The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – February 26

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 57 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? If you didn’t, what stopped you? Self-doubt can leave you feeling like a deer in the headlights, petrified, off-balance, and powerless. Instead of using your precious minutes to type even a handful of words on the page, you allow yourself to be distracted.

Perhaps you stare at a blank screen, convinced your work recounts an incoherent trip along a winding road leading you nowhere. Your vivid imagination has forsaken you, leaving you in a void of uninspired darkness. You suspect you are a fraud who will never be good enough.

Breathe. Think about the adventure you want your audience to experience, explore your plot, meet with your protagonist, and learn about his hero’s journey. Practice composing your favorite scene in your head. Eliminated distractions, lock worry in a cage with your evil antagonist, and just write. Remember what you love about writing and remind yourself this is about creating a world for your ideal reader. The story is the path you share, and your destination is the beginning of another tale.

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Mums the Word – 100 Word Writing Dare

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Title: Mums the Word
Source:  100-Word Writing Dare
Prompt: Photo
Word count:  100 words

white flower

Photo by Di Maitland on Unsplash

“Mums the word,” Calypso whispered.

Lethe stepped backward, sinking into the shadows, and pulled Calypso with her. Rivers of people surged around them. Lethe scanned their faces, searching for a clue. No one noticed two women hiding in plain view.

“Can you give me a hint?”

Calypso’s face paled as she extricated her hand from Lethe’s tenacious grasp, and she shook her head. “It’s a secret.”

Tears glistened in Lethe’s eyes as desperation suffocated her.

“You must tell me. For my assignment.”

“It’s not my story. You should ask the Administrator.”

Lethe’s shoulders slumped. Her only option was to wait.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Homeward Bound – Friday Fictioneers

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Title: Homeward Bound
Source:  Friday Fictioneers sponsored by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple
Word count: 100 words

PHOTO PROMPT © Dawn Miller

I ran, rejecting the past, I raced headlong into my future.

Twisted years manipulated iron forged values that made me a success machine. I paid a tragic price, leaving my heart on the altar. Then one morning the prodigal child woke and realize what I had become.

I didn’t need the GPS. The red barn was the only signal I needed. She looked older, neglected, but she still stood. She greeted me without reproach, her sun-worn boards reached for me, offering me comfort I didn’t deserve.

True North revealed forgotten facts and pointed to the golden road leading me home.

________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Catching Up Without Magical Intervention – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 12 Comments

once-you-let-go-of-the-idea-of-waiting-for-a-magical-lightning-bolt-of-genius-to-hit-you-can-really-get-to-work.-mary-pilon

My workload has doubled since my unscheduled vacation, and I am scrambling. While everyone feigns compassion, and profess their relief that I am well, the truth is they are anxiously waiting for me to deliver my assignments. “How soon?” is the implied question. With the pressure, it is easy to consider finishing the job for the most annoying person first. The trouble with this tactic is it means I fall further behind on my high-priority projects.

Finding the desire and focus to deal with the never-ending stack of work is daunting. I can’t count on magical unicorns, fairies, or helpful shoemaker elves. When I don’t know where to start, I clean my desk. It sounds counter-intuitive, but this simple task allows me to identify, organize, prioritize, and reschedule the tasks demanding completion. I block schedule, setting my agenda with specific times, and goals.

It is a ritual I have used often. Instead of wasting precious moments staring at a blank document, second-guessing whether I am working on the right assignment, or feeling guilty for never getting around to my passion project, I am free to work. The plan grants me the ability to concentrate. With a set objective and an established timeframe, my motivation helps me power through the piles, without losing sight of what is important.

How do you tackle mountains of responsibilities?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – February 25

/ JoHawkTheWriter

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 56 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? If you didn’t, what stopped you? Self-doubt can leave you feeling like a deer in the headlights, petrified, off-balance, and powerless. Instead of using your precious minutes to type even a handful of words on the page, you allow yourself to be distracted.

Perhaps you stare at a blank screen, convinced your work recounts an incoherent trip along a winding road leading you nowhere. Your vivid imagination has forsaken you, leaving you in a void of uninspired darkness. You suspect you are a fraud who will never be good enough.

Breathe. Think about the adventure you want your audience to experience, explore your plot, meet with your protagonist, and learn about his hero’s journey. Practice composing your favorite scene in your head. Eliminated distractions, lock worry in a cage with your evil antagonist, and just write. Remember what you love about writing and remind yourself this is about creating a world for your ideal reader. The story is the path you share, and your destination is the beginning of another tale.

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Setting the Stage for A Fresh Start – Daily Quote

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in-a-mood-of-faith-and-hope-my-work-goes-on.-a-ream-of-fresh-paper-lies-on-my-desk-waiting-for-the-next-book.-i-am-a-writer-and-i-take-up-my-pen-to-write.-pearl-s.-buck

Lately, I have felt controlled by external forces. Other people’s agendas supersede my plans, snarled traffic slows my progress, malfunctioning appliances waste precious time, and betrayed by the flu, I wonder if I am fighting a losing battle. I seem to confront a brick wall, no matter which way I turn. I could continue to bang my head against that dense and immovable obstacle, or I can find the key that will allow me to break free.

