Cynthia A. Morgan's Blog, page 42

The Realms Beyond – A View of ‘Heaven and Hell’ that’s Believable

Preface to a Preface

I’m currently writing a Dystopian Fantasy centered around the Archangel of Mercy and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In this series, the Archangel of Mercy, Tzadkiel, (tZahd-kee-el) has taken human form and come to earth in search of a single person who understands mercy and who exemplifies compassion and forgiveness. It’s a tall order for humans living nearly 2500 years in the future. 

Why? Because in the future I’ve created, humans have become heartless, selfish monsters. Governments have deteriorated into harsh feudal dictatorships and justice is a thing of the past. Before the final Horseman rides, bringing death to most of the earth’s remaining population, Tzadkiel has asked for mercy. A stay of execution so he can prove humanity has not completely lost its heart by finding even just one person who still exemplifies mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.

His search takes nearly a century….

World-Building for the Real World

Typically, when writing any sort of fantasy or science fiction, a writer can spend as much time creating the world or realm for the story as they do actually writing the scenes. Even when writing a dystopian piece that takes place right here on Earth, there’s often a lot of time spent world-building. My story is no different, particularly because part of it takes place in ‘Heaven’.

To help readers understand ‘The-why-behind-the-what’, I wrote a preface for book three of the series, since this is when the scenes that take place ‘off world’ come into play. It’s my own view, built upon pieces of scripture, Sunday school classes, church sermons, and various discussions throughout my life. 

After completing the preface, I gave it to a few Beta-Readers and their responses surprised me. They told me my description of ‘Heaven and Hell’ helped them understand the concept better than they did previously. That my notion of ‘Heaven and Hell’ made so much sense to them, they believed it. Needless to say, I was as pleased as I was surprised. 

A Fantasy for a Fantasy 

Not everyone believes in ‘Heaven and Hell’ and there are many theories about the realms of the afterlife. What I’ve written is meant to be fiction, a fantasy written for a fantasy, however, after the reaction my Beta-Readers had, I admit that curiosity has gotten the best of me. I couldn’t resist sharing it here to see what other readers think.

What follows is the entire preface I’ve written for book three of The Mercy Series. I invite you to share your thoughts about it, as a preface for a fantasy story and as a possible description of what we know so little about. 

The Beyond, Below and Beneath

Long before human beings were created, the Angels and Archangels existed; their abode, the Realm Beyond. Beyond the Earth-plane. Beyond cognitive perception. Beyond sight, sound, and touch. 

The Beyond is where all forms of energy originated and to where all forms of energy ultimately return. It is where perfection is considered the norm and where all beings are made up of energy that is in harmony with everything around them. In this place, darkness and light, positive and negative, power and fragility are balanced. There is no evil intent and there are no selfish thoughts. It is a place of peace and harmony where each energy that exists has a purpose and each purpose encompasses positivity.

In the great spans of time before the reign of humans, a portion of the dark energy that existed in harmony with the light separated from everything around it. Its purpose became sullied; its compassion grew self-limiting and its native generosity twisted into greed. This dark force learned how to draw power from the bright, positive energy surrounding it. Driven by lust for greater power, it began taking and manipulating, perverting and distorting, beguiling and twisting all with whom it came into contact until its influence threw everything into imbalance.

Like a contagion against which the body defends itself, the malignant, encompassing dark force was opposed by the positive forces around it. The battle that ensued was mighty and pitched the entire cosmos into chaos. Some energies were lost and others chose to follow where others would not, yet ultimately positive energy prevailed. Banished to the Realm Beneath, the corruption of darkness was expelled from the Beyond.

It was not destroyed.

To eliminate the opposite of itself, even though it posed a great threat, would be to create instability. That instability would cause an imbalance more disruptive than the darkness was on its own. The Realm Beyond is balance and equanimity to its very core. It cannot create what it is not; thus, the darkness was expelled, but not eliminated.

Between these two opposing dominions lies the Middle Realm. The Beneath, also known as the Earth-plane. It is the kingdom of all that is corporeal and the domain where every creature, rock, tree, and element has both positive and negative energy within it. It is the median between two powerful extremes and all that exists in the Beneath sways in a never-ending pursuit of stability.

These three realms are connected by corridors only those native to the Beyond and the Beneath can traverse. These avenues of transition are utilized every hour of the day and night as the quest to maintain equilibrium continues. The realm of darkness seeks to consume and overtake, while the abode of positivity strives to achieve harmony.

In an attempt to balance the disorder created by the expulsion of dark energy from their realm, each Archangel gave a portion of themselves in the creation of humanity. Positive attributes such as strength, loyalty, kindness, patience, obedience, forgiveness, and mercy were gifted and human beings took breath.

 They were fragile beyond their understanding; nevertheless, they took dominion over all other forms of life in the Beneath. As the wheels of time turned, the Earth-plane became a realm of conflict where light and dark, good and evil, generosity and corruption perpetually clashed, and where, more often than not, darkness prevailed.

The delicate balance shifted unceasingly until the imbalance, once again, was too great to ignore.

In a final effort to achieve lasting stability, four powers of inconceivable influence were released.

The Horsemen Ride.

