Laura Roberts's Blog, page 38

Black cats & superstitions: 365K Club, week 19

It’s that time of the week again: time for another 365K Club word count check-in! Numbers, please…

May 7, Day 128: 478 words

May 8, Day 129: 507 words

May 9, Day 130: 556 words

May 10, Day 131: 1,336 words

May 11, Day 132: 380 words

May 12, Day 133: 328 words

May 13, Day 134: 662 words

That’s a grand total of 4,247 words for the week, 9,356 for the month, and 78,278 for the year!

Did I beat last week’s total?

Last week I wrote 5,786 words, so unfortunately I did not break my previous week’s record. Next week, however, I am coming for you!

Badges!

No badges for me, this week. Instead, here is a picture of my black cat, Ned, for good luck:

Ned, aka Nedward Carlos Nedwards, aka Halloween Cat, aka Tiny Panther

Goals for next week?

This week I missed a couple of days in my A Story A Day series, which I’m rather annoyed about. So for next week, I’m going to catch up AND pre-write a few stories, because I’m really trying to send out a piece every day on my mailing list. It’s basically me writing a serial, without a net. So if I miss a day, my readers miss a day too. That bums me out. But it also reminds me of why serial fiction authors typically write the whole story in advance, before doling it out in pieces. Whoops!

In case you are, still, somehow, not signed up for my mailing list, what are you waiting for? Click the Word Tracker image below and sign up; you’ll get a free book, my Word Tracker tool, and a new story delivered straight to your inbox every day!

Want to track YOUR words?

In an effort to spread the helpful message of 365K Club’s daily word tracking, I’ve created my own Buttontapper Word Tracker. Want a free copy? Just sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive a link to download it ASAP.

Related PostsGood luck charms: 365K Club, week 12Presentation Sensation: 365K Club, week 15365K Club: Another week, another recordZemanta

Friday the 13th and other (writing) superstitions

It’s Friday the 13th!

You know what’s funny? I don’t consider myself a particularly superstitious person, but Friday the 13th still holds a mysterious symbolism for me. I don’t necessarily equate it with anything evil or dangerous, personally, and the number 13 doesn’t strike me as particularly lucky or unlucky. (Indeed, I find it funny that people stopped labeling the 13th floors of buildings as such, skipping from 12 to 14 as a result.) But given the way other people latch onto this date, I do find a little caution is typically a good thing.

Maybe I’m just reinforcing my own beliefs, but after I met up with my awesome Accountability Group today and was heading home, I drove smack into a DUI/ID check set up by the cops! (They didn’t ask to see my ID nor pull me over, so I’m not entirely clear on how this was either a DUI or ID checkpoint… it seemed more like a “force everybody to squish into one lane on a three-lane road” maneuver instead.)

Anyway, I guess my point is that given the fact that it’s clearly not just me that is superstitious about Friday the 13th (the cops occasionally set up such random checkpoints, usually on holidays like New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day, when they believe DUIs happen more frequently – does Friday the 13th count?), I find it interesting to see how other people occasionally dictate their behavior based on superstitious and other irrational biases.

Here are a few that make me laugh:

Sports teams full of dudes that won’t change their socks – or trim their beards – when they’re on a winning streak
The “curse” of the Chicago Cubs
Broken mirrors = 7 years bad luck
Black cats = bad luck (I love black cats! One of my kitties, Ned, is black. We affectionately call him our Halloween Cat, or our “tiny panther.”)
The curse of the opal (ironically, my birthstone is the opal!)
NASCAR drivers believe green cars are unlucky
Itchy palms : right palm = you’ll lose money, left palm = money is coming your way

Ned, aka Nedward Carlos Nedwards, aka Halloween Cat, aka Tiny Panther

I find it interesting that people take these bizarre rituals so seriously. Until I stop and think about some of my own “superstitions” when it comes to writing.

My writing superstitions

For instance, I have several writing t-shirts that I like to wear when attempting big challenges like the 3 Day Novel Contest. However, I also find that if I wear these same shirts during day-to-day life, I will often NOT get any writing done that day. It’s almost as if I’ve jinxed myself.