Walking amid chaos is stressful, but trying to resolve what we cannot control often makes matters worse. As difficult as it might be, sometimes we are better served by accepting the circumstances, and letting go. This doesn’t mean we like, condone, or approve of the situation; it just means we realize there is no workable method for changing things today. Instead of engaging in battles we cannot win, it may be more helpful to keep moving, manage our perceptions, adjust our outlook, and engage our sense of adventure.

Each morning a new day dawns with opportunities and choices. I opt to search for a fresh start, hoping for a breakthrough, I place my faith in my ability to preserve. I concentrate on deliberate actions and effective ways that will move me toward my goal.

How will you begin your week?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – February 24

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 55 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? If you didn’t, what stopped you? Self-doubt can leave you feeling like a deer in the headlights, petrified, off-balance, and powerless. Instead of using your precious minutes to type even a handful of words on the page, you allow yourself to be distracted.

Perhaps you stare at a blank screen, convinced your work recounts an incoherent trip along a winding road leading you nowhere. Your vivid imagination has forsaken you, leaving you in a void of uninspired darkness. You suspect you are a fraud who will never be good enough.

Breathe. Think about the adventure you want your audience to experience, explore your plot, meet with your protagonist, and learn about his hero’s journey. Practice composing your favorite scene in your head. Eliminated distractions, lock worry in a cage with your evil antagonist, and just write. Remember what you love about writing and remind yourself this is about creating a world for your ideal reader. The story is the path you share, and your destination is the beginning of another tale.

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Fasten Your Seat Belts, Its Going to be A Bumpy Ride – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 7 Comments

when-you-choose-to-take-the-road-less-traveled-it-can-sometimes-be-a-bumpy-ride-along-the-way-but-if-youre-doing-it-for-the-right-reasons-then-the-reward-is-so-great.-gretchen-bleiler

They say 80% of Americans want to write a book. Few embark on the arduous journey, and fewer reach their target. The odds are stacked against aspiring authors. Stepping onto the path is perilous, unknown dangers lurk and abandoning the road sometimes feels like a viable option.

The prize lies ahead, not next to the trail, and not in the rearview mirror. Our compelling motivation fuels our ambition to reach the destination and attain our goal. If the purpose is important, if it emanates from the core of our being, if it is as vital as the air we breathe, it propels us forward, sustain us on our journey. With a fierce desire, the path is less daunting. The bumps are minor inconveniences, and we will win our reward.

Is your reason strong enough?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – February 23

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 54 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? If you didn’t, what stopped you? Self-doubt can leave you feeling like a deer in the headlights, petrified, off-balance, and powerless. Instead of using your precious minutes to type even a handful of words on the page, you allow yourself to be distracted.

Perhaps you stare at a blank screen, convinced your work recounts an incoherent trip along a winding road leading you nowhere. Your vivid imagination has forsaken you, leaving you in a void of uninspired darkness. You suspect you are a fraud who will never be good enough.

Breathe. Think about the adventure you want your audience to experience, explore your plot, meet with your protagonist, and learn about his hero’s journey. Practice composing your favorite scene in your head. Eliminated distractions, lock worry in a cage with your evil antagonist, and just write. Remember what you love about writing and remind yourself this is about creating a world for your ideal reader. The story is the path you share, and your destination is the beginning of another tale.

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Finding Inner Talent – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 10 Comments

if-you-know-what-you-are-going-to-write-when-youre-writing-a-poem-its-going-to-be-average.-derek-walcott

There are a handful of activities I avoid because I lack talent. I have no sports skills. My face catches every baseball, while my hands act as inefficient shields. Dribbling a basketball devolves when the ball bounces off my shoe and bent in half, I stumble-run, chasing the careening orb across the floor. Let’s not discuss my ineptitude in soccer, volleyball, or any sport that requires me to run. I don’t sing least I set the neighborhood dogs to howling like wolves, and I don’t write poetry.

I love poems and I have memorized many, including Patterns, by Amy Lowell, The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost. I adore The Tyger, by William Blake, Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Marc Anthony’s monologue from Julius Caesar, and countless works by Emily Dickinson. I can recite a Shakespeare sonnet, and Sea Canes by Derek Walcott. I also have a deep fondness of Walcott’s epic poem Omeros, though I would not attempt to commit it to memory.

I poems I memorize, I choose with great care because I know they will live with me forever. I seek work that connects me with the poet, poems where I feel the emotions they must have felt as they wrote. I enjoy rich imagery, and subtle shades of meaning, which beacons my soul to return time and time, again.

When I sit to compose, I try to clear my mind and allow my passions to embed themselves in the words, and embrace each phrase. It only happens when my heart leads the writing, not my head. Knowing what I intend to write dampens the message.

Do you write with your feelings?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer