"Thanks." – KOMF #9

For those of who who missed my post yesterday, this month's Knights of MicroFiction prompt is:

In 300 words or less, write a scene where the MC realizes he/she/it is thankful for something. Include the words "turkey" and "mayflower" (this could be May flowers, too, or other creative variations.)

Okay, here's mine:

THANKS

"You think we're safe here?" My voice echoes through the old, empty sewer tunnels.

Jasyn smiles then tosses a few more sticks into the flames. "They'll never find us here."

I can't help rolling my eyes. "Why are you so sure? They've got guards patrolling the borders."

"They don't check the sewers," he argues. "I was a guard for a few years and they never–"

A clatter sounds a few meters down a tunnel to my right. My hand reaches for the gun in my jacket, but I don't pull it out.

Jasyn grabs a flashlight from his backpack and shines it down the tunnel. A tiny, furry creature stares at us in the darkness, then scampers away.

"See?" he jabs. "Don't be a turkey. We're fine."

"You mean chicken." I run my fingers through my hair, doing my best to gulp down the nausea rising in my throat. "This was a bad idea."

Jasyn scoffs then scoots next to me. "You'd rather have been killed in the Purge? Last I checked, we were both Unsatisfactory. They'd have burned us alive as they do to everyone else who isn't Satisfactory."

Tears well in my eyes. "We're going to die," I whimper.

Jasyn wraps his arms around my shoulders. "Hey," he breathes. "Hey, it's alright. I know we're not so well of right now, but we'll make it out of this."

A soft breeze carries through the tunnel. Bits of dust and garbage float softly toward us. A mayflower stops at our feet. Jasyn picks it up and dusts it off. He lifts it to my face and places it behind my ear.

A choked laugh breaks the frown on my lips and I look up at him. "Thanks," I manage.

He nods then hugs me closer to him. "You're welcome."

***

Ta da!

Okay, so tell me what you think. It wasn't too cheesy, was it?

Anyway, if you still want to join in on the fun (trust me, we can always use more entries) just sign up on the linky list below. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. on November 15th. It doesn't matter if it's Eastern time or Pacific time… just have it in by 11:59 p.m. YOUR TIME.



Have fun!

--Jess

What Are You Waiting For? Blogfest!

This blogfest is being hosted by Fairbetty because she recently reached 100 followers! So please head over to her blog to congratulate her!

Here is her prompt:

I really love flash fiction, so in 300 words or less, tell me about a character you are writing (or make one up) who faces a choice... and have him/her flip a coin to make a decision.

And here's my entry at exactly 296 words:

The air was cold against his skin.

Almost painful.

It didn’t bother him, though. He was used to pain. Used to yearning only for what he knew he could never regain.

She was gone. Rasha was gone, and he knew why. Azad knew all too well who was responsible for her death. All that mattered now was how to deal with him.

Darkness surrounded Azad, the only light was that of the moon shining through his window. The gun in his hand was heavy. He’d considered trying it on himself now and then. It would be so easy, lifting the barrel to his head and pulling the trigger, but something always stopped him. His paranoid servant would knock on the door to tell him she thought someone broke into the house, or the gun simply didn’t work...

Always something.

If the universe wanted him to live, to suffer with his grief, so be it. He’d live as long as the universe needed him to. As long as he had something worth fighting for.

Right now, that happened to be Rasha.

Azad was going to make the man who killed her pay.

All that was left was to decide how to do that.

He took out the coin in his pocket and examined both sides. The less time the man was alive, the better. Azad’s problem would be solved much faster that way. But shouldn’t he suffer? The man should be made to feel all the pain in the world.

“Heads, I’ll kill you,” he said to himself. “Tails, I make you suffer.”

Azad flipped the coin.

It spun in the air for a second or two, yet Azad knew what he wanted now.

The coin landed.

Tails.

Azad smiled. “Looks like I’m in luck. You’ll suffer.”

***

Hope you enjoyed it! And you can still participate! Just head over to Fairbetty's Blog and sign up!

