Thursday Thoughts on March 31, 2016

It's the last Thursday in March of 2016 so my thought today are focused on my next short story. In January I committed to write 44 short stories by December 31, 2016. I finished story #7 on Tuesday, March 29, and today I began story #8. The working title is The Spirit of the House because I'm stretching myself by writing a ghost story. This is the first story of this genre that I've attempted, but since I've lived in a couple of haunted houses I should be able to use those experiences in the story.

All right, I know that some people don't believe houses are haunted. I'm not sure I accept the idea completely because I suspect there are other explanations for the things I experienced in those houses. That doesn't mean I can't write a good ghost story especially if one of the characters has her doubts about the existence of ghosts. In this story my protagonist is a woman, but I haven't decided how old she is.

I prefer female protagonist because they are easier for me to write. Most of my main characters in this group of stories are going to be women. I am going to attempt to write a male protagonist because I need to stretch my writing abilities. Think maybe the protagonist in either story #10 or #11 will be a man.

Tuesday Morning Thoughts: A Poem

It's Tuesday morning in Las Vegas
the sky is mostly cloudy,
with a temperature of fifty degrees.

There are two more days left in March,
two more days
until my rent is due,
until my SNAP card is filled again,
until I can get full container of coffee,
until April begins.

As I meditate
upon the cloudy sky
I wonder
if my Social Security money
will hit my checking account
on April 1
since April 3
falls on Sunday;
I always wonder this
when the third of the month
falls on a weekend
even though I know
when the check comes in.

Speculation Sunday: The Last Sunday in March 2016

I'm considering changing the Sunday them to something else, but I'm not sure what. Speculation Sunday is a good theme because it is the first day of the week and I always speculate about my goals for the other six days. I also consider Sunday a spiritual day because when I was a child my grandparents always took us to church on Sunday morning. The problem with changing the name of the theme is composing an entry. Lately I'm having difficulty coming up with an entry every-other-day and it doesn't seem to matter what theme I'm using. At least with the speculation theme I can use any subject if I ask the proper question.

Another Sunday
shines down on the planet Earth
speculating on weather.

I think I will try some free writing to come up with this week's theme. Sometimes the only way to find a subject or theme is just to start withing without consciously thinking about what I'm writing. I can always edit the entry before posting it. Since I have a printer that works I don't have to worry about editing on line. The only thing I have to do is go to the cloud I'm using, open a document, and start writing. Yes, I know that's not the way one is suppose to do it, but until I can afford a laptop that's the way I have to do it.

Thankful Thursday: March 24, 2016

It's Thursday again and time to list some of the things I'm thankful for this week. I know I should list ten, but I don't think I'm going to do that today. I'll just list the main thing I'm grateful for on this beautiful morning.

Today I give thanks
that the wind has blowing
through the streets of Las Vegas.

Yesterday the wind gust were so fast that it was pushing people across the street. In order to deal with wind gust this fast you have to either carry bricks in each hand or wear heavy shoes. There are times when even those things don't help and you just have to stay indoors.

Tuesday Writing Ideas: Ten Memories of Easter

Easter comes early this year. Easter is Sunday, March 27, and Good Friday is Friday, March 25. These dates have brought to mind the way we celebrated Easter when I was a child. Every year the city of Blackwell (at least I think it was the city) would sponsor an Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter. The hunt would take place at the air port, which was located across the road from my Grandparent's house.

01. The Easter Egg Hunt
02. An Easter Sunday church service
03. A Palm Sunday church service
04. How can the Easter bunny lays eggs? (Something I wondered about as a child.)
05. On a Good Friday afternoon
06. Coloring Easter eggs
07. A Chocolate Easter Bunny
08. Grandpa and Grandma hide Easter Eggs
09. The new Easter dress
10. How to Fill an Easter Basket

Past the Ides of March

It's four days past the Ides of March and there are twelve days left in the month. I'm feeling better after my surgery in February because I'm on my way to healing. Despite the fact that I seem to have problems making blog post every-other-day, I'm feeling more like writing and reviewing. Today I've reviewed several items on writing.com and I may review more before the day is finished.

I took a break from reviewing to compose this post, which will help me focus on what I have to do next. I have to finish a newsletter tonight or tomorrow night, but for some reason I can't seem to focus on it. Perhaps I should just open the document and begin writing. I know the theme and subject because it's the some one I was planning for February before I had to go to the Emergency Room. I've been putting it off and I'm not sure why. I think the problem is my tendency to procrastinate. Last month, procrastinating prevented me from complete the newsletter before I went into the hospital.

