Eva Pasco's Blog - Posts Tagged "progress"
Eva’s Byte #312 – Monumental Tasks
Some of the pinnacles I had reached throughout my childhood and adolescence in the Sixties pertained to landmarks my family visited during our summer road trips. One of those monumental tasks involved climbing 354 stairs, the equivalent of 20 floors, to reach the crown on the Statue of Liberty.
Although she has a 35-foot waistline, I don’t know how my family and all of the other tourists ahead of and behind us managed the pilgrimage along its narrow, twisting staircase to the crown. It was a hot August day and everyone sweated profusely. For a fact, temperatures inside the Lady’s infrastructure may be up to 20 degrees warmer than outside.
Once inside the crown, you’re able to view New York Harbor by peering through 25 windows. To this day, all I remember is the relentless climb and wanting to get out of there.
Alas, when we come of age, our monumental tasks signify upward climbs taking place at ground level. The usual yada yadas range anywhere from the pesky to profound. Physically, mentally, emotionally—or literally.
In the capacity of a writer, my monumental task is literally wrapping up Part 4 of my Contemporary work in progress. Journeying miles away from Chapter 68, I’ve begun drafting Chapter 73. It’s the final chapter before moving on to Part 5 for the novel’s conclusion. I’m in the midst of tying up a few loose ends without it reading like the summary of a book report.
A crowning glory!
Picking up where I left off at 307 words in my on-screen manuscript, things are coming into view from the pinnacle of my desk chair.
*Whatever your monumental task, may you see your way clear along the uphill climb.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Although she has a 35-foot waistline, I don’t know how my family and all of the other tourists ahead of and behind us managed the pilgrimage along its narrow, twisting staircase to the crown. It was a hot August day and everyone sweated profusely. For a fact, temperatures inside the Lady’s infrastructure may be up to 20 degrees warmer than outside.
Once inside the crown, you’re able to view New York Harbor by peering through 25 windows. To this day, all I remember is the relentless climb and wanting to get out of there.
Alas, when we come of age, our monumental tasks signify upward climbs taking place at ground level. The usual yada yadas range anywhere from the pesky to profound. Physically, mentally, emotionally—or literally.
In the capacity of a writer, my monumental task is literally wrapping up Part 4 of my Contemporary work in progress. Journeying miles away from Chapter 68, I’ve begun drafting Chapter 73. It’s the final chapter before moving on to Part 5 for the novel’s conclusion. I’m in the midst of tying up a few loose ends without it reading like the summary of a book report.
A crowning glory!
Picking up where I left off at 307 words in my on-screen manuscript, things are coming into view from the pinnacle of my desk chair.
*Whatever your monumental task, may you see your way clear along the uphill climb.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #313: Conditioned
Conditioned to shop for groceries every Monday, I’ve also been conditioned to follow the flow of one-way traffic in the supermarket aisles, as designated by arrows taped on the floor. The strips of tape spaced six feet apart in each checkout lane have conditioned me to keep my distance before loading items onto the counter.
All of the parameters put in place to safeguard society during the pandemic have established a confining comfort zone.
Therefore, so conditioned to wheeling my grocery cart up or down a lane in accordance to where the arrows point, I hadn’t noticed at first.
That, in conjunction with the easing of restrictions in accordance with an increase in the population of fully vaccinated—all of the tape had been removed. To be honest, I wish one-way aisle traffic was an on-going store policy because it cuts down on congestion and cross-contamination between people.
Anyway, when it came time for me to check out, I still kept a respectful distance of six feet because old habits die hard, and I’m not ready to throw caution to the wind at a time when variants are making inroads.
In the capacity of a writer, I’ve substantially increased my distance from where I started in my Contemporary work in progress. This week I finished drafting Chapter 73 in Part 4. Unless my inner muse tells me otherwise, I’ve conditioned myself to finish Part 4 at the completion of Chapter 74. From there on out, I’d say only 5 to 10 chapters remain for me to write in Part 5.
Whatever the prevailing set of circumstances, may a positive outlook condition you to venture outside your comfort zone.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
All of the parameters put in place to safeguard society during the pandemic have established a confining comfort zone.
Therefore, so conditioned to wheeling my grocery cart up or down a lane in accordance to where the arrows point, I hadn’t noticed at first.