Have a great day :)

-Jess

The Distraction

Monday's Knights of MicroFiction prompt was:

Your character is trapped in a space (of your choice).  All they have with them is a broken coffee mug, an unlit candle and a cell phone with a dead battery.  What happens?

Your entry cannot be longer than 400 words and we won't be taking entries after midnight on the 15th EST.

Little correction.

We won't be taking entries after 11:59pm on the 15th.  So, if you haven't posted and you still want to join in, you still have time!

Anyway, here's my entry:

The Distraction

Asha weakly lifted her head.  Every muscle in her body was either sore or bruised and she’d almost given up hope for escape.

Almost.

The prison bars before her were only an obstacle.  What really kept her locked inside was her mind.  Her mental strength wasn’t great enough to hope.  Not until now.

It must’ve been nearing five o’clock.  The guards were less interested in her and more interested in dinner.  No one admitted it, but clearly they weren’t equipped for a breakout.

Asha glanced up at the camera, keeping a constant eye on her in the darkness.  Now was her chance.

Her fingers found the dead phone in her pocket and she placed it on the lock to her prison cell.  She took a deep breath.  This had to work.

She glanced back up toward the camera, making sure it was still watching.  She could only hope the guards behind it were doing the same.  She took a seat in front of the broken glass from the coffee mug she’d mistakenly been given.  Her fingers quietly closed around a large shard and she directed it toward her pocket.

Now, she just needed to light the candle.  In the next cell over, she spied a few rocks.  If she hit them together hard enough, it might create a spark.

Carefully, she reached through the bars and tried to grasp one.

Damn it.

Just out of reach.

She tried again, stretching her arm farther than she thought she could.  Her fingers brushed the rock and she reached further.  The metal bars left tiny cuts in her shoulder as she relentlessly pushed on.

The large door on the other side of the room hissed open.

“Hey, you!” cried the guard.  “Stop right there!”

She laughed to herself.  Just on time.

She pretended to forget the rocks and rushed to the phone.  She lunged for it but the guard was too close, now.  He snatched it from her reach and backed away.

“You turned your cell into a bomb?” He asked, impressed.  “Too bad the batteries are-“

She threw the shard of glass and it pierced his throat with a sickening squelch.  He toppled over, his body convulsing a few times before going still.

She reached for the keys on his belt, smiled bitterly then unlocked the door.  Mission complete.

***

Yeah, mine's on the longer end of flash fiction, so I hope you made it all the way through.

Anyway, if you still want to participate, sign up on the linky list below!  And make sure to check out the other entries :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

--Jess

The Sky Darkened - Knights Of MicroFiction

Alrighty, today is July 15th, so that means it's time to post your entry to the Knights of MicroFiction prompt!

The requirements were:

Write a flash fiction in 200 words or less, using the phrase: the sky darkened.

For an added challenge, include a sound that surprises one of your characters and a foul smell.

Mine is (as usual) a part of my Rise series.  This scene doesn't actually take place in the trilogy, but it happens many years before.

So, at exactly 200 words, here it is:

The Sky Darkened

The sky darkened before Dezar Viraak.

The jungles of Adora were dangerous.  But his mission here could not be forsaken.  The first part had been completed.  Now, he just had to look for survivors.

Dezar entered the wooden building, gun in hand.  A smell, like copper and seawater filled his nose.  He knew it all too well.  Blood.

He made his way through the empty building, searching.

A creak in the wooden floorboards made him whip around.  His pulse raced and he aimed the gun at the unopened closet behind him.

“Come out slowly and I won’t shoot,” he warned.  He knew it was a lie.  His mission was to destroy the Resistance base and leave no survivors.  And not once had he failed a mission.

The closet door opened slowly, and a woman stepped into the light.

Her skin was dark, like the soft ground after a rainstorm.  She was dazzling.  The urge to lower his gun fell over him, but he had to complete his mission.  Emperor’s orders.

She hadn’t a weapon in hand, only her beauty and helplessness.

With renewed strength, he aimed and placed his finger on the trigger.

