Being Creative Every Day

For the past couple of years, my artist buddies have posted about INKTOBER. Every day in October someone (looks like Jake Parker - not sure if he does it every year though) comes up with 31 prompts to inspire artists to draw a different picture every day during the month. For some reason this year the prompt list inspired me to think this would a great idea for writers, too! So I share it on my FB page and folks from my writers' group picked it up and ran with it.

The basic premise is simple - look at the word for the day and write a short story, flash fiction, drabble, poem, two-sentence story, or anything else that you'd like! We started a few days behind but aside from getting a little too tipsy last night (I was busy during the day, okay?) I'm on schedule. If you want, share your creations on your page(s) and use #Wordtober and don't forget to tag GLAHW! 

There's really no incentive. No publishing promises or accolades for being a clever girl/guy. Creativity is itself an incentive, especially for people in the arts (painters, photographers, writers, sculptors, et al). And who knows what will come from this exercise? Maybe nothing. Maybe the best thing you've ever done in your life. You won't know until you try!

Check out the picture below and get creating!!

Little Miss Independent

I wish I could be a bit more consistent with posting blogs but mostly time gets away from me or I simply just forget that this is an outlet I could/should use. Well, maybe someday...

I'm not exactly sure where this post will go or how long it will be but I just wanted to blog quickly about a new aspect of my life. Most of you know I've been working conventions with my writers' group, Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers, for years now. We started at Motor City Comic Con 9 years ago and, starting last year, have really branched out into out of state shows - or at least ones that are within the 5-6 hour driving range.

Being able to do those with the group has been awesome. It's helped me get out there and learn a little about what it takes to sell the goods, if you know what I mean.

via GIPHY

PERVS, ALL OF YOU.

Then back in 2016, I decided to do something very unlike me -  I signed up for an author event but as a solo mission. Alone. ALL BY MYSELF. As terrifying as it was, it was also exciting. I rarely do things on my own (including other aspects of my life) so this was a giant step. It was scheduled for June of 2017 so I figured I'd have over a year to prepare for it and get all that nervous energy out of my system. 

It tickles me that by the time that event rolled around, it ended up being my fifth solo convention! Thanks to a couple of small cons (Flint April Ghoul's Day, Free Comic Book Day at Dire Comics in Howell, and the Downriver Comic Con in Lincoln Park) and one big one (Steel City Horror Con in Pittsburgh), this past June's convention was a cake walk!

Who am I and what have I done with myself?

via GIPHY

Being able to do these conventions on my own has really helped me realize my terrible procrastination habit and inherent laziness need to FUCK THE FUCK OFF if I want my writing to be more successful. I need a lot more discipline in my life (this is not news to me) and now is the time to get hella serious about it.

I have a fantastic support system in my corner and I know I'd be useless without them. So thank you to all my friends and family that have purchased my goods (stop it...) or come to conventions or tutored me in the ways of the force or just waved sparkly fluffy pom poms in the distance to cheer me on. It means more to me than you'll ever know or that I could possibly convey. So I'll let Wade do it for me.

via GIPHY

All right. Time to stop playing on my webpage and get to work!