February 2020 #TheIWSG A Photo Inspiration

GO HERE TO JOIN IN THE FUN!

Many thanks to our founder Alex J. Cavanaugh, we are welcome to release our writing fears into the world and share our encouragement with one another.

The co-hosts today are:  co-hosts today are Lee Lowery, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Jennifer Hawes, Cathrina Constantine, and me.

Optional Question: Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?

I started my first ever novel (unpublished) based on a newspaper photo that I clipped out - it's the image of a young girl/young woman holding an assault rifle in a crowd of people. Her eyes looked more sad and haunted than angry. I wanted to write about her, but not in the real world.
I had student-taught and subbed in a school district that had agreed to 15 minutes of advertising during the school day each day to have tech installed in every classroom and that seriously irked me - it felt like the schools had sold out to the corporations. The image and that idea just kept swirling in my head.

So, I started a novel about a young woman who is adopted by and indentured to a security corporation which provides security for the leadership of the United Traders, a futuristic group that holds the reins of power in the Milky Way. She is indentured to serve in the military-like group because her mother is indebted to her previous employer - who sued her after her lab experiment back-fired - the same experiment that killed the protagonist's father and brother. I heaped a lot of trouble on this girl and then wondered, what if she has another agenda than the one she's been hired to do? What if, in the midst of all of her pain, she's resisted all the brainwashing they've attempted and she is planning on turning the tables on them, but isn't sure she has the power to do so? What is she going to do with her high-powered assault rifle when an angry mob disagrees with the government and she's ordered to fire upon them? What pain haunts her eyes? What will she do with it?

Anyway, it's sort of finished, but it's a mess. I have tried to re-work it several times, but the story hasn't come out the way I wanted to yet. Maybe someday or maybe this is my trunk book. I don't know.

What I am working on now: The Graphic Novel and Prose Mash-up Revision Edition of Anomalies. I like this version best, but it bothers me that I've been working on this story soooo long.

IWSG NEWS AND UPDATES:

IWSG IS ON INSTAGRAM HERE

IWSG GOODREADS BOOK CLUB HAS CHOSEN THE FEB/MARCH SELECTIONS:

Chill Factor by Sandra Brown or The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

MY NEWS:
I had a flash fiction publication at Every Day Fiction at the end of January. Every Day Fiction is a token paying market and one I would recommend to my fellow short story authors.
To find my story, click here: Flight by Tyrean Martinson

January 2020 #TheIWSG

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Ninja Captain!

Co-hosted this month by: 

T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff!

Go HERE to sign up!

IWSG AND MY WRITING JOURNEY

OPTIONAL QUESTION:  What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write?

When I was really small, my grandmother told me stories from her childhood, and mixed in some fairy tales. My parents read to me and told me stories. I wanted to tell stories, but struggled with getting the words out in the right order.

My first short story I remember feeling good about included a top hat that sang and danced (3rd grade).

In sixth grade, a teacher asked me if I wanted to be an author during a creative writing unit. She encouraged me to keep writing and working at my skill. In seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth grades, I had teachers who encouraged me to write and grow into my potential as a would-be author. The trend continued in college. And yet, I still doubted. All the time. (More on that in a moment.)

The earliest story worlds which amazed me as a child included: Peter Pan's Neverland, Star Wars, fairy tales and folk tales, the Bible,  Middle Earth, and Narnia. I wanted to write stories like those. I still do.

I love to write. It's bone deep, built into my soul, my memories, my DNA - a combination of nature and nurture.

But, so much of my life I have wasted with self-doubt. When we doubt the passion, purpose, and work God has given us, we lose sight of who we really are.

I am super thankful for the people in my life who have encouraged and supported me - that includes all of my IWSG buddies! Thank you!!!

So, my main goal this year is: Creative Confidence (in Christ).
My secondary goal is the same as last year's primary goal: Small Steps.

All other goals fit under those - even my fantasy/speculative writer mission statement.