~Morgan~

~Thank You for reading ~

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#FridayFantasy – Summerfest – #BookTeaser

The vale for Summerfest was on the boundary of the village, set against the backdrop of Veryn Falls, a waterfall that plummeted steeply from the heights of the Ryvyn Mountains. Splashing from hundreds of feet above, Veryn Falls’ crystalline waters were cushioned by a multitude of moss covered bastions and ivy-laden arches, and the waters fell, ‘plashing and laughing, into an emeraldine pool that stretched out its bountiful hand at the base of the falls and flowed onward through the village, supplying water and life to all.

The broad clearing around its bejeweled precincts sparkled with hundreds of tiny lanterns strung through the surrounding forest canopy and was brightened by cheerful fires and glowing torches scattered throughout. Tables of food and fountains of drink were placed advantageously, musicians played the flute and the drum, the lyre and the lute, dancing lacewings flitted and darted, and the entire scene was alive with palpable joy and anticipation.

As the seasons shifted , the fey of the light gathered together for a celebration of color and brightness. They dressed in glittering, bejeweled costumes; decorated their homes with sparkling lanterns, filled their porches and gardens with fresh fruit, crisp garden vegetables, sweet baked treats and sugary indulgences for any passerby to enjoy, and played a multitude of musical instruments in a discordant symphony of jubilant sound.

Parading along the avenues from home to home in dancing, fluttering, gleeful revelry, fey of all ages delighted in the company of their friends and family while eating and drinking the sweet temptations of the season, and at the end of the evening’s festivities, all fey, young and old, joined together to venerate the arrival of the Season of Light.

They gathered in the Clearing of the Stars, where the forest canopy contracted and one could gaze up, out of the darkling hedge of ancient trees, into the glittering night sky, enchanted by the glowing moon and the sparkling stars overhead. Drawing together, they began the Incantation of the Changing Seasons led by their village Celebrant, their voices subdued and solemn after a full day of laughing and singing. As they spoke the lyrical invocation, they paced through an intricate dance, which marked the ending of the darkness and cold of winter and the beginning of the growing and gathering seasons, with austerity. Bowing, pausing, stepping, clapping, pausing, clasping hands, turning, releasing, passing, turning, pausing, spiraling, clapping and repeating until the midnight horns rang through the clear night air.

Life and Light were in their fullest glory on this fair night, dazzling the eye from the heavens overhead, spilling verdant green from the forest canopy, blossoming in sweet beauty and supplying bounty for every life. It was the last day of the Season of Plenty, the pinnacle of joyful abundance and Light loving fey everywhere rejoiced for the profusion.

*** It is the time of year when the Fey of the Light celebrate Summerfest and in Honour of the Sweet Joy of Harmony, Family and Friendship, I wanted to share this collection of excerpts from Dark Fey The Reviled.****

~Morgan~
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Beautiful photographs found on: redbubble.com-, c2.staticflickr.com, gibbsfarm.net, widehdwalls.com and amazingsky.net

FIND The Reviled here:

Dark Fey The Reviled on Amazon/Kindle:    https://www.amazon.com/Reviled-Dark-Fey-Book-ebook/dp/B00RZMVNQQ
Dark Fey The Reviled on Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Fey-Reviled- Cynthia-Morgan/dp/1505413230

Step Back Into Penthara with SpellBlade- Book Two of the Neverborne Series by Ezekiel Eversand

Spellblade, Book Two follows all new characters in the territories of Az’Dayne and Goldgarden, in a parallel story happening simultaneously to the characters of Kingfall, Book One. Prepare for the actions of one character to greatly affect the fate of another halfway across the realm.

The youngest daughter of Khomo’Jhuvonus, aliased as Scarless, has forgone any duties aligned with her father’s brutal machinations in the north. She navigates through her own political complications, having elevated to become the guild queen of the Stormtrees, the Goldgarden city-nation’s most notorious crime syndicate.

All the while, Symbelle, a mentally conflicted introvert with a volatile split personality, is inadvertently injected into the Oathemic Cabal. With her unique abilities from being born a hyperi, she is schemed to reunite with her long-lost past to infiltrate the Stormtrees guild as a double agent to eliminate several high-profile targets, including Scarless.

In the southern Az’Dayne Dominadom, the disgraced house of lon’Chandoss, once held in the country’s highest esteem as a bloodline of famous spellblades, comes under its own issues arising among its newest generation when the triplet sisters have all just come of age.

Valaythea has managed to captivate the attention of Izayus, the prince of Az’Dayne himself. Adyssaira, born with the potential to become a mage, is having difficulty hiding her plight in a nation that harshly condemns such prodigies. And Odysserae, both mute and near-deaf, estranged and shunned, is not without dark secrets of her own. Finally, Athaniel, the eldest, is an assassin caught amidst a great conflict of interest between protecting his family and aspired legacy, or following his organization’s unbending demands.

Lastly, Sundorion, the cosmopolitan elvan explorer seeking out his missing brother at the Chandoss estates has his life put in jeopardy when he begins to dig too deep into what mysteries lie beneath the corrupt house of power.

 

Ezekiel Eversand was born in Southeast Texas, where he again resides in the Houston area after the global pandemic fatefully brought him back home from his exploits in Las Vegas, where he first published Kingfall, Book One of the Neverborne Series. He is happily married to his beautiful wife, Stephanie, his biggest supporter and best friend. Telling stories and creating worlds has been a prime interest of his since he was a child, always being an avid lover of the fantasy and science fiction genres. Telling the saga of the Neverborne Series and sharing the world of Penthara are his greatest passions in life. 

Ezekiel has stopped by to talk about his captivating series and share a few insights into Spellblade, Book Two of the Neverborne series.

