The simplicity of my day to day. |
This is where I write my thoughts, feelings and my daily trials, tribulations and happy things
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Prompt: "Why insult someone when you can say something nice in a very sarcastic tone?" Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey Write about insults and/or Maggie Smith. Also, if you wish, how would you show a sarcastic tone of a character in a story? How sad I was to hear the news of Maggie Smith’s demise. My husband and I have been fans of her since her role in the Prime of Miss Jean Brody. We immediately looked to see what movies of hers were streaming and rediscovered The lady in the Van on Amazon Prime. What a performance. She must have been already eighty years of age when this movie was made. It brought us both to laughter and tears. It is based on a true story and I recommend it to anyone. The script writing was great and sarcasm abounded but the written word is hard pressed to show sarcasm, it is in the telling. |
Use these random words: toss, exercise, stem, porter, pepper, failure, Use these random words: toss, exercise, stem, porter, pepper, failure, chest, greet, and default My default position regarding exercise is to procrastinate, although I usually do get around to a little each day. Mostly I greet the day and get on my exercise bike and pedal whilst gazing through the open bedroom window at nature. I hold my bright yellow, one kilo weights in my hands and breathe deeply, expanding my chest filling my lungs with the beautiful spring air. But sometimes I feel like a failure and talk myself out of exercising and instead visit WdC. I’ve just discovered that Porter is a craft beer and I have probably drank some in my time but hadn’t known it was called that. I actually don’t mind a beer on a hot day. I love to drink it from a large wine glass though rather than a beer glass. It seems more elegant to drink from a glass with a stem More ladylike. I like to sip rather than to toss it back like my husband does when he’s thirsty. My husband likes beer with a sprinkling of pepper, strange man that he is! |
Prompt: Do you ever write stories just using dialogue? Write about this in your Blog entry today. I love writing dialogue. One of my favourite contests is Dialogue 500. It gives me the freedom from writing dialogue tags. It leaves it up to the reader to imagine what each character is doing as they speak or how their words are portraying emotions. There are ways of informing without tags by questions such as “ Why are you crying?” Or “why has your face gone that colour? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Dialogue is so much better than an info dump, it can tell the story in a more informative and interesting manner. I’m tempted here to give an example of one of the five hundred word limit entries into the dialogue contest. The prompts are usually whacky and way out which is usually hilarious.
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Prompt: Words “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” J.K. Rowling, From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Please, reflect on how words can enhance one's writing and ideas, and what do you think about the inventive usage of words? I thought when reading today’s prompt I would reply to it in a better way. This is a story about words I wrote for Dialogue 500. The prompt was: Your writing literally comes off the page and starts talking to you.
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Prompt:On this day in 1934, Leonard Cohen was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was a poet and a baritone singer with a deadpan delivery. “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye." is one of his songs. Let this title inspire your entry today. There have been so many goodbyes during my life. It’s a sad word really and my daughter always says “see you later,” instead of goodbye when she’s leaving. She says “it’s not goodbye, Mum.” My saddest goodbyes were when my parents died. They died of cancer two years apart. Both were aged seventy. Too young to say goodbye. But when my daughter gave birth to a stillborn baby at 38 week of pregnancy that was the saddest goodbye of my life. Sad for myself but sadder still to watch a loved one suffer such a painful loss. It meant saying goodbye to so many things, to all of those firsts; first smile, first day at school and all those other times which we would never experience. There have been happy goodbyes too such as when going on an exciting adventure, or farewelling someone else as they are setting out on a vacation, wishing them bon voyage and knowing it’s just a temporary absence. People pass through one’s life, others stay forever but eventually we all have to say that final goodbye. |