“Get out of here,” he said.  “Run.”

***

Hope you enjoyed!

Also, other people who have posted:

1. Bonnee Crawford
2. Carrie-Anne
3. Ashna Banga
4. Sally
5. DeniseCovey_L_Aussie
6. Roland D. Yeomans
7. JP
8. Esther Jones

Remember, there's still time to join in on the fun!  Just try to post before 11:59pm EST and comment on THIS POST with a link to your entry.  (If you're a little late, though, that's fine.  We'll still include you :)  )

Kathy and I will choose two winners on the 17th, to be interviewed on our blogs.

Have fun and good luck!

--Jess

Knights of MicroFiction

Yep, you guessed it.  It's time for the KoMF!  To join in, just post your entry by the end of today, and leave a link to your post in the comments.  Then, go check out as many entries as you can!  By the 17th, Kathy and I will choose two winners to feature on our blogs.


Here's the prompt:
Write a flash fiction in 200 words or less beginning with the phrase:  Her eyes shot open...
You are free to change the gender and POV if you want.


Okay, so here's my entry.  It was modified from my WiP (The Inferiors).  Altighty, here it is:

Her eyes shot open, but they found only darkness.  The room was unclear before her, but she didn’t have to see.  She knew exactly where she was.

She sat up, knowing it was probably time to see how they were doing.  Surely they couldn’t fly this ship together without getting into another ridiculous argument.

A wave of cold washed over her as if all the air had suddenly vanished.  The deep scar on her arm burned.

“I was waiting for you,” said a masculine voice.

Her skin prickled at the sound.

“Show yourself,” she called, trembling with fear.

A figure near the other wall moved closer.  His deep green eyes became barely visible.  Her breath caught in terror, yet she couldn’t move.

He touched her shoulder and she flinched.

“He lied, you know,” he said.  “Deep down, you just know it.”

Her chest tightened.  She wanted to protest.  To call out and tell him he was wrong.  But she choked on the words.  They were dry and overused.  Pointless.

And in that horrifying moment, she realized she believed him.

“I’m coming back,” he said.  “And when I do, expect no mercy.”

And just like that, he was gone. 

***

So yep.  That's about it.  Out of context it's a little confusing but hope you enjoyed the confusing-ness :)


Okay, here's the list of awesome people who have already posted their entries:

1. Ashna Banga
2. Fairbetty
3. Nick Wilford
4. Aldrea Alien
5. Usama
6. Esther Jones

Oh, and of course Kathy.

Have fun!

--Jess

Y is for Yearning

Y is for Yearning

I remember its every detail.  Every curve, and line in its cubic figure.

There’s no way I could forget.

Because of the longing.  Because of the hunger.

It needs to be wanted.   And once I found it, I couldn’t let it go.  For the rest of eternity, I will never be able to let it go.

***

Hm.  Well, I couldn't really think of anything today, and I just wanted to try something different, lol.

Anyway, here's a song by Evanescence, called My Immortal:

Have a great weekend!

--Jess

W is for Wishful

W is for Wishful

Stars rise over the horizon, trailed silently by the moon.

Despite the darkness, only light courses through my veins.  They’re coming for me.  They haven’t given up.  Not yet.

And as long as they are searching, I’ll never give up hope.

***

Okay, and here's a song that I thought sounded wishful, called, Full Circle by Loreena McKennit:

Guys, I can't believe that today is already 'W'.  We only have three more days of the A-Z Challenge!  Isn't that a little sad?  It feels like it started only a few days ago.  Sheesh! Time really flies.

Have a Whimsically Wonderful day!

--Jess

V is for Vivacious

V is for Vivacious

“Let’s go outside.”

“Um, right now?” she asks.

“Yes, right now, I have something to show you!”  I cry, excitedly.  “But you’ve got to hurry.”

She sighs.  “Can’t I see it some other time?”

“No, you have to come now or it will go away.”

“What is it?”

I smile.  She isn’t going to believe this.