Do you have a preferred POV that you write from and why? Hmmm, good question … I can’t say a preferred POV overall, but I will say I LOVE my chapters with my particular characters that are known to be witty or comedic in their dialogue. Anything with that clever banter from Smiles, Westwalker, and Kyson from Kingfall or Xalo from Spellblade are my favorites to write.

Do your characters dictate what or how your write in any way? Absolutely. From the type of music I listen to for the theme, to my mindset, preparing myself to a level of method-acting almost, before transitioning into them. For example, shifting from Ebrielle (a naïve, fanciful teenage girl with a harsh aristocratic background) to Honorah (her mother, a decrepit soul of unbending prejudice and malice) and then back to the Westwalker (a hundred year old transformed human on a lifequest in a land half-a-world away from his own) is quite a feat to try to accomplish that often takes me more than a day to pull off. In Book 2, Spellblade, writing the POV of Symbelle, who suffers from her split personality when she becomes tormented by Fyheir (her more chaotic-evil persona) is fun but challenging as well.

Are you a painstaking plotter or are you a discovery writer? Painstaking plotter all the way. Before writing the first words to a book, I have all of my chapters written in synopsis form for the entire book. Before even beginning to write Book 3, I have to have all of the chapter summaries of Book 4 completed as well, because of how much each character’s POVs affect the fates of another. I find the biggest flaw fans find in their favorite TV series are that the creators seem to know how to write a perfectly catching 1 st and 2 nd season but lose their way the further they delve in. I refuse to fall into that category with my series.

Although it’s often hard to select just one, do you have a favourite or least favourite character? I think as a general rule, we as authors, try not to play favorites, but alas that is not always an easy endeavor. I will give two characters who I lean toward on favorites, but cannot really give a “least favorite”. For my most favored in book 1 Kingfall, he is not a POV, but by far not a side character. It would have to be “Smiles” (no spoilers on his real name). I actually came up with the concept of him when I was 17 years of age, 25 years ago. For book 2 Spellblade, I would have to say Symbelle, not only because her character concept was also around 2 decades old in maturing through my mind, but that I just enjoy the complexities of the villain dilemma that both “Smiles” and Symbelle face, one being more of a savage savior, and the other being an utterly tormented entity, controlled as a volatile tool by her powerful parents.

What sets them apart from the others? For book 1, Kingfall, “Smiles” … I will have to say its his overall cunning, several steps ahead of everyone else at all times, and the fact that he is more aware of the conspiracies going on than my POV characters. He has a charismatic wit about him that is likeable, and he is entirely brutally savage, but he doesn’t fit into the category of an actual villain once you peel the layers, as you gradually discover what his ultimate goals are. For book 2, Spellblade, speaking of Symbelle … It’s the relationship between her and her split personality, Fyheir, she is cursed with, and the position she finds herself abused in as a pawn of her mage parents. Symbelle is a hyper intelligent, introverted, tormented genius in the alchemical and pyrotechnic arts while her alter entity, Fyheir, that haunts her inner monologue is a confidently cocky, sinisterly evil, sensually sexy opposite version of Symbelle. My hope is for the reader to grow sympathetic to Symbelle’s dilemma she faces internally and externally as she falls deeper down the dark path of transitioning into the inevitable “bad guy”.

What’s your number one tip for an aspiring Author? Assuming we are setting aside the technical and business topics, and strictly speaking to fiction authors … My number one tip would be to LET THE STORY CREATE THE WORLD, DO NOT LET THE WORLD CREATE THE STORY. This is a quote I made that I follow, translating to something like this: Know your world you created, know the rules within it, and abide by them once you publish your first novel, BUT do not corner yourself into being trapped within the confines of the creation you made. This is your world. This is fiction. It can bend and shape with your imagination. Do not be afraid to conjure up concepts to make your story flow how you wish, so long as it adheres to your sense of realism and does not overly cloak your characters with plot armor for the sake of convenience.

What is the hardest part of editing- grammar checks, reducing content, or something else? I find that when working with my 3 professional editors (structural editor, copy editor, final proofreader) it is always the structural editing process that makes me the most nervous. When I do my own writing/edits it goes something like “write over wine at night, edit sober over coffee in the morning” routine! But when it comes to my structural editor challenging me for how I delivered “this” or when I should have delivered “that”, or perhaps where I delivered too much or not enough, those are the hard pills to swallow on if I should explain my “whys” or take his advice. My most difficult part in my writing is when, and how much, to introduce my new concepts to my reader without overwhelming them, and taking from the flow of the story and characters.

Is there any conflict between what you want to write and what you think your readers will like? Yes, to some degree. I also am constantly torn between making my story completely for the hardcore advanced fantasy fan, versus being able to be understood and enjoyed by those newer, or altogether foreign, to fantasy stories (props to the author of A Song of Ice and Fire Series, and the show creators of Game of Thrones, who have pulled exactly this off, which I greatly admire and aspire to).

What’s exciting you about your next project? Book 3 (of the 10), Greyfire, has ALWAYS been my most anticipated book of the entire series for me to write. The finale for each POV is just off the charts full of edge of seat thrills that make Kingfall and Spellblade seem like child’s play in comparison to the intensity. Another awesome thing about it is (*SPOILER WARNING*) that some of your favorite characters from Spellblade will be making an appearance in the POV chapters of Greyfire, as both stories merge with each other’s characters. So yes, when you read Book 4, Sol-War, you will get to see some of the same scenes (even death scenes of major characters) from a different perspective, making it exciting to relive.