That, in conjunction with the easing of restrictions in accordance with an increase in the population of fully vaccinated—all of the tape had been removed. To be honest, I wish one-way aisle traffic was an on-going store policy because it cuts down on congestion and cross-contamination between people.
Anyway, when it came time for me to check out, I still kept a respectful distance of six feet because old habits die hard, and I’m not ready to throw caution to the wind at a time when variants are making inroads.
In the capacity of a writer, I’ve substantially increased my distance from where I started in my Contemporary work in progress. This week I finished drafting Chapter 73 in Part 4. Unless my inner muse tells me otherwise, I’ve conditioned myself to finish Part 4 at the completion of Chapter 74. From there on out, I’d say only 5 to 10 chapters remain for me to write in Part 5.
Whatever the prevailing set of circumstances, may a positive outlook condition you to venture outside your comfort zone.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #374 – The Importance of Heeding Ernest
Hemingway.
Considering myself a minimalist who shies away from commitments and obligations which take time away from other facets of life, I devout a meagre amount of time and means to marketing my books. Because the writing process is intense for me, I find that one – two hours of composing per day is all I’m willing to give.
As Hemingway put it:
“The most solid advice for a writer is this, I think: Try to learn to breathe deeply, really try to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really try to sleep… Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”
Other work ethics attributed to Hemingway which mirror my own, include:
“There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it’s like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.
“Write the best story that you can and write it as straight as you can.”
As for the importance of heeding Ernest, I’ve barely covered the tip of the iceberg. However, it’s enough to reinforce my way of doing things at my own pace. At this point in time, I’m setting things straight in chapter 14 (1561 words thus far) along my Contemporary work in progress.
*May our guiding principles fortify us to blaze trails along the arduous, creative journey we’ve chosen to embark on.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Considering myself a minimalist who shies away from commitments and obligations which take time away from other facets of life, I devout a meagre amount of time and means to marketing my books. Because the writing process is intense for me, I find that one – two hours of composing per day is all I’m willing to give.
As Hemingway put it:
“The most solid advice for a writer is this, I think: Try to learn to breathe deeply, really try to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really try to sleep… Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”
Other work ethics attributed to Hemingway which mirror my own, include:
“There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it’s like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.
“Write the best story that you can and write it as straight as you can.”
As for the importance of heeding Ernest, I’ve barely covered the tip of the iceberg. However, it’s enough to reinforce my way of doing things at my own pace. At this point in time, I’m setting things straight in chapter 14 (1561 words thus far) along my Contemporary work in progress.
*May our guiding principles fortify us to blaze trails along the arduous, creative journey we’ve chosen to embark on.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #434 – A Ticket to Ride
If I were given a free ticket to ride…
Harnessing the wild imagination of a writer, I’d set my sights on Morocco. Solely because of its captivating setting in my all-time favorite film, Casablanca, where Rick’s Café is the figment of some other writer’s imagination for Sam to play “As Time Goes By”—again.
As time goes by, I’m still happily barnacled to my native state of Rhode Island, renowned for its sandy shores and picturesque Colonial-era towns.
Rhode Island is the setting for Etta’s Fishing Ground (2021) which takes place in the rural town of Foster. My current work in progress is anchored in seaside Charlestown.
Coasting along, I’ve finished drafting Chapter 38 (1619) in a scene which rides the tide on Sea Lea Avenue in Charlestown’s village of Quonochontaug (Quonnie). I’m at the puttering stage for Chapter 39 of my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us derive pleasure along the rides navigated by our imagination.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Harnessing the wild imagination of a writer, I’d set my sights on Morocco. Solely because of its captivating setting in my all-time favorite film, Casablanca, where Rick’s Café is the figment of some other writer’s imagination for Sam to play “As Time Goes By”—again.
As time goes by, I’m still happily barnacled to my native state of Rhode Island, renowned for its sandy shores and picturesque Colonial-era towns.
Rhode Island is the setting for Etta’s Fishing Ground (2021) which takes place in the rural town of Foster. My current work in progress is anchored in seaside Charlestown.
Coasting along, I’ve finished drafting Chapter 38 (1619) in a scene which rides the tide on Sea Lea Avenue in Charlestown’s village of Quonochontaug (Quonnie). I’m at the puttering stage for Chapter 39 of my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us derive pleasure along the rides navigated by our imagination.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #491 – Convictions
Not the only writer whose hard drive retains incriminating evidence of macabre research data, I’m in the same camp with those authors who strive to write fiction with conviction.