Equally so, I am quite insistent that there be no music playing (or other background noise) when I write. If particularly lost, I will turn to a playlist of lyric-free instrumental music I’ve created, but I much prefer to write in utter silence. I’m not entirely sure where this one comes from, but I attribute it to one of two things: 1) I used to write some terrible navel-gazing crap in my youth, whilst listening to a variety of angsty pop-rock, and 2) I transcribe reality TV as my day job, which involves strapping on headphones and writing down everything a bunch of other people say, so the last thing I want to do when writing my own stuff is strap on headphones and listen to music… that I might end up transcribing!

Finally, I have a variety of writing rituals, including brainstorming with pen on paper, that I feel simply help me write or organize my ideas better. In fact, I’ve written an entire post where I reveal all the secrets of my writing process!

And you?

What kinds of writing superstitions or rituals do you have?

Additional Reading


The Atlantic: What Vampire Graves Tell Us About Ancient Superstitions
LiveScience: 13 Common (But Silly) Superstitions
Men’s Fitness: 10 Most Superstitious Athletes
NYMag: Why Superstitions Help Athletes Perform Better
OldSuperstitions.com

 

Related PostsWherein I reveal all of the secrets of my writing processTop Five T-shirts About WritingTop 10 T-Shirts for Writers (April 2016 edition)Zemanta

Top 10 Literary Vacations #ShelfLove

ACK! I have been doing horribly at the #ShelfLove Challenge to read books from my own shelves… but then again, I’ve also been failing miserably at reading books in general. Life has gotten really busy, and book writing has taken precedence over book reading, at the moment.

Still, I like their theme for May, which is “Summer Vacation,” so here (in no particular order) are my Top 10 Literary Vacations!

(1) London, England: The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Who hasn’t wanted to jump into the pages of a Sherlock Holmes mystery and solve it themselves? Now you can visit 221B Baker Street and see the world’s most famous (and only) consulting detective’s flat for yourself at the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

“Sherlock Holmes Musem” by Flickr user Kate

(2) Baltimore, Maryland: Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum (and grave)

As a member of the Poe Level of this year’s 365K Club challenge, it’s only natural that I’d want to visit the dark and dreary author’s home and museum. And, of course, who wouldn’t want to run into the mysterious Poe Toaster and raise a glass to the legend at his grave site? If you’re into dark, brooding, gothic literature, mysteries or psychological horror, then Poe’s the author for you.

“Edgar Allan Poe Grave Marker” image by Flickr user Ray Pennisi

(3) New York, New York: Multiple literary sites (and sights)

Though I’ve previously lived in NYC, I’ve never actually checked out most of the city’s literary attractions (except, of course, for the public library)! Here are just a few:

The Algonquin Hotel – featuring the famous Round Table where Dorothy Parker and pals gathered for lunch
The Library Hotel – which
Dorothy Parker Walking Tours – led by Kevin C. Fitzpatrick, head of the Dorothy Parker Society
Central Park Literary Walk – featuring statues of famous authors, including William Shakespeare and Scottish authors Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott
New York Public Library – though the city has many branch libraries, the most famous is named the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, and is considered the “main branch”; you’ve likely seen it in films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Ghostbusters (Random Trivia: the lion statues outside are named Patience and Fortitude!)

(4) Indianapolis, Indiana: Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library

Being a library nerd and a Vonnegut fan, I’d love to visit the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library… even if it is located in Indianapolis.

Kurt Vonnegut’s typewriter, image by Flickr user Dustin Batt

(5) Parcines, Italy: Peter Mitterhofer Typewriter Museum

I’m a sucker for typewriters, so the Peter Mitterhofer Typewriter Museum in Italy is definitely on my To Do list. How can you resist visiting a place totally dedicated to this fine, writerly machinery?! (You can also take a virtual tour on the museum’s website.)

My own Royal Quiet DeLuxe typewriter.

(6) Buenos Aires, Argentina: City of Borges

I’ve never been to South America, but I figure Jorge Luis Borges’ Buenos Aires would be a great place to start. Here’s a New York Times article with a great summary of what to see and do there.

Also, how can you not want to visit this amazing bookstore?