Do you have a Mantra- a Quote you try to live by? “Some men see things as they are and ask ‘why?’ I dream things that never were, and say ‘why not?’” – George Bernard Shaw

My 5-Star Review of Kingfall, Book One of the Neverborne Series

There are fantasy writers; there are Epic Fantasy writers, and then there are the stellar few, like Tolkien and Steven Erikson, who build an entire universe in spectacular detail just to share a side story that has little or nothing whatsoever to do with the main story, but you cannot imagine reading the story and not knowing the side story because of the skill with which it’s relayed. Mr. Eversand’s spectacular tale is right up there in the stratosphere of extraordinary storytelling alongside such masters.

Character development in this sweeping saga is remarkable and the dialog between characters scores off the charts as well. Smiles and Norah quip and banter with the best of ’em, leading me to re-read again and again just for the sheer enjoyment of it. There are heroes to love and villains to despise, and some very intriguing sorts that you love to despise and despise that you love!

But this story has much more than amazing characters and dialog worthy of Henry Cavil or Robert Downey Jr., oh yes! Page one sends you careening into the tale through riveting action scenes that allow you to finally draw breath around Chapter Five! I Could Not Put This Book Down! There are 449 pages and each one is a sumptuous delight; a nerve-wracking edge-of-your-seat thrill; and a delicious temptation that keeps you turning pages, faster and faster and faster!

Now, don’t let me spoil it for you, but be prepared. Prepared to be awed, swept up and away, and unable to extricate yourself from the mastery of fantasy Mr. Eversand flawlessly displays chapter after intoxicating chapter. But draw breath. Step back and admire…and give yourself plenty of time to devour the last 1/4 of the book because I assure you the story will latch on and not let go.

If you want a true fantasy epic, something you can not only sink your teeth into, but utterly immerse yourself in and become entirely entangled, Kingfall is waiting for you.

Revel in the detail of Ezekiel’s realm by exploring the maps he personally created for the saga.

Find Ezekiel in these places:

Amazon

 Instagram: @author_ezekieleversand

Facebook

Website

I’d like to thank Ezekiel for sharing his valuable time with BooknVolume and wish him all the very best success with his spectacular series.  I’m preparing to read book two of the saga and will be sharing my review in the weeks to come!

 

~Morgan~

 

Holiday Pics from Fort Myers Beach

Just had to share some of the beauty I’m enjoying here in Fort Myers Beach Florida

~Morgan ~

God Doesn’t Care – If God exists, why does He let so many bad things happen?

Look around.

What do you see? Blue skies? Green grass? Kittens playing? Children laughing?

Or do you see, hear and feel the hatred, violence, intolerance, cruelty, and greed that happens every day, everywhere, every way?

War. Poverty. Grief. Subjugation. Shootings. Defamation. Genocide. Abuses of every horrifying kind. Neglect. Bullying. Shaming.

Our news is filled with anger and outrage, and I hear the same question asked again and again.

“Why does God let such terrible things happen?” and “If God really exists, why doesn’t He stop all this?”

Freedom and Choice

If you tell someone to do something they don’t want to do, even if it’s good for them, the first thing they are likely going to do is list all the reasons they can think of not to do it. They are bound to mention the fact that they have the freedom to choose, and they would be right. Whether or not the choice is a good or bad one, right or wrong, beneficial or costly is rarely debated.

Though it probably should be.

If our choices are the foundation upon which our lives are built and shape our future, shouldn’t we logically want to make the best possible decisions? Why choose something that is bound to hurt us or cause problems? Why decide to do something that can destroy everything we’ve worked for when there are other, more beneficial options?

The Thou Shalt and Shalt Nots

Whether you follow the theology of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Taoism, Judaism, or any other -ism, the Guiding Principals or Commandments are very similar. Don’t Kill. Don’t Lie, Cheat, or Steal. Respect your parents. Honor your spouse. Love your God.

And why not? Do any of these commandments or guiding principles create chaos or calamity, or are they beneficial? Will we be harmed if we abide by them or are we more likely to end up hurt in some way if we don’t?

These guidelines are a foundation, provided so we might live a safe and happy life. They are logical, wholesome, and even holistic.

Whether we choose to follow them is entirely our choice. A choice that can result in good or bad things happening. A choice that can and will shape our lives.

Image created by www.wemodernhumans.com

Free to Be or Not to Be

We all know the line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet ‘To be or not to be’ and it can be applied to many, many things, including freedom. When we have the freedom to choose, we are free to be whatever we choose to be: Happy, Sad, Thin, Heavy, Sociable, Reclusive, Funny, Boring….whatever.

Being free to choose also means we are free to live with the consequences of our choices. If I choose to eat hamburgers, fries, pizza and chocolate 7days a week, I will have to live with the consequences of those actions. Weight gain, diabetes, heart disease are all possible results of such a choice, which I am entirely free to make.

By contrast, I could also choose to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and practice meditation. These choices result in consequences too and, by making the choice, the result is mine as well. It’s the natural order of things, after all. Action, Reaction.

The Consequence of Choice

If you tell someone they have the freedom to choose, they will thank you. Or, at least, agree with you. However, if you tell them they will have to live with the consequences of their choices, they might not respond in such a positive way. No one wants to hear about consequences, regardless of the fact that they come with the package. Just like chocolate and calories, you cannot have one without the other.

We’ve made our choices. We’ve chosen to exclude God from our schools, our workplaces, our social interactions, our relationships, our government, and, in some cases, even from our churches! We’ve chosen the right to be offended by public prayer, the display of our guiding principles, the discussion of morality, and the mention of sin, Hell, or our need for redemption.

We’ve chosen to live our lives without God. It’s our choice and we’re free to make it, but we’ve forgotten the Newtonian Law of Nature. With each action, there is a reaction. With each choice, there is a consequence. If we want to live in a world that has no God, a world that chooses to scoff at logical, holistic, guiding principles and morality, then we, by extension, have also chosen the results of those actions.

It isn’t that God doesn’t care. God has simply stepped back and allowed us to see, hear, feel, taste, and live those consequences.

Why?

Because we are Free to Choose.

The Inarguable Conclusion: Love Does not Force

The beauty of God’s love is the simplicity of it. God loves. Always.

Whether we accept that love or walk away is entirely up to us.

We are free to choose…and…we are free to live with the consequences.

~Morgan~

 

Photo by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash

The Right Crowd- How to find your niche & Why it’s so important

I’ve been writing on Medium for seven months now and have learned many valuable insights about how to be successful writing on an open platform. Success is, of course, a subjective word, but for me, it means my articles are being read; they are generating responses, and my following continues to grow.

That may sound a bit self-serving, but it’s also true, and like Rafiki from The Lion King sagaciously reminded us, ‘we can either run from it or we can learn from it’. Ok, ok, I know, Rafiki was actually talking about the past, but it works so well for honesty too, so I paraphrased.

Paraphrasing aside, being honest, open, and even vulnerable is one of the many valuable insights I’ve learned since I began writing on Medium. Some other things include:

How to Write Negatively Without Being NegativeHow to Avoid Writers BlockHow to Show Writers Love through Read Times5 Steps to Generate Your Own Success

and

The Importance of CommentingWhat I Left Out

There’s a lot of great advice out there to soak up and most of it can only improve what you’re already doing, but there’s one thing that doesn’t see quite as much light of day. You can find literally hundreds of articles about spinning a great yarn or fabricating a spectacular 5-minute brain-teaser; what you won’t find quite so easily are strategies for finding your niche.

‘My hoobie-whatie?’ you may ask.

‘Your Niche.’ I say again, smile knowingly and nod.

So what the Harry Potter is a niche? Well, Oxford has a few definitions:

A comfortable or suitable position in life or employment.
A specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.
Denoting products, services, or interests that appeal to a small, specialized section of the population.

Photo by Sander Meyer on Unsplash

Yeah, boring. I hear you. Yet, nothing is more important than finding your niche. Why? Because your niche is the crowd you want to be in. It’s those people who will engage with you whether you’re talking about the hottest, trending thing-a-ma-bob or writing a mind-numbing synopsis for a mundane doo-hickey. They will read what you write regardless of whether it’s on the New York Times Bestsellers list or it’s your grocery list.

And, why else would you write? You write to be read, am I right?

How Do I Know What I Want to be When I Grow up?

I remember thinking this question and asking people this question all throughout my childhood, and even my teen years. Heck, even when I was in my twenties, because out of all the jobs available to choose from, the only one I REALLY WANTED was the one everyone said wouldn’t amount to anything.

I wanted to write, but you know how it is. Your teachers, your parents and even some of your friends all tell you to get your head out of the clouds and pick a real job.

I, however, didn’t want the so-called ‘Real’ job. Believe me, I’ve tried many; yet throughout all my endeavors to settle into a 9–5-career, my thoughts unceasingly returned to writing.

To words.

Characters. Landscapes. Realms.

Unique languages. Creatures. Magic.

Rhyme, form, and, yes…even grammar, because these are the things that give me true satisfaction. These are the things that matter to me and these are the things I want to surround myself with for the rest of my life.

Occam’s Razor — (Stay with me, this will all make sense in a moment…)

Merriam-Webster’s definition of the scientific principle of Occam’s Razor is:

A scientific and philosophical rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.

That’s what I thought too.

In simple terms, it means all things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the right one. — (Thank you Carl Sagan for explaining this is your book Contact)

Like this principle, knowing what your niche is really doesn’t have to be rocket science, despite the fact that there are myriad formulas out there to try to help you. In fact, you already know what it is, you just don’t know that you know.

What do you love doing and know so much about that you could explain it to anyone….and get them interested in it too?

What sparks your passion and keeps you interested day after day, week after week, month after month, yadda-after-yadda?

What would you gladly do for the rest of your life if money didn’t matter?

There you go!

Whatever your answer to these questions may be, chances are it’s not only the thing you love to do, know everything about, spend your free time doing, and talk about whenever you get the chance…but…..

Image Credit Kinbox.com

You’ve also found your niche!!!

Yes, it’s that simple.

Now, go write about it.

 

~Morgan~

Photo by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash

Inward – The Magic of 150 Words

The space was small, yet vast. A corridor into the unknown. A portal into possibility. He gazed through the confusing labyrinth of spirals, contemplating his choice. Inward or outward; up or down, the avenue toward what he sought yawned before him, perilous and strange, yet beguilingly inviting.

He had waited many long days for that moment. The anticipation of opportunity thrilled through him with revitalizing electricity. No longer would he be trapped in the mundane halls of this reality; a new realm awaited, he only needed to choose.

Inward or outward; up or down?