Why, most authors wouldn’t even harm a fly!
Operative word, “most”.
Some have been convicted of murder.
With Halloween coming around the bend, my morbid curiosity behooved me to research such truths stranger than fiction.
Lo and behold!
Having no intention of glorifying criminals who’ve crossed the line onto non-fictitious territory, I’ll merely gloss over the murder warranting a conviction for which they’ve served time:
At the age of sixteen, bludgeoning a friend’s mother to death with a rock.
Accidentally shooting and killing a spouse in a drunken prank.
Shooting and killing a classmate, then cannibalizing the remains.
Foretold in the title of the author’s book, murdering a spouse.
Killing it in the capacity of a writer, I’ve crossed the fictitious finish line for the draft of chapter 3 (950 words). I’ve begun puttering around drafting chapter 4.
*May literary crime pay for those of us who write fiction with murderous content.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Why, most authors wouldn’t even harm a fly!
Operative word, “most”.
Some have been convicted of murder.
With Halloween coming around the bend, my morbid curiosity behooved me to research such truths stranger than fiction.
Lo and behold!
Having no intention of glorifying criminals who’ve crossed the line onto non-fictitious territory, I’ll merely gloss over the murder warranting a conviction for which they’ve served time:
At the age of sixteen, bludgeoning a friend’s mother to death with a rock.
Accidentally shooting and killing a spouse in a drunken prank.
Shooting and killing a classmate, then cannibalizing the remains.
Foretold in the title of the author’s book, murdering a spouse.
Killing it in the capacity of a writer, I’ve crossed the fictitious finish line for the draft of chapter 3 (950 words). I’ve begun puttering around drafting chapter 4.
*May literary crime pay for those of us who write fiction with murderous content.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #499 – The Right Time
In the capacity of a writer, the song title “Night Time is the Right Time” pinpoints when I sit at the keyboard to further my Contemporary work in progress. Based on my lifestyle, the evening hours are devoid of commitments and reasonably free from distractions.
A smattering of famous night-owl writers include: Franz Kafka, Danielle Steele, Barack Obama, T.S. Elliot, Charles Dickens, and Sylvia Plath.
As for moi:
Two hours devoted to the craft are plenty for me to wrap my head around during the intense process of plotting a scene. In that regard, I have finished drafting chapter 6 (1536words), and have begun drafting chapter 7, progressing from 125 words.
*May the right time provide the “write” of way along our creative journeys.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
A smattering of famous night-owl writers include: Franz Kafka, Danielle Steele, Barack Obama, T.S. Elliot, Charles Dickens, and Sylvia Plath.
As for moi:
Two hours devoted to the craft are plenty for me to wrap my head around during the intense process of plotting a scene. In that regard, I have finished drafting chapter 6 (1536words), and have begun drafting chapter 7, progressing from 125 words.
*May the right time provide the “write” of way along our creative journeys.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #516 – My Writer’s Mind
If you could read my mind,
What a tale my thoughts could tell. (modified lyrics to “If You Could Read My Mind,” a song by Gordon Lightfoot, 1970)
In the capacity of a writer, my thoughts tell tales for fiction enthusiasts to read what my mind has conjured.
To facilitate my “pantser” approach to writing, I bear two things in mind:
1. I write the story I’d want to read.
2. I reread the current chapter I’m drafting before each writing session. By the time I’m finished, it’s shipshape prior to my book’s final edits.
At this point in time, I just finished drafting chapter 11 (1559 words) along my Contemporary work in progress. I’m at the shallow end of chapter 12.
*May each of us stick with what works for unleashing the thoughts our mind comes up with.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
What a tale my thoughts could tell. (modified lyrics to “If You Could Read My Mind,” a song by Gordon Lightfoot, 1970)
In the capacity of a writer, my thoughts tell tales for fiction enthusiasts to read what my mind has conjured.
To facilitate my “pantser” approach to writing, I bear two things in mind:
1. I write the story I’d want to read.
2. I reread the current chapter I’m drafting before each writing session. By the time I’m finished, it’s shipshape prior to my book’s final edits.
At this point in time, I just finished drafting chapter 11 (1559 words) along my Contemporary work in progress. I’m at the shallow end of chapter 12.
