His fingers dance in her outstretched palm
Each one, a kiss on her skin
They sit in comfortable silence
Not sure what to say but not yet ready to leave
She smiles. He wonders what that means.
Her fingers dance on his outstretched palm
Tag: amwriting
How to write yourself down from a panic attack in six paragraphs
The feeling of my chest folding in on itself is familiar in a haunting way. It clenches the way that muscles flinch when something comes to close to your face—except it stays that way. There’s no immediate relief after you don’t get hit. There’s no sigh to release the tension.
The creature sneaks its way down the center of my body, spreading through my stomach. The roots seem to grab hold of whatever organ they can, squeezing as if I’m trying to rip it from my body. But the only violent one here is it. If you tug, it clings harder. Like Devil’s Snare, the more you fight, the worse it gets. Continue reading “How to write yourself down from a panic attack in six paragraphs”
How do you write?
I bet you didn’t know today was National Handwriting Day—and to be fair, I didn’t either until I stumbled upon the Twitter hashtag.
Although I do a plethora of writing by hand—journaling, letter-writing, list-making, scheduling—it struck me that I don’t write most of my prose by hand anymore. I believe the last story I wrote completely by hand was five years ago. Technology has consumed that part of my life. I used to carry a notebook for ideas; now I simply jot them in the “notes” section of my iPhone. When I’m interviewing someone for an article, my laptop comes along. While I usually still have a notebook and pen on me, what could be deemed my most important writing is almost exclusively written and saved electronically.
According to Forbes, National Handwriting Day was established in 1977 by Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA). Forbes quotes WIMA saying, “Handwriting allows us to be artists and individuals during a time when we often use computers, faxes and email to communicate. Fonts are the same no matter what computer you use or how you use it and they lack a personal touch. Handwriting can add intimacy to a letter and reveal details about the writer’s personality. Throughout history, handwritten documents have sparked love affairs, started wars, established peace, freed slaves, created movements and declared independence.”
Perhaps the next time I write a story, I’ll sit down with a pen and paper. Hopefully by the the time it’s complete, I’ll be able to decipher my chicken scratch and find the words in the scribbles.
What’s your favorite way to write? Leave a note in the comments below. Let’s discuss!
-hrg
Word Wednesday: Travesty
This Wednesday’s word is: Travesty (noun): a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something. (verb) represent in a false or distorted way
The challenge? Use this in some form of your writing this week. Whether it’s a poem, short story, a chapter, or an article, slip this word in, and then tag Sitting in Spilt Ink in it on Twitter (@Spiltinkblog) for a chance to be featured on the site!
Word Wednesday: Revitalize
This Wednesday’s word is: revitalize (verb): to imbue (something) with new life and vitality. The challenge? Use this in some form of your writing this week. Whether it’s a poem, short story, a chapter, or an article, slip this word in, and then send your piece to me. I’d love to read what you come up with!
An evening of writing
I’ve made a mug of coffee and brought my computer to the lounge, where I’m using dry-erase markers on a board to set up character outlines. It’s snowing outside, but I have fuzzy socks on. I’ll probably order a gluten-free pizza later, with barbecue sauce not tomato sauce, and of course chicken, double cheese, onions and pineapple.
I’m falling in love with the first line of my novel, and my characters are showing me how awesome they really are.
Such is the life of a writer.
-HRG
Twitter accounts to keep you going for NaNoWriMo
If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, you’ve probably succumbed to the “I can push this off” or “I think that’s good for today.” I know I have. I’m actually so embarrassed about my word count I won’t even share it here. (EEEKK…it’s really that bad!)
Don’t fear! There’s always a way to get back on track.
Two Twitter accounts that really help to keep you on tack are @NaNoWriMo and @NaNoWriMoSprints.
NaNoWriMo Sprints tweets out short challenges to keep you writing and to keep writer’s block from setting in.
Here’s a few of their tweets from today:
@NaNoWriMo is usually tweeting out encouraging words and updates on their fundraising goals and merchandise.
Both good follows if you’re a NaNoWriMo writer!
-HRG
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