Each prospect enticed him with a hint of mystery and the lush scent of the obscure, but he could only make one selection and, at last, he smiled. His direction was clear. He chose the realm where endless variety and challenge piqued his curiosity, inviting the vanguard of intrepidity.

Inward, into the undiscovered country of himself.

What is Micro Fiction?

Micro Fiction is exactly what it sounds like; a piece of fiction written in fewer than 300 words. No more, no less. As with any other form of fiction, it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It can also have a plot and character development, and a theme, meaning, or purpose. Many micro-fiction stories are built around a twist or climactic moments.

It’s not necessarily easy to do, but writing micro-fiction is an interesting exercise for any writer to try, focusing on succinctness and clarity of writing. With 300 words or less, there isn’t room for fluff.

How to be Brief Choose a prompt image and subject. When writing something as compact as microfiction, it’s often easier to gather your thoughts through the use of an image that sparks your imagination. Consider your story . Consider the image or subject and allow your imagination to run free. What’s the first thought that comes to your mind when you look at the image? Where does it take you? What question(s) does it ask? Who’s involved? Write your story. When you’ve thought it through, start writing. Don’t get in the way of your story and don’t overthink your words, phrasing, grammar, or anything else mechanical; just allow yourself to write. Once the story is drafted, you’ll have time to work on all those details. Refine and Polish. Now’s the time to put on your editor’s cap. Does the story have a storyline and at least one character? Does it have interest and impact for the reader? Does it prompt an emotional response of any kind? Now is the time to refine phrasing, reduce wordiness, and polish your prose to perfection.Be sure your story is less than 300 words. Or, as is the case with the piece I’ve written above, only 150 words. Micro-fiction doesn’t give you wiggle room. The limit is the limit….and it’s also the delightful challenge.Just Walk Away

I suppose I should have said 6 steps, but 5 is such a nice clean number. Step 6 is really more like a suggestion, but one I suggest very strongly.

6. Put the story down and walk away. Give it an hour, or two, or even a full day. Try not to keep writing in your head. The idea is to put it out of your mind. Why? So you can read it from a fresh perspective and see if it works or if it leaves you with more questions than answers.

Better yet, try it out on a few unsuspecting readers. Coworkers or family, work well or social media if possible. You’ll know right away if you can proceed to publishing or if it’s back to the drawing board.

Why Write Microfiction?

Why not?

Writing exercises not only help make you a better writer, but they also boost your confidence and spark your imagination, teach you the mechanics of thought-clarification and succinct writing, and can expand your readership.

Go ahead. Give it a try. I know you can do it!

 

 

~Morgan~

Spiral Staircase Of The Arc De is a photograph by Jjr from FineArtofAmerica

How to Enjoy the Storms of Life – 5 Easy Ways to Shift Your Perspective

Rain. It is a beautiful thing.

There are so many types of rain and I couldn’t tell you which sort I prefer most (unless we’re including the fluffy, white, frozen variety that I love most of all, in copious quantities, as frequently as possible.)

It’s a lot like life.

We can’t control the rain any more than we can control the storms that roll across our paths. Neither can we control what kind of rain it is, how hard it falls, or for how long, but we can control how we respond to it. We can prepare when we see a storm rolling in so we don’t end up soaking wet and we can stand in wonder of its power, understanding that without it, without the storms that fill our lives, nothing would grow.

Storms in life are, at their core, very similar to their weather-related cousins. Some are small and easily weathered (pun intended.) Some are tricky and require skill to negotiate, while others are raging monsters from which we must find shelter. There are really only a few that are truly devastating; yet even when these turn our life’s journey upside down, family, friends, and even strangers will often join forces with us to defend and survive.

In order to survive the shifting weather patterns of life we only need to change our perspective about them. Simple enough to say, true, but viewing hurdles and obstacles in the same way we see a spring rain shower or summer thunderstorm can help us prepare for them. By learning how to categorize storms, we also learn how to deal with them. We know if we need an umbrella, a raincoat, spikes in our shoes, or if we simply need to stay inside so we don’t end up drenched.

Myriad Meteorological Milieu

There’s the light, misty kind of rain I tend to envision whenever someone talks about Great Britain. That type of drizzly, foggy precipitation that drapes the landscape, penetrating every crevice and enveloping whatever it touches in a hazy shroud. These pesky little storms can be deceptively inconsequential that don’t look like much until you walk out without your brolly. They also leave ten thousand beads of incandescent diamonds in their wake that sparkle and scintillate when the light reappears.

There’s the freezing drizzle or frizzle; a sinister variety of rain that usually arrives without warning and transforms the garden path, car park, or your front steps into a skating arena suitable only for Olympic athleticism. This category of precipitation doesn’t initially impress either, so you generally disregard it until you have to go out and then promptly wind up on your…..A-hem…. It’s that quirky classification of rain that warps and blurs everything into unrealistic, Photoshop-worthy deviations of reality that makes most of us grab our cameras to record and share the surreal, Dr. Suess-iness of it all.

There are many classifications of thunderstorms, as well. Those that pop up in the middle of a sweltering, summer day just long enough to make us all run for cover. There’s the kind that creates a lot of noise for a few minutes and then disappears into a haze of steam. There are those that roll overhead in the calm of the evening, fast and furious, full of sound and fury, (signifying nothing?) that do little more than make a mess.

