D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 94

Rodeo #4: Fractured Fairy Tales Carrot Ranch #FlashFiction Winners

    My final entry for Charli Mills’ Rodeo Flash Fiction contest – Fractured Fairy tales. In 99 words exactly, re-write a famous fairy tale story with a fractured twist. I’m thrilled to share that I won an honorable mention for my entry.   Goldie’s Quest   Starving and tired, Goldie trudged through the forest, scavenging for anything edible when she discovered the house in the woods. After rapping on the door and no response, desperate for food and sleep, she turned the door handle and was pleasantly surprised to find it unlocked. There, before her eyes were three bowls of pasta which had her salivating. She didn’t hesitate to gobble up all three bowls and then headed for the couch for a nap. Half hour later she awakened to the discomfort of her rumbling, expanding stomach. “Oh crap,” Goldie exclaimed. That pasta was not gluten-free!   Visit the announced winners post  Rodeo #4: Fractured Fairy Tales Winners   Source: Rodeo #4: Fractured Fairy Tales « Carrot Ranch Literary Community      

Guest author: D. G. Kaye ~ Mercury Retrograde 101 | Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo

      Today I’m sharing a post I wrote for Sue Vincent’s blog on the topic of Mercury Retrograde. This retrograde was a doozie for sure. And even though it finally, officially ended December 7th, don’t be fooled. The retrograde leaves its remnants of chaos behind slowly as it wanes, so don’t expect ‘situation normal’ to return until Christmas Eve!     Mercury Retrograde 101   How’s the Mercury Retrograde doing for you guys? I can’t recall a more schizophrenic retrograde in my life, and I’ve sure had enough.   Mercury retrograde has sucked out every last ounce of my patience. Every day since the first week of November the planets have been doing a dance, particularly with technology and communications – make that miscommunications!  Nothing has gone smoothly:  important emails were lost, some of my Christmas online orders were lost, phone communications misinterpreted, and computer and techno issues abound. Thank goodness I have no travel plans till just after the madness ends Christmas Eve! Certainly, I can’t be the only one enduring this madness? On November 16th, Mercury went into its 3rd and most powerful retrograde of the year in the fire sign of Sagittarius. The ‘pre’ retrograde began approximately 2 weeks before when things began going wonky. This phase will end on December 7th, but don’t be fooled, it will linger until the tail end has vanished by Christmas Eve. Everyone will be affected by this retrograde, but most prominent signs to feel the affliction will be, Gemini (oh yay my sign), Sagittarius, Virgo, and Pisces. In case some of you aren’t familiar with Mercury retrograde, this is how it works. …… Nobody goes unscathed whether aware of the syndrome or not, only that you may be questioning many things and asking WTF?   What is Mercury Retrograde?   The planet Mercury goes into retrograde 3 to 4 times a year. In 2018 it retrograded 3 times. While in retrograde Mercury ‘appears’ to move in an opposite direction to earth. The planets run from west to east, circling the sun, but when Mercury turns, appearing to go east to west, this transition is called Mercury retrograde. Since Mercury travels faster than earth, it frequently catches up and passes earth, occurring 3 – 4 times a year. One year on planet Mercury is shorter than one year on earth, the equivalent of 88 earth days compared to earth’s complete solar loop of 365 days. While Mercury goes into retrograde, it will feel as though the planets are moving backwards, but in fact they are not. Mercury travels around the sun quite quickly from west to east, and around every 4 months it passes us here on earth in its orbit, making it look as though it’s moved from east to west, but that in fact is an optical illusion.   How does Mercury Retrograde affect us?   Retrogrades are notoriously similar to Murphy’s Law – Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. This is a time where communications go awry, energetic forces overpower the norm, causing havoc for such things as, email and website snafus, delayed and cancelled flights, sensitivities are heightened, making many things happening feel ‘hyper-real’, among just some of the unpredictabilities. Mercury also rules other industries such as publishing, writing, editing, advertising, sales, public relations and all things related to transport, like airlines, the post office and pretty much, all modes of transportation!  Anything involving technical, you can expect mishaps. Our patience is being tested, and heated words have a propensity to take place within friendships and relationships. Typically, retrogrades are not a good time to start new ventures, seal new business deals, and lest I mention, political issues are escalated. This past year in particular, the 3 retrogrades that have passed were powerful and stinging for many. This has been a year of transformation and change for many as the ‘clutter’ is brushed away with all these sweeping retrogrades, finally allowing us to breathe better and smile more in 2019.   What can we do to get through this retrograde with minimal collateral damage?   Since Mercury rules communications, affecting travel, contracts and most things technological, I suggest allowing lots of extra time if you must travel in this period as well as its shadow periods which typically begin 2 weeks before the retrograde and linger 2 weeks after as it wanes. I also recommend avoiding committing to signing any important contracts at these times and waiting for the retrograde to pass before finalizing any decisions regarding contracts. Plan ahead! Please continue reading at Sue’s blog   Source: Guest author: D. G. Kaye ~ Mercury Retrograde 101 | Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo    

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Travel Column with D. G. Kaye – Welcome to #Curacao #Lesser Antilles | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Welcome to this month’s edition of my Travel Column at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord. Today I’m taking you to the beautiful Caribbean island of Curacao.   As we all freeze and huddle around our computer screens to keep warm, D.G. Kaye.. Debby Gies continues to bring sunshine into our lives… This month it is Curacao…not just blue seas but also a wonderful blue liqueur.   Welcome to this month’s edition of the Travel Column. Today we’re going to Curacao. Curacao is classified as part of a group of the ABC islands – Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. These islands are part of the  Lesser Antilles. Curacao lies approximately 40 miles north of the tip of Venezuela, and is considered a Caribbean island along with Bonaire and Aruba. They are part of North America, despite them lying on South America’s geographic plate.     History Formerly part of the Curacao and Dependencies (1815 to 1954), Curacao is now formally called the country of Curacao, along with its 1.7 kilometres long, uninhabited sister island – Klein Curacao. The capital of Curacao is Willemstad. The first inhabitants of the island were the  Arawak People, migrating from South America centuries before the Spanish came in with the Spanish expedition of 1499, using the Arawack people for slave labor. In 1634 Netherlands became independent from Spain and began colonizing the island. Curacao had previously been ignored by colonists because it lacked gold deposits, but proved valuable for trade. The natural harbor of Willemstad was the perfect location for trade. In 1662, the Dutch West India Company made Curacao a center of Atlantic Slave Trade, selling slaves to other islands and South American mainland. Although a few plantations existed, the main source of trade came from their salt mines. Many Dutch colonists grew rich from slave trade and the city grew with impressive colonial buildings. A wide range of historic buildings had deemed Curacao a UNESCO World Heritage site. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, ownership of the island had changed hands several times between British, French and the Dutch. In 1815, after the Napoleonic wars, the island was incorporated into the colony of Curacao and Dependencies. During that time, the language spoken on the island was predominantly Spanish. In 1863 slavery was abolished. In October of 2010, Curacao became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The first language of the island spoken today is Dutch, followed by Papiemento (creole), English, and Spanish.     Fun Fact: Legend has it there are two stories to how Curacao got its name. The first tell us that back in the 16th and 17th centuries, sailors on long voyages became ill with scurvy because of lack of Vitamin C. According to old accounts, sick Portuguese sailors were dropped off to the island, and when their ship returned, these sailors had miraculously recovered from the abundance of availability of fruit. The Portuguese referred to the island as ‘Island of Healing’ – Ilha da Curacao. A different belief is that the island’s name derived from the Portuguese word for heart ‘coracao’. With the Portuguese pronunciation, the first ‘o’ is pronounced as a ‘u’ sound, making the word for heart pronounced as ‘kuresaw’. The Spanish kept the name as did the Dutch.     Willemstad This capital of Curacao is Willemstad, and its downtown core is a World Unesco Heritage site boasting an array of pastel and primary colored buildings that line the waterfront market (Handelskade – merchant’s wharf). In 1918, then governor Albert Kickert wasn’t happy with the whitewashed looking paled out buildings and ordered up some color be painted on those buildings. As it turns out, the governor coincidentally owned a paint company, and consequently, not long after this discovery it prompted Curacao to put in a new law that politicians are not allowed to have private economic interests. But these colorful Dutch colonial buildings give off a feeling of old-world European charm. Willemstad has a kind of artsy feel to it with the colorful buildings and the numerous galleries, outdoor cafes, and interesting stores lining the wharf and surrounding streets. At night the citylife lights up with plenty of bars and jazz clubs, and don’t forget to have a ‘blue’ drink and buy a bottle of Curacao’s own liqueur – Blue Curacao. Curacao is ranked one of the best and affordable islands in the Caribbean. You can actually drive around the whole island in just under two hours. Please continue reading at Sally’s blog for more information on shopping, beaches, transportation, and more!   Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Travel Column with D. G. Kaye – Welcome to #Curacao #Lesser Antilles | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

#Blogshare – Colleen Chesebro Interviews Sally Cronin

  Fantastic interview at Conversations with Colleen Chesebro featuring Sally Cronin. Always fun learning more tidbits about our blogging friends!     CONVERSATIONS WITH COLLEEN: MEET AUTHOR, SALLY CRONIN   Hello everyone! This week I’m happy to bring you an author we all know and love, Sally Cronin. Sally is a fixture in our blogging community who supports authors in every stage of the game. Her blog, Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, is a blog magazine for lovers of health, food, books, music, humor, and life in general.   I have been a storyteller most of my life (my mother called them fibs!). Poetry, song lyrics and short stories were left behind when work and life intruded, but that all changed in 1996. My first book Size Matters was a health and weight loss book based on my own experiences of losing 70kilo. I have written another ten books since then on health and also fiction including three collections of short stories. I am an indie author and proud to be one. My greatest pleasure comes from those readers who enjoy my take on health, characters and twisted endings… and of course come back for more. REVIEWS are so very important for an author and I am very grateful for the feedback that my books receive. If you have purchased or been gifted one of my books I would love to hear what you think about it. As a writer I know how important it is to have help in marketing books.. as important as my own promotion is, I believe it is important to support others. I offer a number of FREE promotional opportunities on my blog and linked to my social media. If you are an author who would like to be promoted to a new audience of dedicated readers, please contact me via my blog. All it will cost you is a few minutes of your time. Look forward to hearing from you.   Thank you so much, Colleen, for inviting me over to visit… particularly at this special time of the year.   I love visiting with you, Sally. I’m thrilled you’re here. I’ve been meaning to ask you… What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?   When writing about the opposite sex I believe the most difficult thing is getting emotional interactions right. Men are just as emotional as women but usually show it in a different way. Not all men are emotionally demonstrative, telling you they love you all the time and wanting to hug every five minutes. They tend to show you how much they love you by actions rather than words. It is useful to remember that telling a man you have a problem prompts him into immediate action to solve the issue. When two women get together, they talk out the problem and come up with a solution that usually does not require calling out the National Guard or dismantling half the kitchen. If you get my drift? This does require some careful thought about how your lead characters are going to react.   However, it is fun to create that spark between two people or to create a male character that is not stereotypical and who approaches both females and other males in a unique way.   That’s fabulous advice. You know, I think you’re a prolific writer. So, what does the word ‘retirement’ mean to you? Do you think writers ever retire?   I think that women never retire anyway. And these days even men approach it very differently than even 10 years ago. Our middle age has spread (not middle age spread) between 50 and 70 now and our attitudes are different. There is still work to be done, whether it is taking care of the three main investments in life such as our body, the roof over our heads or the next generation. With the cost of elderly care, and in a lot of cases the quality of care offered, staying in our own homes, as healthy as possible, is a full-time job in itself. At least you can put off the day you have to leave as long as possible and have sufficient equity in both body and home, to end up somewhere that offers us a chance to end our lives still being stimulated and well fed!   I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few of your books, and have loved each of them. Which of your books would you want to be adapted for the silver screen?   I am hoping you mean one of mine… as I would love to see Just an Odd Job Girl made into a film. I am biased of course, but because most of the stories about the jobs are based on my own experiences, it would be great to see on the big screen. It is not a bestseller by any means, but it has romance, humour and seems to touch people. Who knows?  What it needs is for me to get off my backside and finish the screenplay that I have started. Please continue reading at Colleen’s blog.    

