asked me out. Especially managers. They were never the smart choice for dating in the workplace. It never ended well and when it inevitably went south, you were the one who lost your job, not them.
So it was nearing 9 o’clock and we were expecting Paul any moment. The office got noticeably quieter as workers hunkered down with their nose to the grindstone in anticipation of their boss’ arrival. 9 came and went and pretty soon, it was nearing 10 o’clock. We all started glancing around, peeking above our cubicle walls, waiting to see if someone was going to say something about Paul not being there yet. I was a natural leader and others often looked to me for answers. Pretty soon, eyes turned my way, silently asking me what was going on.
Sighing, I locked my computer and walked towards Paul’s office. Stopping at Renee’s desk, I asked her if she had heard from Paul.
“No,” she said, not even bothering to look up at me.
“Ok,” I said, “Have you seen him yet this morning?”
She quirked an eyebrow and glanced at me, her purple eyeliner was smeared on her left eye. She flipped a hand out to the side in the general direction of Paul’s office, “Do you see him anywhere?”
I stood there silently for a moment, thinking. “I need him to sign some authorization forms for the company meeting purchases. Do you know when he’ll be in?”
Renee swept her hair back from her shoulder, took a lazy drink from her coffee mug and then decided to bless me with a response. “No,” she said.
I glared at her and stalked back to my desk. My co-workers all looked to me for an answer and I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders to indicate I did not have an answer for them. Sitting in my chair, I scooted up to my computer just as my cell phone began to ring.
The ringtone told me it was my brother, James. I shook my shoulders in a little chair dance to ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ before I answered the call.
“What up, James?” I said cheerily. I loved my brother and we were very close. True, it was unusual for him to call me in the morning on a workday, but I was always happy to talk to him, no matter the time of day or what I was doing.
“Hey, Claire,” he started. His voice sounded weird and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Something was wrong. “I have some news for you. It’s not being released to the public yet, so I can’t share details with you, but your boss’ body was found in an alley downtown.”
Never one for political correctness, my brother the detective just spit it out. I was stunned for a moment.
“What?” I finally managed to say.
“I know, right?” Was his response. “I was the first responder and I recognized him right away. He’s definitely dead, Claire, and from what I’ve seen it looks like it was not an accident.”
“What?” I said again.
“Did you hear me?” He sounded puzzled now.
“Yes,” I stammered, “Yes, I can hear you, James. I just can’t believe what you’re saying.”
“Claire, there’s more. The reason I am calling you is to give you a heads up. I’m going to be pulled from the case and you’re going to be questioned.”
“What?” I was feeling like a moron with a very low vocabulary at this point. “Why?”
“When I got here, he had his cell phone in his hand.” James began. I could hear a siren approaching in the background.
“Claire,” he sounded scared now, “the number on his phone was yours. You were the last person to speak to him on the phone apparently. So I will be removed from the case and the new detective will want to speak with you ASAP.”
“I didn’t speak to Paul, James. Why was my number on his phone?”
“I don’t know, Sweetie, but his phone indicated that the call to your cell phone connected. I gotta go.”
“Wait, James!” I almost yelled into the phone. “Who will get the case instead of you?”
James was silent for a moment and I dreaded his answer, knowing what he was going to say.
“Mark,” was all James said and then he hung up.
Great. Mark. My ex.
##########
Well, what did you think?
Happy Writing!
~ Eileen 🙂
Author: Annie Adams
Format: Kindle
Series: The Flower Shop Mystery Series
Volume: 1
Length: 304 pages
Publication Date: January 30, 2013
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
Review
This is a great little book that I really enjoyed. The main character, Quincy, is plucky, funny and very lovable. Quincy is at odds with everyone, it seems, until things finally start to come together. Not knowing who she can trust when a fellow florist is murdered, she sets out to clear her name. Items found at the scene of the body’s discovery indicate that Quincy could be the one who killed the horrid man. With colorful characters, exciting happenings and a happy ending to boot, this is a good book for those who love mysteries and love.
Despite my enjoyment of the book overall, there were a few parts that I found confusing as I was reading the scene. I can’t tell you the scenes, or I’ll spoil the book, but towards the end, there is a scene that is pivotal to the story. There is a lot going on and it was sort of hard to follow. There is another conversation later in the book that made me confused as well. The scene and the conversation were both very important parts in discovering who the killer is.
The last scene in the book seemed a little forced as well. A bad-news character from earlier in the book pops up again and is subsequently squelched. All in one scene. I didn’t really understand the need to have that person pop up again, so I think I tried to read too much into it and ended up feeling disappointed that there wasn’t more to the situation than there was.
Overall, like I said, it’s a great book and I’m certainly not sorry I read it.
Wistful for the days when his life was not in danger, Tyler crouched with his back to the warehouse wall to catch his breath. Glancing around the corner of the building, he could see movement coming from in side the warehouse. It wasn’t safe to go that way for sure. Ahead of him, across what seemed like miles of asphalt was brush and trees. If only he could get there safely.
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To learn more about OneWord, visit OneWord.com
http://oneword.com/members/eileenmaki/
Hello Writers and Readers!
My very short story, Lila’s Sanctuary is being offered for free once again on Amazon for the next 2 days. It’s a short piece of contemporary fiction that I wrote and wanted to make available. The short story download also includes some teasers for coming works. Here’s some info on the story:
Check it out for free from Saturday, July 6, 2013 to Sunday, July 7, 2013!
Here’s the link: Lila’s Sanctuary
Enjoy!
~ Eileen 🙂
While perusing the ‘net this morning, I found a pretty cool, nonfiction, outlet for submissions! So, naturally, I wanted to share it with you-all. (I’m just nice like that.) 🙂
Creative Nonfiction accepts pieces of various sizes and topics, but it must be nonfiction. Your piece will undergo an in-depth fact-checking process before it is published, so make sure you tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but….
You can check out the various calls for submission, submit online or find out how to submit via snail mail on their website:
Happy Writing!
~ Eileen 🙂
Carrie fished around in her purse for something that would help her with the collection of the sample. Finding a package of pocket tissues, Carrie emptied the tissues from the package into the bottom of her purse. Setting her purse on the floor behind her, she crouched down with a tissue in one hand and the plastic package in the other.
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To learn more about OneWord, visit OneWord.com
http://oneword.com/members/eileenmaki/
Hello readers! I just discovered this cool publication avenue. If you’re looking for something to add to your tear sheet, these just may be your dudes (or dudettes)! The people over at The Artificial Selection Project are now accepting submissions for their next ePublication from creators of fiction, non-fiction and artwork. You can check out the details at the link below:
Eileen Maki 