The land was flat below us as we rounded the curve of the mountain road. Cresting a small rise, there was the valley strewn out in front of our car. This is where we would begin our new life. This place was where all our dreams would come true. As long as we could forget the old ones, that is. They were gone.
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High society was not a thing to be messed around with. The wrong word from the right mouth could tear you down in a heartbeat. Sarah knew what she was doing and dressed with care. Placing the feathers in her hair just so and the pearls on her neck at just the right length, she was ready for the throng.
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Hello Writers and Readers!
I have published a short story on Amazon that will be free for the next 5 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 February 8, 2013 to February 12, 2013! And don’t forget to leave me a raving review. 🙂
Here’s the link: Lila’s Sanctuary
“So you had a good time. He paid for everything. You like him. What’s the problem?”
“Well, I….. I don’t wanna tell you. You’ll think me an ass.”
“I already think you’re an ass, Theresa.”
“True.” She thought for a moment. “Ok. He’s a salesman.”
“Oh.”
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To learn more about OneWord, visit OneWord.com
http://oneword.com/members/eileenmaki/
I’m writing a little poem for a birthday card and on this occasion, I am rhyming. A quick search found a great, free online resource for help finding rhyming words.
Rhyming isn’t very hard,
If you use this online tool,
I wish I had this to use,
When I was in grade school!
Happy Writing!
“We have to shut the systems down, NOW!” Harvey screamed as he ran towards the front of the assembly line.
“What? Why?” The foreman questioned him, not wanting to stop production if it wasn’t necessary.
“Tom’s coat is stuck in the belt!”
Just then, a blood chilling scream was heard from the back of the warehouse.
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To learn more about OneWord, visit OneWord.com
http://oneword.com/members/eileenmaki/
This is the fifth posting in a series of 5 related topics. If you missed the first four, search for ‘Writing Idea‘ on my blog and you should find them there.
I subscribe to the Writer’s Digest newsletter and get emails from time to time about writing ideas. I got such an email with ‘5 Ways to Come Up With Great Story Ideas’. So, I have decided to post each of the prompts and my response.
If you want to sign up for the Writer’s Digest email newsletter, just visit their website HERE to register.
So, here goes the fifth one:
The Prompt:
Sometimes the best cure for writer’s block is to let someone else start your story for you. You can search the web and find a number of sites that offer them, or check out our database of creative writing prompts that gets updated every Tuesday. And who knows: The idea you get from a writing prompt may be just the inspiration you need to spark your creativity and write a short story or novel that sells.
My Response:
I love writing prompts. Many of you, Readers, have been reading my ‘OneWord’ posts for a while now. OneWord is a quick and easy prompt that gets my writing flowing as well as being absolutely free. Those are my favorite kinds. 🙂
Here are some of the writing prompt sources that I like to use:
Writer’s Digest Creative Writing Prompts
And there are many more out there. There are also books and software that can help you get started as well. So no excuses! Get to writing, everyone. 🙂
So what do you think? Share your favorite resources in the comment section below.
Happy Writing!
And don’t forget to subscribe to Writer’s Digest Magazine or the FREE email newsletter!
This is the fourth posting in a series of 5 related topics. If you missed the first three, search for ‘Writing Idea‘ on my blog and you should find them there.
I subscribe to the Writer’s Digest newsletter and get emails from time to time about writing ideas. I got such an email with ‘5 Ways to Come Up With Great Story Ideas’. So, I have decided to post each of the prompts and my response.
If you want to sign up for the Writer’s Digest email newsletter, just visit their website HERE to register.
So, here goes the fourth one:
The Prompt:
Just because you’re stuck in a bit of a funk when it comes to ideas doesn’t mean that other people are. Take your notepad or laptop out of the house, sit down somewhere and observe the scenery around you-and listen to any and every conversation within earshot. You can do this at a park, restaurant, coffee shop or, my personal favorite, a bar (people who have a few drinks in them tend to share the best stories). Remember, jot down all the stories you hear but be sure to give them a twist to make them your own.