“El Ateneo Bookstore – Buenos Aires” image by Flickr user Mark A Paulda

(7) Yarmouth Port, MA: Edward Gorey House

Kooky, creepy and altogether original, Edward Gorey is definitely one of my favorite authors and artists. So visiting the Edward Gorey House is on my Bucket List.

Plus, you know they’ve got a sense of humor when a visitor can snap a photo like this:

“Edward Gorey House” image by Flickr user Amy Meredith

(8) Chicago, Illinois: Poetry Foundation

As detailed in my A to Z post, the Poetry Foundation is another place I’d love to visit – both for the fantastic library and for the many literary events held there.

“Poetry Foundation Library” image by Flickr user Steven Vance

(9) Springfield, Massachusetts: The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum (coming soon!) and Sculpture Garden

Springfield, Massachusetts is currently home to the Dr. Seuss Sculpture Garden, but they’ve also got a museum in the works as well. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum is scheduled to open sometime in 2016 in the writer’s hometown. And even though, technically, most of his books were written here in San Diego (he lived in La Jolla), I’m curious to see what the museum will hold!

“Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden” image by Flickr user Al

(10) Bath, England: Reading Spa

I loved this concept of the “reading spa,” which I recently discovered in an article about the city of Bath (which I have managed to misplace, hence the missing link). Mr. B’s Emporium of Reading Delights offers a one-on-one chat with one of their booksellers in the “Bibliotherapy Room,” complete with tea or coffee and cake, and a personalized selection of books to suit your reading needs. How cool is that? And why don’t all booksellers offer this kind of personal attention? I’m sure this would help drive up sales in any indie shop, and I’d certainly want to eat cake with a knowledgeable bookseller. Given that so many rely on their computer’s ability to locate books these days, that kind of personal touch is really fantastic. (Oh, and if you’re a Jane Austen fan, you’ll also want to visit Bath for their Jane Austen Festival!)

The “Reading Spa Room” at Mr. B’s

Bonus!

Many of the Literary Travel tours appeal to me, so if you’ve been wondering what to get for my birthday, I’m up for a getaway!

Where would YOU go on vacation?

Got a literary destination you’d like to visit? Let me know the sights you’re most excited to see!

Related Posts#ShelfLove reading challenge: Read your own library!Oh, the places I’ve written!Reading as RxZemanta

The Liebster Award: 365K Club week 18

It’s that time of the week again: time for another 365K Club word count check-in! Numbers, please…

April 30, Day 121: 676 words

May 1, Day 122: 725 words

May 2, Day 123: 1,789 words

May 3, Day 124: 562 words

May 4, Day 125: 220 words

May 5, Day 126: 439 words

May 6, Day 127: 1,374 words

That’s a grand total of 5,786 words for the week, 5,109 for the month, and 74,031 for the year!

Did I beat last week’s total?

Last week I wrote 4,110 words, therefore I crushed it with an additional 1,676 words. Woohoo!

Badges & Awards!

First up: 365K Club badges. I received the April Bullseye badge for hitting my word counts last month, woohoo!

Additionally, this week I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Sandra Yeaman, a fellow member of the San Diego Writers & Editors Guild. Thank you, Sandra, for this bloggeriffic award!

These are the guidelines to keep the award going when you decide to accept it:

Display an image of the award and write about your nomination.
Thank and link the person who nominated you for this award.
Answer the 11 questions prepared for you by the blogger who nominated you.
Nominate 5-11 awesome bloggers who you think  deserve this award, and create 11 questions of your own for your nominees to answer.
List these guidelines in your blog post.

Here are my answers to Sandra’s questions:

What book(s) are you reading now? I’m currently in the middle of several different books that I never seem to have time to finish reading (nyargh!), including The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O’Neill and a graphic novel called Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley. I also really need to return a bunch of library books…
Who else do you think would enjoy reading it? Why? I think Heather O’Neill’s book would appeal to anyone who’s ever had a troublesome relationship with a sibling, as well as folks who’ve lived in Montreal. Lucy Knisley’s book is ideal for aspiring DIY/maker brides who want their big day to be perfect, and for brides (like me) whose big day was, well, not quite as perfect as we wished it could have been.
Which author would you like to write your life story? Why? Whoa, what an interesting question! I would definitely like to read Jeanette Winterson’s take on my life… although I’m not quite sure I would be an interesting enough subject for her.
Name three authors you would like to invite to dinner. Why? I would love to invite Oscar Wilde, Anaïs Nin and Leonard Cohen to dinner, because the group would be well-dressed, offer sparkling conversation and wit, and stay up late into the night drinking wine together.
Summarize your life in three sentences. Born on the east coast, but raised in the Midwest. Educated in two countries. Eager to explore the world, to find a “forever” home.
What was the last book you read that kept you up late into the night to finish? I think I actually speed-read this one during the day, but since it was definitely the type that made me want to keep reading until I reached the end, all in one sitting, I will nominate Redrafting Winter by Gillian Sze and Alison Strumberger. Even if you don’t think you like poetry, I would recommend this book, which includes both poetry and personal letters between two friends as they make their way in the world, across continents, and through personal and professional struggles.


Have you read a book recently you decided was a waste of time? If so, what is it? Who might like it? Hmm. I do tend to pick up and put down a lot of ebooks pretty quickly. If you don’t hook my interest in the first few pages, I will move on. But I don’t even remember these authors’ names, typically, and I wouldn’t want to single them out. They’re not bad writers, they’re just not capturing my attention. I think this happens a lot more frequently with books I download for free, too, since I figure I have nothing to lose if I don’t like them, and I don’t feel bad if I don’t.
What’s your favorite genre? Why? Having to pick a favorite genre is almost impossible! I love to read across many different genres, so it’s really hard to say. I think my current favorite is graphic novels, since I can finish them quickly. My reading time has really been chopped down a lot this year, as I’m trying to write more, so I like being able to finish books in one sitting.
What genre haven’t you read much of yet? I definitely haven’t read much in the Western genre, and I doubt I ever will. It’s just not an area (or era) that appeals to me.


What would be a good title for your autobiography? Naked Came I. Fans of Berkeley Breathed’s “Bloom County” comics will get this one.


What’s the title of the next book you plan to begin reading? I have a bunch of Chicago guidebooks on my To Read pile, as I’m looking for additional tidbits and trivia for my Chicago from A to Z ebook.

Here are my nominees!

Kristen Coniaris of Wicked Goodies – for sharing her amazing cake decorating skills and marketing savvy with the group
Linda Eskin of Grab My Wrist – for getting our whole critique group interested in learning more about Aikido with her Aikido from A to Z blog posts this month
Lissa Johnston – for her ever-intriguing historical nerdery, which kept me laughing throughout the A to Z Challenge
Diane Lee – for always sharing such touching personal essays with the world, including her latest post on Mother’s Day
Maggie McGarvey of Maggie Writes Stuff – for her humorous take on homophones during the A to Z Challenge

And my questions for them:

What most inspires you to write?
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about writing?
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
What’s your favorite book, and why?
What kinds of things do you do for fun, when you’re not writing?
If you had to pick one song that best represents your life, what would it be?
Do you have any good luck charms, and if so, what are they?
Which fictional character best represents you?
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment in life (so far)?
And, of course, the all-important question: Pirates or Ninjas?

Goals for next week?

Continuing on with my A Story A Day challenge, I plan to keep writing a new story every day. If you’d like to read my stories, you can sign up for my mailing list here.

I’ve also joined the Writer’s Games 2016, so I need to write a practice story by the end of this weekend!

AND I need to write a story for the Iron Writer’s Spring Solstice. Tall order!

In the meantime…

Want to track YOUR words?

In an effort to spread the helpful message of 365K Club’s daily word tracking, I’ve created my own Buttontapper Word Tracker. Want a free copy? Just sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive a link to download it ASAP.

Related PostsPresentation Sensation: 365K Club, week 15Happy Leap Day: A 365K Club monthly updateGood luck charms: 365K Club, week 12Zemanta

A Story A Day: Week 1

I’ve been writing A Story A Day, as promised, and my mailing list subscribers have been reading them. Some have even offered me awesome feedback!

