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Showing posts from February, 2013

Things I've Learned

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My journey as a writer started a short 3 years ago when a friend taught me that writers aren't superheroes, but real people just like me. That was the 1st time I really considered taking the crazy story ideas I'd come up with in my dreams and shaping them into a novel of my own.  Not having a creative writing education, I had no idea where to start. So I took the standard 5 paragraph structure used in writing my term papers in college for my political science degree (you know what I'm talking about: the introductory 1st paragraph that includes the thesis statement, followed by the middle 3 paragraph body, and ending with the last paragraph conclusion) and began writing my first novel. Go ahead and laugh, you know you want to. *sheepish grin* I knew no other way. It never occurred to me that they have manuals that tell you all about plotting a novel at the bookstore. *shrug* I'm sure you won't be surprised to find out that about 150 pages in, I got lost. I

Disillusionment Plot

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Recently, some naive assumptions I've held were shattered. I tend toward a rather optimistic view of people and situations, so this definitely isn't the first time I've been so disillusioned. I can say, however, that the hollow feeling in the bottom of my stomach caused by these little disappointments doesn't get any easier to take. I'm not going to get into any kind of explanation. That would be giving the experience more importance than it's worth. What I'd like to do, instead, is use it as a theme for this blog post. Today's topic is the Disillusionment Plot. This type of plot occurs when your protagonist starts off with a set of ideals, but by the end of the story has abandoned these ideals. My main female character, Ailith, experiences this type of plot. At the beginning of her story she is chosen by her god to be the high queen of a magical race of people. She sets out, sure of her success, to find her king and enlist his aide against the

For the Love of Blogging-Day 4

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Welcome to day 4 of For the Love of Blogging , a Valentine blogging challenge hosted by Oklahoma Women Bloggers. Thursday: For the love of...LOVE! Share the greatest love story you know. It could be yours, your parents, or from a 90s chick flick starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. My junior year of college my husband and I worked for OK County. Though we parked in the same lot, shared friends, and had even been at some of the same social gatherings, we never were formerly introduced and never spoke for the first 4 years I worked there. One day, I parked and noticed him pulling into his spot. I smiled, waved, and continued the several block walk to work. I wore a blue mini dress that caught his eye and unbeknownst to me, he became curious. (It didn't hurt that my backside rocked that minidress back then!!) *grin* When he got to his office, he called our mutual friend and my boss, Joe, and asked if Joe had noticed a girl with brown hair in a blue dress. The hub thought Joe

For the Love of Blogging-Day 3

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Today marks the 3rd day of Oklahoma Women Bloggers Valentine blogging challenge, For the Love of Blogging . Wednesday: For the love of...FRIENDS! Who is your bestie? Who do you have a regular girls night out with? Who's your oldest friend? Your dearest friend? Your newest friend? This one is so hard, because I have a small group of ladies that could each one be called my bestie. Like any good bestie, they are there when I need to vent, cry, laugh, act stupid, or am just bored. So I think I'll name this revered group over naming one individual: Kendra Farr, Melanie Sokol, Angela Archer, & Erin York. Regular girls night? Kendra Farr Oldest friend? Brandy Wilhelm & Jamae McKee, both of who welcomed me to a new town and new school. We also just happened to live right next to each other until the end of 9th grade. Jamae and I were even grounded from each other at one time for fighting over the trampoline. Dearest friend? Kendra Farr who I met my very first clas

For the Love of Blogging-1st Day

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This week I'll be participating in the Oklahoma Women Blogger's Valentine challenge, For the Love of Blogging  which will consist of a different bloggy challenge each day this week. Monday: For the love of … MUSIC. What music speaks to you? Do you and yours have a special song? Is there a ballad that takes you back to your prom circa 1988 with Def Leppard screeching in your head? (Or is that just me?) When the hub and I first started dating, one of our fave things was to roll the windows down and sing Party for Two by Shania Twain and Billy Currington at the top of our lungs. Unfortunately, his truck was a new one with one of those console cup holders in the middle. I would be sitting on my side of the truck with my arm flying out the window and the hub would turn on the blinker on my side which blinked in the side mirror, then he'd pull the mirror in and out like it was waving to me. It still cracks me up to this day. Every time either a Shania or a Billy Currington

For the Love of Blogging-2nd Day

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Today is the 2nd day of the For the Love of Blogging  Valentine Blogging Challenge put on by those fabulous ladies over at Oklahoma Women Bloggers.  Tuesday: For the love of...Knick knacks? Do you collect anything that you just love? Do you have a special shelf of things that your loved ones have passed on? Is there a little this or that which holds special memories for you? I love tea cups, tea saucers, and tea pots. I don't have cupboards full of these because I cannot stand clutter, but I have a few select pieces that make me happy. Several years ago, my Gram gave me a mini pot, cup, and saucer that she acquired on one of her travels across the states which I will always treasure. I admired it and even played with it on occasion as a little girl and I still cannot believe I now own it. Thanks, Gram. I love you.

Simple Moments

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This morning as we readied ourselves for church, we listened to music as is our usual routine. My 6 year old began belting out the words to a song and I joined him. I lifted him up to the counter to comb his hair and he wrapped his little arms around my neck. Though we were running a bit behind, I picked him up and we danced and sang around the bathroom, simply enjoying each other's presence. I tried to remember when I had last ignored the clock to simply bask in such a precious moment. As the song ended and we returned to getting ready for our day, I started thinking of all the simple pleasures I haven't paid as much attention to lately. Driving with the windows down as the sunlight warms my skin and the wind whips through my hair. Watching birds build a nest. Calling my Gram just to say hi. Watching my son's expressive face as he tells a story. Pointing out shapes in the clouds. Telling korny jokes with my son and rolling with laughter as my husband smiles and rolls his

"One Hundred" Flash Fiction Contest

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The fabulous Darci Cole is celebrating that she reached 100 followers by holding a little flash fiction contest for those of her followers who are writers. Since I love these sorts of things, I am excited to post my entry! Congrats, Darci! Based on the photo below, you must write an excerpt. Here are the requirements... 1) Genre is your choice, must be between 300-500 words. 2) Must contain the number 100/one hundred. 3) Must be posted on a blog (borrow one if you don't have your own). 4) The direct link must be posted in the comments of THIS POST no later than 11:59pm on Friday February first (2-1-13), Mountain Time. So here's my entry at 306 word s... Home  by Sabrina A. Fish A path stretched before her bare toes. An honor guard of one hundred majestic trees stood at attention to either side, their limbs creating a canopy over her head that welcomed her to take her first step down the path. A light mist hung among the branches giving the path a dream

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