Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School – now available – Please Share
“. . . sensitive and informative . . .” — Foreword Clarion Reviews Visit this link to read the full review. Get the eBook exclusively from the FriesenPress Online Bookstore! Available in Paperback and Hardcover from various retailers.We will add links to the list below as soon as we find them. Amazon Australia Canada United…
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ACT NOW! TESTIMONY OF OUTLAWS IS FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
Because I forgot to unmark this post as a sticky and remove my top of page banner, I have made Testimony of Outlaws FREE until January 8, 2023. What is it? A lot of haiku poems, and also two stories about Christmas.Some of the poems are new, and so is the story called “Lights.”
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Time Gone By – Part 33 – Science Fiction
As soon as everyone was in the van, I turned on my phone. Stacey: I’m a bit surprised you didn’t call or text me. Oh no! I’d completely forgotten to reply when she’d let me know she was home. Mom: I’m sorry. I had my phone off. I’m glad you got home safely, but wish…
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Testimony of Outlaws
Presale! Christmas is coming. Relax with haiku and story. (opens in a new tab) Testimony of Outlaws contains new haiku poems, as well as most of the haiku published on this blog. There are two stories about Christmas, including a new one called Lights. Only 99 cents!
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Time Gone By – Part 32 – Science Fiction
Curly tried to get me to tell him the plan, but I wouldn’t. Three minutes later, I saw Adelle’s car. It was painted the color of arterial blood you might see in a bad detective movie. We waved to each other, and I gave them the thumbs up. I drove for a few minutes, and…
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Introducing WordPress Pro: One Plan, Infinite Possibilities – reblog
Our mission has always been to democratize publishing, one website at a time. Now we’re making all the benefits of WordPress available to more people… Introducing WordPress Pro: One Plan, Infinite Possibilities
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Customize Your Entire Site With New Block Themes – reblog
Experiment with a new look for your site with themes created to take advantage of Full Site Editing. Customize Your Entire Site With New Block Themes
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The Future of Plugin, Themes, and Services Purchases on WordPress.com – reblog
Recently we shared that you can now purchase six popular Automattic plugins right from your WordPress.com dashboard. We’re intentionally testing this… The Future of Plugin, Themes, and Services Purchases on WordPress.com
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Time Gone By – Part 31 – Science Fiction
This is a work of fiction. “Wow!” Freckles said, looking out at the diving board and ocean.“Yeah, yeah, I’ll find it.” A man’s deep voice came from the entrance.Lisa had been smiling, but now she looked angry.Adelle said to Lisa, “Sounds like you’ve got more important things to do than watch some kid bellyflop.”Before Lisa…
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Cleaning Up My Website
You may have noticed that my Free Fiction Page is incomplete, and also that I’ve started linking stories on my Home page. I’m planning to clean everything up and have all my free fiction listed on both pages. I’m just working on how to do that so it’s easy to find stories without having a…
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Isolation – Part 9 – Contemporary Fiction
This is a work of fiction. I’m lying on the bed that Mercy used until we sort of started sharing my bed. She still keeps her stuff in here, and her phone’s on the nightstand. The screen is lit and displaying Mercy’s apps, but I can’t reach it. I’m lying on my side, facing out…
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Billy
In 2020, I wrote Lockdown, and last year, I started Isolation. The latter is almost finished, and I’ll post the last part(s) soon, but there’s going to be at least one more story for Billy to tell. Instead of posting it on this site, I’m going to publish the next one on Smashwords. It’ll be…
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I See the Stars, I Hear the Mighty Thunder
I don’t see the stars. Hyacinth and me hadn’t thought about me posting on this site, but when this topic came up, I told her I wanted to write this post, and not use a discussion format. Thankfully, WordPress allows multiple authors on every site, so it’s easy. While I don’t see the stars, I…
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A Tree to Describe Me
“Mateo.” “Hi. It’s Hyacinth Grey.” “Oh, hi. I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon.” “I need your help.” “Is it about a case?” I’m at my desk, with a mug of Earl Grey that I’ve been neglecting for the last hour. It’s cold, but I won’t go refresh it until after this…
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Changing the World – Haiku
I keep on writing, Revising, then publishing, Stories change the world.
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The Sound of Silence
In spite of the title of this post, I’m not listening to the Simon and Garfunkle song, but to nothing. Michael loves classical music and instrumentals, but I don’t know exactly what he has on right now. As for me, I like older popular music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Go ahead; call me an…
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Team Spirit – My Drafty Little Room
When I need solitude, I go to my writing room, which is fairly little and a bit drafty. A couple of years ago, I was inspired by writing community team spirit. We’re all working on books and most of the time, we’re pretty nice to each other. We all tend to learn from each other…
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A Favorite Part of Myself – Haiku
What I love about, Myself is my unending, Need to read and write.
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What Makes Me Feel Strong
Lifting weights. Mwahahaha. Being able to write fiction. My imagination is strong. It can create worlds. Universes. People. All kinds of creatures. I can do anything I want with my imagination. I beliive that imagination is God within all of us. In other words, to love God and to love ourselves is inseparable. And by…
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Forgetting My Mask
The writing prompt for today is a dream I remember. I have a recurring dream about forgetting my mask. I’ll be out some place, and suddenly realize I’m not wearing a mask. It’s not the scariest dream I’ve ever had, but it’s my least favorite because I keep having it and I’m very careful never…
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An Interview with Detective Maria Mateo and a New Lower Price for Wounded Bride
My first novel, Wounded Bride, was published two years ago today! “Mateo.” A shudder ripples through me. It’s strange to be talking to the fictional detective that I’ve created. “Hi, um, it’s Hyacinth Grey.” There’s a pause. Is she going to hang up on me or will she meet me for an interview? “You’re Hyacinth…
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Favorite Quote
The short answer is: I don’t have one. I do like some quotes, but I don’t use a lot of them in my daily life. Therefore, I’m going to share one I used in a piece of free fiction. “Die Religion ist … das Opium des Volkes.” – Karl Marx Translated from the original German,…
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To the Year
This one was kind of hard for Michael and me to agree on, but we did in the end. “So,” I asked, “if you could time travel to any year, which one would it be?” “I’d like to meet the Romans,” he said. “I’d also like to meet Jesus Christ, so I’d like to go…
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Michael on the Beach
This post will be disappointing to many as there is no actual picture included. I write under a pseudonym and prefer not to share personal photos. My favorite picture that I’ve taken is of Michael. He’s standing on the beach with the ocean behind him and mountains in the background. He’s wearing a blue T-shirt…
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Love – Haiku
Where can we find it? Who knows how to keep it fresh? And just what it is?
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My Own Book
My own book is next on my reading list. I’m not vain, or at least I hope I’m not. The reason I’m reading my own book is because I need to revise it. It’s been a work in progress for a couple years, and I plan to get it published some time in 2022 or…
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Teleportation
The bloganuary prompt for today is a superpower I’d like to have. I think it’d be pretty cool to be able to teleport myself anywhere in the galaxy. All I’d need is clothes or equipment for the destination and I could hop over to Mars, check out Antarctica here on Earth, or go visit a…
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Passionate about Braille
The question for bloganuary today was about what cause I’m passionate about. I asked Michael this, and he said, “Braille literacy.” “Can you expand on that?” I asked. “Sure. Many blind people grow up not learning braille. They listen to everything. Please don’t misunderstand me. There’s nothing wrong with audio. The problem I have is…
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Not One
I don’t think there is any one lesson that everybody should learn. I think life is different for each of us, and what we need to learn from it depends on who we are and how we want to live our lives. This might be unsatisfying, but if you look at it another way, you’ll…
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Challenge – Haiku
Publishing a book, Is a challenge I have faced, Wounded Bride proves it.
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A Great Day
6:00 a.m. – Wake up. 6:15 a.m. – Start breakfast. 6:30 a.m. – Eat breakfast. 6:45 a.m. – Shower. 7:00 a.m. – Start writing. 9:30 a.m. – Say good morning to Michael while he drinks coffee and I drink tea. 10:00 a.m. – Write. 11:45 a.m. – Have lunch with Michael. 12:30 p.m. – Work…
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Emojis
🥳 I asked Michael about his favorite emoji description on the iPhone, and he picked that one. Emojis haven’t always been graphical. Both of us remember the good old days of the : ) (written separately to make sure it won’t get turned into an emoji). It may be on its side, but you don’t…
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Living in Bold
Living boldly. What does that mean to me? What a writing prompt! To underline (haha) how difficult this question is, all I need to do is point to the fear of being just another grain of sand on the beach. I mean, how many people would say that living boldly means doing the things you…
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Grateful
I asked Michael, and he suggested we each pick two things we were grateful for and then that would leave us one thing to share. “Good idea,” I said. “So, what about you? What are you thankful for today?” “Well,” he said, “you remember a couple days ago I said I wish everything wasn’t so…
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Questions Are Good, Assumptions Are Bad
It’s often said: “To assume makes an ass of u and me.” And it’s true. I would say that most assumptions are false, and many leave people feeling crammed into a box in somebody else’s cluttered mind. Michael and I talked about this, and I asked him if there was one assumption people made about…
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My Writing
The question today is what I like most about my writing. I like that I don’t use a lot of overly long, complicated, “boring” sentences. I try to write how my characters would think or talk, not in a particularly literary-conscious style. I’m not concerned with how I sound, but with how my characters come…
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January 7 – Haiku
The writing prompt was: What makes you laugh? Things that make me laugh, Change like seasons, shift like moods, So I’ll never know.
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You, Stephen King, and J. K. Rowling
They’ve both written epic fantasy series and they both inspire me. I’m not sure if I want to write a fantasy series, but I admire anybody who can write that many books and keep characters going, not to mention keeping track of everybody and what happened in previous books. My first novel, Wounded Bride, is…
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Magic – Haiku
How to do magic, And be able to end the, Global pandemic.
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Our Favorite Toy and Happy World Braille Day 2022!
Before we answer the question, Michael and I would like to shjare something. We liked discussing the writing prompt about road trips, and when I read the favorite toy question, my mind drew a blank. Michael’s didn’t. “Didn’t you play with Lego?” he exclaimed. “Of course,” I said. “It was my favorite, and frankly, I…
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Leaving my Comfort Zone
That’s an easy one. In January 2020, I published my first book, a thriller and hard-boiled detective novel, Wounded Bride. In doing so, I put myself out there. This website also does that, but publishing my first book wasn’t accomplished alone. I wrote it in 2017 and sat on it for almost a year before…
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All the Trees
What road trip would I love to take? That was the writing prompt I received for today’s post, and at first, the question terrified me slightly. You might be wondering why, or maybe you’re guessing that I’m afraid of riding in a car, scared of the unknown, or have been every place and don’t need…
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January 1 – A Letter to my Teenage Self
Dear Teenage Hyacinth, As a writing prompt for bloganuary, WordPress asked me what advice I’d give you. If I could go back in time and meet you, we could go to a Starbucks and I’d buy a decaf coffee. I know, I know, you’d be mad at me for not buying you “the real thing,”…
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Merry Christmas 2021
Dear Reader, Merry Christmas. It’s been a complicated couple of years, and I hope things are starting to look up. I also know that Christmas can be a difficult time for many. Of course, not everybody celebrates Christmas. To everyone, in all our varying human circumstances, I hope today is a good day. Peace, Hyacinth
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New Year, New Success with Bloganuary – reblog with a comment
Hyacinth says, “This is something for me.” Although I haven’t blogged daily for a while, I’m going to meet this challenge. After January, I’ll decide what to do. In a few short days, you’ll surely be asked: What are your New Year’s resolutions for 2022? If starting a blogging habit is one of them, we’re…
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Update about In Life
Some of you may have wondered what was happening with my free fiction piece, “In Life.” I’m happy to tell you that I’m still working on it, but there’s something I’d like to share with you. It will still be free, but once it’s finished, it will be published on Smashwords instead of on this…
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Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School – COVER REVEAL on World Braille Day (January 4, 2022)
Michael and I can’t wait to show you the cover for our upcoming children’s book, Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School! The cover will be revealed on World Braille Day 2022, which is January 4. This will take place on both hyacinthgrey.com (this website) and on Hyacinth Grey’s Books for Young Readers (hgb4yr.com). Please…
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Sharing a GREAT Post: “How to Create Book Covers Using Power Point”
I want to create some book covers to publish some of my free fiction, and since I have Microsoft PowerPoint as part of Office 365, and a friend suggested it, I Googled the topic, and found this totally awesome blog post! It involves doing some math, but I love that kind of geeky stuff like…
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Testimony of Outlaws – delayed until June 2022
I’m working on a book of haiku poetry called Testimony of Outlaws. It’s also going to include a story about Christmas, so I was planning to publish it on December 23, but I’m not ready yet. Instead of making you wait for Christmas 2022, I’m going to release it on June 25. The link above…
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New: Free Blogging Course – reblog
We have released a free course to help aspiring bloggers and content creators develop smart strategies and launch their sites. New: Free Blogging Course
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Ruth – Part 4 – Romance
This is a work of fiction. Chapter 4 Sean and I ended up ordering one of everything, and we spent the meal chatting. While Sean was getting the kids ready to go, I realized I hadn’t invited him to dinner yet. “Would you and the kids like to come to dinner at my place the…
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Happy Halloween: I want to suck your blood (don’t be afraid, it’s just a title to shock people into reading this, I think)
When I was a kid, I loved dressing up as a vampire. I enjoyed saying, “I vant to suck your blood!” Now that I’m older, and today’s Halloween, I’m wondering this: do vampires actually say that? I’ve read Dracula, and I’m pretty sure nobody say that. I know if I were a vampire, I probably…
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Haiku – October 24
Winter’s coming soon, Cold outside and warm in hearts, At this time love blooms.
