K. Morris's Blog, page 770
September 17, 2014
Creative Journaling For A Writer – Guest Post By Linzé Brandon
Many thanks to Linzé Brandon for her guest post on creative journaling for a writer. For her blog please go to http://linzebrandon.blogspot.co.uk/.
—
Creative Journaling for a Writer
by Linzé Brandon
Most writers I know, keep a journal of some kind. I have three journals – two of them online (www.penzu.com) and another which I write by hand. There is a fourth, but it is a journal that I am keeping as a character in a series of erotic romance short stories I am busy with. Since this journal is pure fiction, I will leave that to the side for now.
You might rightly ask why three journals?
The first is a personal journal, I am sure you have one of those as well. You know that place where you vent your frustrations from the world and people around that you don’t want to share with people, since you don’t want to hurt their feelings. The place where you pen you personal dreams, fantasies and secrets. The one you don’t plan on sharing…ever. Since that is self-explanatory, I am not going say anything else on that.
The remaining two are my “writing journals”. The first is online and very handy when I have an idea in the middle of a meeting, or standing in a queue at the grocery store, or any place where using a pen and paper can be difficult. Since I always have a small notebook and a pen on hand, the Penzu smartphone app for the online site is helpful when sitting down and writing a few ideas is not possible.
This leaves the last one on my list – the handwritten journal. This is more of a self motivating slash information storing slash book ideas journal. It is also one of my favourite journaling experiences since I write it by hand with a fountain pen or a dipped pen.
While it might be old fashioned in this modern computer and smartphone driven world we live in, I find the experience of getting my journal out, unscrewing the lid on the ink, and picking a quill to write with, a relaxing experience in itself.
The experience is further enhanced by choosing a theme for decorating my journal each year. In 2013 I had butterflies all over the pages of my journal. This year words and sayings of all kinds add the colour around my handwritten words.
For 2015 year I am contemplating a few dragons to fire up my writing world!
While this might have you saying, ok, but why bother? Why not just write or make notes as part of a project?
I will let you in on a little secret: I need a more creative outlet than only writing books. Yes, writing fiction is a pleasure in itself, an outlet for my imagination and all the stories crammed into my head that are insistent on being written or they would never leave me alone.
I am also an out-of-the-closet artist. Painting and cross stitch projects are my passions too. With a full time job, and books to be written these more artistic endeavours take a back seat most of the time. So I compromised. And my handwritten writing journal is the way to satisfy, at least partially, all these creative outlets at the same time.
I add stickers, photographs, and printed and resized infographics to the journal. These are reminders of things to make me a better writer, storyteller and blogger. Constant reminders that I see almost everyday. Since adding this to my journal, the knowledge imparted is part of the enjoyable experience of keeping a journal.
I draw or sketch upon occasion, but only when the entry of the day has inspired me to do so.
As a pantser, or organic writer, I often find that the process of writing by hand forces me slow down and think about the words. As a rule I sit down and let the story I have in my head pour of me at the speed of white light.
A handwritten journal, that I use to keep track of new things I have learned, or reminders not to write in passive voice, and avoiding adverbs, has embedded these things deeper into my subconscious than would have been the case otherwise.
I do not claim that this is the answer for every writer, not even every pantser, but in my world, finding creative outlets within a schedule that barely allows for time to do anything more than work, write, eat and sleep, is a bonus any time.
Do I write everyday? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, I write words everyday, email, blog posts, entries into whichever journal is on hand, but no, not everyday is spent writing fiction.
Not all writers enjoy other creative hobbies, but for me finding ways to be creative will always include more than writing my next fantasy or sci-fi story.
Look out for more articles and ideas on Creative Journaling for Everyone on my blog in October.
—
Author Profile:
Teaching herself to read before she went to school, it was the start of her life long love affair with books. Trained as an engineer, Linzé has worked as an export consultant and is presently a project manager at a company that designs and manufactures products for the military industry. Although she still loves to read, she also enjoys counted stitch embroidery, archery, fly fishing, painting abstracts, her husband’s medal winning photographs and watching Manchester United play.
