Pamela Schloesser Canepa's Blog, page 63
February 3, 2018
#WeekendCoffeeShare. Staying Afloat
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Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at https://eclecticali.wordpress.com/ I like completing this challenge weekly, if at all possible. It helps me to check the gauge somewhat, and process where I am in my writing and life journey. I apologize for the stressed tone in the first few paragraphs; there is relief if you read through, I promise!
I am sad to say I didn’t write much this week, except for a flash fiction at the start of the week based on a photo prompt. What came out was sad and maybe a little bit touching. You may find it here: Flawed Magic Men You know, it’s disillusioning when the faults of a a person you look up to as a small child become revealed little by little. I’ll have a cheerful story another week! Other than that, I’ve been so busy I can’t write, and I’ve only been able to read a little bit but not every night. Still, a manuscript of mine is in the hands of a beta-reader, so my words are making progress! I’ll be happy for that.
The aforementioned state of being busy was due to work, of course. I’ve grumbled about the state of education already as of late, but I’ll just say I had a suggestion on how to do things. I tried to plan it to make it work, and my plans were great, but I ended up working until 6:20 one day. Getting home at 7 p.m. is just no good. Seriously, I go to bed at 10 p.m.! I still brought paperwork home and dealt with some of that while eating dinner. Yikes! It was quite frustrating. I felt so behind on the paperwork because I took a day off Wednesday. That day was great, in the morning. I did a lot of social media and planning for my author strategy. Rarely do I get to do that. However, the afternoon was spent at the dentist, which gets my shoulders in a knot. Never a good thing.
So, my mother sent me today to go to a flotation tank type spa. Escape! My body gets very tense with the events of my day and week. Letting the words flow when I get home is great for my mind, but still may overuse the wrist, arm, bicep, etc. My lifestyle is demanding in this way. Though I have to remember to skip coffee next time, I did lose track of time and my body loved floating. I felt like a mermaid! I definitely came out of there with much less tension in my joints or worry on my mind. I will certainly go again, just to see what it’s like with the door closed! Baby steps….
So, the moral of today’s post, is “I shall rise.” Have a great weekend, everyone!
January 30, 2018
Flawed Magic Men. #FFfAW #amwriting
Flawed Magic Men, (c) 2018 by Pamela Schloesser Canepa
When I was little, if you told me Papa could catch the sunlight in his little hands, I’d believe it.
I believed it when he caught a firefly. I’d never seen one before. And then, he made the light disappear. Years later, I figured out why he was tugging at his sleeve.
“All gone!” He held up his hands. Nothing. I thought he was some kind of magician.
Truth be told, he really could make the light disappear. He said something to make Grandma cry so bad one time. It was like he sucked the light out of her soul.
Mom just said he had too much to drink. When I looked at her questioningly, she answered, “Sick juice.” Those were the words for the drink left on the coffee table that I shouldn’t touch.
Several times, it did make Papa really sick. I’ll never touch the sick juice. It seems even magic men have a flaw. Sick juice was Papa’s Kryptonite.
~162 words
Challenge: Respond to the photo prompt with a brief flash fiction story of around 100-150 words, give or take 25. To find out more about Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers and this week’s photo prompt challenge, go to https://flashfictionforaspiringwriter...
To submit your own response, click the blue InLinkz button at the above site after reading the rules of the challenge.
January 27, 2018
#WeekendCoffeeShare. Pep Talk or Planned Timeout? #letterstomyself #amwriting
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Allison at https://eclecticali.wordpress.com/ wherein I debate whether I really need a pep talk or a planned timeout this weekend.
Yeah, you may have guessed; I’m tired. I work for an organization that educates children but seems to test them more than we educate them. I don’t believe in the way we do things, but I follow directions well. Testing season is upon us. I will not dwell on it anymore, but I will add that there are many days I love to be in that room with that sea of facing, many of them smiling because they love being silly, and a few of them are even laughing or responding to my jokes. 
January 22, 2018
Living a Loop. #FridayFictioneers #amwriting
PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
“Living a Loop,” (c) 2018, Pamela Schloesser Canepa
Looking back, he remembered. He was six, she was eight. Of course, she’d be older. They’d followed each other around, their families silently watching, neither approving nor disapproving. Everyone needs a friend.
Later, when they met, she was a bracelet laden, long-haired young anthropology major who went by the name of Feather. He was smitten.
He was also subsequently dumped. Their relationship was a whirlwind just like the whirly-gig of their youth.
Years later, at 29, he couldn’t believe it was her in that hospital bed, gray-haired and tired.
“Feather…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back.” She smiled.
~96 words
A new photo prompt is posted every Friday at Friday Fictioneers here: https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/01/17/12-january-2018/ Visit this website to view the requirements for the challenge, such as, keeping your story at 100 words or less. You can enter the challenge or view other written responses by clicking on the blue InLinkz button.
Happy reading and/or writing!
January 20, 2018
Weekend Coffee Share. “What I Can Plan and What I Can’t.” 1/20
Photo via Pixabay.
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at https://eclecticali.wordpress.com/
Oh, I’m feeling a little tired today. Last night I got a message that my beta-reader’s notes and suggestions were done, but I didn’t have time to view it yet. I am giving myself the weekend. I have one more beta reader who should be available the end of this month, and then I’ll revise, edit, and send to a professional editor the draft for my sequel to Detours in Time. This is hard work, and my full-time work isn’t getting easier. That’s okay, I’ve given myself the right to only publish one book this year if that is all that gets done. Meanwhile, I have other ideas hopping in my head that I’ve outlined or just typed into summary form to flesh out later. After years of giggling at my own ideas and losing them an hour later because all I could do was dream, I decided to start putting those dreams on paper. Thank God I did! This is such a wonderful mind exercise.
As I said, the editing/revising process is hard work, and it at times requires a good amount of sequestering. I found beta-readers in writing groups and plan to find an editor online who can give me a good turn around time. I’d like to get this book out over the summer when I have time off, so I can give it the nurturing it needs to grow a readership. Still, I like the sociability of blogging, so, right now I am tending to do one Weekend Coffee Share or reflection and one Flash Fiction challenge a week. We share them in one central place as well as on our blog so that we can see each other’s work and comment. There are frequent posters whom I know by name and I like to keep up with news from their parts of the world or see what sort of fiction they spit out based on the photo prompt. That is the sociability that keeps me writing when those reading my book won’t leave reviews and when I have a slow book week. It happens. I am in the acorn stage. Maybe one day I’ll be a tree.
January 15, 2018
Ensnared. #FFfAW #amwriting
Photo credit, Fandango.
“Ensnared” by Pamela Schloesser Canepa. (c) 2018
Oh, the tangled vine
that ensnares my heart
and keeps me bound to you.
Oh, the centuries of longing
in pain, the fury
I cannot undo.
All of the sadness
and mystery that
kept me frozen in fear….
Stranger, turn away,
and please don’t ask,
What happened here.
-Victim of a Salem Witch Trial, believed to have turned vines into snakes in grief over her lover dying. It is said she, and the snakes, then froze on the spot. The vines are still a horrifying, yet amazing scene. Town officials dragged her away, catatonic and motionless, then burned her at the stake. Townspeople cheered them on, yet there was much talk about whether the punishment was fair, since she didn’t appear to feel any pain. Her last words spoken have been passed down from generation to generation.
~135 words
*This flash fiction entry was fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. The Salem Witch Trials, however, are a historical fact.
Each week, Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers presents a new photo prompt for consideration. You never know what it might bring out! Find out more about the weekly writing challenge and view other flash fiction offerings at https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/fffaw-challenge-week-of-january-9-2018/ where you can also view the rules for this flash fiction challenge.
January 13, 2018
My Go-To. #WeekendCoffeeShare
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Bixby contemplates my morning coffee. What is so magical about it, and what will she do if I sneak a few sips?
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Allison athttps://eclecticali.wordpress.com. I am trying to keep it short, but just to forewarn you, I have the attention span of a gnat this weekend. Work was frustrating yesterday, and I am so tired of the national news dividing our nation even more.
At any rate, I have done my stretches this morning, and I plan to get a walk soon. This is all part of my intention for this year to help me stay healthy and of a positive mindset.
My writing has been coming in spurts this week, unplanned, by the seat of my pants. A pantser, that I am, at times. I’m working on a new idea that is a spin-off of a character in my sequel that is in beta-reading mode, also known as waiting mode. I also wrote a flash- fiction piece in one of the blog challenges this week. It is a nice escape based on characters who got away from their daily grind to live in a luxurious, non-stop vacation world. Only, they have to somehow afford that life. Interested? Read it here: Swindled, 1/07/18. #flashfiction
Sometimes writing is a great escape for me and nothing but. It is its own means to an end. It would be great if I made enough money from it to take grand vacations, but it doesn’t matter. I love what writing does for my mind. This brings me another of the key factors in my focus on seeking or harnessing energy in this new year: music. My mind can race at times with thoughts, ideas, negation of my ideas, lack of ideas, ruminations of my day, etc., etc. It starts when I wake. I have to calm it or tame the run-away train when I need to focus on getting one thing done (writing, cleaning…) or focus on getting myself ready for work and out the door on a workday morning. Music helps. It can also inspire me to get some writing done. Here is my latest discovery that I am dying to share, and I hope you will go check out the video, Taro by alt-J.
The video visuals and the music together are just divine perfection, a comment on the human experience, our beautiful world, an understanding of those around us. I found out this is a tribute to a war-time photographer named Taro, and all of the footage here is of peaceful images. I found this when searching another song by alt-j with psychedelic undertones, because I love them; they take me away, and so does this song and its video. Sometimes I need an escape from my mental chatter. Writing can do that, my favorite out-of-this-world, creepy shows or movies do that (Haven, Haven) , books do that, and music does that, some music more than others. Please enjoy this video. It will surely provide a brief escape for your weekend.
Visit other coffee shares or add yours at https://eclecticali.wordpress.com/201... by clicking the blue InLinkz button! Have a great week!
Leave Me A Link and I’ll Share Your Page!!
(Re-blogged). Please click on the original post to share your link at https://dreambigdreamoften.co/2017/11...
As most of my followers know I am big into helping other bloggers gain more exposure. My goal has been to grow a community of like-minded people and I am part way to my goal. I am bringing back the open call to leave a link and I’ll share it for you!!
The basic rules are simple: leave me a link to your page. I’m not sure it gets much simpler. You can leave as many links as you want and I’ll cycle this post from day-to-day so more people can jump on board. The link post I’ll create will publish on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.
January 10, 2018
“I Can Do This!” 2018 Focus
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Graphic made at canva.com ~Explanation below~
You may have guessed (or already know) that my keyword for this year is “Energy.” I have many goals, and I am at a point in my life where I need to make them happen. I don’t want to wait for a better time. Even if it takes years to reach a goal, the time to start is now.
My morning mantra will be- “Let me get moving.” That’s a great start for energy. Of course, I’ve charted out some things I have to do. Stretches to get limber and not feel old or sore all day. I intend that to become like second nature to me. Then the list goes on.
I’ve done this because I read somewhere that a resolution is nothing without a plan. This is so true! Working a full-time job can tire a person out. Yet, I want to reach for more than a Mon.-Fri. workplace. I need energy to do that.
I do hope the graphic is visible and easy to read for all. In a nutshell, it lists what I want to become a regular part of my mindset and my daily routine in an attempt to generate more energy for my goals and to affect the world around me. I truly believe this works. I mentioned the morning stretches, because “Let’s get ready to move freely,” is better than “Crap, my back is sore, I HAVE to get up.” Gratitude, music to help me get going. Singing in the shower, expressing love to my family, asking God to inspire me to help someone else today. Complimenting others I work with, using a 5 to 1 positive ratio for my interactions with students. Then, there’s time to do what I love: reading daily, a writing routine (not necessarily daily but when I am moved), blogging on my goals/progress or mindset once weekly and adding the flash fiction blog entries once or more weekly, avoiding work e-mail at home, and being thankful for it all.
My discovery of a focus keyword for this year was inspired by an entrepreneur on social media. Mindset is such an important thing! Truly, when you must do something physically challenging, they say to find a focal point. Why can’t it be a word? If you are interested, this blog post sets my intention to make Energy my focus and explains why this might help me greatly: A Word for My Intentions
January 7, 2018
Swindled. #FFfAW #amwriting
Photo credit, J.S. Brand
“Swindled.” By Pamela Schloesser Canepa, (c) 2018
“I’m telling you, he’s got the ring!” Kaitlynn’s face grew more flushed as she spoke.
“So that’s why you’ve plunged in after him! Wait, the $500,000 ring from the Count?”
“Yes! Why else would I be standing here soaked?”
“I hope Vende can’t see you. He expects you to go back to the yacht, you know.”
Kaitlynn bristled. “I have no intention. I’d just hate to lose the product of all my hard work.”
“Yeah, your schmoozing,” Henry laughed, trying to hide his jealousy. Not only had she been more successful this time, she’d practically given herself to this “Count.” It seemed both of them may be going a little too far these days.
“Come ‘ere, you bugger!” Kaitlynn went in further, just as the bird flew off. “Argg! He’s probably got the thing down his digestive tract now! That arse!”
“Kaitlynn,” Henry breathed deeply. “I think we should reconsider our goals.”
Wading back, Kaitlynn sighed, partly in agreement, and partly out of frustration. “Yeah. Okay.”
**165 words
Want to submit your own flash fiction or read some of the other responses to the photo? Visit https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2018/01/01/fffaw-challenge-week-of-january-2-2018/
Guidelines: 1. A prompt photo will be provided each Monday pm to be used as a base to your story. Please include photo prompt with your story. 2. Linking for this challenge begins on Monday pm and runs to the following Monday pm.
3. Please credit photo to photographer.
4. The story word limit is 100 – 150 words (+ – 25 words). Please try and stay within this limit.
5. Please indicate the number of words in your story at the end of your story. (It doesn’t count into the amount of words).
6. This is a flash fiction challenge (stories in 100-175 words or less) and each story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Therefore, no serial (continuation) stories. They become too complicated for our readers.
7. Add your story to the InLinkz Link-up (Blue Froggy button). Please let me know if you need link-up instructions.
8. Please keep stories below R rating.
9. Please respect the diversity of our readers and writers in regard to race, religion, and life style choice when writing your stories.
Thank you for reading my Flash fiction response! Your comments are appreciated!