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The Illustrations Are Ready!
This post was written and published by Michael on October 3, 2021 on Hyacinth Grey’s Books for Young Readers (www.hgb4yr.com). Hyacinth and me are happy to announce that the illustrations for our first children’s book, “Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School,” are finalized! Both the coloring pages and the full color pictures for the…
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Cover Reveal: Testimony of Outlaws
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The Cover for “Testimony of Outlaws” Will Be Revealed Tomorrow (October 1) on YouTube! – subscribe now
My book, “Testimony of Outlaws,” which is coming out on December 23, has a cover! Subscribers to my YouTube channel will be the first to see it. It’s coming tomorrow, so you still have time to subscribe.
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Isolation – Part 8
Sorry, I can’t seem to get this post to convert to audio, so there’s no podcast episode. This is a work of fiction. As I paint, I keep thinking about Mercy. What did she mean about being able to sit and do whatever she wanted? Whose funeral did she attend nine years ago? Where had…
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Not Doing NaNoWriMo This Year
I remember my idea for NaNoWriMo 2021, but I don’t know if it will produce a novel in thirty days, so I’ve decided not to do NaNoWriMo this year. Next week, I plan to post a story part.
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September 11, 2001 – Haiku
Twenty years ago On this day in September, Your life was taken. I remember you, From the news that awful day, But we’d never met. Those who knew you well, Know you still and love you well, May you rest in peace.
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Expanded Button Formatting, New Spacing Controls, and Drag-and-Drop for List View Now in Block Editor – reblog
This month, our team released features in the block editor that give your site a little breathing room: spacing controls for buttons and paragraphs. … Expanded Button Formatting, New Spacing Controls, and Drag-and-Drop for List View Now in Block Editor
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Time Gone By – Part 30 – Science Fiction
This is a work of fiction. As I approached the door, I felt nervous.What if somebody, either the man who would later be accused of killing Lisa, or some other guest, took a dislike to one of the kids? I could hardly protect them.I told myself not to be silly.I knocked on the door.It opened,…
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Zen – Haiku
Thought it was Sankrit, But from Japanese it came, To English one day. Into Japanese, It came from Middle Chinese, Borrowed from Sanskrit.
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Yesterday – Haiku
Yesterday has passed, And today is almost gone, And tomorrow’s next.
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X – Haiku
In my heart an X, Is drawn each time I am hurt, Can they be crossed out?
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Wounded Bride – get your copy today
For a hard-boiled, fast-paced detective novel, purchase a copy of Wounded Bride. With it in hand, you’ll be entertained for a while, so if it’s raining this weekend, you won’t be bored. Once you’ve finished “Wounded Bride,” please leave an honest review through any app or reading website.
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Veiling – Haiku
In dusk the day lies, And slowly darkens to night, Secret kept till dawn.
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Unveiling – Haiku
When the gray fog lifts, And you see the underneath, The truth’s beautiful.
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Trouble with Stories
This post contains what some might consider a very small spoiler for my story in progress, Time Gone By. I’ve been publishing free fiction on this site since last April, and I currently have five pieces in progress. The problem is, I can’t seem to make anything happen in any of them, which is why…
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Self-Doubt – Haiku
Who am I to write, Stories that only a real, Writer should dare to.
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Reblog – Faster, More Flexible Editing of Your Sidebars, Headers, and Footers: Blocks for Widgets
Great news: the block editor you’re familiar with in pages and posts is now part of the widgets editor. Faster, More Flexible Editing of Your Sidebars, Headers, and Footers: Blocks for Widgets
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Quiet – Haiku
In silence may we, Find the courage to go on, And meet what’s ahead.
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Peace – Haiku
The absence of war, Or better yet a deeper, State of harmony.
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Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School
Dear Reader, Michael and I would like to update you on what is happening with our upcoming children’s book, Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School. We’re still working on the story and illustrations. We hope this first book in a series of stories about Monica and Brad, characters we’ve both come to love, will…
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NaNoWriMo – Haiku
A yearly challenge starting November first write 50,000 words.
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Music – Haiku
From our mothers’ hearts, All the joy we find through life, Memories of us.
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Laughter – Haiku
Down the block I hear, Children laughing high and clear, Carried with it hope.
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Keeping the Peace – Haiku
Standing in between, Catching all the words that wound, Most invisibly.
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Just Jotting (or Maybe Juggling) and a Question
Ideas are nice. I sort of get into trouble with myself for having to many of them. I get a new one, start writing, and then leave other projects waiting for my attention. I’m going to come up with a list of “rules” for making sure I work on every story. 1. When an idea…
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I Love WordPress
If you’ve been thinking about building a website or a blog, I recommend WordPress.com. It’s easy to set up and use. All you need is an e-mail address, and they’ll give you a free website just a couple of minutes after you click the signup button. They have so many themes, it’s hard to select…
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Hospital – Haiku
No one wants to go, To it but when we do we, Are taken care of.
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Grammar – Haiku
Good grammar’s nice but, What’s more important is the, Story you unfold.
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5 Ways to Get Started On Your Side Hustle – reblog with a comment
My comment. The term “side hustle” sounds vaguely unpleasant, but the information given in this post is valuable, and it even starts with the letter F, which is the letter I need to start a post with today! Nice coincidence. We’re committed to helping you create a professional online presence with WordPress.com, and we’re launching…
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Everything – Haiku
Everything makes sense, In the light of a clear day, Surrounded by love.
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Doing the Right Thing – Haiku
Doing the right thing, Isn’t easy but it is, Necessary now.
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Cucumber
Lots of people have cucumbers in their gardens right now. I ate a few, and then I got curious. Why does it take three syllables to talk about an edible plant part that so many of us love? Beans, peas, and grapes are monosyllabic, and as far as I know, we’ve been eating them and…
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Bird – Haiku
Buffeted by wind, Bringing its song to the world, Better days below.
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About Time (and blogging)
I have twenty-six days left in my sprint to reach a 500-day blogging streak, so I started to think about that, and came up with the idea of doing a post with a title that starts with each letter of the alphabet over the next twenty-six days. Some of those will be easy, like A,…
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A Letter to Oops
Dear Oops, I went to my free fiction page the other day and noticed that many links to stories were missing. I’m working to rectify this error on my part, and I hope to have that page fully updated by August 1. I don’t plan to let this happen again, so Oops, you shouldn’t expect…
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Heading Font Weights and List View Toggles Arrive in Block Editor and WordPress 5.8 – reblog
With the WordPress 5.8 release, we’re starting to introduce features that overall improve your visual editing experience. Heading Font Weights and List View Toggles Arrive in Block Editor and WordPress 5.8
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The Second Annual Official WordPress.com Growth Summit Is Coming, and You Won’t Want to Miss It – reblog
Join us online August 17 (Americas) and August 18 (Asia Pacific). Register today! The Second Annual Official WordPress.com Growth Summit Is Coming, and You Won’t Want to Miss It
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Make Your Best Photos Shine – reblog
Photos on your website can be a representation of who you are, what you do, or what you love. We want your photos to show to your visitors as best … Make Your Best Photos Shine
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Two Sample Chapters from my detective novel Wounded Bride
Wounded Bride is the first book in a hard-boiled detective series. I’d like to share the first two chapters with you. Chapter 1 Saturday, March 17 5:00 a.m. Maria Mateo woke from a sound sleep and fumbled for the ringing phone. Her heart pounding, she answered, “Mateo.” “Did I wake you?” came the voice of…
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Testimony of Outlaws – coming December 23!
About the Book This eBook is a collection of the haiku poems that I’ve posted to my blog up to August 23, 2021, which marks the end of a 500-day blogging streak. It also contains some haikus that haven’t been posted on my blog. The title is the second line of one of my earliest…
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Haiku – July 22
Now it’s time to rest, When important work is done, With a clear conscience.
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Writing Science Fiction – Revisited
There’s much more to sci-fi than science. On this day last year, I wrote a post about writing sci-fi. Rather than reposting it, I’m going to rewrite it. Science is important, but it’s not everything. Chances are, your characters don’t live and breathe science on a daily basis. Even the ones that do will still…
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Sharing a Post about eBook Formatting
Thanks to Killzoneblog.com’s post Top Ten Tips on Formatting eBooks from MS Word, I’ve been able to publish my short fiction piece The Dark Tide on Smashwords.com. Even if you aren’t formatting eBooks, or if you’re not using Word to do it, you might want to give the post a read for some of the…
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The Dark Tide
Die Religion … ist das Opium des Volkes. – Karl Marx Everyone had been called to Worship. I stood outside the temple, and waited for the doors to be opened. It was early morning, and very bright, with sunbeams reflecting off the snow that had fallen the night before. I felt exposed, standing as I…
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Haiku – July 18
As soon as life starts, Time begins its relentless, Read to the ending.
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Haiku – July 17
Sometimes in the night, I hear your voice and I think, That’s what love sounds like.
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Popular Podcast App Pocket Casts Joins Automattic – reblog
Pocket Casts will be joining Automattic, making it easier for podcast fans to discover new content and customize their listening experience. Popular Podcast App Pocket Casts Joins Automattic
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6 Ways WordPress.com Courses Help You Grow – reblog
Join our WordPress.com Course Communities to help you get started on your blog or podcast. 6 Ways WordPress.com Courses Help You Grow
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Haiku – July 14
When I die I’ll leave, The world as all enter it, Loving humankind. I will not give in, And allow hatred to steal, My humanity. I will write stories, And leave them ever after, To those who’ll read them.
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A Haiku from the Archives – July 13, 2020
Over the mountains, An ocean lies waiting for, You to explore it.
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I Wish People Wouldn’t Say “Vaccine-Resistant”
Recently, I read something containing the phrase “vaccine-resistant.” In my opinion, this is poor wording. Before I continue with my reasoning, let it be known that I do not hold a medical degree of any kind, and therefore I am speaking purely from my own personal understanding of how viruses, vaccines, and the human body…
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Haiku – July 11
Sometimes when we lose, Unexpectedly we find, That in truth we’ve won.
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Check out a piece of free horror fiction
A year ago, I started to write Lockdown. It’s finished now, and is available as both a blog post and as a podcast episode. Click the buttons below to open the blog post or the podcast episode.
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Haiku – July 9
When life won’t be still, Take it as a sign that you, Must go where it goes.
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The Dark Tide is coming, but don’t worry, it’s just free fiction!
Last year, I wrote a novelette or maybe a very long short story. It’s called The Dark Tide, and it needs some revisions. I’m happy to announce that I’m well on the way to getting that accomplished. I hope to post it by the end of August.
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Yellow – Haiku
With yellow I can, Draw the sun and happiness, Far from cowardly.
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Haiku – July 6
When I hear the sea, I feel that all things ancient, Are nearer to me.
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Haiku – July 5
When we meet the one, Who will love us from now on, Will we know it then?
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Happy Fourth of July
Good morning. Michael and I would like to wish all of our American Readers a happy Fourth of July “by the dawn’s early light.”
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Haiku – July 3
Write the story now, While it’s fresh in mind and heart, Or leave to simmer.
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Haiku – July 2
The first draft is done, Now hard work truly begins, I must revise it.
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Haiku – July 1
Honey at sunrise, Sweetness and light all in one, Make the breath of dawn.