She is one of the moderators of the Google+ group, Writer’s Rabbit Hole, and leads the Pretoria Writers Group, consisting of ten members, seven of which are published authors in various genres.
Linzé Brandon lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her engineer husband and German Shepherds who are convinced that the world revolves only around them.
Follow Linzé online:
Blog (Butterfly on a Broomstick) http://www.linzebrandon.blogspot.com
FB author page http://www.facebook.com/LinzeBrandonAuthor
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/LinzeBrandon
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/LinzeBrandon
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LinzeBrandon
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6035313.Linze_Brandon
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LinzéBrandon
Wattpad http://www.wattpad.com/user/LinzeBrandon
Book Links
Science Fiction
Don’t Call Me Sweetheart – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/383111
Erotic Romance
Their +1 – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/360607
Erotica
Bubble trouble – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/364605
Pixie Dust, Boots and Reindeer https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/391625
The Third Gender Series (Sci-fi Romance)
reGENESIS – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/430285
Hunger – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/213647
Perfect – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/269278
The Nations of Peace Series (Fantasy Romance)
Géra’s Gift – The Grandmasters – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/238397
Keeper of the Dragon Sword – The Dragon Masters https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/301923
Contemporary
The Cutting Horizon – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/430313
Hospital
“You are such a baby Charles” Anna said giving her husband a playful punch on the arm.
“You know I hate hospitals. The smell of disinfectant masking the scent of death” Charles replied with a shudder.
Anna’s smile disappeared, “You are really worried about this aren’t you darling?” she said pulling Charles close.
“Surely you remember what happened last time I went into hospital?” Charles asked snuggling up close to Anna. The scent of her hair, fragrant with apple shampoo calmed his jangled nerves.
“No darling, I don’t think you told me about it” Anna replied.
“I must have done!” Charles said, his whole body beginning to shake afreshe at the recollection.
Anna stroked her husband’s cheek, “I don’t remember, sorry darling. What happened?” she asked.
“You remember when that bloody jack Russell bit me and I had to go into hospital?” Charles said.
“How could I forget there was blood everywhere. You really ought to have made a complaint to the police and had the animal destroyed. It could have been a child rather than you”, Anna said.
“Thanks a bunch! So its OK if I get bitten but not if a kid gets savaged?” Charles said.
“No, and you know that isn’t what I meant!” Anna said.
“Sorry darling, my nerves are all over the place. I know that isn’t what you meant”, Charles said.
“You are forgiven”, Anna said ruffling her husband’s hair.
“As I was saying, I went into hospital and the nurse gave me an injection, I think they call it antitetanus, to kill anything that dirty little mut might have given me. Before leaving I popped into the loo and”, Charles stopped his face turning ashen.
“What did you find sweetheart?” Anna asked massaging her husband’s neck, (she knew how it helped to relax him).
“I opened the toilet door. There was this man leaning over the sink. At first I thought he had just been sick. Then I saw the blood. It was everywhere. The poor man had literally coughed his guts up and was stone cold dead. What a way to die”, Charles said, his whole frame starting to shake anew.
“Oh Charles. You never told me. I can’t imagine how upsetting that must have been. You don’t have to go you know”, Anna said.
“Its important. They are short of blood. I want to donate”, Charles replied.
“Would you like me to go with you?” Anna asked.
“No darling. You have an interview for that teaching job, Charles said.
“You are more important than a bloody job. I’ll see if the school can reschedule”, Anna said.
“No, that would be very unprofessional. I will be fine darling, honestly”, Charles said.
—
Charles tried to concentrate on the newspaper. It was no good, he kept seeing the bloodless face of that corpse propped up against the hand basin.
“Charles Craven please”, the receptionist said.
Shakily Charles got to his feet and walked through into a small room. The whiteness of the walls perfectly complimented the palor of Charles’s face.
“Please take a seat. Make yourself comfortable”, a young woman in a white coat said with a smile.
Charles gazed mesmerised at the woman’s blood red lips and her ever so perfect white teeth. They where, he thought unusually long and pointed. In fact more like the fangs he had seen on wolves when watching wildlife documentaries.
“You may feel a little prick”, she said advancing on him, the light reflecting of those perfect, sharp teeth.