 I came up with a statement for why I write fantasy because I have been asked why I write fantasy as a Christian. Here it is:

I write fantasy for the children who walk into the school library at lunch recess and the teens who go there during lunch, after they've been pushed on the playground or had tobacco chew spit on their locker. I write to remind them that evil can be defeated with a bucket of water, a lion's roar, an arrow to the heart of a dragon, or a bar of chocolate.

I believe in Jesus as the ultimate hero, but I know fantasy is a great way to show evil overcome by Good. I know because even though I knew the truth of God's love, I was the kid who was pushed and the teen who found tobacco chew spit on my locker. I went to the school library for an escape and needed the reminder that dragons can be defeated by Good. 

(This is not meant as a tiny violin whine "my life was so bad" but as the reason I know fantasy can be meaningful.)

THE NEWS FOR IWSG THIS MONTH IS FULL OF AWESOME!

The IWSG made the Write Life List!!!

Check it out here!

Voyagers: The Third Ghost is coming on May 5, 2020!

Congrats to all of the authors who made it into the anthology!

For more info, click here! 

The IWSG Twitter Pitch is next week!!!

Are you ready?

Tip: Ask other authors for help refining your pitch and query!

To learn more about the hashtags and rules of the IWSG Twitter Pitch, go HERE!

The IWSG Goodreads Book Club is reading On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft this month!

To join in the discussion, go here!

THE IWSG Instagram plan for January is already going! 

Join in Here!

My Writing News:

As you may have heard, I had two poems published in Z Publishing's Washington's Best Emerging Poets of 2019 book! 

End of the Decade

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hadn't thought about it much until this last month of the year, but it's the end of a decade. 

Beware, I am about to wax maudlin for quite some time. 

Abandon all hope of a quick read, all who enter here:

As decades go, it's been a wild ride.

There have been ups. There have been downs. There have been some loops where my world was turned upside down, and some terrifying drops during which I wasn't sure if I was going to hit the ground with a hard splat, or get lifted up into another up-rolling corkscrew before coasting to the end of the decade.

On the UP side in life:
1. Both of my daughters finished homeschooling, finished course work at a community college, and matriculated to state universities where they are each studying types of engineering: Chemical (with a side of bio) and Civil.

2. My husband and I celebrated our 23rd Anniversary and our 52nd and 48th birthdays, respectively. We know that we can disagree (sometimes extremely stubbornly) and still love each other fiercely and faithfully.

3. My daughters both competed at the National and International levels for Flatwater Sprint Canoe and Kayak. Because of their accomplishments, my husband and I drove trailers full of boats from one end of the country to the other (literally - Washington to Georgia, then Florida and back). When my daughters both competed in Hungary in 2016, I went to cheer them down the course due to the gracious help of friends who helped me navigate (and financially afford) an international trip that year. When my youngest competed in the Czech Republic aka Czechia in 2017 and Poland in 2018, I went to cheer her there, too, and loved visiting those amazing places with the parent-cheer squad.

3.5 (I kind of forgot this one) - I got to see my daughters both dance and perform on stage, as well as having lines in an Indie film. We went to NY for the International Modeling and Talent Association Competition. My oldest had an "extra" part in Gray's Anatomy. My youngest had an interview for an training camp for kayaking that took place in OKC and did a good job of speaking about her sport.

4. We traveled a lot of amazing places as a family - it amazes me as I look back. We skied in Whistler, B.C. several times courtesy of my in-laws. We celebrated the 4th of July, 2010 with friends who hosted us for a trip to Washington DC. We went snorkeling with sharks, turtles, and manta rays in Hawaii in 2011. We visited the Grand Canyon in 2012 and went to Disneyland for one day. We went to NYC and NY state in 2013. We visited places with our daughters' sport - Georgia, Florida (second time for us), San Diego, and Oklahoma. We saw some cools sights along the way, including the Badlands, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and more. Too much to actually recount here. But it was good and we learned what we do well and don't do well on car trips.