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From the Archives: what writing is and is not
A year ago today I wrote What Writing Is and Is Not.
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Grief – Haiku
Grief is like a sound, In the heart that never dies, ‘Till death stops the beat.
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On June 28 Last Year: get Wounded Bride – Haiku
Get Wounded Bride – Haiku was posted on June 28, 2020. Wounded Bride was published on January 23, 2020 and is a hard-boiled detective novel and the first in a series.
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In 57 days…
In fifty-seven days, I’ll have posted something every day for the last 500 days. This has been a difficult decision for me, and I don’t like to admit that I’ve been struggling with time management, but I have, and I’ve decided not to blog every day anymore. I’m not going away, and I plan to…
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Haiku – June 26
I don’t usually need to do this for haikus, but this one requires it to be said that it is fiction. Upon her she feels, The chills of fever rising, And knows this is war.
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From the Archives: my first 35 posts
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From the Archives: one year ago today – a letter to summer
A Letter to Summer was written one year ago today. For more letters, check out my letters category page.
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P2 Puts Easy, Flexible Project Tracking Tools In Your Hands – reblog
Improve your team’s workflow and productivity with these project tracking blocks. P2 Puts Easy, Flexible Project Tracking Tools In Your Hands
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Haiku – June 22
Now I’m looking up, See a rainbow in the sky, All our hope and love.
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Lots of Haiku
I’ve been writing haiku poetry for over a year now, and my haiku category page is getting pretty big. Why not check it out and share any or all of them on Facebook, Twitter, or your favorite social media platform.
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Announcement: What I’m doing for NaNoWriMo this November
On June 20 last year, I posted about what I was planning for NaNoWrimMo, and I thought it would be fun to post this announcement exactly one year later. Originally, I created a poll to ask people what genre I should write in this year. I’m not sure if I shared it properly, so I…
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A Letter to Haiku
Dear Haiku, You are pretty cool, And people like you a lot, ‘Cause you’re quick to read. Not too long to write, Lots of meaning in each word, Syllables must count. When I think of you, It’s with greatest affection, Because you help me. Not only to gain, More traffic to my website, But to…
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Built-in Duotone Image Filter, Editor Navigation via Persistent List View, and Other Block Editor Improvements – reblog
The next batch of exciting updates to the block editor is live on WordPress.com. Powerful duotone image editing, a persistent list view to edit your … Built-in Duotone Image Filter, Editor Navigation via Persistent List View, and Other Block Editor Improvements
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Fantasy – Haiku
If their world were real, Then the characters might say, Come and join us here.
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Let’s Celebrate Pride by Supporting Nonprofits – reblog
For Pride this year, we’re highlighting queer nonprofits and charities. It’s more important than ever to support the queer community and raise … Let’s Celebrate Pride by Supporting Nonprofits
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Day One, the Journaling App, Joins Automattic – reblog
We’re excited to welcome Day One to the Automattic team. Day One is a private journaling app that makes writing for yourself a simple pleasure. A … Day One, the Journaling App, Joins Automattic
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Haiku – June 14
In moonlight we walked, You took my hand and told me, How much you loved me.
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Haiku – June 13
The greatest gift is, Sitting and sharing stories, With someone you love.
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Isolation – Part 7
This is a work of fiction. My throat is sore and I’m thirsty. So this is it, I think as I tiptoe into the bathroom and fill a glass. This is the virus. I never thought to ask Mercy how hers started. Were her symptoms this mild and innocent, like a little bit of a…
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Check Out My YouTube Channel
I found a cool WordPress plugin to show a YouTube channel in a post or a page. Check it out!
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Haiku – June 10
Identity is, Something each one of us has, Must each be alone?
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From the Archives: Writing Advice from June 9, 2020
On June 9, 2020, I posted a piece of writing advice.When and How to Self-Edit
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Haiku – June 8
Write just the first line, Then continue the process, To the bitter end.
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Haiku – June 7
Water flowing swift, Takes me where it wants to lead, To a better me.
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June Haikus
I was going to do a “post on this day last year,” but last June 6 was just a promotional post about “The Dark Tide,” and that story needs a lot of revision before I can repost it. So, instead of revisiting the same day last year, I went back to June 1, 2020, and…
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Stars – Haiku
Stars pin-point the sky, Like characters in a book, We haven’t read yet.
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What could there be to writing more than writing itself? Inspiratioin, perspiration, and beyond.
The answer is that there’s plenty. Writing is like a puzzle. All the pieces are mixed up in the box, and a finished puzzle (published book) seems a thousand miles away. Actually writing, either by pen or by keyboard, will get you only about a quarter of the way assembled and ready to go. Another…
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Haiku – June 3
When the moon shines bright, And night is still all around, Hope and goodness rise.
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Haiku – June 2
Singing in the trees, Laughter from the ground below, Carefree things we miss.
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Haiku – June 1
Time’s not on my side, When I try to do what I, Want to accomplish.
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From the Archives: more posts to check out
This is the same as yesterday, but in a different direciton. The other one started at the A end of the alphabet, and this one starts at the Z end. They both have excerpts on, so you can decide what interests you before you open it up.
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From the Archives: give these a read
I don’t have any new content for today, so I thought I’d share some of my previous posts. There’s a small excerpt, so you can decide which one(s) interest you before opening it/them.
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Haiku – I Love to Write, but…
When I’m deep in words, Hours can go by without, My being aware. Is it kind of sad? That life can go by so fast, While we write of it.
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From the Archives: a year ago today
A year ago today, I posted this haiku. Prompt (first word that popped into my head): find A computer screen, The mind wishing to know things, Hands on the keyboard.
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Goodnight – Haiku
Here’s your pillow soft, And your bed in darkness lies, See you at first light.
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Updating My Website
I wanted to change up my site and am working on a redesign. If you notice anything weird, please ignore it and come back soon.
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The Best of Both Worlds: WordPress.com Managed Hosting – reblog
How you can get the total freedom to create without the hassles that come with managing your own website. The open source WordPress project has … The Best of Both Worlds: WordPress.com Managed Hosting
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Update on my Writing
I haven’t posted about my plans for books lately. I’m still working on the illustrations for “Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School.” I hate the idea of not blogging every day, but I’m starting to think I might need to change my schedule in order to have enough energy to revise my next book…
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From the Archives: free fiction
I like to write fiction. Rather than linking to my free fiction page, which I’m in the process of rebuilding, I’d like to share this tag page with you. Because I may have used the fiction tag on some of my posts about Wounded Bride, which is not free, it might show up on that…
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Haiku – May 22
Sudden change might be, Scary but it also brings, Opportunity.
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The Basket – Part 4
This is a work of fiction. Laine must have read the article on Friday. Poor Laine. Even though she’d said she didn’t like him, it was possible she actualy did like Arnie, the man who’d gotten the night off while she’d had to work. I needed to talk to her, but first, I was going…
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Haiku – May 19
When it’s time to go, And the sunset’s beautiful, Gladly head for home.
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One-click Portfolio Designs, Instant PDF Embeds, and More Improvements to the Block Editor – reblog
We have some exciting new block editor updates to share with you today including fresh collection of Portfolio block patterns, a new and improved way… One-click Portfolio Designs, Instant PDF Embeds, and More Improvements to the Block Editor
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Isolation – Part 6
This is a work of fiction. “Do you think you’re going to be okay?” Mercy asks. We’re sitting at the kitchen table, eating lunch. She’s still smiling from our fun, but she also looks worried. “I feel fine, so maybe I won’t get it.” “I really hope you don’t.” She takes a bite of her…
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Haiku – May 16
With that sense of right, Save and then flick out the light, Story has been told.
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Wounded Bride is a nice summer read
Need a thriller? Get Wounded Bride now! Available in eBook, Hardcover, and Paperback for your summer reading needs. Read it on your deck, unwind before bed, or curl up with it on a rainy day. Wounded Bride is a fast-paced, hard-boiled detective novel, and there’s nothing like it after a long day of work when…
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The Call to the Day – Haiku
Birdsong in the light, Smell of coffee fresh and clean, Call us to the day.
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Still working on The Dark Tide and names
I need to revise “The Dark Tide,” and one of the problems I have with the original story is about names. “The Dark Tide” is fantasy, and that is a genre devoured by names. There are two reasons for this: fantasy generally has a lot of characters who each need a name, and those names…
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In Life – Part 15 – Sci-Fi Fantasy
This is a work of fiction. “The floors above ground are public,” Red says as she opens the palace door. “This is the hall.” I step in and see a rectangular room with a bare wood floor. Tables and chairs are stacked against the left-hand wall. There’s no art on the walls, no chandeliers hanging…
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Haiku – May 11
An idea is born, If it doesn’t write itself, Put somewhere to keep.
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From the Archives: Letters
I’ve written a fair number of letters, and I’d like to share them with you. The link will take you to the category page with all of them. I used to have favorites, but I don’t anymore. I think they all say what I want to say to the recipients, so that makes picking the…
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Mother’s Day – Haiku
To all those who give, Us the nurturing we need, Happy Mother’s Day!
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Haiku – May 8
Stories write themselves, In a way that leaves no doubt, Magic does exist.
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Check out Time Gone By
Last July, I started writing some science fiction. Twenty-nine story parts later, I’m still writing “Time Gone By.” I’ve put all the links to the blog posts and the podcast episodes in one place.
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From the Archives: all my Haiku Poetry
Short and sweet, strange, or philosophical.
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A Story Idea
Well, the Force was certainly with me yesterday. It seems to have given me an idea for a story. The title will be Fill ‘er with Premium, and the story will feature Maria Mateo, the lead detective in my novel, Wounded Bride. How much will it cost? Unlike the novel, the story will be free.…
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Thinking about NaNoWriMo 2021
I’ve done NaNoWriMo twice now, and am looking forward to my third November novel. I don’t know what genre I want to write in, nor do I know if I want to post as I write, post after completion, or turn it into a book for purchase. It’s May the Fourth be with you day,…
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Haiku – May 3
It is time to think, Of flowers blooming brightly, To give us some hope.
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No Newsletter
Back in late January or so, I announced an e-mail newsletter. For a while, I had a subscribe form on each post and page. I’ve decided not to start a newsletter after all. If you’re interested in the reasons, there are two of them. 1. People weren’t subscribing. 2. I wasn’t sure if I’d have…
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Introducing Milestone Notifications – reblog
Your website is a product of your hard work and passion. Therefore, when your site hits a milestone — it shouldn’t go unrecognized. To make it easier… Introducing Milestone Notifications
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The Basket – Part 3
This is a work of fiction. My sister really was too thin. As soon as I saw her, I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought her weight was normal. “What?” she said sharply. “What are you looking at?” “I’m sorry,” I said. “I just . . . well, I never thought I’d see you like this.”…
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Ruth – Part 2
This is a work of fiction. Chapter 2 Well, I had been thinking about the beach, so that was where I was going. I supposed it wasn’t the nicest thing to do, considering Jason was probably having to comfort Ruth and listen to Tracey crying (could little babies grieve?), but it was too hot and…
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Time Gone By – Part 29 – Science Fiction
This is a work of fiction. Before any of us could say a word, a different server rushed up to Adelle’s table. “Good evening,” she said. “Are you ready to order?” I thought Adelle was going to send her away, but she smiled frostily and said, “Sam, do you know what you’re having?” He did,…
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Isolation – Part 5
This is a work of fiction. Over the next few days, Mercy gets worse, and then she starts to get better. I spend the time bringing her water and then soup, cleaning, and working on paintings. I don’t ask her about Eva. I also don’t ask her if she wants to call anybody. I’ve seen…
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In Life – Part 14 – Sci-Fi Fantasy
This is a work of fiction. In life. When they use their 3D printer, people get in life. I remember asking what the noise was last night. The printer. It must have been the 3D printer, bringing Goldensword Harvestmoon in life. I’m sure I can ask, but I don’t want to talk to anyone. I…
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Haiku – April 24
This is the last haiku of April. For the next six days, I’ll be posting story parts. Each story’s a gift, And together they add up, To give us all worlds.
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Haiku – April 23
With the color pink, Paint so many pretty things, And not just for girls.
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Haiku – April 22
When we write we are, Putting pieces of ourselves, Into a bottle.
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Haiku – April 21
We resemble flies, Buzzing on our planet’s corpse, Except we can love.
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Haiku – April 20
A first draft might be, Great to begin with but all, Will need revising.