*May each of us stick with what works for unleashing the thoughts our mind comes up with.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #517 – The Spin I’m In
There’s the Spinners, an R&B vocal group out of Detroit who had a string of hit singles and albums during the Sixties and Seventies. One of my faves, “I’ll Be Around”.
Then, there’s the salad spinner, a kitchen gadget used to remove excess water from washed salad greens by spinning the leaves in a perforated basket.
That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Come Spring, my fancy turns to thoughts of preparing dinner salads for my evening meal. For starters, I’ll rely on my salad spinner for washing and drying lettuce leaves.
It’s a given, my salad days require frequent supermarket trips to stock up on fresh produce. At the bare minimum, my ingredients include: dark green lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, cheese, and a hard-boiled egg.
In this writer’s capacity of spinning a story in the genre of Contemporary, I’ve finished drafting chapter 11 (1573 words). I’m composing chapter 12 (357 words thus far).
*May each of us spin ourselves in the right direction for making healthy choices and wise decisions.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Then, there’s the salad spinner, a kitchen gadget used to remove excess water from washed salad greens by spinning the leaves in a perforated basket.
That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Come Spring, my fancy turns to thoughts of preparing dinner salads for my evening meal. For starters, I’ll rely on my salad spinner for washing and drying lettuce leaves.
It’s a given, my salad days require frequent supermarket trips to stock up on fresh produce. At the bare minimum, my ingredients include: dark green lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, cheese, and a hard-boiled egg.
In this writer’s capacity of spinning a story in the genre of Contemporary, I’ve finished drafting chapter 11 (1573 words). I’m composing chapter 12 (357 words thus far).
*May each of us spin ourselves in the right direction for making healthy choices and wise decisions.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #522 – Bear in Mind
I’m bearing in mind my Rhode Island College bear. The 9-inch tall, sitting brown bear is a plush toy previously sold in the campus bookstore of my alma mater. The little tyke sported a white T-shirt with “Rhode Island College” emblazoned in gold lettering on the front.
In my keep for years, the brown bear still looks as new as the day I took him home. With the passage of time, the T-shirt had become threadbare and bared a hole which diminished the bear’s forbearance. Consequently, I removed his frayed apparel.
What to do?
Bearing in mind my possession of a brand-new pack of hair scrunchies, I extracted the blue velour elasticized ponytail holder and slipped it over the bear’s head and collared him. A perfect fit, my brown bear’s dignity has been restored for many more years to come.
In the capacity of a forbearing writer drafting my Contemporary work in progress, I’m bearing down on the finish line of chapter 14 (1282 words thus far).
*May each of us bear in mind our propensity to apply ingenuity.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
In my keep for years, the brown bear still looks as new as the day I took him home. With the passage of time, the T-shirt had become threadbare and bared a hole which diminished the bear’s forbearance. Consequently, I removed his frayed apparel.
What to do?
Bearing in mind my possession of a brand-new pack of hair scrunchies, I extracted the blue velour elasticized ponytail holder and slipped it over the bear’s head and collared him. A perfect fit, my brown bear’s dignity has been restored for many more years to come.
In the capacity of a forbearing writer drafting my Contemporary work in progress, I’m bearing down on the finish line of chapter 14 (1282 words thus far).
*May each of us bear in mind our propensity to apply ingenuity.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #535 – Dizzy
Identifying with the “pantser” approach to writing, whereby the plot progresses through unexpected twists and turns, I found myself at a crossroads. Always plotting a few chapters ahead to keep up the momentum, the windmills of my mind had spun a minimum of three scenarios to consider further down the road.
I could relate to Tommy Roe’s bubblegum pop music song, “Dizzy” (1969):
I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning
Like a whirlpool, it never ends.
After weighing the pros and cons of each direction to take, I settled upon the most plausible to incorporate in my Contemporary work in progress.
At this juncture, the draft of chapter 20 is complete (980 words). I’ve begun drafting chapter 20 (249 words thus far).
*May each of us weigh the impact of our pending decisions.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
I could relate to Tommy Roe’s bubblegum pop music song, “Dizzy” (1969):
I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning
Like a whirlpool, it never ends.
After weighing the pros and cons of each direction to take, I settled upon the most plausible to incorporate in my Contemporary work in progress.
At this juncture, the draft of chapter 20 is complete (980 words). I’ve begun drafting chapter 20 (249 words thus far).
*May each of us weigh the impact of our pending decisions.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