Midweek Writer's Reflections on Writing with Acid Reflex

For the past few weeks I've deal with acid reflex and the dry heaves. This started after I had the umbilical hernia repair in February. I know the problem has something to do with the healing process or maybe it's just the after effect of the operation and having a tubes stuck down my nose and throat. Anyway it isn't a pleasant experience. The weird thing is that the acid reflex and dry heaves hit me when I sit down to write, which interfered with the writing. I did manage to get a few thing written, but not as much as I wanted to.

On Monday, March 14, I went for another followup with my regular doctor. I told her about the acid reflex, so she prescribed the generic oneprazole dr. I picked up the prescription on Tuesday, took one capsule (I take one capsule each day) and that capsule worked wonders. I can now write without having to stop to deal with acid reflex. I hope this problem clears itself up eventually, but in the mean time I will take the meds as directed by my doctor.

My next writing goal is to figure out how to use this experience in a short story or poem. I think every aspect of a writer's life experience can and should be used in her writing. In the meantime, I plan to attempt an entry to this blog every-other-day.

Saturday Success: Struggling to Write

I did have some writing success this week. I finished story 5 of the 44 stories I'm supposed to write this year. I managed to make few blog entries this week. This week my main problem was focus which interfered with composing blog entries and other writing projects. Once I make myself begin to write then I can focus on a few paragraphs before my mind starts wandering again.

Another problem I encountered was time. The only way to take care of that is to set a specific time to write without letting anything interrupt me. I could do that when I lived alone, but it's more difficult now that I have a roommate. I don't like living alone and sometimes I don't like having a roommate. I think I would rather have a roommate then live alone.

Lately I've had to push myself to write anything. Once I begin to make a blog entry or write a story then I don't have a problem finishing it. The problem seems to be getting started. Oh well, a new week begins on Sunday and it's a good chance to look at the time it takes to me write and do other things. Perhaps I have to set a writing schedule with a specific amount of time to make an entry.

Story Number 5 Finished

One of my writing goals this year is to write 44 short stories before December 31, 2016. I completed story number 5 yesterday. I'm not going to worry about how many stories I have to go because that would simply cause me more stress. Two thing happen if I stress (1) my blood pressure goes up and (2) my muse stops talking to me. Therefore, I have to avoid stress which has been difficult lately because I also stress over bills that I have difficulty paying.

To get back to the stories. I have to start story number 6 today. I think I will start it by finding a prompt to push me into writing. Once I find the prompt then I have to review my other goals for 2016. I have two more goals (1) edit one novel and (2) finish another. I think I will print off the first chapter of the novel I need to edit, so that I can read it and see what I have to do to edit it.

Success Saturday: February 28 to March 5

I survived the week of February 28 to March 5. I also finished one short story, four short poems, and several blog entries. I begin my exercise program of walking from my apartment to the alley. I managed to walk that Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On Friday I walked to the bank ATM to withdraw some cash, into a CVS store to purchase some personal items, and into the DMV to get a handicap placard for my car. All together Friday I walked farther then from my apartment to the alley.

Walking is good for my muse
It clears the cobwebs
And suggests story ideas.

This morning charcoal clouds covered the Las Vegas blue sky. They threatened rain, but it has not rained in my neighborhood yet. Perhaps it rained in another area of the city. Las Vegas is so big that it can rain and flood in one area without raining in another section of the city. However, unless it rains at McCarran International Airport the rain is not official.

Welcome March 2016

Welcome March 2016
a month of celebration
and writing.

Because of my stay in the hospital, I still have a couple of stories to finish. I'm not sure what else I need to catch up, but whatever it is I'll do it by the end of March. One of my goals for March is to write a poem each day between March 2 and March 20. Those are the day of Fast; however, due to medication and recovering from my hospital stay I can't Fast. Instead of Fasting I'm going to write a poem each day plus give up something that I like to eat or drink.

Vernal equinox
begins another New Year:
What are my writing goals?

I'll have to think about that question. Every year I make a goal of writing 2,000 words a day. Sometimes I accomplish this goal and sometimes I fall short. I have about nineteen days to consider the writing goals I want to make for Naw Ruz.