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Haiku – April 19
For today and the next five days, I plan to post a haiku. I’m having some problems with my computer (no data loss), so it might delay things, but I hope I’ll be able to post a story part on the last six days of April. If you get the call, In an instant of…
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Isolation – Part 4
This is a work of fiction. “Eva!” My eyes fly open. I look at the clock. It’s 1:01 a.m. “EEEE-VA!” Mercy is screaming, but her voice is so dry and cracked, I’m afraid she’s going to damage her throat if I can’t calm her down. “Eva! Where are you?” I wish I knew who Eva…
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In Life – Part 13 – Sci-Fi Fantasy
This is a work of fiction. I follow Red through the opening in the wall and out into the sunshine. We’re on a path that appears to be made of some kind of stones. On either side of it, there are trees and bushes. In front of us, there’s a low, wooden building, and Red…
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Haiku – April 16
Today was supposed to be a story part, but I was delayed, so I’ve decided to post a haiku today and a story part tomorrow. Up on a shelf there, Is a book waiting to be, Read and loved again.
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Haiku – April 15
Imagination, Is the root of good fiction, Publish its flowers.
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Time Gone By – Part 28 – Science Fiction
This is a work of fiction. We swam until it was time for lunch. The hotel restaurant was quite busy, and we had to wait for a table. “I’m starving,” Freckles said. “Me too,” Lydia said. “No you’re not,” Sammy said. “Starving means you don’t ever get any food.” “It does mean you don’t have…
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Haiku – April 13
When it’s time to write, Pen or keyboard either way, Do not hesitate.
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Ruth – Part 1
This is a work of fiction. I started writing this story as part of this post about writing dialog. I’ve revised it and added more. Prolog “I told you,” Jason said. “I’m not coming home, so don’t pester me.” Pester him? As if I were a whiny little kid. The whole thing made me both…
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Haiku – April 11
Tiny crowds within, Our bodies that we won’t know, Without microscopes.
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Isolation – Part 3
This is a work of fiction. “Would you like me to call an ambulance?” Mercy shakes her head. “Would you like to sleep in my guest room?” “Please,” she whispers. Thank goodness there’s one on the main floor. I’ve been setting it up for when Mom, Dad, and Mona come to visit. So far, there’s…
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Haiku – April 9
The secret of love, Is giving and receiving, Without possessing.
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In Life – Part 12 – Sci-Fi Fantasy
This is a work of fiction. “What time do you need to go back downstairs?” Grace asks. “Not until about ten.” “Oh good. I haven’t talked frankly with anybody except Peter and the kids since before we moved here.” “I don’t understand.” “My customers are wonderful, but if they knew, they might not be.” “If…
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Haiku – April 7
If I write nothing, My characters will be hurt, And so I must write.
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Time Gone By – Part 27 – Science Fiction
This is a work of fiction. Unfortunately, swimming didn’t last long. We’d all been enjoying ourselves for about fifteen minutes, when two boys about Curly’s age entered the pool area. Behind them, there was a blonde woman whom I took to be their mom. Freckles was climbing up onto the diving board, and I was…
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Haiku – April 5
Stories always change, From idea to finished work, Don’t get too attached.
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The Basket – Easter Weekend
This is a work of fiction. I jumped off the couch and ran to my fallen sister. I barely noticed the book and my project hitting the floor. I wasn’t fast enough to catch her, but she didn’t hit her head on the way down. I checked for a pulse. There was none. She wasn’t…
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Writing Fiction Is – Haiku
Writing fiction is, Having empathy with those, Who do not exist.
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The Basket – Good Friday
This is a work of fiction. The Basket Good Friday Laine found the body. We always visited Grandma at Easter. At Christmas she came to our parents’ house, and at other times of the year we visited her, but Easter was special. We normally went on Thursday and stayed three nights. I’m sure it started…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Susan It’s November 25, and I still haven’t decided what to do about tomorrow. I do have to work, but I’m considering quitting my job. The smell of the cleaners is starting to make me feel sick, and the pay’s been cut to less than minimum wage. I really don’t like the kind…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 23
Chapter 23: Melanie I hear Martin’s car in the garage, and then he comes into the house. “Hi,” I call. He comes into the living room. He’s pale. “Are you okay?” “I feel like a criminal.” “What?” “In a way, I am one. I just got a speeding ticket.” “Joseph gets those sometimes. Mom yells…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 22
Chapter 22: Martin Well, today’s the day. I need to make sure Melanie doesn’t see the paper. One of us normally gets it and puts it in the living room. I have to work, and it’s my turn to make breakfast. I won’t have time to sit and read the paper, so I can’t take…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Susan It’s been thirty days since the summons was published in the paper. Even through a lawyer, I’m not going to communicate with Martin. Besides, a lawyer would need to know my address, and I don’t trust anybody anymore. I’ve seen Matthew a couple of times. We went to McDonald’s. We talked. We…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Melanie Martin still doesn’t like the idea of a guy doing my ultrasound, so I reschedule it for when he’s at work. “I won’t ask for any information without you there. But they need to do this.” The person doing the ultrasound is a woman. She’s brusk and business-like. In fact, she doesn’t…
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The Christmas Room – complete story
Listen to Podcast Episode The Christmas Room This is a work of fiction. This story has two endings. This blog post and podcast episode contains the entire story. The Beginning The tree was at least twenty feet tall. How such a gigantic pine had been uprooted, transported, and set up there without any apparent damage,…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Susan There’s a problem with my idea to tell Matthew what he’s done. I don’t want to go to his place ever again. And in spite of her promise, I’m afraid that my doctor might call Martin about me. She doesn’t know my new address, but I gave her my new number when…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 16
Chapter 16: Martin “We need to be a team.” That’s what Melanie has just said. Well, of course we need to be a team. We’ll be the greatest team ever. I say this out loud, and she smiles. “What does being a team mean to you?” she asks. “Huh?” “What do you see us doing…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Matthew I don’t think too many people believe in love at first sight. I know I didn’t used to. Now I do. I don’t even know her name yet, but I know that I love her. Dad would say I’m bonkers. Mom would say I’m nuts. Both would ask: how can you love…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Martin Susan looks at me blankly. Wow, she must really be tired. No problem. I’ll help her out. “You’ve been so upbeat lately, and your skin is really glwoing. So I thought, well, could you be expecting?” “What? You mean like expecting a baby? No way.” She laughs. “All that stuff about pregnant…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Susan I keep telling people on my show that they can write, and in early December, I’m ready to revise my tenth book. I’m careful this time. After I’ve seen Martin off to work, I wash up the breakfast dishes and do any urgent housework, and then I go into my office. I…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Susan I suppose I’ll just have to accept that he’s no longer interested in my books, if he ever was. Has our seven-year marriage been a sham? I hate to think that way, but what if it’s true? I go into the room we prepared for the child we haven’t had. It’s my…
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NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Martin The house smells great. Susan’s in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on our dinner. “Hi honey,” she says. “Did you have a nice day today?” Did I? Well, the hour with Melanie was wonderful, but I wouldn’t call the rest of the day good. “I finished the book.” “Yes, I had…
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Podcasting my NaNoWriMo 2020 Romance Novel
Last November, I wrote a romance novel in seventeen days. Some of the posts included more than one chapter. I would prefer to podcast them as individual chapters, so over the next few days, I will repost any chapters that don’t have their own post. To find the podcast episodes or the blog posts for…
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Writing Advice: consider point of view
Who tells the story? Point of view (POV) is an important topic when you start to write a piece of fiction. In Lockdown, I tell Billy’s story in the first person. I’m curled up comfortably inside his head, feeling what he feels, hearing what he hears, and seeing what he sees. I can’t experience any…
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Isolation – Part 2 – Contemporary Fiction
This is a work of fiction. I spend the weekend helping Dad clean the house thoroughly, moving my things to my house, visiting Mom and Mona, and shopping for groceries and other important things. Once Mom and Mona are home, I go to my house. Mom and Dad ask me to stay, but I think…
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What’s New in the Block Editor: Edit Your Images, Drag and Drop Blocks and Patterns, and More – reblogged
Here’s a peek at the latest changes in the block editor, including image editing, draggable blocks and patterns, a new Page List block, and a … What’s New in the Block Editor: Edit Your Images, Drag and Drop Blocks and Patterns, and More
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Happiness – Haiku
Happiness can be, Found easily and yet we, Never stop searching.
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Isolation – Part 1 – Contemporary Fiction
Podcast Episode This is a work of fiction. I wanted to know what happened to Billy after the events in “Lockdown,” and being in his head was so much fun. Mom and Mona are both asleep. “What should we do now?” I ask Dad. He looks exhausted, and I hope he’ll decide to go home…
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A Preview of April
April is both National Poetry Month and Indie Author Month. On April 1 I promise not to try to fool you. I plan to post a haiku on the odd numbered days, and a story part on the others. What I haven’t decided yet is which story or stories I will work on, so that…
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Gray – Haiku
Gray is in the clouds, And old buildings standing near, My hair feels their age.
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Lockdown – Horror Fiction – Complete Story
Podcast Episode This is a work of fiction inspired by a Tweet by @mims_words about vampires during lockdown. It was published in ten parts on this blog, and those can be heard as separate podcast episodes, but I thought you might like to read or listen to all of it at once. Here you go.…
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Haiku – March 9
Time will always win, We cannot live forever, Yet we do in love.
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Introducing WordPress Stories: A New Way to Engage Your Audience – reblogged from WordPress.com
Interested in a new way to create and publish engaging content on your WordPress site? Today, we’re unveiling our new Stories feature, now available … Introducing WordPress Stories: A New Way to Engage Your Audience
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Red – Haiku
In the color red, Danger courage warnings blood, And delicious fruit.
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Blue – Haiku
With the color blue, Draw the sky and water too, Why should blue mean sad?
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A Gallery of Blog Posts
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Looking Back at Letters
I haven’t written a letter in a while, and I don’t have anything new for today, so now is the perfect time to link to all my previous letters.
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Job Interview – Haiku
What if they say yes? Then a journey will begin, Is that good or bad?
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Coming Soon: revised version of The Dark Tide
Last year, I wrote “The Dark Tide” in ten parts on this blog. Recently, I removed it from my free fiction page because it needs a lot of revision and I wasn’t sure if I was going to post the revised story, or give it away to thank people for subscribing to my blog and/or…
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Writing Advice: Break up long sections of dialog, and an accidental story
When I sent Wounded Bride to be edited, the book was full of long sections consisting of nothing but characters talking to each other. In that story, the detectives talk to suspects, and you’d expect there to be lots of dialog, but it should be broken up by actions, sentences about what your characters are…
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Full Moon – Haiku
Under the full moon, You can believe anything, Or nothing at all.
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Haiku – February 26
Lazy afternoons, Spent sitting outside with you, Are just what I need.
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Podcast!
Yesterday, I shared a post from the WordPress.com blog about podcasting with Anchor. Now I’ve got my very own podcast. It’s all about my free fiction. So far, I’ve created one episode, which is the first part of my science fiction story “Time Gone By.” Once I have podcasting figured out, I’ll probably create a…
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Turn Your WordPress.com Blog into a Podcast with Anchor – reblogged
I’m excited to share this and plan to try it! If you’re a blogger, you’ve already done the hard part by creating great content — so you should share that content as widely as possible! One way is… Turn Your WordPress.com Blog into a Podcast with Anchor
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Haiku – February 21
Once upon a time, Before coronavirus, Life seemed so normal.
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Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School – coming soon
My husband Michael and I are working on a series of books about Monica and Brad, a set of blind twins who are just starting kindergarten. I tell the story, and Michael explains how braille works. To learn more, please visit: Hyacinth Grey’s Books for Young Readers.
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Haiku – February 19
Unwritten stories, Languish in a Writer’s mind, They must be told soon.
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Haiku – February 18
Tiny spark of life, One cell searching for a womb, To become our hope.
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Haiku – February 17
Surf pounds on the beach, Sunrise just an hour away, Be ready for life.
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From the Archives: writing advice
I’d like to share my past writing advice posts with you. I’ve talked about the writing process, from ideas to publication, and also about more technical things like dialog. Remember, the most important thing about writing is writing itself. Unlike fear itself, writing need not be feared, although sometimes it’s hard not to. Maybe I’ll…
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I recommend WordPress.com to every Indie Author
I just spent a while working on my website for young Readers, and during that time, I was live chatting with a WordPress.com Happiness Engineer. I would never be able to say that WordPress is the only good web-hosting company out there, but it is the only one that I’ve used that I also love.…
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Haiku – February 14
Love’s really something, Like a rainbow it is all, That is good for us.
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The Empty Screen
I don’t usually have trouble starting a blog post or a story, but lately, I’ve been confronted by an empty document, an empty blog post, and a mind that feels bereft of ideas. I would love to hear from you. What kind of content would you like to read? Please leave your suggestions in the…
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All my Haiku poetry
I don’t have anything new to post today. Please check out my fairly large collection of haiku poetry.
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Build a Beautiful Site in the WordPress Mobile Apps with Predesigned Page Layouts – reblog
It’s no secret that I love WordPress, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned that I’m mobile app fan number one. We think you’ll love the new Starter Page Layouts feature. Build a Beautiful Site in the WordPress Mobile Apps with Predesigned Page Layouts
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Haiku – February 10
If there is a chance, To do some good for others, Take it for yourself.
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Showcase Your Figma Designs on WordPress P2 – rebloog
I love sharing WordPress blog posts about new features. Here you go! Figma — one of the most popular and fastest growing digital design tools today — was recently voted “the most exciting design tool of 2021.” In many… Showcase Your Figma Designs on WordPress P2
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From the Archives: 25 posts
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Technology Is – Haiku
Technology is, The way forward but also, Very frustrating.
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Haiku – February 6
Birdsong a flower, Fresh with early morning dew, The night has been long.
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Sound – Haiku
Voices of loved ones, And a body of water, Good useful advice.
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NaNoWriMo 2021 – What genre would you like me to write?
I’d love to hear from you. It’s nowhere near November yet, but I’m already thinking about what I might write for NaNoWriMo 2021. What genre would you like me to write? Please fill out this form. The genre will be announced on May 15, 2021. You have until April 30, 2021 at 11:59 PDT to…
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Haiku – February 2
Birds soar making us look graceless but our imagination flies high.
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Haiku – February 1
The vaccines will come, Now we must wait patiently, For that to occur.
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100 Posts
I don’t have any new content for you today, but I’ve got the Latest Posts block! Browse and have fun.
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Writing Advice: no need to be tense about verbs!
Stories are full of action, so verbs are important, but don’t let that worry you. When I start a story, I have a choice of writing in the past tense, or in the present tense. Both are great, but both have advantages and disadvantages. The choice shouldn’t bog you down. Pick one. You can change…
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Haiku – January 28
Time has its strange ways, Through unhappy times it slows, Good times go too fast.
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Haiku – January 27
An eight-minute walk, If you could travel by light, Sun’s both far and near.
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Building Single-Page Websites on WordPress.com (reblogged)
Sometimes you just need a single webpage to get your idea across. Building Single-Page Websites on WordPress.com
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A Word about Word Count in Fiction
I seem to be obsessed with word count. I don’t mean that I worry about my stories having specific word counts, but I keep wondering how many words long a story is. “How many words?” is the first question I have when people talk about their writing. Many years ago, when I first started trying…
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Coming Soon! – Children’s Book – Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School
We’ve got back cover copy! The Illustrator is working on the pictures. Our Place: Monica and Brad Start School is for people about age five. For more information, check out Hyacinth Grey’s Books for Young Readers.
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Haiku – January 22
Tomorrow it will, Be one year since FriesenPress, Published Wounded Bride.
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Need a Distraction? I offer free fiction on this website
Since starting in April 2020, I’ve finished five pieces of free fiction, and two are in progress. All of them can be found on my fiction page. To help you decide which one to read first, here are short descriptions of all of them. The Choice Rita hates her job, and an e-mail she receives…
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Haiku – January 20
A white church stands still, Silently asking us to, Be kind to ourselves.
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Opinion: WordPress is the best web-hosting company there is
Why do I think say that WordPress is the best? I love their plan options. They offer everything from a free website with ads to pay for it, all the way up to an eCommerce plan for online stores. In the middle, they’ve got Personal, Premium, and Business plans to cover everyone’s needs. What’s more…
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Haiku – January 17
Trust is the key that, Unlocks the door to friendship, Do you change the lock?
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Haiku – January 15
Great white banks of snow, Frosting heaped on a cake that, Only nature bakes.
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Haiku – January 14
What we build right now, Is a foundation for the, Dreams of the future.
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Haiku – January 13
Thank you to all those, Who share good things with us all, You brighten my day.
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My Site Will Be Down for Maintenance
Dear Readers, Starting January 13, I’m going to be doing some maintenance on my site, and although I don’t know how long it will take, I’m hoping not much more than a week. When it’s back up, everything will mostly be the same, and I intend to post something every day. Yours truly, Hyacinth Grey
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Haiku – January 11
Time is a monster, That takes from us all we love, But gives us that love.
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Haiku – January 10
Poisoned images, Work their way into our hearts, What are we sharing?
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Haiku – January 9
Finishing things up, Means less time for the moment, But more time later.
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Haiku – January 8
If you work hard now, You will be much rewarded, But when is unknown.
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Haiku – January 7
When we do damage, Most things can be fixed but not, Always in our hearts.
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Haiku – January 6
Wind and snow blowing, Gray sky will bring a lot more, Till this is over.
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Haiku – January 5
Cultivate goodness, It will reward all of us, But maybe not now.
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Let Our Experts Build Your Dream Website – reblogged from the WordPress Blog
Need a professional team to translate your vision into a compelling and modern website? Consider hiring our experts. Let Our Experts Build Your Dream Website
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Haiku – January 3
A clear sky today, Share that clarity with those, Who long for answers.
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Happy 2021 – Haiku
To all my Readers, Happy twenty twenty-one, Good fortune to you.
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2020 – Haiku
A sad year has gone, Too many people have died, May they rest in peace.
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Writing: endings and beginnings
With the year 2020 about to become the year 2021, I’m starting to think about finishing up old projects and starting new ones. That goes for all kinds of projects, from cleaning the house to trying new foods, but since this website is mostly about writing, I’d like to talk about the beginning and the…
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As of January 1, 2021, I will not have a fixed schedule of blog topics. – Haiku
January comes, And with it no fixed topics, For daily blog posts.
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Christmas – Haiku
A dark cold stable, A Baby is born today, Be a kid again.
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A Letter to Christmas
Dear Christmas, I think a lot of people are conflicted about you and religion in the 21st century. The love of God has both inspired people to do good, and turned some hands to do wrong. A free country is one in which people should not be afraid to believe, and they should be comfortable…
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Shepherds and Angels – Haiku
Shepherds saw angels, From Heaven hallelujah, Do not be afraid.
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Gabriel and Mary – Christmas Haiku
Gabriel comes down, To see Mary and tell her, She will be Christ’s Mom.
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Time Gone By – Part 21 – Science Fiction
This is a work of fiction. I shook my head. “No. We’re not going to LA.” “But you have to—” I held up my hand. “Stop right there. I’m responsible for four children, five cats, and two dogs. We’re not going to LA.” “I want to go in the time machine,” Freckles said. “No you…
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Winter – Haiku
When the winds blow strong, And deep snow is on the ground, Our hearts grow warmer.
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The Writing Process: When you need an idea but
When you need an idea, but there don’t seem to be any in your head. This happens to me fairly often. I wouldn’t say I get Writer’s Block, but sometimes I just don’t have any ideas for a blog post. This mostly happens with nonfiction topics. When this occurs, I often just start typing. For…
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Haiku – December 15
Summertime so far, In the future it seems like, It will never come. Time is weird this year, Pandemic’s on our shoulders, One day it will lift.
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Haiku – December 14
Thinking of you all, Today the memory of, Your deaths brings sadness. You should be fourteen, Doing school online with Zoom, Along with your peers. I keep thinking of, The gifts under those trees that, You never opened.
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Love – Haiku
True love is mindless, Like a jacket that just fits, What is true hatred?
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A Letter to Letters
Dear Letters, It’s writing Wednesday, and I used to write you on Wednesdays every week. I tried to be philosophical, funny, factual, or just plain foolish. Do you think I should bring you back as a regular feature? You know, maybe between writing advice posts? Oh, my phone’s ringing. “Hello, this is Hyacinth, who’s calling?”…
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Haiku – December 8
December morning, Warm sun in chill air speaks of, Happy beginnings.
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Haiku – December 7
We know what we miss, Always now but never then, Precious history.
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Writing Prompts Past
I don’t have any new content today, but I do have this category page.
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All Writing Advice
I don’t have any new content today, but I do have a lot of posts about writing.
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December Free Fiction Schedule
Because I’m writing a Christmas story, there will be a few changes to my writing schedule this month. I normally post part of “Time Gone By” on Fridays, but after December 4, I’m moving it to Saturdays for three weeks. On December 11, 18, and 25, I’m posting a Christmas story that will have two…
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Haiku – November 30
Stars shine so brightly, But to us they’re mere pinpoints, Except for our sun.
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Cover Reveal: The Dark Tide – free fantasy fiction
The Dark Tide The gods are angry, and everybody must flee. One man cannot leave until he packs every one of his daughter’s sketches. The Dark Tide is the story of his quest to find the truth. Will the truth destroy him and everyone he loves, or will it make him and his family stronger?…
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Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving I’m thankful for you, my site Visitors. I’m thankful for the Internet. Without it, we would all be so much lonelier during COVID-19. I am thankful for good health, both mental and physical. I am thankful for the Teachers who taught me how to write. I’m thankful for the Editors who walk with…
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Writing Advice: What to do when an Editor sends you your edited manuscript
It’s time. You’ve sent your manuscript to an Editor, you’ve waited while they’ve been working, and now they’ve just sent you your manuscript. Like me, you’re probably kind of nervous about opening that document. Don’t be. (No, I don’t take this advice. I’m always going to be nervous, no matter how many times I do…
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Haiku – November 23
Occasionally, Caught unaware by sunbeams, We open our eyes.
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Cover Reveal: Time Gone By
Time Gone By A free science fiction story. Right here. Lydia’s in charge of her four grandchildren for three weeks. They’re going camping and mostly having a good time, but… Somebody has invented a time machine. And has seen a terrifying glimpse of the future. A ruthless man will stop at nothing to take over…
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Freedom – Haiku
There are those who say, We have the right not to wear, Masks if we so choose. Dictators once ruled, Neighbors denouncing neighbors, Hitler Stalin Mao. But Americans, Are free to love and to care, Use that freedom well.