In case you’ve been curious, here’s what has happened so far:

Day 1 (5/1): A mysterious postcard arrives
Day 2 (5/2): Bora Bora is beautiful this time of year
Day 3 (5/3): Foreign languages are tricky… even for International Men of Mystery
Day 4 (5/4): Ever tried Baked Alaska?
Day 5 (5/5): Tropical Tiki may look like paradise, but looks can be deceiving
Day 6 (5/6): A mysterious typewriter hits the keys
Day 7 (5/7): Coming soon!

Want to know what happens next?

Subscribe to my mailing list to read the next installment.

Or pre-order a copy of Mayday: Flash Fiction for Adrenaline Junkies, so you can read all of the stories in one fell swoop on June 10th!

Related PostsA Story A Day in May: Join me on a new adventure!Fleshing out flash fiction: Stunt Writing day 12A postcard storyZemanta

Top 10 things I learned during this year’s #AtoZChallenge

Writing about Chicago from A to Z has been an interesting experience. While I certainly didn’t get to cover everything I brainstormed before the A to Z Challenge began, I definitely enjoyed learning more about my hometown as I was researching each post. In case you missed any of my posts, you can read all of them in order here.

In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Things I Learned During This Year’s A to Z Challenge:

Writing all your posts ahead of time is key. This year, I managed to get all of my posts written at least a day ahead of time, so I was never behind on posting during the month. Although I did have a few days when I was up late, making sure my posts were ready to go at 8 AM, I was happy to have that added incentive to write – and post – on an almost daily basis.
But not TOO far ahead of time! One of the things I enjoy and look forward to about this annual challenge is the fact that you can write your posts each day, during the month of April, and it’s not that difficult to stay on track. Some of the excitement also comes from seeing what other writers are up to, and this year I discovered A. Catherine Noon’s blog , where she was also writing about Chicago. If I’d written all of my posts a month ahead of time, I wouldn’t have had time to read hers and adjust some of mine accordingly. We still ended up writing about some of the same things on the same days (from a different perspective, of course!), but it gave me that extra burst of creativity, trying to anticipate what she might write about so that I could give my posts a little added oomph.
Join the Twitter chats. I joined in on the Thursday evening Twitter chats several times this month, which was a fun way to keep up my energy and momentum. It also gave me some more things to think about doing – like boosting fellow bloggers’ posts on social media. We even did some “blog mobs” where we’d jump on a new or underappreciated blogger’s latest post, and give them a ton of comments from the “mob” members all in one shot. It was really fun to see the creativity of these bloggers’ topics, and to share the love!
Encourage your friends to join. The best part of the challenge, this year, was the fact that I managed to encourage a bunch of friends and local writers to join me. Our Blog-Ins at the local Starbucks, though they didn’t end up being used for writing time, were a great chance for us to talk about our challenges with the Challenge itself. We also started trading info about blogging in general, and talking about marketing stuff, and ultimately formed a little accountability group amongst ourselves. Shout outs to Kristen Coniaris at Wicked Goodies , Linda Eskin at Grab My Wrist , Maggie McGarvey at Maggie Writes Stuff and Natalie at Love and Stars here in San Diego – and to Dee at BusTrainBoatWalk in Montreal – for joining me on the blogging journey!
Visit as many of the other blogs as you can. In addition to writing your own posts, part of the challenge of this Challenge is to visit as many of your fellow A to Z’ers as you can. I visited a lot of different blogs this year (I didn’t make an official count, but it definitely felt like I checked out a ton more blogs than I did last year, especially in the first week), and I loved meeting new bloggers, following their posts, and learning about what they were up to. Some of the people I checked more regularly were also members of the 10 Minute Novelists Facebook group, as there was a dedicated thread updated daily, and it really helped me get to know those people better by reading their blogs every day.
Join a crew. This year, as part of the Holton’s Heroes crew, I helped weed out the spammers and scammers that were clogging up the Linky list, and (sadly, but necessarily) eliminated bloggers who abandoned ship after only a couple of letters. I tried to be harsh with the former, but fair with the latter. After all, not everyone writes all of their posts in advance! And, indeed, some letters can be real stinkers (Q anyone?), particularly if you don’t have a theme to help you through.
Category labels should be expanded. One thing I’d like to see for next year’s Challenge are a) more bloggers actually using the category designations that currently exist, and b) more categories being added to the list. I discovered many blogs that would fit into categories that weren’t on the list, like “parenting” or “foodie” (“culinary” is on the list, but I don’t think most food bloggers use it). I really wish more bloggers would figure out what they’ll be blogging about in advance and pick a label, which would in turn help readers figure out which blogs they might gravitate toward reading, since I do like to read blogs in my genres of interest first. While I do enjoy the element of mystery in simply reading the next five blogs on the list, whatever they may be, I also do like to try to visit all the blogs in my favorite subject areas (writing and travel, and of course the AC peeps!) to see what they’re up to, and encourage them to stick with it.
Blog that book. As always, I plan to turn my A to Z posts into a book, and I’ve been pitching the idea to my fellow bloggers locally as well. Most of the people I know who joined this year, in fact, have aspirations to turn their blog posts into books, and I’m super excited to read them! If anyone else is planning to book their blogs, I’d love to hear about your titles. Maybe we could start an “A to Z Blog to Book” reading and review group?
Go for it! As always, I love that the A to Z Challenge encourages people to just go for it, even if they’ve never blogged before, or don’t quite know what to write about when they join up. I love seeing all the new members, and their enthusiasm is contagious. I love to encourage them to keep on going, and to compliment them on their writing. It’s a small way to give back to the community that the A to Z Challenge fosters, and I really appreciate the people who take the time to comment on my blog, so I like being able to return the favor and pay it forward. Congrats to everyone who gave it a shot this year, and double congrats to everyone who managed to finish!
Join all the challenges! Worried you won’t be able to complete the challenge? So what? Just go for it! Give something new a try, and expand your world. The A to Z Challenge is fun for me, every April, precisely because it has several different mini-challenges and angles baked into it. The basics are obvious, but there are always spinoff groups doing new and exciting things. And the more you restrict yourself to concentrating on just one letter per day, the more your imagination will go wild. So join this challenge, or take on two or three, and see how you can surprise yourself. During the month of May, I’m participating in a totally new challenge: A Story A Day . I’m sending all my stories to my mailing list subscribers. Why not? Give it a shot, and see what happens.