***

The entire passage isn't 'Vivacious,' but the MC sort of is, so I think that might count.  And here's the song...  Ignorance by Paramore:

Maybe this isn't quite Vivacious in the 'happy' way, but I like Paramore, and this song is pretty lively.  The weird thing is, this song always reminds me of the book A Tale of Two Cities, which I  read last year in school.  It's not the lyrics that go with the story or anything, but I just used to listen to this song a lot during the time I was reading the book.

Speaking of Vivacious, I'm really excited and feeling lively today because I think I finally came up with a good title to replace The Trials.

It was last night, and I was just lying down, peacefully editing away, when all of a sudden...  it hit me.

Revelation moment.

Time seemed to slow.  My eyes widened in amazement because I was so caught off guard that I simply couldn't hide how impressed I was with myself!

The next thing I knew, I had my Google Talk screen up and (too lazy to take out my headphones and use my voice to explain) my fingers were stomping on the keyboard, giving away every little detail to my mom.  It was too good to just keep to myself!

Anyway, I wish I could reveal the full idea to you guys, it would give away too much of the story.

But!

I now call my story: The Phoenix Blade

Or, something along those lines.  Maybe that's not the official title yet, but just for the time being, it works :)

Now, the few of you who've beta read my book might be thinking, umm... what does that have anything to do with the story?

Well, it's meant to be a title that you aren't quite sure of the meaning for the first few chapters, but I'm also planning on adding stuff which will (hopefully) benefit the story and help the title make sense.

Have you guys ever had that 'revelation' moment?  Where you get an idea that's just too good to keep to yourself?  (Or one that seems good and then in a few days sounds.... not so great?)

Have a... um... Victorious (?) day!

--Jess

U is for Unforgiving

U is for Unforgiving

“That’s it?”  I ask.

The man nods without remorse.  “Yes.  That’s it.  Unless you’d like your punishment to be more severe.”

 “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

“Sorry doesn’t buy your life back.”  He turns to the guards.  “Now get on with it.  Execute her and be done.”

The blade comes toward me, then all fades to black.

***

And here's the song What Have You Done by Within Temptation:

Very intense, I know.  It really inspired me though!  Don't know what it is about their music that I love so much!  I guess it just flows well with my train of thought.

Anyway, I'm about... 140 pages into editing my 5th draft of The Trials! Yay!

Although, that actually isn't much of my book, considering that it's an extremely long, 116,000 words (and counting.)

So, how long are your stories/novels/books?

I always feel like mine is a million pages long!  (Actually, 440 to be exact...)

Have an Uplifted day!!

--Jess

T is for Tense

T is for Tense

It’s like a rope.

One that’s pulled so tightly, that it feels hard as steel.  Sometimes it’s loose.  But most of the time, it remains tight.  Oh, so tight around me.  Suffocating me.

My fingers tingle with anxiety.  Awaiting my moment.  The moment I that I can break free.

Deep breaths.

I can do this.

***

Here's the song Let Me Fall by Josh Groban:

I'm not sure if that really fits the mood, but I've been listening to it all morning.

We all know that feeling.  The feeling of tension.  We need it for our stories.  Without tension, everything would be kinda boring, wouldn't it?

In real life, tension can be stressful.  Whether it's tension between you and a friend, between two countries, or between you and a Sith Lord trying to destroy the galaxy (that last one only applies to a few of us...), our lives are full of tension.

Yet, as I mentioned, tension in real life can be stressful.  It can make people frustrated or angry.  It can motivate them too, depending on the kind of tension it is.

I have to say, I don't think I have a lot of tension in my life.  Which is a good and a bad thing, depending on how you look at it.  The tension I have mostly comes from the inner conflicts with myself and the tension I feel while writing a story.

And then, there's also tension between me, my brother and sister.  (We're usually pretty good around each other, but we have our moments...)  If you have siblings, I think you'll understand.

But without tension, life get's a little dull, too.

Just think.

A world where nothing really went wrong... A world where there's nothing left to fix and everything is find and dandy all the time.  It gets old.  Boring.

So, um... I'm not sure what my actual point was when I started this post, other than what you already know: tension is good for stories!

