Published At Last!

It's taken awhile but I've taken the leap, or maybe it was just a small step, and written an article to be submitted to Associated Content which is part of the Yahoo! Contributor Network.  Today I received word that it was accepted, and an offer was made and accepted.  The article has been officially published.  You can view it here.

The Outpost...Previous Blog

I was just reviewing this blog and saw the post about being picked up in the military truck and can't believe I still remember this.  It was actually from a dream I had and when I woke up I thought there was for sure a story in it somewhere.  I just don't think I am the one to write the story.  I do know that when the truck stopped at this outpost, it was out in some isolated desert-type area with a huge structure made of canvas and poles.  Inside the main entrance was the main room that served as both a meeting hall and cafeteria.  Beyond that were two main hallways with canvased rooms lining each side.  Inside the rooms were bunks for us to sleep.  We could choose which room and bunk we wanted as long as someone else didn't already have it.  There were probably at least 100 such rooms and bathrooms were spaced between every ten or so rooms.  We were all dressed in civilian clothing.  No one there seemed to know why we were there or what would happen now that we were there. Once we were inside this outpost we were not allowed to go back outside.  All we could see outside while exiting the truck was sand and dunes.  There were no signs of life of any kind except for those of us leaving the trucks and entering this outpost.

How would you write this story?

Using Music as Your Muse...

Have you ever used a song, either the music, or lyrics, or both, as your muse to write your next story?  For instance, just tonight while trying to sleep I was awakened to hear Art Garfunkel singing "Break Away" and thought how the lyrics of that song kind of told a story.  But not enough of a story.  The lyrics of this song would be a great starting point for us to write short stories, or maybe even a whole novel about.

Off the same album is "My Little Town". Not that song begs us to write the story.  Why did the boy feel this way about his hometown?  

Well, that's what I woke up with tonight.  It seems I am having too much trouble with the typing to actually write any stories tonight as my sleep medications are saying it's time to get back to sleep.  But tomorrow when I am awake, there just might be a story waiting to be written from one or both of these songs.  What will you do with them?

More Writing Prompts, Etc.

The Write Prompts--Writing Prompts  Squidoo Lens chock full of writing prompts.

nanowrimo-tips  Squidoo Lens with ideas for National Novel Writing Month.  Write a novel in November.

Writer's Notebook   Squidoo Lens to encourage keeping a notebook for all your writing ideas and more.

Generating Ideas  Squidoo Lens about how to generate ideas for your next writing project.

This is So Sad

Looking at this is so sad. I've all but abandoned my blogs, as well as my writing. Somehow I have to pick myself up and start writing again--at least blogging if nothing else. The spark is still in there somewhere. The question is, how to get it to ignite the rest of me into action with my writing. As short as this post is, hopefully, maybe this will be at least a small start. At least I haven't totally given it up, right?

A New Writing Prompt

You have just been picked up in a military truck, and riding away with others who were picked up at various locations, you wonder what your future holds in store. The truck arrives at an outpost in an area you didn't even know existed before.

Questions to be answered:

Who are you?
Why were you picked up?
Where are you?
What is your purpose in being there?
How long will you be there?
When will you know what is going on?

Write a short story or if you feel it is possible, a novel about this incident and what it is leading up to.

Today's Prompt

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” - Jack London

Today's prompt is to write about what inspires you to write. If you want to add what blocks your writing, you may do so also. But try to put more of the focus on the inspiration side of things to keep you focused on the positive. Write as little or as much as you want to with this one.