#Blogshare – Colleen Chesebro Interview Sally Cronin

  Fantastic interview at Conversations with Colleen Chesebro featuring Sally Cronin. Always fun learning more tidbits about our blogging friends!     CONVERSATIONS WITH COLLEEN: MEET AUTHOR, SALLY CRONIN   Hello everyone! This week I’m happy to bring you an author we all know and love, Sally Cronin. Sally is a fixture in our blogging community who supports authors in every stage of the game. Her blog, Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, is a blog magazine for lovers of health, food, books, music, humor, and life in general.   I have been a storyteller most of my life (my mother called them fibs!). Poetry, song lyrics and short stories were left behind when work and life intruded, but that all changed in 1996. My first book Size Matters was a health and weight loss book based on my own experiences of losing 70kilo. I have written another ten books since then on health and also fiction including three collections of short stories. I am an indie author and proud to be one. My greatest pleasure comes from those readers who enjoy my take on health, characters and twisted endings… and of course come back for more. REVIEWS are so very important for an author and I am very grateful for the feedback that my books receive. If you have purchased or been gifted one of my books I would love to hear what you think about it. As a writer I know how important it is to have help in marketing books.. as important as my own promotion is, I believe it is important to support others. I offer a number of FREE promotional opportunities on my blog and linked to my social media. If you are an author who would like to be promoted to a new audience of dedicated readers, please contact me via my blog. All it will cost you is a few minutes of your time. Look forward to hearing from you.   Thank you so much, Colleen, for inviting me over to visit… particularly at this special time of the year.   I love visiting with you, Sally. I’m thrilled you’re here. I’ve been meaning to ask you… What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?   When writing about the opposite sex I believe the most difficult thing is getting emotional interactions right. Men are just as emotional as women but usually show it in a different way. Not all men are emotionally demonstrative, telling you they love you all the time and wanting to hug every five minutes. They tend to show you how much they love you by actions rather than words. It is useful to remember that telling a man you have a problem prompts him into immediate action to solve the issue. When two women get together, they talk out the problem and come up with a solution that usually does not require calling out the National Guard or dismantling half the kitchen. If you get my drift? This does require some careful thought about how your lead characters are going to react.   However, it is fun to create that spark between two people or to create a male character that is not stereotypical and who approaches both females and other males in a unique way.   That’s fabulous advice. You know, I think you’re a prolific writer. So, what does the word ‘retirement’ mean to you? Do you think writers ever retire?   I think that women never retire anyway. And these days even men approach it very differently than even 10 years ago. Our middle age has spread (not middle age spread) between 50 and 70 now and our attitudes are different. There is still work to be done, whether it is taking care of the three main investments in life such as our body, the roof over our heads or the next generation. With the cost of elderly care, and in a lot of cases the quality of care offered, staying in our own homes, as healthy as possible, is a full-time job in itself. At least you can put off the day you have to leave as long as possible and have sufficient equity in both body and home, to end up somewhere that offers us a chance to end our lives still being stimulated and well fed!   I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few of your books, and have loved each of them. Which of your books would you want to be adapted for the silver screen?   I am hoping you mean one of mine… as I would love to see Just an Odd Job Girl made into a film. I am biased of course, but because most of the stories about the jobs are based on my own experiences, it would be great to see on the big screen. It is not a bestseller by any means, but it has romance, humour and seems to touch people. Who knows?  What it needs is for me to get off my backside and finish the screenplay that I have started. Please continue reading at Colleen’s blog.    

Sunday Book Review – #Poetry – Epic Love Epiphany – My Life in Poetry by Lynn Swisher

  My Sunday Book Review today is on Lynn Swisher’s poetry book – Epic Love Epiphany – My Life in Poetry. The author’s journey through life from abuse to overcoming.       Blurb: This is no ordinary poetry book, it is the story of my life written in prose. Nature comforts me and helps me to move forward, healing from years of emotional, spiritual and intimate abuse. I spent 16 years living in Saudi Arabia where I raised my nine children until relocating in 2009. I continue to struggle, it is an uphill climb but I vow to live in peace and happiness. This is my story through poetry.   My 4 Star Review: This book was a poignant and very short read. The author uses the metaphors of season, color, and heartfelt words to convey her stories in minimal words, still evoking powerful emotion. The images the author adds to the stories evoke the peace she holds within. These poems give us snippets into the author’s life using themes from tormented relationships to her overcoming through self-discovery. We can feel her elation through her words as the poems progress from dark to light.    

Fairies Myths and Magic – Colleen Chesebro has both her books on #Sale now, just 99 Cents!