Now, since I can't think of a good conclusion to this post, I'm just going to end it.

Have a Thoughtful (?) day!

--Jess

S is for Sleepy

S is for Sleepy

The soft sunlight shrinks over the western horizon.

Cool darkness approaches from the east.

My eyelids flicker closed, but I open them just as fast. I can’t afford to fall asleep right now. Not with the rest of them out there. Waiting for me.

Stars poke their heads out of the sheet of black in the sky. Watching me.

A few minutes couldn’t hurt.

I close my eyes, and let myself fall asleep.

***

I'm really tired today. I've stayed up too late for the past three nights, and it's really getting to me. I woke up at 10:30 this morning and I'm still exhausted!

Okay, and here's a song called Hello by Evanescence:

I think it sounds a little sleepy, don't you?

Okay, now onto some random stuff.

Lately, I've been having so much trouble finding a title for my MS. It's been called The Trials for quite a while now, but it's really only been a working title and nothing more. I've seen so many books with great titles. Titles that really fit the story, and titles that draw people in. And, The Trials just isn't working for me.

So, I got to thinking. How do authors come up with the name of their books?

Well, they call it what their book is about. Like, The Hunger Games.

That was one of the titles that really drew me in. When I saw that title in the bookstore, I had to know what it was about.

For me, it's pretty easy to understand why the title The Hunger Games was chosen for the book. a) Katniss is in The Hunger Games for the majority of the story. b) It makes people curious, like it did to me.

There was another one I read called So B. It by Sarah Weeks. It was about this girl who's mom had disabilities and she could only say a few words. Her mother called herself So B. It and the MC wanted to find out who her father was. I read it so long ago, I don't remember all the details, but the title made me unable to forget the basics of the story.

Unfortunately, all of this analyzing didn't do me much good. I still haven't found a good title, yet. It's been bugging me so much that I even dreamed about searching for a title last night. Not kidding.

So, how do you guys find a title for your MS? Do you have as much trouble as I do?

Have a Superb weekend!!

--Jess

P.S.

Star Wars starts with S :)

And I'm mentioned on THIS blog today :)

Go check them out.

R is for Revenge

R is for Revenge

Remorse.

Burning rage in my soul.

They took her from me.  I let the enemy take her from my arms.  If I had fought harder, maybe I could have saved her.  But this was not my decision to make.

These prison bars are strong, but they don’t imprison my hate.

And when I am free, they all shall feel my wrath.

***

Okay, so this little flash fic/poem thing was written from one of my characters POV in my sequel.  She's a really fun character to write... not because she's funny (quite the opposite, actually).  But it's more because she's so passionate.  Her daughter was taken away before she was imprisoned by the enemy, and she's determined to escape and then, well, pretty much destroy them.

Now, for the music and a few random things after.  This is In The Middle of the Night by my personal fav, Within Temptation:

Um... I'm not entirely sure what that picture is about, but this clip had the best sound quality out of all the other ones. So just ignore it and enjoy the music.

I'd like to apologize for posting so late today.  Fridays are our crazy days.  Not that the rest aren't crazy.  It's just that, out of all the others, Fridays are at the top.  It's our big skating day.

Speaking of skating, go check out my sister Alyssa's blog, Life is Good. Her whole A-Z theme is skating, and she's also competing in a big competition tomorrow, so wish her luck!

And if you want to know the crazy thing that happened to me yesterday, check this out. Actually, it happened more to my mom than it did to me, but still.  I would post about it, but I try not to be too repetitive-- I already do that enough in my novels!

Hope you guys have a Relaxing rest of the day (or evening, or morning, depending on where you live.)

--Jess

Q is for Quiet

Q is for Quiet

Whispers, echo in the darkness.

I’ve never seen the owners of the voices. They don’t show themselves. Not to me, anyway.

To me, they are ghosts. And even if they aren’t, the effect is the same. They torment me, and haunt my soul.

Yet they are only whispers.

And I won’t let them destroy me.

***

Wow. Q words are hard to come across!!