September 16, 2014
Anyone Fancy Spam For Breakfast?
Until very recently all of the spam I received was for older posts on my blog. However the spammers are now commenting on articles which have only recently appeared here. Fortunately most of the junk is caught by the WordPress filters but the odd spam comment slips through the net and ends up in my inbox to await it’s swift dispatch to my site’s spam folder.
Most spam comments are glaringly obvious, being marked out as junk by terrible grammar, poor sentence construction and spelling which ought to have the spammer confined to the stocks and pelted with rotten eggs. Come to think of it generators of junk should be put in the stocks as a matter of course irrespective of their ability to spell. So who’s going to throw the first egg? Form an orderly queue please and no pushing!
Heat
Oppressive heat. Barely a breath of wind. Smoke, something noxious, burning. A plane breaks the stillness. There is no restbite, the stifling heat continues.
WTF FACEBOOK?????
I will be writing to Facebook asking that they remove this sick video. As Chris points out in his comment above those who abuse animals are very likely to go on to abuse children. In very specific circumstances graphic imagery may be appropriate to highlight the issue of animal cruelty and to stop it happening. For example the RSPCA sometimes uses upsetting pictures to bring animal cruelty to the attention of the general public. However videos of the kind posted on Facebook should be removed and the IP address of the perpetrator handed to the authorities.
Originally posted on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog..... An Author Promotions Enterprise!:
To say I’m upset is very, VERY understated!!!!!
To see WHY click in the Buzzfeed link below:
I’m normally peaceful, but right now I’d like to get hold of the young ‘persons’ directly involved AND the Facebook ‘persons’ who made the decision to leave it on Facebook.
Then do EXACTLY THE SAME TO THEM!!!!!
September 15, 2014
Update to my About page
I have updated my About page to include links to my guest posts on other authors’ blogs. These already appear on my blog however, due to being posted some time ago many are difficult to locate, hence updating my About page.
I would like to thank everyone who has kindly hosted me on their site.
To visit my About page click here: http://newauthoronline.com/about/
Update to reviews of my books page
I have updated my reviews page to include several recent reviews. These have already been posted on my blog however, posts get buried after a while, hence the additions to my review page.
You can see the review page here: http://newauthoronline.com/reviews-of-my-books/
September 14, 2014
The Blog Of A Blind Author And (No) Its Not Me!
As a visually impaired author (I am registered blind but possess some residual vision enabling me to see outlines of objects) I was interested to come across the blog of a fellow blind writer (http://leapingtigerbooks.wordpress.com/). Apart from information about Thomas’s books, his blog also contains interesting and amusing posts regarding the unique issues faced by blind writers. Thomas’s post regarding the necessity of relying on sighted assistance when checking for formatting errors in manuscripts resonated with me. Please do consider checking out Thomas’s blog.
Top Portuguese Academic Writes Book Decrying The English
A leading Portuguese academic has written a book branding the English as dirty, drunken and promiscuous. According to The Telegraph he also labels his hosts (for he teaches in the UK) as “animals”. The book is, apparently only available in Portuguese, there being no plans to produce an English language edition, (I can’t for the life think why that might be)! In the event that the book is, in fact translated into my native tongue I would be fascinated to read what this gentleman has to say about my fellow countrymen and I. For the article please go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/11095057/Top-Portuguese-academic-decries-filthy-English.html
Snow
Powerful and well written.
Originally posted on Scribes Ink.:
Artwork by –
buffy101
Snow is beautiful.
I’ve never really appreciated that sentiment, until now. For all of my life, I hated snow. It is cold and wet. It freezes all it touches and, if ever given the chance, it kills. It destroys the lives of plants and animals alike. It freezes soil, water and swallows the Earth itself. The cold has always been synonymous with death to me, and snow has always brought the cold. That is why I have always hated snow.
But snow is beautiful.
I see that now. You only truly appreciate all life has to offer when you have no life left to give. When lying upon the ground, moments from death, ones mind is almost always swimming in regret. Thoughts of the past; all the things you could have done better, all the words you should have never said and all the words…
View original 241 more words