    Just wanted to share this fantastic offer. Colleen Chesebro has both her books, Fairies Myths & Magic, and Swamp Fairy on sale now for just 99 cents. I’ve read them both and highly recommend, especially if you love all things fantasy and magical!     “The Heart Stone Chronicles: The Swamp Fairy,” and “Fairies, Myths, & Magic ~ A Summer Celebration,” are both on SALE for $.99 each for the entire month of December 2018. It you haven’t had a chance to experience the magic, now’s your chance!     Blurb: Fourteen-year-old Abigale Forester, recently orphaned and a ward of the State of Illinois moves from Chicago to Florida to live with her aunt, her last living relative. Magnolia Forester becomes her legal Guardian, and together they claim an ancient inheritance; land that belonged to Abby’s mother’s family for generations. Holding onto the only piece of her mother Abby has left, a calcite pendant and her mother’s most sacred possession, she discovers the truth of her legacy. The pendant is more significant than she could possibly imagine. Forged from a giant mystical heart-shaped stone found on the very swamp land Abby now owns, it holds the power of her ancestors. But with that power comes greater responsibility, one that pits her against Rafe Cobb, a greedy land developer, who will stop at nothing to own Abby’s swamp land. As Abby learns to be part of a family again and explores her love of horses with friends, Savanna, and Blake, the swamp slowly gives up some of its secrets. She is summoned by a primeval nymph, who teaches Abby that her true destiny is to protect the nymphs from evil in an ever-changing modern world. Can Abby save the swamp and the Naiad Nymph Clan from certain destruction before it is too late?       Blurb: Step into a world where fairies, dragons, and other magical beings converge in a collection of poetry and short stories inspired by the celebration of Litha, the Summer Solstice. Meet Drac, a dragon cursed by his own poisonous deeds, and two pixies who help an old man remember a lost love. You’ll meet a pair of fairies with a sense of humor, and a young girl who fulfills her destiny after being struck by lightning. Learn what happens when a modern witch’s spell goes terribly wrong. Meet the Sisters of the Fey, a group of Slavic Witches who sign a pact with the Rusalki Fey to preserve their magic for the good of all. Atmospheric and haunting, the prose and poetry, will rewrite the mythologies of the past bringing them into the future.   Original Source: https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/12/0...

Friday #Blogshare – Inspiring Writing Quotes from Famous Authors

    My Friday blogshare is full of wisdom. I’m sharing Anne R. Allen’s blog post on famous quotes by famous writers. A fun read and a lot of ‘aha’ moments to be had!   Just a few of these goodies to whet your appetite. Please visit Anne’s blog to read more. . .   by Ruth Harris Editing, revising and rewriting— “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.” — Oscar Wilde “I handed in a script last year and the studio didn’t change one word. The word they didn’t change was on page 87.” — Steve Martin “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” — Mark Twain “I work very hard on the writing, writing and rewriting and trying to weed out the lumber.” — David McCullough “Most of my work consisted of crossing out. Crossing out is the secret of all good writing.” — Mark Haddon Inspiration— “Any time you get two people in a room who disagree about anything, the time of day, there is a scene to be written. That’s what I look for.” — Aaron Sorkin “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” ― Jack London “Creativity flourishes in small structured spaces.” — Eve Barbeau (in a comment on this blog.) “Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear, misheard words or lyrics, dreams. Motivation? The memory of the rush I get from a really good writing session—even on a bad day, I know I’ll find that again if I keep going.” — Trudi Canavan “Good writing excites me, and makes life worth living.” — Harold Pinter “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” Stephen King “When I was writing Kitchen Confidential, I was in my 40s, I had never paid rent on time, I was 10 years behind on my taxes, I had never owned my own furniture or a car.” — Anthony Bourdain Writing routines (or lack thereof)— “I don’t have much of a routine. I go through periods where I work a great deal at all hours of the day whenever I am around a typewriter, and then I go through spells where I don’t do anything. I just sort of have lunch—all day. I never have been able to stick to a schedule. I work when there is something due or when I am really excited about a piece.” — Nora Ephron “Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” — Ray Bradbury “Keep a small can of WD-40 on your desk—away from any open flames—to remind yourself that if you don’t write daily, you will get rusty.”— George Singleton “Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.” — Robert A. Heinlein “If I don’t feel like writing on a certain day, I just go to the cafe and hang around.” — Elizabeth Berg Shit, crap and housework— “You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.” — Octavia E. Butler “The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” — Agatha Christie “Writing advice is bull****, but sometimes bull**** fertilizes” — Chuck Wendig “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.“ — Anne Lamott “All first drafts are shit.” — Ernest Hemingway The road to hell— “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”— Stephen King “The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.” — Philip Roth Sales and pay checks— “The first page sells this book. The last page sells your next book.”— Mickey Spillane “The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.” — Robert Benchley Natural talent— “Some critics will write ‘Maya Angelou is a natural writer’—which is right after being a natural heart surgeon.” — Maya Angelou “I was too heavy to be a jockey and too honest to be a producer, so I became a writer.” — Leon Uris “Writing is a job, a talent, but it’s also the place to go in your head. It is the imaginary friend you drink your tea with in the afternoon.” — Ann Patchett “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne “The first four months of writing the book, my mental image is scratching with my hands through granite. My other image is pushing a train up the mountain, and it’s icy, and I’m in bare feet.” — Mary Higgins Clark   Please visit Anne’s blog to read more quotes for more categories.    

Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 113, Happy December! Poets Choice of Words – Colleen Chesebro ~ The Faery Whisperer

  This week’s #Poetry Challenge from Colleen Chesebro, I’ve written a tanka. Today, first of the month challenge is a free-write with no synonyms given.     The Heart Speaks   Listen with your heart Ears alone are not enough To capture essence Words conveyed by emotion Evoking truth through passion   If you’d like to join in Colleen’s weekly challenge, here are the rules:   COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 113, HAPPY DECEMBER! POETS CHOICE OF WORDS   For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below. Click on the links to learn about each form:   HAIKU IN ENGLISH 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Haiku is written about seasonal changes, nature, and change in general. TANKA IN ENGLISH 5/7/5/7/7 syllable structure. Your Tanka will consist of five lines written in the first-person point of view. This is important because the poem should be written from the perspective of the poet. HAIBUN IN ENGLISH Every Haibun must begin with a title. Haibun prose is composed of short, descriptive paragraphs, written in the first-person singular. The text unfolds in the present moment, as though the experience is occurring now rather than yesterday or some time ago. In keeping with the simplicity of the accompanying haiku or tanka poem, all unnecessary words should be pared down or removed. Nothing must ever be overstated. The poetry never tries to repeat, quote, or explain the prose. Instead, the poetry reflects some aspect of the prose by introducing a different step in the narrative through a microburst of detail. Thus, the poetry is a sort of juxtaposition – different yet somehow connected. Cinquain ALSO: Check out the Cinquain variations listed here: Cinquain-Wikipedia These are acceptable methods to use. Please list the form you use so we can learn from you. Etheree The Etheree poem consists of ten lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 syllables. Etheree can also be reversed and written 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The trick is to create a memorable message within the required format. Poets can get creative and write an Etheree with more than one verse, but the idea is to follow suit with an inverted syllable count. Reversed Etheree Syllable Count: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Double Etheree Syllable Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Nonet The elements of the Nonet are: stanzaic, written in any number of 9 line stanzas. syllabic, 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 syllables per line. usually unrhymed. Shadorma The Shadorma is a poetic form consisting of a six-line stanza (or sestet). Each stanza has a syllable count of three syllables in the first line, five syllables in the second line, three syllables in the third and fourth lines, seven syllables in the fifth line, and five syllables in the sixth line (3/5/3/3/7/5) for a total of 26 syllables. When writing a Shadorma I would concentrate on a specific subject. The brevity of syllables is perfect for that kind of structure. A poem may consist of one stanza or an unlimited number of stanzas (a series of shadormas). Senryu in English 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Senryu is written about love, a personal event, and have IRONY present. Click the link to learn the meaning of irony.   The rules are simple. I will give you two words. Choose synonyms from those words for your poetry. You, the poet, now have more control over the direction of your writing. Follow the rules carefully. Don’t use the prompt words. LINK YOUR BLOG POST TO MINE WITH A PINGBACK. To do a Pingback: Copy the URL (the HTTPS:// address of my post) for the current week’s Challenge and paste it into your post. You may also place a copy of your URL of your post in the comments of the current week’s Challenge post.   Visit Colleen’s post for MORE     Source: Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 113, Happy December! Poets Choice of Words – Colleen Chesebro ~ The Faery Whisperer

Rodeo #3: Travel with a Twist « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

  First, I want to thank my dear friend and Fey Sister, Colleen Chesebro for all the work she did to help me with changing my blog’s theme – something I’ve neglected to do for some time. I do hope you people like it!   I took part in Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch Rodeo Challenge – Travel with a Twist, Flash Fiction in 99 words. Here was my entry.     Nailed It!   My seat vibrates with the familiar sound of wheels locking, in preparation for landing. Good to be home despite missing the sizzling sunshine of St. Martin. Glancing my souvenir, my stomach tightens at the familiar fear of having to pass customs with zero intentions of mentioning my sparkler. Sliding the ring off, I stashed it in my bra. Please don’t send me to inspection, a familiar prayer I chant in silence awaiting my turn to declare, or not. Customs form in hand, I immerse myself in the cattle-like crowd, hoping to go unnoticed by the inspection deciders. Home free!   I didn’t win, but it was a fun challenge. And thrilled to mention here that my Sister of the Fey, Colleen Chesebro won!!!   Visit the announced winners list and view some of the entries HERE   Source: Rodeo #3: Travel with a Twist « Carrot Ranch Literary Community