Eva Pasco's Blog, page 4
May 14, 2025
Eva’s Byte #524 – Just Saying
“I look like the wreck of the Hesperus!”
“I feel like the wreck of the Hesperus!”
Two of mother’s favorite sayings. She often invoked these variants after toiling in the yard, or on days she didn’t like how her hair looked before leaving the house.
The buck didn’t stop there. If I looked the worse for wear from one of life’s travails: “You look like the wreck of the Hesperus!”
A state of disarray similar to the aftermath of a shipwreck bears in mind the poem, “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
In my capacity as a writer, I’m sailing along the ongoing draft of chapter 15 (856 words thus far) of my Contemporary work in progress.
*When called for, may each of us apply a tried-and-true saying that fits.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
“I feel like the wreck of the Hesperus!”
Two of mother’s favorite sayings. She often invoked these variants after toiling in the yard, or on days she didn’t like how her hair looked before leaving the house.
The buck didn’t stop there. If I looked the worse for wear from one of life’s travails: “You look like the wreck of the Hesperus!”
A state of disarray similar to the aftermath of a shipwreck bears in mind the poem, “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
In my capacity as a writer, I’m sailing along the ongoing draft of chapter 15 (856 words thus far) of my Contemporary work in progress.
*When called for, may each of us apply a tried-and-true saying that fits.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
May 7, 2025
Eva’s Byte #523 – In Accordance With…
The setting of my Contemporary work in progress—the late ‘70s.
In accordance with the setting for the first half of the novel, the draft of chapter 14 which takes place inside a girls’ gym locker room, I’ve incorporated my own lasting memories. The last of which occurred in 1969, my senior year in high school.
In my quest for accurate depictions in accordance with the times:
During the late 60s to late 70s, mandatory showers after gym class were common in many schools. The practice was considered part of gym class routines, often enforced by teachers.
“Be True to Your School” (Beach Boys, 1963)
One of those memories I’ve retained vis a vis cavorting in the girls’ locker room at Lincoln Sr. High, springs to life in chapter 14:
On standby, leaning against a wall, Miss Cordeiro held a pen and clipboard with a class list attached. As each girl catapulted from a stall, wrapped inside runaway attire, she called out their name and put a checkmark next to it.
At this juncture in time, chapter 14 is a wrap at 1562 words. I’ve catapulted to the start of chapter 15 ( 315 words thus far).
*May each of us act in accordance with our own values and beliefs.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
In accordance with the setting for the first half of the novel, the draft of chapter 14 which takes place inside a girls’ gym locker room, I’ve incorporated my own lasting memories. The last of which occurred in 1969, my senior year in high school.
In my quest for accurate depictions in accordance with the times:
During the late 60s to late 70s, mandatory showers after gym class were common in many schools. The practice was considered part of gym class routines, often enforced by teachers.
“Be True to Your School” (Beach Boys, 1963)
One of those memories I’ve retained vis a vis cavorting in the girls’ locker room at Lincoln Sr. High, springs to life in chapter 14:
On standby, leaning against a wall, Miss Cordeiro held a pen and clipboard with a class list attached. As each girl catapulted from a stall, wrapped inside runaway attire, she called out their name and put a checkmark next to it.
At this juncture in time, chapter 14 is a wrap at 1562 words. I’ve catapulted to the start of chapter 15 ( 315 words thus far).
*May each of us act in accordance with our own values and beliefs.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
April 30, 2025
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
April 23, 2025
Eva’s Byte #521 – Getting to the Point
That would be Sabin Point, my stomping ground to forage for sea glass.
With the weather springing forward, and a neap tide, where the ocean level has a smaller than average range during the first and third-quarter phases of the moon—a foraging I will go!
As Sabin Point is part of a shipping channel used by vessels sailing to and from the Port of Providence, just 1,000 feet away from the Point, it’s a lucrative site for coming across pieces of broken glass that have washed ashore.
Tumbled smooth along their seafaring journey, the pieces I retrieved have been added to my growing collection of cherished treasures filling clear glass vases.
That day, along the narrow shoreline, the “point” itself offered wide berth for spelunking. There was hardly a breeze stirring. The ocean resembled a calm lake. The perfect launch for foraging season!
In the capacity of a writer, I’m getting to the point journeying along the draft of chapter 14 (676 words thus far) in my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us get to the point in life where we want to be.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
With the weather springing forward, and a neap tide, where the ocean level has a smaller than average range during the first and third-quarter phases of the moon—a foraging I will go!
As Sabin Point is part of a shipping channel used by vessels sailing to and from the Port of Providence, just 1,000 feet away from the Point, it’s a lucrative site for coming across pieces of broken glass that have washed ashore.
Tumbled smooth along their seafaring journey, the pieces I retrieved have been added to my growing collection of cherished treasures filling clear glass vases.
That day, along the narrow shoreline, the “point” itself offered wide berth for spelunking. There was hardly a breeze stirring. The ocean resembled a calm lake. The perfect launch for foraging season!
In the capacity of a writer, I’m getting to the point journeying along the draft of chapter 14 (676 words thus far) in my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us get to the point in life where we want to be.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
April 16, 2025
Eva’s Byte #520 – Making Inroads
As I make inroads drafting my Contemporary work in progress, I continue to slog the extra mile for bringing its local setting of Warren, Rhode Island to life. Besides integrating landmarks, culture, and geographical aspects, it’s important for me to “go the distance” with precision; i.e., walking a mile in my protagonist’s shoes.
