A to Z Challenge 2013

Friday, May 22, 2009

Stunned On A Friday

I popped in this morning to see how the blog world is going and I was stunned to see a post by Brian over at The New Author. I had alot of fun working through yesterday's post, but I had no idea I would help inspire others with it. It was for me just a mental exercise to work through the concepts. Being acknowledged alongside other writers like Rebecca Woodhead and Jo-Anne Vandermeulen has just left me spinning. I've known about Rebecca's page for some time and have always found her advice and posts incredibly insightful. I had not visited Jo-Anne's page prior to this, but I have since added her to my list of must-reads. It amazes me how many gracious authors there are out there, and how much fun it is to be a part of this vibrant community. So thanks Brian, you made my day.

On another note, I put up a post about a writing exercise the other day and I indicated that I would let everyone know where the imagery came from. I'm a Coke fan. No, not the white line on the mirror. Coca-Cola. I have accumulated a few Coke collectibles over the years, from a tall lamp to a little lunch box to a miniture refridgerator. One of the items I have on my desk however, is a Coca-Cola clock. It's a tall thing, about a foot or so high, and underneath the clock there are people on stools sipping the almighty beverage while they rotate around in time to the ticking of the minute hand. Over the top of it is a plastic cover (yes I know I said glass in the story, but go with it). I started to think about the idea of how these people would react if they were actually alive, held prisoner and forced to sit on those stools forever, completely unable to drink the beverage held tightly in their little hands. When I finished writing the post, I realized two things. First of all, I had stumbled on a new writing exercise I can do whenever I'm feeling stuck and out of ideas. And second, I figured out just how far I can stretch my imagination when I put my mind to it. It was a really fun time, and the comments I got were really fun to read through as well. If you haven't checked it out, you should. Better yet, try the exercise yourself and see what you can come up with. Then let me know so I can stop by and see how it went for you.

9 comments:

Dave King said...

My first visit. Very impressed with the writing exercise. Have not had time to do justice to the blog as a whole, but shall return. First impressions: a must.

Warren Baldwin said...

Don't have time to do the exercise right now, but I like your idea. I'll link over later and read more about it. You have a lot of good ideas on this site, thanks. wb

Jody Hedlund said...

Great job getting some notice! A little bit will go a long way in the end! Keep it up!

XiXi said...

Coke forever! Have you ever been to the Coke factory in Atlanta, Georgia? I would guess you probably have. It's so cool.

Also, clever writing exercise, and I like the inspiration for it.

Clementine said...

Very cool! That would make my day too. What a way to kick off your Memorial Day Weekend!

Dolly said...

congratulations. That's great, and well deserved.

Anita said...

I like exercises, but not if they take up the only time available for actual writing...I know some people who can get caught up in exercises...kinda like blogging, instead of working on manuscript.

Eric said...

Dave - I really liked the exercise myself, and I'll probably do it again later. Thanks for stopping by.

Warren - Glad you stopped in, and I hope you enjoy reading through (or working through) the exercise.

Jody - I'm amazed at how lucky I've been over the last few months, and how many great people stop in to check out my work. So thank you.

Icy Roses - I actually have NOT been there yet, though I would just love to go. Since my parents live down in Missouri, maybe I need to take an extended trip and go the distance.

Amy - Yes, this absolutely was awesome. Thanks for stopping by.

Lost Wanderer - Glad you popped in. I enjoy your site as much as you apparently enjoy mine, so thanks.

Anita - I completely agree with you on this. As long as these are not substituting for "real" writing, I think they have merit. But we writers don't want to get caught up in playing around rather than working on what we should be. Thanks for the comment. I just may have to do a post on that very idea tomorrow.

Rebecca Woodhead said...

Thanks for the shout out and congratulations again. Haven't been over for a few days as deadline looms large. Will read your other posts and see what you've been up to :)