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NaNoWriMo in 17 days and following my own Writing Advice
If you go to my Fiction page, you can read my NaNoWriMo 2020 novel in seventeen posts. They’re longreads, so you might want to save them or even print them out. Some days, I wrote only one chapter, but there were a few days when I wrote two, or even three chapters. I had originally…
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Day 17
Chapter 22: Martin Well, today’s the day. I need to make sure Melanie doesn’t see the paper. One of us normally gets it and puts it in the living room. I have to work, and it’s my turn to make breakfast. I won’t have time to sit and read the paper, so I can’t take…
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Day 16
Chapter 19: Susan There’s a problem with my idea to tell Matthew what he’s done. I don’t want to go to his place ever again. And in spite of her promise, I’m afraid that my doctor might call Martin about me. She doesn’t know my new address, but I gave her my new number when…
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Day 15
Chapter 18: Melanie Something’s going on with Martin. There are inconsistencies in things he says and does. One thing is about cooking meals. He wanted to ask his mom to come live with us. That wouldn’t worry me, except for the house. One day when we visited her, she mentioned loving her job because she…
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Day 14
Chapter 17: Susan I haven’t slept well the last few days. I leave work and don’t need to work tomorrow, or is that tonight, but I’m too tired to do anything. I crawl into bed. A piercing sound wakes me. What is it? It sounds like a fire alarm. My heart pounds. I leap out…
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Day 13
Chapter 15: Matthew I don’t think too many people believe in love at first sight. I know I didn’t used to. Now I do. I don’t even know her name yet, but I know that I love her. Dad would say I’m bonkers. Mom would say I’m nuts. Both would ask: how can you love…
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Day 12
Chapter 14: Martin Melanie and I end up in her car. It smells much better than mine, but is a lot smaller. That’s not a problem. She is so much fun to be with, and the thought of going home to Susan fills me with dread, but I know I can’t stay out much past…
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Day 11
Chapter 13: Susan Martin hardly speaks to me anymore. Living with him is like living with a ghost who can eat. Thank goodness I have my books to write and my show to do. On the second Saturday in March, Jeff calls at seven. “Hi,” he says. “I’m not feeling so great.” He doesn’t sound…
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Day 10
Chapter 12: Martin My first date with Melanie is everything I’d hoped for, except I can’t take her home with me. We step out into the freezing night and go to our separate cars. I sit in mine with the engine running and watch her drive away. I imagine myself carrying her into the bedroom,…
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Day 9
Chapter 11: Susan I’m so relieved that Martin’s not in the house breathing down my neck all the time. The Christmas-loving kid is gone, and although he was annoying, I prefer him to the quiet, sullen man I send off each morning and greet each evening. We mostly keep away from each other, and he’s…
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Day 8
Chapter 9: Susan I keep telling people on my show that they can write, and in early December, I’m ready to revise my tenth book. I’m careful this time. After I’ve seen Martin off to work, I wash up the breakfast dishes and do any urgent housework, and then I go into my office. I…
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Day 7
Chapter 8: Martin “Martin?” I recognize Connie’s voice, and she sounds worried. I look up from my desk. Luke is home with the flu, but it’s Tuesday, so I won’t be seeing Melanie today. “What’s wrong?” “My son’s sick. It seems like there’s a bad bug going around his school. I’ve called Rick, but he…
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Day 6
Chapter 7: Susan I’m so nervous, I can hardly do up the buttons on my blouse. It’s just after seven on Tuesday, and my interview at the radio station is for eight. What will they ask me? What if I fall apart and run screaming? I’ve never even called into a radio show, let alone…
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Day 5
Chapter 6: Martin I arrive at one minute to six. There are two people in the waiting room. One of them is Rick, and the other one is a young guy I’ve never met. “Good morning!” Rick says. “This is Luke. Luke, this is Martin.” How has Rick managed to get this shift again? I…
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Day 4
Chapter 4: Martin The house smells great. Susan’s in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on our dinner. “Hi honey,” she says. “Did you have a nice day today?” Did I? Well, the hour with Melanie was wonderful, but I wouldn’t call the rest of the day good. “I finished the book.” “Yes, I had…
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Day 3
Chapter 3: Rick I’ve been asked to work a double shift, so I’m at work at 6:00 a.m. Amazing how many peeps are here already. I reach for my coffee and knock it over. Oh man. I look around, but don’t see any paper towels or napkins. It’s all over the desk and under the…
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Day 2
Chapter 2: Susan He’s demanding his dinner — like a spoiled kid — again. Not gonna happen. Why can’t he cook something himself if he’s really so desperate? He used to be nice. It’s getting to the point now where I’m ashamed to say I’m his wife. He used to be such a nice guy,…
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Day 1
Chapter 1: Martin Maybe I can use her books as a weapon. The idea pops into my head while I’m at work. I don’t have time to ponder, and I don’t want to risk writing something like that down, so I’ll just have to wait and hope I don’t forget. “Hey Martin!” It’s Rick. He…
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Starting Tomorrow, I will post what I’ve written each day for my NaNoWriMo Project
I’m writing a romance novel for NaNoWriMo 2020, and I’ll be posting what I’ve written that day by 9:00 p.m. Pacific time. My usual blogging schedule will be suspended until December 1, unless I finish early. Warning: there will be typos and probably plotholes. There could be swear words and descriptions of sex. Oh, and…
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Haiku about Fire
Flames crackle and burn, Keeping us warm in winter, Yet they can kill us.
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Writing Advice: dealing with too many ideas
As a Writer, I often find myself in a situation many people might be surprised to hear me complain about: having too many ideas. How can a Writer have too many ideas? Okay, maybe not too many, but too many to write all at once. When I wrote Wounded Bride, I had to deal with…
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Haiku – October 27
Beginnings are fun, We start something new with hope, But change is scary.
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Haiku – October 26
The soft earth opens, Dark and fertile giving life, To the seeds of hope. This is the last poem I’ll post until after NaNoWriMo.
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Brain
Every Thursday, I like to use a writing prompt. Today, I’m using the word “brain,” which popped into my head, so I started thinking about it! I don’t remember who said this or where I read it, but I found it surprising that people used to wonder where our thoughts were. Didn’t we have them…
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5 Reasons to Start Writing Right Now
1. Writing is a fun and safe activity during COVID-19. Even if your children don’t read yet, they can dictate a story and you can write it down for them. 2. If you have a story in mind but are afraid of it, don’t be. Put it to paper or screen. Make those memories now…
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3 Reasons to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Today
Don’t need reasons to subscribe to YouTube channels? Hyacinth Grey’s YouTube Channel 3. My videos are short. You’ll never fall asleep watching hours of boring footage. I try for under a minute. 2. Be among the first to read some of my haiku poetry before I post it on this blog. 1. I love to…
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Haiku – October 19
Time and love and breath, Are what we need most of all. If we could share those…
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Need a Thriller? check out Wounded Bride
Wounded Bride is my first book and was self-published with FriesenPress in January 2020. Check out the info and get your copy today! About the Book The city of Chicago is relentless. Murders and other violent crimes pile up: a woman lies in the hospital in a coma, a man is brutally attacked in his…
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Food – Haiku
We all need to eat, Experts tell us what is best, Who knows your body?
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Writing Interrupted: I need to share this
It would normally be Writing Advice today, but given the fact that WordPress has added a fine new feature, I need to share this with you. No, I won’t wait for Sunflower Saturday. A New Way to Publish Your Blog Posts Simultaneously As Twitter Threads Writing will resume next Writing Wednesday, and in the meantime,…
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Shopping List – Revisited
Back in June, I wrote a haiku consisting entirely of emojis. It was fun to do this shopping list, and today, I have another one for you, although of a different type. 🔋 💡 🔦 🕯 🔌 📷 🖨 ☎️ 📺 📻 ⏰ ⌚️ 🔭 🔨 🧯 🔧 🔬
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Words and Haiku
I don’t have any new content for today, but there’s quite a lot buried somewhere in the archives. Many of them were not written using a writing prompt, but why not check out all my haiku poetry. I love to write about words, and also writing posts about them. Found a gem in my archives?…
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Are there rules in Writing?
If you’ve never shared your writing with others before, especially those whom you don’t know, you may be wondering if there are rules about how to write. The short answer is: no. Millions of Readers haven’t sat together and agreed on exactly what makes writing good. No two people in the world are the same,…
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A bit about December
Today is Change-it-up-Tuesday, and I’m planning a little change for the month of December. For the rest of October, I’ll post a part of Time Gone By on Fridays. In November, all regular content will be suspended while I blog my NaNoWriMo 2020 novel each day. In December, all regular content will resume, but Time…
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Haiku – October 5
The world is changing, Faster than it ever could, Without permission.
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Starting Sunflower Saturday
shallow focus photography of yellow sunflower field under sunny sky Photo by Susanne Jutzeler on Pexels.com What’s Sunflower Saturday? It’s like any other Saturday, but with a cool, silly name. What will you post? Sometimes a previous post like I’ve been doing, but I’m pretty much making another Change-it-up-Tuesday. Will it ever have anything to…
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Writing
“Writing” is the writing prompt today. I normally talk about writing fiction, but nonfiction must also be written word by word, thought by thought, letter by letter. Both must then be revised. Nonfiction especially requires profesisonal editing. A typo in a story is annoying to both Writer and Reader, but not the end of the…
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The Writing Process: the imrortance of getting into your characters’ heads
In March, I wrote a post called Write about what you know. Last week, I was thinking about Writers, and how they must transcend what they don’t know from experience in order to tell a tale. Oscar Wilde came to mind. He was a Writer who didn’t worry about what he knew or didn’t, but…
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Reawakening: the hardest part of writing
In October 2019, I wrote The Hardest Part of Writing. There will be two more posts about writing this week. Tomorrow, is Writing Wednesday, and on Thursday, the writing prompt will be writing itself.
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Haiku – September 28
Rainbow flowers float, On a blue pond in sunshine, Embrace life fully.
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What is my free fiction about?
I’ve been talking a lot about free fiction lately, but I’ve neglected to write “About the Story” blurbs for most of the pieces I’ve posted. To correct that oversight, here they are. Once you find one you like the sound of, click the link above to be taken to the page with links to all…
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Writing Prompts Revisited
I’ve used writing prompts on a lot of Thursdays. Time flies, and I didn’t manage to write anything for today, so I thought I’d share the Writing Prompt Thursday category page. While you’re browsing and reading those posts, please like, comment, and share them.
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The Writing Process: after you press the Approve button
“There’s nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart.” Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart Being a published Author was like that for me. I didn’t really know what to say. Go me? I rock? Those were all things I could have said, but I didn’t have any words, and didn’t know…
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Haiku – September 21
If the sun could speak, It might say that we must be, Good to each other.
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Detective – Haiku
The one-word prompt was “detective.” Who is the killer? Who’s taken the life of one, Before time itself. Into the unknown, Asking questions of those left, To find the killer. The truth is out there, The detective must find it, Before it decays.
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The Writing Process: Revising or Falling Apart
“Every now and then I fall apart.” Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart Plotholes are as thick on the ground as leaves in the fall. Characters say and do things they wouldn’t. The whole thing’s FALLING APART! No, it’s behaving exactly like a first draft in the cold light of morning. Never fear. The…
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Only a Month and a Half to Go
I can’t believe there’s just under seven weeks until NaNoWriMo starts on November 1. Every day, I’m going to post what I’ve just written. I won’t have time to fix typos and might even miss plotholes. I’ve created this page so I can keep updating you without needing to find and link to old posts.
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Haiku – September 14
Christmas stockings are, Hanging ready by the hearth, Empty and waiting.
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Tomb – Revisited
On July 23, I wrote this post about the word “tomb.” At the end of it, I used the phrase “rest in peace,” which reminded me of my favorite Edgar Allan Poe story — The Cask of Amontillado.
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Name – Haiku
We all must have one, Or we would not know ourselves, Nameless forgotten.
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The Writing Process: Building a Relationship with Your Story
“Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time.” – Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart The first part of writing a novel (or short story) is like falling in love. There’s passion. There’s fun. There’s discovery. No, you don’t have to be writing romance, but of course, that works, too!…
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Haiku – September 8
Eight billion people, Stand with six feet between them, Each one all alone.
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Haiku – September 7
One hundred fifty, Days writing on this website, It never gets old.
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I hate to admit it but
I seem to be out of prompt ideas for now, so I’d like to share this category page with you. Next Thursday, I’m hoping to be back with something fun.
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The Writing Process: The Beginning of Forever
“Forever’s gonna start tonight.” – Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart Great, now I have that song in my head instead of the words I need for this post. But now that I’m thinking about it, that song could be about the writing process. It really can be quite a roller-coaster. Forever can start…
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Wounded Bride Availble Now in Paperback
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Haiku – August 31
Kids play in sunshine, Laughter friendship happiness, Outlives all of us.
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Looking back at Letters
I’ve stopped writing letters as a regular feature, but I had a lot of fun with them. Here is the letters category page. I’ve been sitting here trying to think which letter is my favorite. For seriousness and sort of philosophy, it’s definitely the one to the Pacific Ocean. I’ve had to pick three “other”…
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Dungeon
I’ve been rereading Harry Potter recently, and the word “dungeon” occurs rather frequently. They’re dark and fearsome, but what is a dungeon, exactly? I mean, I’ve never actually been in one. I’m working on a book called “Written in Stone,” a fantasy romance, which involves a dungeon or two, so the word’s going to come…
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Writing Wednesday – time got away from me
I meant to have a post about the writing process for you today, but time escaped me, and I didn’t get it written. With this kind of essay-style post, I need to start it before the day I publish it, so that I can leave it for at least a day before I revise it.…
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What I Plan to Do This December
On December 1, 2019, I posted this summary of my NaNoWriMo 2019 accomplishments. On December 1, 2020, I plan to add revising “On Ice,” the science fiction novel I wrote, to my work schedule. About “On Ice.”This isn’t an official blurb or anything, but I wanted to give you an idea of what it’s about.It’s…
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Haiku – August 24
To open the sky, Or to hurt and to hinder, The power of words.
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Wounded Bride is Available Now in Hardcover – clicking or tapping the image takes you to the Wounded Bride page where you can select a retailer to get your copy today!
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Category
“Predictables?” Oh, no, it was “predicables,” but I’m none the wiser. Affirmable attributes leave me baffled, so I’m just going to accept the meaning of “category” that I know: a group of things that share something. (That’s not quite what the dictionary said, but close enough.) To clear my head a little, I think I’ll…
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The Writing Process – Overview and Ideas
Writing is a complex process. Many people start writing stories in school. Some keep on writing stories, even after the assignment has been handed in and graded. Some people write until the day they die. I don’t know what makes some of us write all our lives and others only when they must, but the…
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Haiku – August 17
The torture chamber, Buzzes with activity, Lives ruined for nothing.