Now, here's a song I like called Whispers in the Dark by Skillet:

Not a very quiet song, I know. But hey, I still like it! Hope you guys enjoy.

Click here to see more A to Zers!

Have a Quintessential day!

--Jess

P is for Procrastination

P is for Procrastination

The friend you wish you never had.

That friend that comes around when it shouldn’t, causing trouble for everyone. When it’s with me, I don’t really mind. But afterword, I wish it had left me alone. Because it just leaves more work for me.

I know this friend well.

A little too well.

***

That pretty much sums up my ol' pal, Procrastination. We go waaay back, it and I. Usually, it comes by when I should be doing homework, or playing my violin or unloading the dishwasher. But today, it came to me when I should have been writing this blog post at 7:30 in the morning.

I had no idea what to write about. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to come up with anything. There were a lot of good emotions/traits that started with P. For example:

Peaceful, Playful, Petrified, Proud, Pure,Powerful, Pained, Placid, or even Pessimistic.

but I didn't feel like using any of them.

I thought that maybe (with the encouragement of my unbelievably annoying friend mentioned above) if I just waited, something would come to me. But of course, nothing did.

Big surprise, right?

And finally, I realized that I had to stop Procrastinating and get this blog post done. And then it hit me, the lovely word Procrastination popped into my head, and I realized that it was a good word to use for today!

Now, there aren't many songs about Procrastinating. And if there are, I'm not sure I've heard one of those. But, there are songs that get me out of a Procrastinating mood.

Here's Bittersweet by Within Temptation:

Sorry, I couldn't find a video with just the album cover. Just try to listen to the song before you read the lyrics, because sometimes the lyrics distract me from the melody. (Maybe it's totally different with you, but just a suggestion, lol.)

Finally, I'd just like to say that yesterday I officially finished the first draft of my sequel!! I always print out my first drafts so that I have a hard copy of each one. I'm not kidding, I used up an entire stack of paper from the store. My mom bought it just for me, because she knew I was going to use it all.

Luckily, it's bamboo paper or something, so it's supposed to be more green. I just printed out the last page, which brings book two to a grand total of approximately 112,000 words and 418 pages!!

Have a Perfect day!

--Jess

O is for Oppressed

O is for Oppressed

We’re outnumbered and broken.

We lie in wait, for the day that we will be free. Saved from this hell that they call our country. Yet, it doesn’t belong to us.

We all know that if we stood up to them, we might be let go.

But no one’s brave enough to do it.

Not yet.

***

Wow, this A-Z Challenge is a lot harder than it sounded when I signed up. Luckily, I love challenges most of the time.

Also, here's a really random word I found:

otorhinolaryngology/ˌōtōˌrīnōˌlarəNGˈgäləjē/

Noun:

The study of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat.

Yeah, try pronouncing that within the next ten minutes! I had to look it up on google and then click the 'pronounce' button to figure it out! It's crazy!

Okay, here's the song Faceless by Red:

I'm not really sure if it goes with the Oppressed theme, but I couldn't really find anything else. And, I love this song. When I'm writing fight scenes, this is one of the songs I use :)

I know I asked this question a while ago, but that was when I had like, 20 followers. So, I'll ask again.

Do you guys listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to?

Have an Over-joyous (Is that even a word?) day!

--Jess

N is for Numb

N is for Numb

My fingertips prickle with sensation. But that’s all.

Here, it’s easy to lose feeling. Acting on them could get us killed. It’s a defense mechanism, really. Without it, I don’t think I’d be alive.

I wonder what would have happened had I tried to stop them from taking him.

Would I still be so cold?

***

And here's the song Numb by Linkin Park, which is also on my writing playlist:

And, I just thought I should share the news.

a) I hit exactly 100,000 words on April 14th! My goal was to have that word count by the 15th, so I'm like dying with excitement about that!

b) I haven't actually finished the story yet. I've got about two chapters to go, I think, if my estimation is correct.

Now, there are two people I need to thank.