5. My husband reached his 20th year work-anniversary at Tacoma City Light as an Professional Engineer (now supervisor) and it's been a really good work environment so it's a double blessing.

6. I taught classes for nine years at Harbor Christian Homeschool Cooperative and loved my students. I taught classes on Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, British Literature, Creative Writing for 9-12 year-old children, and Creative Writing for 14+. I taught classes in Dynamic Language Arts and Dynamic Writing, and created my own curriculum since I had previously come up with about a hundred pages in handouts to supplement a different writing curriculum. I tutored some amazing students, too. All of these students encouraged me to become closer to God and to grow my teaching skills.

7. I helped found One Hope Church, back when we didn't even have a name for ourselves. For a short time, I served as the Worship Coordinator by finding musicians, guest pastors and speakers, prayer leaders, and communion leaders. I helped write the founding documents of the church with a team of leaders and prayed for hours over every decision I made and our team of leaders made. When I stepped back, I was exhausted and may have stepped too far back, but I am glad to have seen the Church Elders take the foundation and build it into something even better than I could have imagined at the beginning, when we met first at an outdoor camp and then in a high school library - we moved a lot of chairs in those days.

8. I co-taught a lot of Sunday School. Teaching young people, whether they are 3 or 17, has taught me how much wisdom can come from people who have fresh eyes and a deep faith. Wisdom does not necessarily come from experience, but it can come from a direct application of God's Word in our lives. And that's ageless.

9. I wrote a lot. Hundreds of thousands of words. I don't really know how many between journals, short stories, poems, non-fiction articles, handouts for classes, social media posts, novels, and non-fiction books. I have written several novels that haven't seen the light of day (publication) and some that have.

10. I took a chance on self-publishing. I am proud of the work I have done, even if I can see many, many places that I could do better. I have self-published three novels, three writing curriculum books, three chapbooks of short stories and/or poetry, an experimental hint fiction series (which may become a graphic novel someday), writing prompt books, and a series of stand-alone short story e-books.

11. I started my blog in 2009, but I really didn't get going until 2010 or later when I joined the IWSG and really started to do more. Thank you, online writers!!!

12. I joined a really cool Write-In group a few years ago. We are still going strong on most Tuesday nights. A critique group has spun-off and is going well. I went to an open mic night a month ago. I joined the SCBWI. Basically, I started to find my writing tribe in the RL (finally).

On the Down Side of Life:
 I'm going to sum the rotten stuff together into three items:
1. Health from 2010-2019: It's gone from okay to I-thought-I-might-die kind of bad. I'm beginning to improve in a baby step kind of fashion. Some of this has been my fault - obesity really can't be blamed on anyone else and I'm pretty sure that's why I have reflux and GERD. Some has not been my fault - several surgeries (not related to my weight) and a few autoimmune diseases (Menieres and Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism).
I have a neurological para-thesis, which doesn't have an current explained origin, but which is not so bad that I need medical care for it. I just track my symptoms and try to pay attention to what seems to help and what doesn't. It could be or could not be a pre-cursor to CMT (an inherited genetic neurological disorder my dad has). I don't know yet and may never know.

2. Deaths in our extended family and among friends. This is just hard. As my Pastor says, "we weren't mean to die, death is the consequence from when humanity chose sin. So, it makes sense that death just feels so wrong. It is wrong. It wasn't a part of the original plan. We are meant for eternity." (Note: I am quoting from memory so I may not have his exact words right.)

3.  We don't have world peace yet. Human trafficking still exists. Suffering still happens daily, 24/7. We've lost the ability to have civil discourse. I blame the sin disease - not one person or one group, but a constant desire we each have for selfishness. I have it. Everyone I know has it.

Looking UP for the Next Decade:
1. I look forward to seeing where and what my daughters do next. I'm glad they still like talking to me most of the time (except when I ask about grades, study habits, etc).