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Thinking about NaNoWriMo 2020
On June 20, I wrote this post about what I’ll be doing this November. I have a little bit more to tell you about the novel I plan to write. It’s going to be about a married couple. She writes books. He’s not happy for some reason and wants a divorce. She’s a private person,…
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Second – Haiku
The one-word prompt was “second.” I am not the first, I do not live long at all, I get the last word.
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Genres: Tips for Writing Fantasy
Fantasy is one of the most fun genres, because it’s not constrained by reality. Anything goes. Really. The imagination’s the limit. I’ve got two tips about writing fantasy. Be consistent and don’t be “explainy.” First things first. Consistency. Is magic allowed in your world? If it is, you have to define it. Who can perform…
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Please Wear a Mask if You Can – Haiku
Over nose and mouth, To keep the world safe for all, Mask if you can please.
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Haiku – August 10
Warm sun and cool breeze, Children laugh somewhere nearby, A beautiful day.
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Get the eBook of Wounded Bride Today!
The best place to get Wounded Bride in eBook format is from the FriesenPress Online Bookstore. Why? You get three different formats with one purchase. EPUB – almost every eReader and app can read EPUB files. Mobi – this format is for Kindle devices and apps. PDF – this filetype can be opened on most…
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Air – Haiku
Prompt: Air. Take in a deep breath, The people who’ve lived before, Have shared it with you.
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Writing Wednesday: How to Show Your Readers a Story
“Show, don’t tell,” is frequent writing advice. Even though we say “tell me a story,” showing a story is what many writers aim for, and in this post, I’ll show you some examples of how to make your writing less “telly.” Remove adverbs from dialog attributions. “I’m so excited to see you!” she said excitedly.…
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Nothing’s Blocking Me! – using the coolest WordPress Editor
To start “change-it-up Tuesday,” I thought it might be fun to begin a new weekly feature using the WordPress Block Editor. My computer’s pretty old and a little “crashy,” so I use the WordPress app on an iPhone. The app doesn’t quite match the desktop version for power yet, but they add things all the…
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Haiku – August 3
Chill wind blows over, The high craggy mountain top, Wish I could feel it.
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Get your copy of Wounded Bride
Detective Maria Mateo is new to the Chicago Police Department. Wounded Bride is available now. Get your copy today. From somewhere inside the book: There hadn’t been any point in eating. She was out of the job she loved, so why bother?
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Genres: Tips for Writing Horror
I think that horror is one of the most flexible genres. You can do anything you want, and often, little or no research is required. I do have a tip for you, though. It’s easy for a horror story to sound like a catalog of events. Each one is scary, but if you pile terrible…
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Haiku – July 27
Pieces of our lives, Are glued together in ways, That make new stories.
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Some Changes to my Weekly Blogging Schedule
As of Saturday, August 1, I’m changing up what I post each day. Please refer to my Accountability page for more information. I’m also thinking about redesigning my Home page. For now, it’s my Books page, and this Blog can be found in the navigation menu.
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Tomb
I was working on a book and wrote the word “tombstone.” Then I started to wonder why “tomb” rhymes with “gloom” and doesn’t sound like “Tom.” According to Wiktionary, “tomb” was borrowed from Old French into Middle English, and since I understand neither Middle English spelling nor pronunciation, I don’t know why the o, but…
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Genres: Tips for Writing Science Fiction
Sci-fi can be a difficult genre to write in, so here are a few tips. Know your science. I once wrote a sci-fi story in which there was a temperature of minus a thousand degrees. Such a temperature does not exist. Yes, you’re allowed to change things, but it’s better to know how the real…
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Subscribe to My YouTube Channel and be the First to see some of my Book Covers and Read some of my Haiku Poetry
Hyacinth Grey’s YouTube Channel
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Hyacinth Grey’s Books for Young Readers
I’m working on children’s books, and I’ve created a second website for them. Please visit Hyacinth Grey’s Books for Young Readers (www.hgb4yr.com) for details.
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Tiny
Somebody used the word “tiny” in a tweet, and it sparked this post. Interestingly, the word “tiny” may relate to the tines of a fork. They are quite small, although I personally wouldn’t call them tiny. I read the definition of “tine,” and discovered, to my surprise, that it can be used as an adjective,…
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How to Pick Genres to Write in
There is a huge variety of genres from which to choose before you sit down to write some fiction. Here’s how to pick them. You will probably hear the suggestion to write in a genre you read a lot. I don’t have a problem with this, but why limit yourself? If you have an idea…
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Haiku – July 13
Over the mountains, An ocean lies waiting for, You to explore it.
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Looking Forward to November
I’m very excited about NaNoWriMo this year. Please check out this post to learn why. If you’ve read it before, you’ll notice it’s been updated.
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Three Writing Prompts I Had a Blast with
Tempo Volume Lousy
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Four Letters I’m Glad I “Sent”
A Letter to FriesenPress A Letter to Nonfiction A Letter to Short Fiction A Letter to the Pacific Ocean
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Two Previous Writing Advice Posts
Due to illness (not COVID-19), much of what I post this week will be previous content. I had a lot of fun with How to Overcome the Fear of Plotholes in Your Fiction, and A Couple of Great Reasons to Write Fiction. I hope to be back next week with new stuff.
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Haiku – July 6
Let’s help each other, Encouragement means a lot, As we live our lives.
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Writing Community Insults
This tweet by @mims_words and the comments are great “resources” if you want to fire off writing insults, but be warned. If you go on the attack with these, expect it right back and so, so much worse. I will never use these on you and request the same courtesy. They are great and I…
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Happy 4th of July!
🇺🇸 Happy Fourth of July!
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The Penny, the Dollar, and the Pound
I’m having some book covers created by David Collins of DC Cover Creations, and I pay in British pounds. I started thinking about the names of various currencies, and what they mean. The penny. Well, pennies are old, and I don’t mean just sort of old. The word has a Proto-Germanic origin and there are…
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A Letter to FriesenPress
🇨🇦 Dear FriesenPress, Happy Canada Day! You are my favorite self-publishing company ever, and thanks to being able to work with your great team, I have a 294-page reason to celebrate year round! I look forward to publishing more books with you. Yours truly, Hyacinth Grey
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What Writing Is (and is not)
Writing is not an arcane activity. You don’t need to be an expert in anything to be able to write. Having good grammar, spelling, and punctuation helps, but as long as you have a story to tell, you can write fiction. You don’t need to take a writing course or follow certain rules. You can…
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Haiku: What would you like to read on this blog?
What kinds of posts would, You like to read on this blog? Please leave a comment.
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Get Wounded Bride – Haiku
Get Wounded Bride now, Fast-paced detective thriller, The FriesenPress store.
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All Haiku
I have so much fun, Writing haikus for this blog, Category page.
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A Couple of Great Reasons to Write Fiction
Lots of us love to read fiction, but have you considered writing some? Here are two great reasons why you should. The news is often frightening, confusing, and bad. Some people post on blogs or social media, some write physical letters or e-mails, and some, like me, turn their fear and uncertainty into fiction. Here…
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A Beautiful Tweet
This Tweet by Haiku Book is just perfect for today.
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What I’m Doing This November
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and last year, I wrote one novel and started another. This year, I’m going to write one novel, but every day, I’m going to post what I’ve just written to this blog. My regular features will be suspended during November, so if I’m in the middle of a…
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Clock – Haiku
Tick tick tick tick tick, Students in classrooms waiting, For the bell to ring.
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A Letter to Self-Publishing
Dear Self-Publishing, Please, don’t tear this up before you read it. I know you get a lot of hate mail, but this is a love letter. I think you are probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of the book world. I’ve seen some of the letters you get, and they’re not pretty. No, I…
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How to Overcome the Fear of Plotholes in Your Fiction
Are you afraid of the following: You’ve spent a lot of time crafting a wonderful story, but when you read it over, you find something that doesn’t agree with something else — a plothole. I’m pretty sure it happens to every writer at some point. It’s certainly happened to me. The question isn’t weather writers…
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How Many Syllables are in an Emoji? – Shopping List – Haiku
🍎 🍐 🍌 🍉 🍑 🥔 🧅 🥕 🌽 🥒 🥦 🍅 🥛 🥚 🧀 🍞 🧈
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Why I Plan to Keep on Blogging
My feet have been dragging a little lately. I haven’t been thinking about quitting, but when I came across Read This if You Want to Quit Your Blog by Cristian Mihai from The Art of Blogging, I thought I’d better read it. I did, got inspired to pull myself out of the mud of a…
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Why I Love to Write Letters
Every Wednesday for a while now, I’ve been writing letters. Here’s why: it’s fun. I took the everyday inspiration course from Blogging University, and one of the suggested tasks was to write a letter as a blog post. I did so and then got hooked. Most are humorous, some are serious, and some are both,…
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When and How to Self-Edit Your Fiction
Should you self-edit your fiction? If so, when and how? Yes, every writer should self-edit. To do otherwise is to be untrue to your stories. No, that last statement wasn’t meant as some kind of high-horsed snobbery. Self-edit and revise are synonyms, but self-edit has a further connotation of “doing it all yourself.” Some writers…
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Haiku – June 8
I’ve been reading A Brief History of Japan by Jonathan Clements, which contains vivid descriptions of the armadas sent by Kublai Khan to attack Japan. This haiku is written from the perspective of an “observer” floating in the sea. A hail of arrows, Sounds of wind and war cries fierce, Hot blood meets cold sea.
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Lousy
It’s interesting how the meaning of words changes over time, but even more so that we don’t often think about the words we use, and where they come from. A remarkably good (or bad) example of this is the word “lousy.” The dictionary definition, or at least the first one, is “remarkably bad,” “poor quality,”…
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3 Tips for Fiction Writers Struggling with Setting
Setting is crucial to creating something your Readers will love, and if you struggle with it, then you’re like me. Getting setting right might be easier if stories took place entirely in one location, but they seldom do, so writers have hard work ahead. We have to constantly change the scenery, move in and out…
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Where I Learned to Write Interesting Post Titles
From Day One, I’ve struggled to come up with interesting post titles. No more. Cristian Mihai from The Art of Blogging has written The Art of Crafting a Brilliant Headline. It’s a post worthy of being saved, printed out, and kept near at hand when you’re blogging.
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A Letter to Pantsing and Plotting
Dear Pantsing and Plotting, I’m really happy I’ve got y’all as my best friends. If I didn’t, nothing would get written, and my life would be incredibly boring. Pantsing, do you remember that day in August 2017 when we sat down with only the idea of writing a detective novel? I do. The page didn’t…
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Writing Advice – The Long and the Short
Featured image: tranquil lake reflecting house and forest — Photo by Tatiana Syrikova on Pexels.com There’s nothing like sitting down with a thick book or tucking into one on your tablet. But at other times, you probably want something lighter. There’s no reason you can’t have both. Does the idea of writing a novel fill…
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Haiku – May 25
Blue all around me, Oxygen tank on my back, The ocean is warm.
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Another Me
When I was picking a pseudonym to write under, I did a quick check to see if there was already a well-known author with the name I was planning to use. There were people with the same name, but none of them appeared to be authors. I did find something cool: a character named Hyacinth…
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Four Months since Wounded Bride was Published!
Today, it’s been four months since Wounded Bride was self-published with FriesenPress. I have some cool stuff to show you today. David Collins at DC Cover Creations has crafted a logo for me! It’s now being displayed on every page and post of my site.I have two previous posts to show you, and five videos.Morgan…
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Sober
It’s almost Friday, so I’m thinking about the opposite of sober. I had no idea where the word “sober” came from, so I looked it up; it’s pretty much Latin for not drunk (“without intoxication.”) Well great! I like to learn something I didn’t already know when I research words for these posts. Maybe I…
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Writing Advice – Point of View
Pistol: Why, then the world’s mine oyster. Which I with sword will open. William Shakespeare — The Merry Wives of Windsor, act 2, scene 2 There are no rules about POV. That’s right, there really aren’t any. In this post about Starting NaNoWriMo, I said that I was struggling with third person narration in a…
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Haiku – May 18
Abandoned buildings, Dusty gray and sky the same, Black mud underfoot.
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WordPress is my Favorite
My first web-hosting company didn’t work for me. It was Weebly, and I’m sharing that because it may work great for you and they are still hosting one of my domains. Last year, when I realized that I needed to find a different company to host this site, I tried to think of where I…
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Books for Young Readers
I’ve always loved stories, and I want to share that passion with readers of all ages. Therefore, I’m working on some books for young readers (they’re also meant to be enjoyed by adults!) Please visit Hyacinth Grey’s Books for Young Readers (hgb4yr.com) to learn more about what’s coming later this year or early in 2021.