First of all, my mom for letting me sit around on the couch all weekend to get there. And because she got me Scrivener. Ever since I got it, I've been hammering out three thousand words a day without much problem. A few times I've hit eleven thousand. In a day. It's simply awesome. No other way to put it.

And last, but definitely not least, I have to thank T. Z. Wallace for making the suggestion for me to get it.

Thanks so much, everyone!

Now, have a Nonchalant(?) day!

 --Jess

M is for Mysterious...

M is for Mysterious

Purple fog swirls before me. Dewdrops sparkle on the misty trees, like pearls of light.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“We’re home,” she replies.

Mountains circle the valley, keeping all outsiders out. And all insiders in. I asked her to bring me here, but now I’m not so sure.

“Is it safe?”

She smiles. “That depends.”

***

Do you think that was mysterious enough?

Okay. Now a song. I couldn't find the real music video for this, but I still really liked the song. This is Lion by Rebecca St. James:

I thought it sounded mysterious....

You wanna know who else is mysterious?

Can you name him?*

Have a Marvelous day!

--Jess

K is for Knightly

K is for Knightly

It is not fire that puts out fire.

Only water can do that.

You can’t be cold to those who are cold.

Only warmth will melt the ice.

It is not war that ends a war.

Only love can be your savior.

You shan’t receive if you do not give,

Only you can release your soul.

***

If you're wondering what that little flash fic/poem has to do with the word Knightly, I mean it in the 'brave' sense of the word. Like, brave and chivalrous. And sometimes it takes courage to end a war or be kind and giving.

Oh, I also found this really interesting K word.

Definition for kleptomaniac:

Web definitions:

someone with an irrational urge to steal in the absence of an economic motive.

I just thought that was weird!

Once again, I was having a really hard time finding a song that fit the theme, so, I might have stretched my own rules a little today.

But, the word Knightly made me think of knights and for some reason, this song reminds me of knights and fighting and all that sort of thing.

Played by an electric string quartet, I present the song Requiem for a Tower played by Escala.

Have a Kooky day!

--Jess

J is for Joy

J is for Joy

The stars are singing.

It’s a song too quiet to hear, but just knowing makes a difference. The sun shines through the clouds. I can’t see it, but I feel the rays on my skin.

Raindrops fall, like seeds of hope.

And I smile.

For the first time, I know that everything will be okay.

***

I'm sorry, guys. I just have a really hard time writing, well... happy things. I guess that's why the end of books are the hardest for me to write. Luckily book 1 of The Trials is only book 1 so it didn't have to end that happy.

Anyway, I'm really joyful today because yesterday, I hit 85,000 words in book 2, currently titled Light of the Dark! So yeah, I'm really really excited!! Maybe it's because it's a sequel, but writing this book has been a lot easier than writing book 1. It took me 10 months to write the first one. (I'm talking first draft.)

I started this book in November. (November!) And six months later, I'm almost done. That's like a four month improvement!

Now, as for the song. I don't usually listen to Jordin Sparks. I really only listen to European music. People like Within Temptation, Epica, Krypteria, After Forever... you know.

But.

I really like this song. Mostly because it sort of reminds me of writing. I guess it could be for anything, really, but it means more to me because that's what it reminded me of. So, give it up for One Step At A Time by Jordin Sparks.

Because, writing can be frustrating sometimes. But we've got to keep pushing on, even if we're not exactly sure where we're going.

Have a Joyful day! And happy writing!!

--Jess

P.S.

My sister's middle name is Joy, so go check out her blog. She's also participating in the A to Z Challenge!

I is for Ignorance

I is for Ignorance

The root of pain and suffering.

Born from the lack of knowledge and truth.

It’s a choice that we all must make; to be ignorant or to see behind the lies. Lies that we’ve set ourselves up to believe.

Many will choose ignorance. Because it’s easier.

Simpler.

But ignorance is the seed of all evil.

***

Here's another song I love to write to. And if you look up the lyrics, I think it's sorta kinda about ignorance. It's called See Who I Am by Within Temptation:

Have an Interesting day!

--Jess