2. I look forward for many more years of wonderful hugs, sassy humor, and adventures with my husband.

3. I look forward to traveling even more.

4. I look forward to taking my baby steps into greater strides towards good health.

5. I look forward to singing many more years on One Hope Church's Praise Team and going to more great Bible studies. Maybe even teaching a little more Sunday School.

6. I look forward to writing a million+ more words.

7. I look forward to getting published traditionally, as well as continuing to self-publish.

8. I look forward to gaining more skills in writing, publishing, marketing, and more.

9. I look forward to finding more edges of God's greatness and beauty in this world, to seeing the blessings, and hearing the stories of God's goodness and grace in people's lives.

10. I look forward to more community connections in writing - both online and in the real world.

11. I look forward to teaching more writing and spoken word classes, to encourage others to speak life and hope into the world around us.

12. I look forward to volunteering and working in a way that suits God's purposes and my passions.


What are you looking forward to in 2020 and the next decade?

My next post will be on January 8th, 2020. Until then, I hope you all enjoy these last few weeks of the decade! Be merry, be kind, love and laugh!

Write Edit Publish December 2019 Footprints #WEP

 I love WEP, but I haven't participated in a bit. I hit a fizzle moment with Captain Wrath, so I won't be returning to that story cycle at the moment, but this prompt just kept speaking to me. I tried a few different things for it and wasn't really satisfied.

I'm still not satisfied, but here is an attempt at a poetic retelling of King Wenceslas (who was actually a very young king murdered by his brother in his twenties - despite all the depictions of him as an old, St. Nicholas figure).
At 449 words:

Footprints in the Snow

In a land far away and long ago,
a man followed footprints in the snow:

By his cozy hearth window, he had seen
A family laboring in the harsh cold
Bringing wood in stacks tall and clean
To Noble house hearths and stoves.

As the day waned and darkness fell,
The wood-cutter family walked home.
Their arms were empty, but they rang a bell,
Singing Christmas carols to praise the Son.

The King marveled at their joy so replete.
In his wondering he gazed at his empty luxury,
And with a sudden shout, he leapt to his feet.
With a hurried dash, he called out to me.

And together, we packed a full leftover feast,
including candles, dishware, presents, and all
For a celebration fit for Wise Kings from the East.
Then I followed him out into the cold snow fall.

We followed the family into the night.
Following deep footprints in the snow.
My young king laughed with joy and might
He hardly seemed to feel the freezing cold.

His purpose clear as he knocked on their door.
They answered but bowed exceedingly low.
But instead, he knelt down on their dirt floor,
Presenting himself as their servant now.

My king served them every morsel sweet,
He even cleaned every spoon and dish.
No one, not even I, could stop his feet.
As he danced about, as was his wish.

His song and laughter rang through the dark
and in the early morning, as the family slept,
My king and I, we woke with the morning lark
To leave the presents on the hearth he'd swept.

Back in his castle and his royal-filled life,
Nothing seemed to sate the Nobles greed.
My King had to deal with much Noble strife.
But they caught him looking to his servants' need.

Time passed, plots made, the passing of a year.
As winter's chill grew in the castle yard,
My king went out to pray with his brother dear.
But his brother's heart had become tarred.

The deed was done, my king was brought low
In bloody, muddy footprints in the snow.

The nobles wanted a puppet on the throne,
But the truth pierces the darkest of hearts,
So the light has ever, ever shone,
and the king's brother fell to love's darts.

He repented his sin, his murderous deed.
From that day forward, he ruled as his brother,
And now, with my help he has decreed,
On Christmas, we give to one another.

No one is to live in greed,
but all are to give to those in need.

For once, on a chill winter's night long ago,
My King followed footsteps in the snow.

And I, I follow my King.

IWSG December

Many thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for starting and managing this awesome and encouraging blog hop for writers! The hop has grown and become so much more due to the efforts of Alex and the whole administration team. To find out more, go here: IWSG Website.

Co-hosts for December: 

Tonja Drecker https://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/ 

Nicki Elson http://nickielson.blogspot.com/

Beverly Stowe McClure  http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/  

Fundy Blue  http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/

and me

Optional Question: Let's play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream?  Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?