Then, there are those magnificent, cacophonous, tempests that jar you from a sound sleep in the middle of the night with ear-splitting thunder and shocks of lightning that leave you wondering if you shouldn’t, perhaps, hide under the bed with the cat. We usually know these storms are coming, however. If we’re paying attention, we can hear and see them before they arrive. Although they make a mess, they also generate conversations and prompt us to do a little work after they’re gone.

There’s also the awe-inspiring, stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks kind of rain that makes you stare out the window in astonishment, forces you off the road in your car because you can’t see one inch ahead or behind. These are the tempests that make you wonder for a fleeting moment if there isn’t an ark being built someplace nearby on which you ought to be booking passage? Those torrential downpours of cats and dogs (and monkeys.) Sometimes we need help when these arrive; we need to take shelter or require some measure of bolstering before we venture back outside, but when we do, we’re stronger for them.

Then there’s the steady, pervasive, day-long kind of rain that sweeps over the earth, softly falling hour by hour, never flooding, never rumbling, never wreaking havoc. We can walk out in it and we aren’t buffeted about or sent careening off the road. This is the kind of rain that looks like a beautiful painting by Monet or Van Gogh. These rains often smell so sweet we inhale the scent of them deeply and can’t help sighing.

Shift Your Perspective

Dealing with life and all the chaos that goes along with it starts with a simple decision. Face the day with a positive outlook or a negative one. Though it seems a trivial notion, making this one choice will affect everything throughout your day. Positivity generates positivity. Like breeds like, but how do you actively choose a positive attitude each morning? Here are a few ideas:

Be thankful, even for the simple things like clean water, a safe home, and a warm bed. There are many who don’t have these things.Practice positive self-talk. It’s a proven fact that we generate what we verbalize. Telling yourself you can’t do something is self-defeating and will create the opposite of what you want. Say you can, you will, you are, even if you feel like you can’t, won’t, or aren’t. Test this out. It works.Forgive. There’s nothing healthy about being angry, resentful, or focusing on something that disappointed you. Forgive first. Forgetting may not follow, but it’s a step in the right direction.Help others, even in small ways. In this world of obliviousness and mania, doing a little something for someone else can be a huge surprise, not to mention a marvelous mood lifter.Smile. Did you know that smiling activates tiny molecules in your brain that are designed to fend off stress? These molecules, called neuropeptides, trigger your brain to release dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. So in effect, when you smile, you want to smile Everything that lives needs rain.

The varied, shifting storms can take us by surprise, leave us staring in wonder, and, yes, sometimes crying because of the devastation they generate. They remind us how terrifying and wondrous life is. They nourish and promote growth. They cleanse and refresh, and renew.

By looking at life’s storms the same way we look at the rain, we may discover we just want to pull off our shoes, go outside, and splash in the puddles.

~Morgan~

#Adventure in Zanskar: Insights into A Journey to Reach Physical and Metaphysical Heights by #Author Amy Edelstein

In 1983 Amy journeyed to the Himalayas, Zanskar, India. Traveling alone, she crossed 16,000ft mountains, slept in caves, met Buddhist masters, and discovered a rare harmonious culture. Adventure in Zanskar is an inner quest, a daring mountain adventure, a story of women’s empowerment, and, ultimately, the experience that human beings can indeed live harmoniously and be truly happy.

Amy Edelstein, educator, author, and nonprofit leader is a powerful communicator of ideas and beliefs that can help us transform ourselves and the culture we live in.

In 2014, Amy founded Inner Strength Education, a non-profit organization that has trained 15,000 inner-city teens in mindfulness and systems thinking.

She currently serves as Inner Strength’s Executive Director. Amy began her own mindfulness practice in 1978 and has been an avid explorer of contemplative tools ever since, studying indepth and then teaching in half a dozen countries around the world.

She received a Philadelphia Social Innovation Award for her organization’s work in Violence Reduction. She is a Cornell University College Scholar, cofounder of the learning platform Emergence Education, and author of five books including the IPPY award-winning, #1 Amazon educational bestseller The Conscious Classroom.

What do you love most about Writing?  

Ever since I was 8 years old I have loved to write. I would pour out my questions, thoughts, and conversations with the universe into my journals. I wrote my latest book Adventure In Zanskar in the middle of the pandemic, in the middle of the busiest time my non-profit has ever had because writing is my release. When I’m immersed in a subject I love, it allows me to commune with it, explore it, and articulate my deepest insights. I encourage everyone to write, whether you think you are a “good” writer or not. It gives us access to a different part of ourselves and a different perspective on life.

Adventure In Zanskar is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed writing, it wrote itself. I did a little extra background research for it to update myself on what has changed over the last few decades since I was in this remote area of the Tibetan plateau. I also took the opportunity to research some aspects of the geology, history, and ancient religions which for me is one of the perks of writing. I have an excuse to research whatever I’m interested in!

What Inspired you to write your book? 

 I have wanted to write this book for more than thirty years and I had written the first fifty pages almost that long ago. The story is so inspiring and real, it gives faith and hope without being pablum and above all it’s an adventure story. So many people have been feeling that the world is getting smaller and harsher and I really wanted to give people something to take them up and out of the doldrums and into the vast beautiful vistas of the high Himalayas. What could be a better backdrop for discovery than that?

What’s your number one tip for an aspiring Author? 