Thanks once again to everyone who organized the Challenge, led the Twitter chats, and dropped by the blog with comments. You’re all awesome! And if you left a comment but didn’t get one back yet, I’ll be visiting your blog soon!

Until next year, happy blogging, and happy A to Z’ing!

Related PostsFamous Fields #AtoZChallengeReminiscing about restaurants #AtoZChallengePen a poem at the Poetry Foundation #AtoZChallengeZemanta

A Story A Day in May: Join me on a new adventure!

This May, I’m participating in A Story A Day – a writing challenge set up by Julie Duffy, meant to encourage participants to finish what they start.

Since writing a new full-length piece of short fiction every day is quite a tall order, I’ve decide to write works of flash fiction (50 to 500 words) on a daily basis.

I’m also aiming to write these as linked pieces, which can stand alone but also be read in order.

Finally, I want to send at least some of these out for publication, so rather than posting the stories on my blog each day, I will only share an opening line or other teaser on my blog – to avoid being rejected for “previously published” work. Subscribers to my mailing list, however, will receive the full story in their inbox, since I’ve never heard of any publications rejecting pieces shared privately.

At the end of the month, I will gather the stories I’ve completed together in a collection that’s tentatively titled Mayday: Flash Fiction for Adrenaline Junkies. You can pre-order a copy at Smashwords.

Here are the Story Sparks I’ve got lined up for each day:

5/1 – Postcard story about a postcard
5/2 – Moving to another city/state/country
5/3 – Learning a foreign language
5/4 – Cooking an unusual recipe
5/5 – Tiki bar
5/6 – Typewriters
5/7 – Cats
5/8 – Crazy Eights
5/9 – The old El Camino
5/10 – Patterns
5/11 – Punk rock
5/12 – New toys
5/13 – World’s tallest
5/14 – “Look before you leap” – and other advice to ignore
5/15 – Drawbridges, moats, dungeons
5/16 – Sword swallowers, fire dancers and freaks
5/17 – Extreme positivity
5/18 – Updated fairy tales
5/19 – Secret places
5/20 – Hotels
5/21 – Running a marathon
5/22 – Courage
5/23 – Astrology/psychics
5/24 – Point Break
5/25 – Solving a 2-minute mystery
5/26 – Ninjas
5/27 – Armadillos
5/28 – Sex tips from unlikely sources
5/29 – Dancing
5/30 – The Collector
5/31 – Bake a cake to celebrate

If you’re already subscribed to my mailing list, you’ll be receiving your first story today around noon (PST).