I decided to tackle this with a letter containing what I hope things will be like:

Dear Future Writer Self,
I imagine you are in a cozy space with a cup of hot tea by your side, books lovingly placed on book shelves throughout your house, a journal and a laptop on a desk in front of you. On your walls, you have family pictures and photographs you've taken of your travels and adventures. I also imagine you've managed to tackle all of your projects - from poetry chapbooks and short story collections to novels who have reached readers all over the world, with a handful of graphic novels and some music lyrics written, too. You could retire, but you won't, because writing is your passion. Ideas are everywhere. You also take time to teach writing classes in a Story Arts Studio, a business of your own creation. If you are, like I imagine, close to that retirement age, you're considering who you could mentor to take over that Story Arts Studio, but you aren't ready yet. Or, maybe you already have a business partner who will take over when you're ready to step away. But again, you aren't ready yet. There's so much to do, so many adventures to still have - both in real life and on the page. And, you love encouraging other writers almost as much as writing itself.
I know the journey to where you are is a long road. I know there are many small steps ahead to get there and some mountains to climb, one small step at a time. But I know you're beckoning me onward, and so I will take those steps and climb those mountains, one word and one adventure at a time.
See you soon,
Current Writer Self

That's the kind of life I hope for as a writer - a life of confident creativity and adventure with some dreams fulfilled and some yet to be written. Right now, I feel like I'm still on the first bit of foothills before the real climb.

And now, I just want TO CONGRATULATE all of the 

ANTHOLOGY WINNERS!!!

The Third Ghost – Yvonne Ventresca  http://yvonneventresca.com/blog.html

A World of Trouble – Rebecca M. Douglass  https://www.ninjalibrarian.com

Winter Days - Katharina Gerlach  https://www.katharinagerlach.com

Feathered Fire – Roland Clarke  https://rolandclarke.com/

The Ghosts of Pompeii – Sherry Ellis  http://www.sherryellis.org/

The Blind Ship – Bish Denham  http://bish-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/

Return to Cahokia – L.T. Ward

Dare Double Dare – Louise M. Barbour  https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

Simon Grey and the Yamamba - Charles Kowalski  https://charleskowalski.com/

The Orchard - Beth Anderson Schuck  https://twitter.com/schuck_beth

These writers wrote an submitted Middle Grade (ages 9-12) stories for the IWSG MG Anthology Contest and won a spot in the anthology!

If you wrote but didn't win, I hope you submit your stories to another contest, anthology, or magazine. You can find a place for your work!

As someone who has received rejections on my stories, poems, and novels, I know it's hard, but you can keep going. You can find publication.

Keep writing! 

Keep sending out your work!

IWSG Updates:

In January, we will post on the second Wednesday because the first Wednesday is New Year's Day.

The Twitter Pitch Contest is in January! Get ready to Pitch!!!

For the Goodreads IWSG Reading Group, the book for December/January is On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. 

On Instagram, we mainly have today's post celebration, a note on the WEP contest, and per usual, some writing tips from the website, and some encouraging quotes to keep you writing!

For WEP in December:

A few brief updates from me:

1. The last few months have included some unexpected life stress which will not be named (it felt that dark), but I kept on writing. I attended a comic con, and I read my work out loud at an open mic night. I went to a critique group, went to several write-ins with an ongoing write-in group, and I won NaNoWriMo with 50,000 words of a jumbled, partial novel which will take much revision to be the novel it's meant to be.

2. I decided to participate in Dressember to help fight human trafficking with awareness and fundraising. To know more about Dressember, go HERE. If you want to help me fund raise, go to A Dress with Comfortable Shoes.

Dressember's vision: A World Without Slavery.

3. I had the honor of having two previously published poems republished in this new anthology by Z Publishing: Washington's Best Emerging Poets

How are all of you doing, IWSG? Any news? 

What does your future writer self look like?