My Response:
As a writer, I love to people watch. The way people talk to one another, position their bodies, act and react to speech, it’s all fascinating. And I use what I see in what I write all the time. It goes against my grain to eavesdrop on someone else’s conversation, but sometimes you just can’t help overhear what’s being said.
My husband and I were at a restaurant a few months ago and there were two ladies in the booth next to ours. They were loudly discussing giving their elderly mother a bath and the … um … negative aspects of such a task. Now, mind you, I was trying to eat. So I did not appreciate overhearing their conversation. However, sometimes you overhear something that is though provoking or interesting.
I was recently in a coffee shop and there were two ladies sitting at the table behind mine. They were talking about the daughter of one of the ladies who apparently had been getting into trouble at school and just recently had got into trouble with the law. The girls mother was furious and she was telling her friend what she planned to do about it. Her plan included some rather harsh punishments (at least, I thought so) such as making her stay in her room when she wasn’t in school, only allowing her to come out for food and using the bathroom. Taking away all her privileges, no phone, no computer, no nothing. Although I would definitely be firm if either of my boys ever got into trouble like that, I think the mother was carrying it a bit too far. The mother said herself that the girl was a good kid and she didn’t understand why she was acting this way.
I would write about the teenage daughter and her mother. I would talk about how the harsh punishments pushed the girl further away from her mother. I would write about the things the girl was going through and that she had a big secret she didn’t feel like she could tell her mother and so she was acting out her frustration and confusion in acts of defiance. Perhaps the girl gets worse before she gets better and gets arrested, probation, community service, a fine, the whole bit. Of course, in the end, the girl does tell her mother her secret and there is tearful making up and everyone lives happily ever after. When there’s children involved, I usually like the happy ending. 🙂
So what do you think? Share your favorite writing ideas or your ideas for this prompt in the comment section below.
Happy Writing!
And don’t forget to subscribe to Writer’s Digest Magazine or the FREE email newsletter!
“A baby?”
She sighed her frustration.
“Yes. A. Baby.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Todd. I’m sure. I think I would know.”
“What if there are multiples?”
“I’m sure there will be.”
“Will she be ok?” The concern in his voice stopped her from making a snide comment.
“Yes, Todd. She’s a dog, they have babies all the time and she will be fine.”
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To learn more about OneWord, visit OneWord.com
http://oneword.com/members/eileenmaki/
This is the third posting in a series of 5 related topics. If you missed the first one, you can find it HERE and if you missed the second one, you can find it HERE.
I subscribe to the Writer’s Digest newsletter and get emails from time to time about writing ideas. I got such an email with ‘5 Ways to Come Up With Great Story Ideas’. So, I have decided to post each of the prompts and my response.
If you want to sign up for the Writer’s Digest email newsletter, just visit their website HERE to register.
So, here goes the third one:
The Prompt:
We have all had friends in our lives from grade school, high school or college that we knew quite well back then, but haven’t seen much (if at all) since. In fact, most of their lives are a mystery to us. Pick one of those old friends and write about the life they’ve been leading ever since you lost touch. What happened in his or her family life? What career path did he or she choose? Was he or she involved in something that led them to a life of crime? The possibilities are endless, which should drive you to be as creative as possible.
My Response:
The first person I thought of when I read this prompt was an old friend named Donna. I currently live in Oregon, but when I lived in Texas I had a really good friend named Donna. She was so nice and just a wonderful person to be around. I loved her very much. When I moved to Oregon, we lost touch. I have searched for her every way I know how, but I can’t find her. Her old number is disconnected and all the other avenues I know of show no trace of her. She was sick when I left and had recently been diagnosed with Diabetes and I worry about her health. I hope she is doing ok and think of her often. If I were to write this story, I would write a deliriously happy ending for my friend Donna.
So what do you think? Try the prompt yourself and see what you can come up with! Share your link in the comment section below so I can read yours too. 🙂
Happy Writing!
And don’t forget to subscribe to Writer’s Digest Magazine or the FREE email newsletter!
Eileen Maki 