Words, lay ’em on me.

May 7, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 32 Comments

Words have the power to lift one to the greatest of heights,

or cast one down to the lowest – just by the presentation of them.

Do you realize the potential your words carry?

As a writer … what will your words accomplish today?

“Words—so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne

“All books are either dreams or swords. You cut, or you can drug with words.” – Amy Lowell

“Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing.”

– Margaret Chittenden

“No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery, and thought is viscous.”

– Henry Brooks Adam

“Grant me some wild experiences, Heavens … words, words or I shall burst.” – George Farquhur

~ * ~

So ends the quota of quotes for writers for the day, I hope a few inspired, thanks for stopping by,

~ Penny

How to write, a quick lesson

May 6, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 45 Comments

First of all, know that I am not qualified to teach writing.

However, while I am not qualified as a writing teacher I am a highly qualified reader and I’m guessing in my life I’ve read more than most people in the various genres. I’m addicted to words, pure and simple. And my time spent in the world of marketing helped me develop a different set of skills to guide myself through a creative writing process. So, I’m going to pass a few thoughts along to you here today.

Rule one – Just write. don’t agonize over each word or sentence trying to get it right.Time for that later.

Rule two – Write some more. Stay focused on your story and nothing else.

Rule three – Don’t edit while your creative juices are flowing, you could stop the flow.

Rule four – Just write. Let your brain do the walking with your fingers.

Rule five – Just write. Allow yourself to slip into another place (and time) let your imagination lead you.

Final Rule – If you noticed a theme going on, that’s because there is one. The more you write the more you become a writer. You’ll make many grammatical errors, typos and will want to know much more about the basics such as plot, character development, and so on. But the most important rule of all is to get the words down. You can figure out the rest later!

One additional note, many of the very famous authors that we know of, did not have any formal writing classes when they started writing and publishing their work. It turned out pretty good for them!

Thanks for stopping by,

~ Penny

Life’s total immersion!

May 3, 2013May 3, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 26 Comments

Fantasy, mystery, imagination, the unknown. Each of these elements fascinate me allowing my mind to visit so many wonderful places.

But if one isn’t careful it can be difficult to leave this world of “otherness” and come back as the person you once were. But who were you? Or better yet what are you? Both good questions for the questing mind. The true uniqueness of what being a human is all about! Unraveling the mysteries of life!

I EXIST!

Today is not the I of yesterday,

Yesterday, I was other than.

Today I AM.

Tomorrow

I will be

more than

can know,

And all

I can dream!

Penny L Howe, 2013

Thanks for the visit,

Ominous Clouds – Alastairs Photo Fiction

April 29, 2013April 29, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 22 Comments

Another writing challenge from Alastairs Photo Fiction, photo prompt below. Write a flash fiction story with 150 or less words. For more information or to join in the fun click on the above link!

This IS an extremely FUN writing challenge to take part in, and Alastair’s wonderful photos make it even easier to think up a nifty story. Go on …what are you waiting for, give it a try!

“Look at the clouds forming exactly over the top of that building!” The girl stopped, pointing to the swirling multicolored clouds. ” They look a little sinister, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know about the sinister part, but the clouds do seem to be hanging out there, don’t they?” He hadn’t really noticed the clouds before, but now found himself looking up staring intently at them. He looked closer.

“Hey,” he said. ‘Remember that silly movie “Ghost Busters’. Towards the end, all the clouds gather over this one building because the forces of evil are getting ready to enter this realm of Earth.”

They both stared a little longer at the forming clouds and burst out laughing at their overactive imaginations. Walking away laughing, they didn’t hear the corresponding echoing laughter coming down from the clouds – the ominous clouds that continued to gather over the building!

Yes, I know this is my second posting for the day (and I said I wasn’t going to do that any more – so sue me!) Actually when I saw his photo, I couldn’t help myself, I wrote the story and then wanted to share with you peeps (I love the way RoSy says that! lol) Hope you enjoyed, I’m going back to my writing project now! Don’t forget to check out Alastairs new blog.