If you’re not yet subscribed… what are you waiting for?!

Want to know more?

Subscribe to my mailing list for daily stories, only available in your inbox.

Related PostsBlack Heart Magazine seeks Fiction EditorTop 10 reasons to join the #AtoZChallengeAntithesis-nemesis: 365K Club, week 17Zemanta

Antithesis-nemesis: 365K Club, week 17

It’s that time of the week again: time for another 365K Club word count check-in! Numbers, please…

April 23, Day 114: 355 words

April 24, Day 115: 326 words

April 25, Day 116: 1,003 words

April 26, Day 117: 505 words

April 27, Day 118: 301 words

April 28, Day 119: 687 words

April 29, Day 120: 933 words

That’s a grand total of 4,110 words for the week, 16,166 for the month, and 68,246 for the year!

Did I beat last week’s total?

Last week I wrote 3,592 words, so with 4,110 words this week I have once again topped my previous week’s total, woohoo!

Badges!

This week I earned the “Antitheses-nemesis” badge, for describing my main character’s opposite!

Technically, my MC’s opposite isn’t her nemesis. My stripper-turned sleuth, Venus Delmar, has to help her opposite: a church full of nuns!

Goals for next week?

Saturday is the last day of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge, so I’ve joined a new challenge for the month of May! It’s called A Story A Day, and if you’d like to play along, you can sign up here.

Since writing a full-length story every single day is quite a tall order, I’ve decided to make it slightly easier on myself and stick to flash fiction. I’ve even made a list of topics to write about, so you’ll have to follow along to see how well I stick to it, or whether I end up going rogue. At the end of the challenge I plan to publish a collection of all of the stories, with the tentative title Mayday: Flash Fiction for Adrenaline Junkies. You can pre-order a copy of the book at Smashwords.

In the meantime…

Want to track YOUR words?

In an effort to spread the helpful message of 365K Club’s daily word tracking, I’ve created my own Buttontapper Word Tracker. Want a free copy? Just sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive a link to download it ASAP.

Related PostsGood luck charms: 365K Club, week 12Presentation Sensation: 365K Club, week 15February’s almost over already?! (365K Club, week 8)Zemanta

Zippers and zoot suits #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, and this is the final post in the series! Click here to read them all, in alphabetical order.

__

Zippers

Invented by Whitcomb L. Judson, the zipper is a Chicago invention. Who knew?

Technically, Judson holds a patent on a “chain-lock fastener,” which was a precursor to the modern zipper. He invented this in 1890, and applied for a patent for a “clasp locker” in 1893. Here’s a drawing from his application:

As you can see, his device was mainly designed for shoes, and was meant to replace the tedious buttoning and unbuttoning required of shoes at the time. Fancy that!

In 1913, a Swedish-American engineer improved upon the clasp locker, and ultimately the device was renamed a zipper by the B.F. Goodrich company in 1923.

Zip on, zipper enthusiasts!

Zoot suits

Another Chicago fashion innovation was the zoot suit.

Well, to be fair, the zoot suit’s invention has been attributed to several designers, including Harold C. Fox of Chicago, Charles Klein and Vito Bagnato of New York, Louis Lettes of Memphis and Nathan Elkus of Detroit. But since this post is about Chicago’s contributions to fashion, I’ll assume the real inventor of the suit was Mr. Fox.

Some famous zoot suit wearers include Cab Calloway:

And a young Malcolm X:

Denzel Washington with Spike Lee, both in zoot suits, in the film Malcolm X

Hot damn!

Zippy zoos

And finally, although I dislike zoos in general, I still have the Lincoln Park Zoo song stuck in my head, almost 30 years later. Clearly a brilliant piece of marketing!

