BRAINY ACK!!!

It’s the Monthly Blog Hop for the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

The first Wednesday of every month, an optional question is announced that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or even a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post. Remember, the question optional. 

          The awesome co-hosts for the July 2 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass,  Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour!

                                   

    July 2 question - Is there a genre you haven't tried writing in yet that you really want to   try? If so, do you plan on trying it?

I can't think of one genre I really, really want to write...

But I can think of one that I really, really don't want to write...

Literary fiction.

You know when the authors love to write ...

Loooooonnng sentences...

Using intricate prose, non-conventional structures...

Artistic liberties, and other means to lengthen paragraphs...

Until that paragraph takes up a whole page...

The kind of writing I need a shot of tequila to get me through...

Unlike commercial fiction when a cup of coffee or a beer will do.

I don’t know about other readers...

But my mind wanders after 15 seconds...

So when I'm halfway down the page...

I’m wondering, “why is this scene taking so long?”

And just so you know...

I’m not a literary fiction snob...

(are you sure?)

Because I have read literary fiction. 

(when?) 

But hey...

It's just my take.

So?

What about you?

Which do you prefer:Literary fiction? Commercial fiction? Or both?

And what new genre would like to write in that you haven’t so far?

Always,

Em-Musing

DAY OF THE DREAD

This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as the Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and only, Alex J. Cavanaugh. If you're a writer, insecure, or just supportive of writers—insecure or not—please join us. It happens the first Wednesday of each month.I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words will be appreciated. 

Optional Question: Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

Today is November 1st...

Known here in Mexico as...

The Day of the Dead! 

Me as a catrina with my jungle kitty, Indie

But if you're a writer...

You probably know it as...

The Day of the Dread!

The NaNoWriMo challenge!

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Me? Will I do NaNoWriMo?

No, not this year.

I did do NaNoWriMo several years ago.

It was exhilarating…

It was brutal…

It was also…

Never finished.

I wrote almost 30,000 words…

But just couldn’t find the oomph to go on.

I know, wimpy, wimpy, wimpy…

But in my defense…

I used to write copy-on-the-fly all the time…

When I worked at a radio station writing spots.

On a typical day…

A salespeople would fly into the creative department panicked…

“Client needs a :60 on the air in a few hours.”

Now mind you, I didn't write the average rip'n'read spots...

I wrote creative, well produced spots...

And because radio is 'theatre of the mind'...

I often incorporated SFX, music...

And sometimes character voices (I do over 30).

I had no option to say, “Eh, I don’t feel like writing today.”

Or...

“I’m busy with another project.”

I gotta say, as hectic as it often was...

I loved the challenge of writing fast and furious copy...

But unlike the NaNoWriMo challenge…

I had to finish...

And sometimes I got rewarded...

Winning many ADDY and Crystal awards. 

So each November 1st I ask myself...

Do I need a drill to force myself to write?

No.

So, it’s no, no, NaNoWriMo for me this year.

But what about you?

Will you do or not do NaNoWriMo?

Got any scary NaNoWriMo stories? 

Always,

Em-Musing

P.S. Hmm? Come to think about it - being part of thousands of writers  around the world racking their brains out for a month does sound kinda, sorta fun. So maybe next year I'll do NaNoWriMo. But before I even use one brain cell thinking about that challenge,  I'm going to concentrate on another upcoming challenge - the 2018 A-Z Challenge!

AFTER LIGHT

Ya’ll have seen the original Poltergeist movie, right?

The part when the little lady encourages the spirits...

“Go to the light, children, go to the light!"
And I know you’ve heard stories...

About people who have had near death experiences…

Who saw an encouraging, radiant light...

And a strong desire to ‘ 'go to the light'.

Sounds amazing, and comforting, right?

Um, not so for me...

You see, I have a problem with light...

Certain kinds of light, that is...

Specifically white lights...

Like harsh white florescent bulbs...

That make you feel like you’re in a grungy workshop...

Where someone’s doing illegal stuff.

And harsh LED white Christmas lights—not merry!

And those bluish/white car headlights—blinding!

But the most annoying blazing whites lights...

Are those ugly curlicue piggytail lightbulbs

That are supposed to last forever, but don’t.

Who can live under that garish glow?

Needless to say...

I have a major hang-up with white lights...

And you might ask, what’s the big deal, right?

Well, it’s not such a big deal on earth…

Because I can avoid them as much as possible…

But what happens when say...

I…uh…leave this earthly plane...

And this happens:

Spirit: “Come to the light, Em!”

Me:     What kind of light is it?”

Spirit:  Does it matter?

Me:     Yes, actually it does...

Spirit:  Why?

Me:     If it’s too white, I don’t want to go.

Spirit:  I’ve never had anyone respond like this.

Me:     What can I say? I like candlelight, sunlight,

          moonlight, soft yellow light. But not white  
          light.

Spirit:   You must come now, there’s no place for you

          to wait while I check what kind of light it is.

Me:      You mean I have to go no matter what?

Spirit:   Well, there is an alternative...

Me:      Really? What is it?

Spirit:   You can go to the dark.

Me:      Umm, on second thought I’ll take my   
          chances and go to the light, whatever it turns 
          out to be.  
          

So?

Do you have light or lighting issues?

And do you believe in the After Light?

Always,

Em-Musing

WON WORLD

I was talking to a friend yesterday…

ME: Don’t you ever wonder when you’re on a plane…

     If say, for whatever reason…

     You had to fly it…

     That you could get up in that cockpit…    

     And fly it?  

      Of course, you’d have contact with the tower…

     They’d talk you through it…

     And then when you landed safely…

     The news media would be there…

     And the whole world would be amazed!

SHE: Gee, I’ve never wondered anything like that.

ME: Or what if you and I were out having drinks 

     and a thug tried to kidnap us. What would you do?

SHE: Yell for help? Why? What would you do?

ME: I’d break a wine bottle over his head, punch    

     him in his gut, and then kick him in the nuts!

SHE: Looked at me as if I just walked off a space   

     ship.

And that’s when it dawned on me…

She and I live in very different “Head Worlds.”

In mine…

I’m always the heroine!

The rescuer!

The only one to save the world…

Obviously having powers I don’t have now.

So?

What about you?

Do you live in different “Head Worlds”…

Then other people?

(please convince me that it’s the writer in me

who comes up with these outrageous scenarios 

and I’m not coo coo. )

Always,

Em-Musing