~ Penny

The Dancer – Līgo Haībun Challenge

April 29, 2013April 29, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 33 Comments

The topic or prompt for this week’s Līgo Haībun Challenge is FANTASY!

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” Said Maya Angelou

The haībun format for the Līgo Haībun Challenge is a written paragraph ( more than one paragraph is fine, or just a few sentences in prose form), closing this piece with the haiku/collection of haiku related to the text. The haiku should be as authentic as possible. Ideally the entire haibun will total fewer than 220 words.

The Dancer

Flowing, sound and body moved as one. Twirling, twirling. The music played a hypnotic rhythm. Her performance, that of exquisite grace, each movement executed with elegance and precision. The audience was spellbound, captured by her performance. After the final pirouette she bowed to thundering applause from the audience.

Hers, a composed face, immobile as the legs encased in the stirrups of her wheelchair while she kept replaying the fantasy in her head, again and again. Alicia wheeled herself onto the open floor, fantasy firmly fixed in her mind. I am a great dancer, she thought, closing her eyes as she danced yet again. It seemed so real, she could feel the movement of her legs, she could feel …

Alicia opened her eyes and then held her breath. She was standing up, on her legs – without support. The music was still in her mind. She took one cautious step and then another away from the wheel chair. How was this even possible? Closing her eyes the music entered her body again. When she opened them she had moved across the room, on her own.

She could not imagine how, but Alicia knew her fantasy had become a first step to reality. She would be a great dancer. She closed her eyes, twirling to the music.

reality dreams

fantasy’s magical dance

dreams reality

Thank you. Have a great week!

Fun Fiction from Friday Fictioneers

April 24, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 72 Comments

An international community of blogging writers, hosted by the gracious, Rochelle, come together once a week to share their creative talents, these are the Friday Fictioneers. They are given the challenge of writing a ‘hundred word’ (roughly) flash fiction story prompted by a photo. Some use the photograph for inspiration while others use it as an illustration.

Writers are encouraged to think outside the box.
The story should have a beginning, a middle and an end.
THE KEY: making every word count. As close to 100 words as possible.

If you are a writer, even an aspiring writer, have some fun this week and give them a try, tune up your writing skills and then share. Just click on the link above. This weeks photo prompt courtesy of Claire Fuller

My offering:

Reading Books – That’s What You Do With Them!

“Okay, so big deal, books!”

‘Yes, but these aren’t just any books. They’re special books!”

“What’s so special about them?”

“You don’t read them.”

“What?”

“I said you don’t read them. You just pick one out, hold it in both hands and if there’s a picture on the cover you think about it.”

“Well that’s just stupid.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because you’re supposed to read books, that’s what you do with them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. Otherwise what would be the point?”

“What point?”

“Of having books?”

“I guess there’d be no point, would there?”

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this brief conversation on the purpose of reading a book. Reading is almost at the top of the list of things I love to do – as a child and then as an adult. Encourage children and others around you to read. That’s what books are for, after all!

Have a great day.

~ Penny

The Why about number one!

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 17 Comments

The ‘one‘ number in our counting system we write about in a most creatively inventive style when it comes to who and how we feel about things!

Understandingly enough, the number “1” is the symbol we frequently use to express our state of emotions. We refer to “the one and only” or a “singular individual”, or “you are number one in my book” These meanings when personalized can become ripe with the raw emoting from our very inventive imaginations.

We view ourselves as singular. I am one person and you are one person. But we do tend to wrap our emotions around a theme of “oneness” in a very inward and selfish way too frequently. (we all do – without exception here.)

The word one, when it has to do with humanity is important. In my future world “one” will unify, encompass everyone, no exclusions. Time will then be better spent on solving the problems of one people, one planet and so on.

One can also refer to an individual feeling alone. Apart from the rest – lonely. A very sad place to be. And yet each of us have occasions where we live in the land of the lonely. Hopefully for only a short duration. Life is rich with the potential for each ‘one’ person to love many others and more importantly, themselves.

Hard not to go to an emotional place with that song, about the number one. In summation, numbers are a science to be utilized best by mathematicians, but mathematicians are people too, so I’m thinking emotions will always reign supreme in the whole scheme of things.

Make the number one, a wonderful one today – you and all those around you. Make one – count for something!

~ Penny

How many roads do you travel

April 21, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 18 Comments

The photo prompt for Alastairs Photo Fiction writing challenge this week is fascinating. A couple in a vintage vehicle on a modern highway. The muse took over on this one as I viewed the past (the vehicle) the present (traveling on the road) and the future (their destination). Enjoy:

The Roads You Travel

How many roads do you travel

as you journey through each passing day,

yesterday, today or tomorrow’s

choices of road – an array.

I think that we travel on each road

depending on how the day goes,

today’s road may just be reflective

Yesterday’s full of woes.

Tomorrow’s road nurture’s our day dreams

today’s road weaving through turns,

tomorrow’s encountering road blocks

to hinder our travels and yearns.

I may ponder too long on the right road

and wait ’til the crossroads have passed,

missing the signs that direct me

turn ’round and look for the last.

The last road, the one that’s the true one,

the last road that sped quickly by,

the last road I need to return to

the road where my future does lie.

How many roads do you travel

the high one, the middle or low,

just do make sure at the crossroads

take it easy and go very slow.

~ Penny L Howe, 2013

Thanks for stopping by, be sure and check out Alastair’s weekly writing challenge by clicking on the link. Give it a try, you’ll have fun! Have a great day and a better tomorrow!

~ Penny

Friday Fictioneers – The Protector Predator!

April 17, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 53 Comments

This weeks Friday Fictioneers (thanks, as always, Rochelle) 100 word ‘writing challenge’ for those who want to participate (great fun – give it a try) is the following photo prompt:

The yellow jacket. Yes, sets things off quite nicely. Dressed for the occasion, she savors the idea of fresh prey, mouth-watering. Today was going to be a very good day. All her senses, alert and alive. An old nest discarded nearby, didn’t matter. New worlds to explore. New prey to devour. A new nest for her little ones. Food at the ready, when they hatched. Time to protect. Time to kill!

*Wasps feed on nectar and pollen, but they are primarily predators, preferring a diet of insects and spiders. Only the female wasps are equipped with stingers. Originally the stinger was also used to plant eggs into the body of her living but paralyzed prey (Now nesting is utilized). The female wasp fiercely guards the nest! (No joke!)

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day.

~ Penny

Home sweet home?

April 14, 2013April 14, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 27 Comments

This photo reminded me of a memory from my past. My son was 3 yrs old and I was pregnant with my daughter. We had just found a house not too far out in the country, a fixer upper, located near a deserted sawmill. But the price was amazingly low. Almost too good to be true … if you know what I mean. So we rented it, the house was in Knoxville, Tennessee. This weeks short story is for Alastair’s Photo Fiction:

He looked at her, “So whaddya think?”

“It’s perfect,” She replied. “I love it, not far from our friends. It has potential.”

He had a few concerns, but didn’t share them. Others could show up at any time. But he didn’t want to think about that. Besides, she was generally pretty good when it came to places to live. He could certainly see the numerous advantages for his growing family.

The house was remote. That was probably a good thing, convenient too. In fact, it could be a great hang out for his friends as well. he knew they’d be stopping by. Yes he thought, this is going to be just perfect!

He turned to look at his mate and the two mice scurried back across the field to the deserted sawmill. Deserted of humans but populated with many hundreds of other mice. Wait til they shared their latest find.

As I mentioned, sadly this was a true story only the names of the mice were changed to protect the not so innocent. We were able to secure the house incredibly cheap because even if you had an exterminator come once a week, more mice living in the sawmill just kept on coming. After a few adventures, I don’t feel the need to share here, we moved out of the bargain house!

Hope you enjoyed. Do check out Alastair’s Photo Fiction. He provides a great opportunity for writers to practice their skills: A weekly photo prompt of one of his photographs. The challenge: write a short story, flash fiction, not to exceed 150 words! Sound like fun? pop over and give it a try!

Thanks for visiting,

~ Penny