Don’t compare yourself to other people. Every writer has a unique offering and uses words and language differently. If you are inspired by other writers–read! Read as much as you can and love the process of reading. If you are competitive with other writers and feel undermined when you read great writers (“Oh, I’ll never be that good.” “I might as well give up now.” “They already said what I wanted to say and did it so much better than I could.” then write your own books first and then read. Reading should be delightful, informative, and enriching. Writing should also be a process you love for its own sake. So enjoy! Start writing all the time, on the bus, in the coffee shop, when you have 10 minutes. Resist the temptation to wait for the “right time to write” and just get going!

Can you sum up your life story in ten words or less? 

Being an expression of what I care most deeply about!

The 1970s were a hard decade for independently-minded young women to come of age in America, especially in an East Coast industrial city that was more like the lumbering Midwest than the forward-thinking eastern seaboard. When Amy Edelstein looked around the Pittsburgh neighborhood she grew up in, she concluded that if she was going to find someone who might be able to offer more than a shred of insight and guidance on a path to a life nobly lived, she knew she had to head much further afield. And so, she did. Leaving Cornell University to celebrate her 21st birthday in the mountains outside of Pokhara, Nepal, she decided to spend the next years walking in the high Himalayas, studying philosophy and meditation with the best teachers she could find, and doing everything she could to tame her restless, anxious, and self-critical mind. She was on the perennial quest. Determined to find that elusive awakened consciousness, in 1983 Amy journeyed to the remote western corner of the Tibetan Plateau in Zanskar, India. Carrying a crumpled Indian Army map to guide her, with dotted lines tracing footpaths and concentric misshaped ovals marking elevations, she set out to walk several hundred miles in the oldest Buddhist valley in the world. Traveling alone, without mountaineering gear or guides, she crossed mountain passes as high as 16,000 feet, traversed
glacial snow bridges, and slept in caves, shepherds’ huts, and outdoors under a brilliant star-studded sky.

This account of her journey reveals a world of our recent past, yet one radically different from our present—a world prior to the ubiquitous mobile phone and its globalizing influence. A world where we could still adventure and discover great treasures of generosity, wisdom, and kindness. A world where the Buddha’s teachings were in fact embedded in every aspect of life.
Readers of all ages will delight in this story. Adventure in Zanskar is part inner quest, part travelogue, part daring mountain adventure, part feminine empowerment, and part unmitigated conviction in the possibility of living from our better natures and being truly happy. This book is a wonderful escape from our pressured lives, where endless emails, anxieties, and alienations shape our daily experiences. It is a call to honor our heart’s restless search for meaning, purpose, and contentedness. Finally, it is also a story of self-honesty, courage, and freedom for all who cherish the notion of an inner awakening that can reveal a way to live that makes sense of our confusing and complex world.

 

FIND AMY IN THESE PLACES:

Click to Visit

 

Click to Visit

Amazon Author Page

http://www.amyedelstein.com

For Review Copies | Interviews | Podcast & Blog Appearances
please contact Samantha Greene: Sam@TheConsciousClassroom.com

Free Gift – Writing Your Epic Journey 

 

~Morgan~

Crossing – 5 Steps to Writing Epic #50-WordStories

Sliding into the past by tumbling through the present reality utilizing a crossing created in the future, we skidded into yesterday in a chaotic whirlwind.

Those we met stared at us like we were unholy demons from the under realms.

Their greeting went as anticipated.

Now we needed to escape!

What is a 50-Word Story?

A 50-word story is exactly what it sounds like; a piece of fiction written in precisely 50 words. No more, no less. As with any other form of fiction, a 50-word story has a beginning and an end. It can also have a plot and character development, and a theme, meaning, or purpose. Many 50-word stories are built around a twist or climactic moments.

It’s not necessarily easy to do, but writing a 50-word story is an interesting exercise for any writer to try, focusing on succinctness and clarity of writing. With just 50 words, there isn’t room for fluff.

How to be Brief Choose a prompt image and subject. When writing something as compact as microfiction or a 50-word story, it’s often easier to gather your thoughts through the use of an image that sparks your imagination. Consider your story . Consider the image and/or subject and allow your imagination to run free. What’s the first thought that comes to your mind when you look at the image? Where does it take you? What question(s) does it ask? Who’s involved? Write your story. When you’ve thought it through, start writing. Don’t get in the way of your story and don’t overthink your words, phrasing, grammar, or anything mechanical; just allow yourself to write. Once the story is drafted, you’ll have time to work on all those details. Refine and Polish. Now’s the time to put on your editor’s cap. Does the story have a storyline and at least one character? Does it have interest and impact on the reader? Does it prompt an emotional response of any kind? Now is the time to refine phrasing, reduce wordiness, and polish your prose to perfection.Be sure your story is 50 words exactly . A 50-word story doesn’t have 57 words or 49 or 85. It has 50. Period.Just Walk Away

I suppose I should have said 6 steps, but 5 is such a nice clean number. Step 6 is really more like a suggestion, but one I suggest very strongly.

Put the story down and walk away.

Give it an hour, or two, or even a full day. Try not to keep writing in your head. The idea is to put it out of your mind. Why? So you can read it from a fresh perspective and see if it works or if it leaves you with more questions than answers.

Better yet, try it out on a few unsuspecting readers. Coworkers or family, work well or social media if possible. You’ll know right away if you can proceed to publishing or if it’s back to the drawing board.

Why Write Microfiction?

Why not?

Writing exercises not only help make you a better writer, they boost your confidence and spark your imagination, teach you the mechanics of thought-clarification and succinct writing, and can expand your readership.

Give it a try. I know you can do it!

~Morgan~

 

Beautiful original artwork by- Alissa Drake — ArtStation