Pre-order your copy today

Like what you just read? Thinking of visiting Chicago soon? Pre-order your copy of my forthcoming guidebook, Chicago From A to Z, for lots more about the Windy City – including local hotspots, tourist attractions, cultural oddities, and anecdotes you just won’t find anywhere else!

Related PostsGenuine Goldberg: Genius or gadfly?XXX Chicago #AtoZChallengeSinging the praises of the Sears Tower #AtoZChallengeZemanta

Youth misspent at the YMCA #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

__

Although I’m not currently a member of the YMCA, I have to admit that this organization was a pretty big part of my life, growing up.

The Y, as members tend to refer to it, was a place that taught me lots of things:

Ballet;
Ice skating;
How to swim;
That locker rooms are to be changed in swiftly, particularly if you’re not interested in seeing random strangers naked and doing some very bizarre things without their clothes on!

You know, the facts of life.

I remember joining a YMCA group with my BFF, Jenna, called the “Trailblazers,” which was supposed to encourage father/son and father/daughter relationships by sponsoring various outings. (Technically, I believe this group was actually called the “Indian Trailblazers,” which is not only culturally insensitive, but also made no sense because there was nothing remotely “Indian” – nor Native American – about the group. I don’t even recall any trails being blazed by this group… But I digress.)

We went camping together many times over the years, which has probably inspired my lifelong hatred of camping – as well as my more current rage against the concept of “glamping” (that’s “glamorous camping,” in case you have not yet stumbled across this true-life horror). Sure, we were “roughing” it in the woods, but usually slept in a pop-up camper or, later, in Jenna’s family’s motorhome. I guess you could say we bonded over franks ‘n’ beans, weird dad stories, and getting thrown/pushed/dunked into various lakes by the boys in the group.

Shout-out to Jason and Jeremy B., the main offenders. Next time I see you mofos, I’m dunking you both in a lake. Preferably when it’s -30 out.

Anyway, what was my point here?

Oh yeah: bonding with your dad.

See, lately I’ve been seeing a lot of parents pointing out the obvious, with t-shirts and memes like: “Dads don’t babysit; it’s called parenting.” And while I would have to agree, I find it interesting that the YMCA would have set up a group like the Trailblazers to begin with – precisely because it suggests that dads don’t usually have relationships with their kids. And that’s pretty sad.

I mean, granted, most of the time Jenna and I were on these father/daughter outings, we were trying to scheme ways to get away from our dads (and my sister, for that matter), but that’s mostly because who wants to be stuck in a pop-up trailer with nothing for entertainment all weekend long but Trivial Pursuit and a deck of cards while it rains hard enough to create mudslides outside?

Seriously, why does it always rain when you try to go camping?!

Anyway, I always kinda felt like my dad was secretly the coolest one on these camp-outs. Jenna’s dad was fun, if slightly crazy, always trying to harass charm waitresses with his Australian accent; Jason and Jeremy’s dad was a sarcastic mofo, who was usually involved in a war of words with his kids (who were also perpetually fetching him beer); and T’s dad was, well, an asshole. But my dad actually had skills and smarts that could help us when there was a flat tire, we needed to start a fire, or it was pouring rain out and we needed to set up camp fast before we all got drenched, caught pneumonia and died.

If anyone there could lay claim to some sort of educational aim for the program, it was my dad.

He also managed to talk Jenna’s dad out of doing some truly crazy stuff, like moving their entire family into an airplane hangar in the middle of nowhere while he attempted to build his own house on a parcel of land bordered by an expressway, a landfill, and a nuclear waste facility.

Ah, youth!

To make a long story short (too late!), if not for the YMCA’s influence on my life, I might not have hung out with my dad quite as much as I did. And that would’ve been a bummer, because my dad is pretty damn cool.

Is it really fun to stay at the YMCA?

You tell me!

Pre-order your copy today

Like what you just read? Thinking of visiting Chicago soon? Pre-order your copy of my forthcoming guidebook, Chicago From A to Z, for lots more about the Windy City – including local hotspots, tourist attractions, cultural oddities, and anecdotes you just won’t find anywhere else!

Related PostsFamous Fields #AtoZChallengeSinging the praises of the Sears Tower #AtoZChallengeHype, hope, haters & honorary Chicagoans #AtoZChallengeZemanta