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Free eBook Offer
This offer has ended.
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New Words
Lately, I’ve been seeing the word “clickbait.” Is it something I was supposed to bite down on? Since I do a writing prompt on Thursday, “clickbait” will be the word I use. I usually like new words, but sometimes it takes me a while to get used to them. Other times, I never do. For…
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Some Testing Going On
I’ve been having a few issues with the publish dates of my blog posts, so WordPress Support is going to help me figure it all out. Therefore, you may see some test posts in the next few days. Please ignore them, because I’m going to delete all posts about testing except this one.
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Writing Advice – Subject and Object Pronouns
Pronouns can be a problem, and if your book contains many instances of incorrect ones, reading it can feel as frustrating as reading a book full of typos. Here are some sample sentences. Mom bought some oranges for Lisa and I. Mom and me bought some oranges for Lisa. Lisa and I bought some oranges…
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Haiku – May 11
The world upside down, Testimony of outlaws, Painted on tombstones.
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Sharing Sunday – Writing Space
I’m similar to number eleven on this list, but I love number sixteen. Writers Writing Place. Indoors Or Out? 17 Confess. by Dr. Shelly C from Success Strategies.
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Remembering Accountability
When I first heard the suggestion to add a page about what I was working on, I scoffed at the idea. I mean, what if I didn’t do what I said, and then all my readers waved goodbye and walked out the door, never to revisit my blog or consider buying my book? I don’t…
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Volume
When looking for a prompt for today’s post, I just picked the first word that popped into my head, which was, “volume.” How much coffee or tea does your cup hold? How loud do you like your music? I like words with multiple meanings. One of the novels I’m working on is about a guy…
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A Letter to Revision
Dear Revision, I’m kind of confused. I’ve always thought that the other half of writing was reading, but you sort of complicate matters. Reading came first, so maybe it’s the older sibling, and writing and revision are a set of younger twins. While we’re at it, where does publishing fit into the family? Is it…
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Writing Advice – Characters
Without characters, stories would tell very little. Would you want to pick up a book and find that the whole thing was nothing but a description of a setting, a world, or several planets? Whether you write sci-fi, fantasy, or romance, your story needs a set of characters. Don’t let the magic, technology, or amazing…
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Science Fiction
Because it’s May 4, I want to talk about science fiction, even though this post has nothing to do with Star Wars. In November 2019, my NaNoWriMo novel was a sci-fi story called On Ice. It’s still in the freezer, waiting for me to take it out and revise it, but while it’s coming up…
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Sharing Sunday – A Gem in the Blogosphere
Every Sunday, I share posts or other links that are interesting, inspiring, or thought-provoking, and How to Build a Web of Content That Hooks Your Readers for Hours by Cristian Mihai from The Art of Blogging is all of those. I like it so much, it’s the only thing I want to share with you…
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Previous Post Saturday
Today, I’d like to introduce you to a new weekly feature – Previous Post Saturday. I’m going to use this space to resurrect posts from my archives and point you to pages and other content on my websites that I’d like to show you. Because this is the first one, I got to thinking about…
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Focus
I like using a prompt on Thursdays, so I headed over to Discovery and found Focus. One suggestion was to talk about a sound, smell, or other stimulus that makes it easier to focus. For me, the stimulus has to be internal. I have to feel that interest, that drive, that get-up-and-go to be able…
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A Letter to My First Reader
Dear Reader, In January 2020, Wounded Bride was self-published through FriesenPress. One eBook copy was sold in February, so whoever bought it is my first Reader. I want you to know that you were the first person in the whole wide world to take a chance on a book with no reviews; one that had…
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Writing Advice – Tell a Story
There’s a lot of writing advice out there. Following some guidelines, such as the ones in my post about dialog attribution might make your writing more pleasant to read, but don’t let writing advice bog you down. Things can be fixed later. There’s no need to wait until your idea is perfect, or until you’ve…
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Stuck in my Head
What do you do when you get the name of the WordPress.com anti-spam feature Akismet stuck in your head? I mean, it’s a catchy name, but really, I could have a much more relaxing day without those three syllables rolling around inside my cranium. Strategies I use to get things to leave me alone include…
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I Love to Share
This is a list of all the blog posts I’ve ever liked. I haven’t been using the Reader for very long yet, so there are seventeen of them so far. The list goes from first liked to most recently liked, so the numbers don’t reflect how much I liked the post. The 5 Tricks That…
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Tempo
Today’s post was inspired by this writing prompt: Tempo . I’ve been thinking about this poem lately, so when I read the section in the above post aimed at poets, I thought of it right away. E. J. Pratt’s “The Lee-Shore” is about the Atlantic Ocean, but while drafting A Letter to the Pacific Ocean…
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Writing Advice – Dialog Attribution
You’ve probably heard the phrase “show, don’t tell.” I’d like to show you why I think this is good writing advice when you’re writing dialog. Here are a few sample sentences written solely for this post. “Not again,” she sighed. “My best friend forever doesn’t want to talk to me anymore, and I’m completely and…
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For Booksellers
I’ve added a For Booksellers page to my site.
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Write about what you know
Lots of people say to write about what you know. This is good advice, or is it? What is “know” anyway? How much would you need to know about something to be considered knowledgeable on that topic, and who decides this? I probably don’t know a great deal about engineering, but I could learn enough…
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Leap Day GiveAway Winners
Thank you to everybody who retweeted something about the giveaway. Entries are closed as of 3:00 p.m. PST on Saturday, February 29, 2020. Ten (10) winners will each receive one (1) Apple Books / iBooks gift code for Wounded Bride via direct message (DM.) The winners will be announced on Twitter, so if you’d like…
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Genres: Part 2 – Fantasy
I think that the strength of fantasy is its limitless possibility. You can create places, creatures, and powers that don’t need to be real to be believed. I can do pretty much whatever I want, and I don’t even have to think, is this possible? Anything is possible, and that includes whatever story I want…
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Genres: Part 1 – Detective
On Twitter, I was asked why I write in my particular genre. While Wounded Bride is a detective novel, I like to write in many genres. I’ve decided to answer this question in a series of blog posts, because I would like to talk about many genres, and putting them all in one post would…
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GiveAway – Ten Apple Books / iBooks gift codes to get Wounded Bride
Cover image of Wounded Bride by Hyacinth Grey It starts on: Thursday, February 13, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific. Entries close on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific. All you need to enter is to go on Twitter and retweet something about this giveaway. One entry per Twitter account, but multiple retweets are…
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A Lesson Learned about Outlining
My relationship with outlining has always been a little rocky. I’m a Pantser, so I usually just start writing, often with little or no idea about the story I’m going to tell. When I decided to write science fiction for NaNoWriMo, I did a brief outline because I wanted my plot to stay on track.…
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An Update on my NaNoWriMo Novel
Today, I finished the first draft of Be a Movie Star, the second novel I started after finished my first NaNoWriMo draft in two weeks. The second novel took me much longer, but I now have a first draft, and it hit 165K words. I originally called it a romance, but it’s more a family…
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Now on Goodreads
I’ve signed up as a Goodreads Author, and I’d love to connect with you on there. I’m currently very interested in books about writing and editing, so if you read a good one or wrote one yourself, please send me a message. http://www.goodreads.com/grey_hyacinth
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Wounded Bride now available from more Booksellers
Cover image of Wounded Bride Wounded Bride is now available from more Booksellers. To get a list, please visit my Buy Wounded Bride page. I’ll update that list as Booksellers add Wounded Bride to their offerings. This requires me to search for my book manually, so if you find Wounded Bride somewhere not listed on…
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Wounded Bride is now available
Wounded Bride cover image Now Available from the FriesenPress Online Bookstore in Paperback, Hardcover, and three eBook formats (EPUB, Kindle, and PDF.) https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000082595167/Hyacinth-Grey-Wounded-Bride There is also a Teaser Trailer video on YouTube at
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Wounded Bride – book preview
Wounded Bride will be published in a week or so. In the meantime, please check out the book preview on the FriesenPress Online Bookstore. This link will take you to the page where Wounded Bride is listed, in case you wanted to check out other titles in fiction. https://books.friesenpress.com/store/browse/FIC000000/Fiction
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Wounded Bride – coming very soon
(Cover image of Wounded Bride) Wounded Bride is coming very soon.
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The End
Here’s what I have at the end of NaNoWrimo. A first draft of “On Ice.” A lot of a first draft of “Be a Movie Star.” It took me fourteen days to write “On Ice,” at an average pace of 3,574 words per day for a total of 50,032 words. In sixteen days, I wrote…
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Week Four
After week four, “Be a Movie Star” is 86,989 words. That’s fairly long, and I know it’s going to be a lot of work to revise this thing, but the first draft is not finished yet. There are twenty chapters so far, but I still have a long way to go. It feels like I…
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Week Three
At the end of week two, I had already written 50,000 words and had completed the first draft of “On Ice.” This week, I started a second novel, called “Be a Movie Star.” During the last seven days, I have written 47,426 of it. It’s going a lot faster than “On Ice,” which was science…
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Be a Movie Star
91,464 of 50,000 words written title: Be a Movie Star genre: some kind of family and relationships romance thing personal goal for the project: no violence, and only minor accidents I finished “On Ice” in fourteen days and am starting a second NaNoWriMo project. synopsis: Natasha loves her job, and when she meets Peter, who…
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Week Two
Week one ended with the realization that my word count could only increase if I did some revising. I certianly wasn’t looking forward to it. I like to take the often-given writing advice to put your draft in a drawer for a few weeks or months, and then have a fresh manuscript to work with.…
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Wounded Bride – Coming Soon
(Link to Coming Soon version of Teaser Trailer removed.)
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So Fast
My site maintenanace went so fast, all the domain stuff seems to be working. The content updates aren’t yet complete, but there shouldn’t be any disruptions.
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Site Maintenance
I’m figuring out some things with domains and my website content. My site will probably act weird for a few days, but the blog shouldn’t be affected. Please continue to visit my site during this time but it may not work as expected.
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Week One
In the first seven days of NaNoWriMo, I have written an average of 4,000 words per day. My novel isn’t finished, but I have reached the end of the story. A lot of details need to be added, so I will spend the next twenty-three days doing that. I know what happens, now I just…
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Starting NaNoWriMo
I was quite nervous, but I got started on Friday. My book took an unexpected detour, and I’ve managed to make up a new word, and am now trying to prevent myself from overusing it. I have an idea of how the story will end. When I revise, I will need to add a lot…
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After You Revise
You’ve worked very hard and finished revising your novel. Isn’t it amazing how long it takes? I’ve been working on a fairly substantial book, and have logged about forty-eight hours of revisions. That’s more than a work week. It’s not finished yet. Writing it was fun, and revising it sometimes is, but I find it…
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The Hardest Part of Writing
For me, it’s not getting the idea that I find difficult. I don’t struggle with the blank page, nor with the first chapter. Sometimes, I do find the middle of the novel a little bit slow, but if I sit on it for a few hours, I usually figure out how to fix it. Writing…
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Word Count
50,032 words written in fourteen days first draft complete book title: On Ice genre: started as science fiction romance, but turned out more like a science fiction psychological thriller with a pinch of romance
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I Intend to Win
I’m feeling revved about NaNoWriMo. I plan to update a blog post each day with my Word Count. Feeling as ready to win as I am? Why not join NaNoWriMo. You have seventeen days to get ready for November 1! http://www.nanowrimo.org
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Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo
I was too late last year, but this year, I’m going to do NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month is November. I have thirty days to write a novel. My first NaNoWriMo novel will be called “On Ice,” and is a sci-fi romance about a researcher stranded on a very cold planet and the computer expert…
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One day in the Garden
This post isn’t about gardening, or even being outdoors. I didn’t know this two years ago, but people who write without having much in the way of starting ideas are sometimes called Gardeners or Pantsers. (Those who use outlines are often called Architects, Plotters, or Planners.) All I knew was that I wanted to write…
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Welcome
Welcome to my blog! My name is Hyacinth Grey, and this blog is about writing, becoming an author, and promoting my books. I’m working with http://www.friesenpress.com to publish my first book, a thriller called Wounded Bride. Please visit my website http://www.hyacinthgrey.com for more details. There is also a Teaser Trailer on YouTube https://youtu.be/9asDz6mD0Ng which can…
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The Journey Begins
Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Got any book recommendations?