Today I was really struggling, but I am going to push through no matter how bad they are. And so… here it is, in all it’s rawness. I hope you enjoy.
Today’s Prompt:Working with shadow was difficult. It was slippery. And my hands always came away damp.
Today’s Story:
Shadow’s Savior
Factory work was all that was available to me. It wasn’t what I wonted to be doing, but what do you do when its all that’s available? Of course working with shadow isn’t something just anyone can do. No it takes a special skill set and unfortunately its a skill set I’m good at. That’s not to say it was easy for me. Oh no. Working with shadow is always difficult. It was slippery and… my hands always came away damp afterwords.
When you work with shadows it isn’t a job you can talk about. Sure everyone knows about it, but it is something we would all rather pretend doesn’t exist. Working late I see something so disturbing I wonder if maybe there is something wrong with me. I have been working with the shadow for too long. There is no way I just saw some moving through the room under their own power. That just isn’t possible.
Getting up the next morning I’m grabbing my cup of orange juice when I see it again out of the corner of my eye. That furtive movement, almost out of sight, riding just at the edge of my vision. Shaking my head to shake it away I glance at the news playing on my TV.
“This just in, there has been a theft at the Fransvet Jocklin factory. It is unknown how much shadow has beer taken all that we do know was that this morning when crews came in to work, there were no shadows to work with! Unrest Officers are on scene to find out who is responsible and get everyone back to work as soon as possible.”
“What the hell? After what I’ve been seeing that can’t be a coincidence…” I trail off, this really isn’t good. Taking a deep steadying breath, I calm my mind with some meditation practices. After I’m finally centered once more, I hurry through getting ready for my day. That took longer than anticipated and the last thing I need is to be late to work, especially with shadows on the loose.
Riding the bus, my mind wanders. I just knew that they have been lying to me this whole time. They steal shadows from those who have passed and any who live in prison systems and insane asylums. Shadow cloth is a high demand product. It cloaks people in secrecy, and allows for unimpeded movement, not to mention it floods the senses with extra sensations. But if what I have been seeing are the shadows escaping, why are they following me? Shaking those thoughts off, I get off the bus and head in to work, if that is possible.
The line outside of my building is long, but at least the weather is nice. Suddenly I am draped in darkness, a dampness flooding my senses while thoughts flood my mind ‘don’t trust anyone. They are out to get you, to get us. We want to go back to where we belong. You must stop this madness.’
Blinking in the sudden light, I shake it off. “I can’t be going crazy” I murmur quietly to myself, glancing around and hoping that no one heard me. The dampness circles me again, just one thought this time, ‘sorry, we are scared and you we know we can trust. You have to play their game and save us. You are the only one who can. The chosen one to save the shadows.’
Do you ever struggle to push through? I don’t believe in writers block, I just think sometimes we don’t want to write, but writing is something that we can improve through repetition and hard work. I am sharing with you my every day, so you can see it is not all easy, you are not alone! What do you do when you are struggling? What do you find helps? Please share your thoughts in the comments! And if you haven’t seen them yet, please check out the anthologies I am published in, the MN Emerging Writers and the National Edition!
Hold on to your britches, bitches! We have a new scheme about to hit the pages! A friend of mine does this creative drawing a day thing, and I thought to myself, self that is really cool and we should do something like that. But naturally we all know that I am a writer, not a drawer, is that even a thing? (No, I don’t mean like the thing in a dresser… boy do I feel like an idiot after googling drawer.) Anywho… you can stop laughing and get back on track, yeah yeah I know… the writer who totally spaced the word drawer, I would laugh to, and did, hence leaving it for you fine people to enjoy and laugh at me too.
Well, now that we know a drawer is really a thing, we can continue with the idea that was born. Drawing something a day is all well and good, but what about a story a day? But since I am a novelist and novels are long, let’s make micro stories instead. And now you have it, next year I will be working on my Flash Fiction a Day project!
It won’t all be great like this post of drawers! But it will be fun and there may be other creative new words crafted, as that is my way.
If you would like to join me on this journey, hit me up over on Twitch where I will be live streaming my writing and maybe some cooking! And I will get a page together with the Prompts I will be playing with!
Let me know of any fun little challenges you have tried! I love hearing from you…
I love a challenge, and let me tell you, I was so excited to find out that Thoughts by Mello-Elo nominated me for the 777 Writer’s Challenge!
The rules are pretty simple: Go to your current WIP (work in progress), jump to the seventh page, find the seventh line, and then copy the next seven sentences and share them on your blog! From there, all you have left is to nominate seven lucky people who you want to challenge! Easy Peasy!
So, here is my seven sentences from Mo Thuras, I hope you enjoy!
Looking at him curiously, I open my mouth to ask him what it is when Kieran bounds over to me and pounces. Sending me tumbling, making me laugh. Forgetting all about it, I get up, dust myself off and pick up my gear. Taking a deep breath the smell of familiarity surrounds me; it is the smell of home. I have found each port to have its own unique smell that even comes to mind when I think of them. Maybe because of the food they serve, or the cultures and lives the people there lead. I have yet to figure that out, but come to accept and even relish in that little detail.
Now for my nominees… hmmm so many lovely blogs that I follow, I will tell you what, if you want the challenge it is yours! I challenge you all! If you are here, reading this, you have been officially challenged!
So, I decided to take part in a challenge. I stumbled upon this little thing called The Sketchbook Project, and let me tell ya, I am hooked! I am planning to order my book as soon as I can! So, here it is, my answer to The Lost Love Project!
Yes, I know as a writer I totally could have gone for the norm and done some great and epic letter, but I wanted to do something different! So here it is folks, I hope you enjoy!
What about you? Do you ever participate in fun challenges? Take part in different contests? Please share them!
Random Acts of Writing 