Use these words in your entry today: know, employee, violation, dozen, piano, strain, ordinary, bracket, and concert use these words in your entry today: know, employee, violation, dozen, piano, strain, ordinary, bracket, and concert. I’ve just got off the phone from talking to my sixteen year old great granddaughter. She’s so excited and was in the car on the way to the airport. She’s going on a school trip to Italy. She’s earned most of the money herself by being a casual employee in a shop after school . I know she’s going to have an amazing experience. There are about a dozen or so out of her year going. I couldn’t have imagined having that opportunity at her age. When she returns she’s got tickets to go to a concert to see some pop singer who she’s enamoured with. This is in another state. Oh to be young. (Sigh) I feel as if I live such an ordinary existence, but I’m no longer in that bracket. My daughter has recently moved into her dream home where she now has room for a piano. She’s been wanting to get a piano for years but had got the space. This year has been a bit of a strain for all of us as she and her husband have been living with us for the last four months whilst their new home became available. Her travel time to work doubled while they were with us and as I’m still receiving their mail I saw today there was a traffic violationorder. She’s not going to be too happy about that when she gets the letter. |
Use these words in your entry today: know, employee, violation, dozen, piano, strain, ordinary, bracket, and concert use these words in your entry today: know, employee, violation, dozen, piano, strain, ordinary, bracket, and concert. I’ve just got off the phone from talking to my sixteen year old great granddaughter. She’s so excited and was in the car on the way to the airport. She’s going on a school trip to Italy. She’s earned most of the money herself by being a casual employee in a shop after school . I know she’s going to have an amazing experience. There are about a dozen or so out of her year going. I couldn’t have imagined having that opportunity at her age. When she returns she’s got tickets to go to a concert to see some pop singer who she’s enamoured with. This is in another state. Oh to be young. (Sigh) I feel as if I live such an ordinary existence, but I’m no longer in that bracket. My daughter has recently moved into her dream home where she now has room for a piano. She’s been wanting to get a piano for years but had got the space. This year has been a bit of a strain for all of us as she and her husband have been living with us for the last four months whilst their new home became available. Her travel time to work doubled while they were with us and as I’m still receiving their mail I saw today there was a traffic violationorder. She’s not going to be too happy about that when she gets the letter. |
Prompt: My favourite toy when I was a child. Well we’re talking about 1944 onwards. A time of war. In the UK rationing was in full swing. Everything was in short supply including toys unless they were hand made. I can’t remember having many toys but when I was about six I had a doll and pram. The pram was a replica of a SilverCross, preferred by royalty for their babies. I have no idea how my parents ever afforded to buy the pram or the doll even. The doll was about eighteen inches tall and when you laid her down she would make a sound as if she was saying Mamma. Of course this was not electronic but just a squeaker in her back. I wish I knew what happened to my doll, although she was certainly still around in my parents’ house long after I left home. Mostly any other toy would have been a cricket bat and ball which were my big brothers’ pride and joy. My time would be spent playing cricket or football with them. |
Something wicked this way comes." — William Shakespeare, Macbeth Let this quote inspire your writing today.
This quote from our friend William Shakespeare is one we might used today. However the language would be different. We might say something like, “I’ve a bad feeling. This isn’t going to end well.” Or, “he’s trouble, mark my words!” I wonder why? Is it a sixth sense, this feeling of foreboding I am experiencing? First impressions take all of a couple of seconds before we make a judgment about someone. Is it the way they look? Or perhaps the way they speak which causes concern. A seventh sense perhaps, lost in the midst of time. Dogs still have that sense though and it’s one I’d really take notice of. Currently we all must have a sense of foreboding with the world as it is. So much trouble is brewing. It feels to me as if the world is holding its collective breath as Russia flexes its muscles and the Middle East conflict continues with no solution in sight. There are millions of displaced people looking for refuge whilst borders are being closed to them. So how else can we continue to imagine all is well? I know WdC is a non political zone but if ever a quote held some truth it is now. Trump is the wicked something coming our way. |
Prompt: Right as rain. Write about this term in your Blog entry today. This saying was commonly used in my family as I was growing up. I actually have no idea of its origin or meaning. All I knew was it meant everything was alright. I’m trying to think of in what context it was said. Maybe it was in reply to the question “how are you today?” My dad would reply “right as rain, thank you.” I just looked up the meaning but it seems there is none! Originated in the UK that would explain it being very normal to me as I was born in 1944 in England and it would have been in common usage then. Anyway, I actually like the saying and may well start using it. |