I'm having a hard time with this latest writing challenge of mine.
First of all, there is no way I can write 500 words in 20 minutes.
500 good words, that is.
But, my writing colleagues expressed similar experiences, so we changed the rules so that each piece has 400-500 words instead of having a time limit. And because it's a writing exercise (not a competition), we figured that we wouldn't be concerned with the final product but focus on the process of what evolves in the short writing time (usually under an hour).
Secondly, flash fiction is difficult. Conflict is what pulls a reader in. How does one create and resolve conflict in 500 words? I entered a piece in a flash fiction contest once. I spent hours on the piece, carefully crafting the placement of each word. It's like poetry that way - each word carries more currency.
Thirdly, I am having a dilemna writing about sin. It's so broad. Generic. It's the ultimate of tests -- to take a worldly evil and narrow it to a point where you can partake in it for only 500 words? I find myself having to visualize it more like a biopsy. Take a sliver of the evil, place it on the microscope and focus on it so it until it becomes a world of its own, a story that wraps around your consciousness.
Of course, some of the modern sins (i.e. social injustice, pollution) are things I feel so strongly about that it's hard for me not to rant. Or bring the evil-doers to justice. What better way to ruin a good piece of writing? To be excessively moralistic. Or to keep using adverbs like "excessively".
I didn't think the piece below was quite ready for publication ... barely over 200 words and not concise. And, I wasn't sure if apathy qualified as a sin, but my friend explained that "apathy" can be translated also as "sloth".
To be honest, I *accidentally* posted the piece below -- it was supposed to go on my personal blog with my writing circle. Oops! Good exercise in humility though. Might as well put the rough stuff out in the blogging world as well.
Wish me luck for the next one!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Whatever (aka the sin of Apathy)
- sorry - had to take this posting down for now - but more will come in another form :) -
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Numbers, Numbers
ONE - One year. that's how long I've officially been blogging. I started last year around this time, wondering what the journey of blogging would bring. And while I got what I expected -- opportunities to create, a venue for my writing -- I got one thing I didn't expect -- an incredible community of fellow bloggers!
THREE - Thrice a week. That's the minimum times I'd like to write every week for this next year. I will block out the times in my calendar. With the start of my new business, it didn't quite happen. I've forgotten to make writing my compass. That's how I should judge the quality of my life. But, I do eventually come back to it, even when I do drift away. I won't judge myself for that and just get back on to track.
FIVE - Five km. That's how far I ran in the "resolution run" on January 1.
TWENTY-THREE - Minus twenty-three degrees centigrade. That's how cold it was when I ran. It was my first run ever. A big accomplishment for someone who doesn't consider herself athletic.
TWENTY - Twenty minutes. A friend of mine, who is a publisher, challenged me and my writer friends to produce some pieces of flash fiction by January 15. I will start tomorrow. So that we don't get too carried away, he gave us a guideline of spending no more than twenty minutes on each piece, including editing.
SEVEN - He wanted seven pieces, each focusing on a deadly sin: greed, gluttony, envy, sloth, pride, lust, and wrath.
INFINITE - Billie, one of my writing circle members, has an infinite number of ideas to make things more interesting. She discovered the Vatican's new list of seven sins (invented in March 2008), in contrast to the Traditional Deadlies: genetic modification; carrying out experiments on humans; polluting the environment; social injustice; poverty; being obscenely wealthy; and (of course ! ha ha) taking drugs.
If any of you fellow bloggers would like to take part in the seven deadly challenge, let me know. I'll post it along with my twenty-minute creations.
Happy New Year!
THREE - Thrice a week. That's the minimum times I'd like to write every week for this next year. I will block out the times in my calendar. With the start of my new business, it didn't quite happen. I've forgotten to make writing my compass. That's how I should judge the quality of my life. But, I do eventually come back to it, even when I do drift away. I won't judge myself for that and just get back on to track.
FIVE - Five km. That's how far I ran in the "resolution run" on January 1.
TWENTY-THREE - Minus twenty-three degrees centigrade. That's how cold it was when I ran. It was my first run ever. A big accomplishment for someone who doesn't consider herself athletic.
TWENTY - Twenty minutes. A friend of mine, who is a publisher, challenged me and my writer friends to produce some pieces of flash fiction by January 15. I will start tomorrow. So that we don't get too carried away, he gave us a guideline of spending no more than twenty minutes on each piece, including editing.
SEVEN - He wanted seven pieces, each focusing on a deadly sin: greed, gluttony, envy, sloth, pride, lust, and wrath.
INFINITE - Billie, one of my writing circle members, has an infinite number of ideas to make things more interesting. She discovered the Vatican's new list of seven sins (invented in March 2008), in contrast to the Traditional Deadlies: genetic modification; carrying out experiments on humans; polluting the environment; social injustice; poverty; being obscenely wealthy; and (of course ! ha ha) taking drugs.
If any of you fellow bloggers would like to take part in the seven deadly challenge, let me know. I'll post it along with my twenty-minute creations.
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thoughts of the Miraculous
I wrote this on November 11, 2008. But, I thought it was a nice posting for the Christmas season ... Season's Greetings to you All :)
Today is first snowfall.
I could smell it last night -- it smells of heavy anticipation.
And the sky is a strange shade of grey on white. When you wake up, you know it has snowed even before you look out the window. The air that filters into the room, between the curtain and the window's edge, is more bright, more sharp, but less warm.
I don't mind it. Snow is inevitable.
When snow comes, I feel a sense of relief. That indeed Edmonton is the same as it always has been -- spring, summer, fall, winter. Winter.
Even if we can't rely upon world financial markets or politics, we can still rely on winter.
Not to mention that everything looks ineffectual just before snowfall. The grass is yellow, flowers are wilting and the trees are almost bare, leaves clinging to the end of their branches.
But with that silver frost and layer of white outlining all that remains outside, all of a sudden the tree is beautiful again. Each branch made complex and purposeful once more.
Yes, snow uncovers the miraculous in the ordinary.
Today is first snowfall.
I could smell it last night -- it smells of heavy anticipation.
And the sky is a strange shade of grey on white. When you wake up, you know it has snowed even before you look out the window. The air that filters into the room, between the curtain and the window's edge, is more bright, more sharp, but less warm.
I don't mind it. Snow is inevitable.
When snow comes, I feel a sense of relief. That indeed Edmonton is the same as it always has been -- spring, summer, fall, winter. Winter.
Even if we can't rely upon world financial markets or politics, we can still rely on winter.
Not to mention that everything looks ineffectual just before snowfall. The grass is yellow, flowers are wilting and the trees are almost bare, leaves clinging to the end of their branches.
But with that silver frost and layer of white outlining all that remains outside, all of a sudden the tree is beautiful again. Each branch made complex and purposeful once more.
Yes, snow uncovers the miraculous in the ordinary.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Blogging
my writing isn’t me
it guides me
shelters me
shows me to myself when I am lost
but my writing is not me
it is a thread woven into the fabric of my day
it is the dye that colors the hue of what I love, what I hate
the catalyst that helps an emotion become a thought
or a thought become a passion
and if my words are not me
if you do not know me
from reading the words on this page
what would I suggest you do to
know the real me?
listen to me laugh?
watch my face while I watch the daily news?
scan my grocery list?
my writing is a portait of
the whim of an emotion
the wisps of my hopes
the whispers of my rationale
my writing is a moment
of my reality or
imagined reality
but my writing is not me
(inspired by an August posting by Serenity Tide)
it guides me
shelters me
shows me to myself when I am lost
but my writing is not me
it is a thread woven into the fabric of my day
it is the dye that colors the hue of what I love, what I hate
the catalyst that helps an emotion become a thought
or a thought become a passion
and if my words are not me
if you do not know me
from reading the words on this page
what would I suggest you do to
know the real me?
listen to me laugh?
watch my face while I watch the daily news?
scan my grocery list?
my writing is a portait of
the whim of an emotion
the wisps of my hopes
the whispers of my rationale
my writing is a moment
of my reality or
imagined reality
but my writing is not me
(inspired by an August posting by Serenity Tide)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
occupational hazard
I attended an incredible conference last month focused on the Science Fiction and Fantasy book publishing industry.
Everywhere I turned, I ran into an editor, writer, publisher from all of the major publishing companies in North America. I didn't (unfortunately) come across my favorite author of all time (who inspired me to be a writer in the first place - Robin McKinley), but there was enough there to keep me occupied.
Of course, there are lots of "sub-genres" in this genre: paranormal, mystery, paranormal-mystery, horror, gothic thriller, etc. It was a great opportunity for me to really s-t-r-e-t-c-h my imagination.
As a result, though, I have been imagining strange sorts of happenings all the time now, freaking myself out.
The other day, one of the little pipes in my condo had a little leak, leading to the sound of lightly rushing water in the middle of the night. As I heard the sounds of swirls and I reached for the my bedside lamp, I couldn't help but think, "gee this would make a great opening for a horror short story".
I quickly banished the thought out of my mind, knowing that just like every horror story out there, I would actually have to go "see" what all the noise was about.
Last week, I picked up the phone to have one of those phone canvassers ask me, "can I have a moment of your time?" It got me thinking, what if I said, "yes" and he said, "thank you" and then hung up ... would I find that creepy? Absolutely! And, off I go again on another tangent of strange happenings that make me really not want to answer the phone at all these days.
I like that my imagination is running amok. It's exciting! I'm just not so sure how healthy it is for my anxiety levels.
Everywhere I turned, I ran into an editor, writer, publisher from all of the major publishing companies in North America. I didn't (unfortunately) come across my favorite author of all time (who inspired me to be a writer in the first place - Robin McKinley), but there was enough there to keep me occupied.
Of course, there are lots of "sub-genres" in this genre: paranormal, mystery, paranormal-mystery, horror, gothic thriller, etc. It was a great opportunity for me to really s-t-r-e-t-c-h my imagination.
As a result, though, I have been imagining strange sorts of happenings all the time now, freaking myself out.
The other day, one of the little pipes in my condo had a little leak, leading to the sound of lightly rushing water in the middle of the night. As I heard the sounds of swirls and I reached for the my bedside lamp, I couldn't help but think, "gee this would make a great opening for a horror short story".
I quickly banished the thought out of my mind, knowing that just like every horror story out there, I would actually have to go "see" what all the noise was about.
Last week, I picked up the phone to have one of those phone canvassers ask me, "can I have a moment of your time?" It got me thinking, what if I said, "yes" and he said, "thank you" and then hung up ... would I find that creepy? Absolutely! And, off I go again on another tangent of strange happenings that make me really not want to answer the phone at all these days.
I like that my imagination is running amok. It's exciting! I'm just not so sure how healthy it is for my anxiety levels.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Consistency - the Sequel
consistency vs. passion
it scares me
to reek of complacency
Hear ye , Hear ye -
announcing
adherence to a pattern
shackles
rendering emotions useless
And yet, ardent passion
love of life
listening with one’s soul
has no obligation to commit
where does consistency live?
In the heart and not the mind?
In your soul but not in thoughts?
is human nature, by default,
inconsistent
is that so bad?
integrity might be a better goal ...
to have integrity sometimes means
being inconsistent
but you can still be
a
constant
**
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today. 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood' -Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(thanks to Quiche for stimulating this little round-about of a muse)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
debt
consult the daytimer
plan the thinking
schedule the planning
planning the schedule
until you forget
that time
isn’t borrowed
plan the thinking
schedule the planning
planning the schedule
until you forget
that time
isn’t borrowed
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