Plotwise, this recently entailed finding out the number of miles between Warren and Millville, Massachusetts; Warren and Providence; Providence and Millville. I also looked up bus fares and cab fares during the Seventies.
“She’s got a ticket to ride.”
In the capacity of a writer, I finished drafting chapter 13 at 927 words. I’m making inroads along the draft of chapter 14 (114 words thus far), getting my protagonist road ready for what lies ahead along her journey.
*May each of us go the extra mile for making inroads along our creative journeys.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Plotwise, this recently entailed finding out the number of miles between Warren and Millville, Massachusetts; Warren and Providence; Providence and Millville. I also looked up bus fares and cab fares during the Seventies.
“She’s got a ticket to ride.”
In the capacity of a writer, I finished drafting chapter 13 at 927 words. I’m making inroads along the draft of chapter 14 (114 words thus far), getting my protagonist road ready for what lies ahead along her journey.
*May each of us go the extra mile for making inroads along our creative journeys.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
April 9, 2025
Eva’s Byte #519 – Toughening It Out
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
(Quote attributed both to Joseph P. Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy, and football player/coach Knute Rockne)
As it remains to be seen just how tough things are going to get on the world stage, I’m toughening it out by embracing life’s simple pleasures within the sanctity of my own home, or close by.
Listening to ambient music while at the keyboard imbues a sense of calm.
Reading spirits me away to another realm.
As the weather becomes more user-friendly, I’ll resume foraging for sea glass at a nearby beach, enjoying the cacophony of seagulls squawking overhead.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m toughening out drafting my Contemporary work in progress. Chapter 12 is complete at 1404 words. Chapter 13 has progressed to 283 words thus far.
*As the going gets tough, may each of us implement our own coping mechanisms to foster peace of mind.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
(Quote attributed both to Joseph P. Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy, and football player/coach Knute Rockne)
As it remains to be seen just how tough things are going to get on the world stage, I’m toughening it out by embracing life’s simple pleasures within the sanctity of my own home, or close by.
Listening to ambient music while at the keyboard imbues a sense of calm.
Reading spirits me away to another realm.
As the weather becomes more user-friendly, I’ll resume foraging for sea glass at a nearby beach, enjoying the cacophony of seagulls squawking overhead.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m toughening out drafting my Contemporary work in progress. Chapter 12 is complete at 1404 words. Chapter 13 has progressed to 283 words thus far.
*As the going gets tough, may each of us implement our own coping mechanisms to foster peace of mind.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
April 2, 2025
Eva’s Byte #518 – Gone the Way Of
In our current period of human history often referred to as the Information Age, so many things this Baby Boomer grew up with in the Sixties have gone the way of the dinosaurs.
To cite a few:
Easter outfits comprised of bonnets, white gloves, and black patent leather Mary Janes.
Typewriters, Wite-Out, and carbon paper.
Rotary dial phones, telephone booths, the White Pages, and Yellow Pages.
Digital technology has rendered cursive writing an endangered motor skill.
All of the aforementioned and more have potential for a comeback in fiction. For one, the wall-mounted, rotary dial phone made an appearance in my Contemporary, ‘Aileen’s Guesthouse,’ set in the Seventies.
Also taking place in the Groovy Decade, my current Contemporary in progress. At this point in time, I’ve tweaked the draft of chapter 11 to 1602 words. I’m currently drafting chapter 12 (987 words thus far).
*May each of us move forward while effectively bridging the past and present.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
To cite a few:
Easter outfits comprised of bonnets, white gloves, and black patent leather Mary Janes.
Typewriters, Wite-Out, and carbon paper.
Rotary dial phones, telephone booths, the White Pages, and Yellow Pages.
Digital technology has rendered cursive writing an endangered motor skill.
All of the aforementioned and more have potential for a comeback in fiction. For one, the wall-mounted, rotary dial phone made an appearance in my Contemporary, ‘Aileen’s Guesthouse,’ set in the Seventies.
Also taking place in the Groovy Decade, my current Contemporary in progress. At this point in time, I’ve tweaked the draft of chapter 11 to 1602 words. I’m currently drafting chapter 12 (987 words thus far).
*May each of us move forward while effectively bridging the past and present.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
March 26, 2025
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
March 19, 2025
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
March 12, 2025
Eva’s Byte #515 – An Extraordinary Woman
Dovetailing International Women’s Day on March 8th, celebrating women’s rights, equality, and empowerment, I’m singing the praises of my mother.
Her shining example laid the foundation for my own independent streak, empowering me to fend for myself. She planted the seeds for me to harness my imagination in writing stories, and fostered my belief in their merit. She would have been proud and “not surprised,” her words—that my latest publication, Aileen’s Guesthouse received the Reader Views Reader Choice Award: General Fiction Finalist.
Also, no surprise, I will devote the Dedication page in my next publication to this extraordinary woman, posthumously.
At this point in time, I’m powering through the draft of chapter 11 (1106 words thus far) along my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us be inspired to forsake our comfort zone and excel.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Her shining example laid the foundation for my own independent streak, empowering me to fend for myself. She planted the seeds for me to harness my imagination in writing stories, and fostered my belief in their merit. She would have been proud and “not surprised,” her words—that my latest publication, Aileen’s Guesthouse received the Reader Views Reader Choice Award: General Fiction Finalist.
Also, no surprise, I will devote the Dedication page in my next publication to this extraordinary woman, posthumously.
At this point in time, I’m powering through the draft of chapter 11 (1106 words thus far) along my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us be inspired to forsake our comfort zone and excel.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
