Need

Right now being discovered was a huge, wild need.

He would be back, her mind said quietly, and relief came comforting like a blanket.

She wanted him to realize her life had wings.


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This was written for the Trifextra Challenge for this weekend :) 

In explanation, my hubby's away for the weekend, and I'm getting ready to launch my own business as a life coach. 


This weekend we are playing another type of word game with you.  Below are photos from the 33rd page of one of our very favorite books, Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge.  (images here) What we want you to do is to scour the page (click to enlarge), choose 33 words, and reshape those words into a piece of your own.  Your piece does not have to tell an entire story.  We just want to see what you can do with this particular word bank.  Punctuation is up to you.  Use whatever you need, whether or not it appears in the photos.

Trapped Dancer

image courtesy of dalbera (via Flickr Creative Commons)

"It takes dedication and sacrifice to be one of the greats, Suzy."

Suzy looked up at her mom from where she sat on the bench, working out a cramp in one of her feet as the other girls spun and twirled on without her. She didn't feel great...all she felt was trapped.

"I don't want to be one of the greats!" she said, frowning fiercely.

Her mother sat down next to her and fussed with her hair. "Of course you do, dear. It's always been your dream, and I'm here to make sure it comes true."

And she had been. Everything in Suzy's life revolved around dancing and ballet - whether she wanted it or not. Somewhere along the way, her delight had turned to drudgery, but no matter what she said or did, her mother seemed blind to it.

Suzy had exhausted every possible way of getting out of this 'dream' she'd supposedly had since she was five... almost. As the arms of her mother encircled her like a cage to take her foot out of her hand and massage it herself, Suzy had a thought.

"Some dreams aren't meant to come true, mama..." she said, her voice far away as she eyed the dancers and the ladders the stage hands had left dangerously close to the dance floor. She couldn't dance if she couldn't walk.

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This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week AND the Write on Edge challenge of the week :) 

Trifecta's Prompt:

EXHAUST (transitive verb)
1a : to consume entirely : use up 
  b : to tire extremely or completely
  c : to deprive of a valuable quality or constituent
2a : to draw off or let out completely
  b : to empty by drawing off the contents; specifically : to create a vacuum in
3a : to consider or discuss (a subject) thoroughly or completely  

  b : to try out the whole number of < exhausted all possibilities > 

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone.  Please join us.

Write on Edge's Prompt(s):

We’re looking forward to seeing what you think, as this week’s prompt combines an Ayn Rand quote with an image of one of Edgar Degas’ famous ballerinas.

Remember, you can use either — or both — portions of the prompt in your response and your word limit is 500. Once you link up, check back Thursday to see what other members of the community submitted.

The link is now live and will be open until 11:59 p.m., PST on Thursday. Happy writing!

It stands to reason that where there’s sacrifice, there’s someone collecting sacrificial offerings. Where there’s service, there’s someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master.
—Ayn Rand

image courtesy of dalbera (via Flickr Creative Commons)

Grandfather

"I'm huuuuuunungry."

Warm laugh lines crinkled into a smile, "Are you as hungry as an ant?"

"Nooooooo!" said the girl in the way only grandaughters could.

"Are youuuu... Hungry as a hippo!?"

"Yeah!!"

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This was written for the Trifextra Challenge for this weekend :) 

For this weekend's challenge we're asking you to include some hyperbolein your piece.  It doesn't have to be the whole piece, but it needs to be in there, and we're looking for 33 words, as usual.

Definitely time...

It was definitely time to see someone... She didn't even know where to begin unraveling the mess that her life had become. Everything had seemed like it was lining up! And suddenly it was as if someone had hit the auto-destruct button and then left before the dust even finished settling.

It all started with that one book she found, the free one about meditation and breathing and all that. If she'd known it was going to blow up her life she'd have left it alone! But then the coincidences started...

It was as if they were around every corner, and always about the same thing - ways forward in her life that had nothing to do with her life the way it was, but felt right anyway. Impossibly inconvenient, but right... And the feelings! She could swear she was picking up on everyone else's, and it had been getting stronger...

Either she was just going nuts under the strain, or there was something else going on here. The more things lined up in her life setting her on the career track of her dreams, the more she'd begun to wonder...who's dreams were they, again?

When had she decided? She really couldn't remember...and that's when she began to notice, it was as if she was living someone else's life. Like she'd fallen asleep at the wheel and her life had just kept right on going without her, and now...here she was...

It was definitely time to see someone unless she wanted to just dwell on it endlessly...maybe that coach she'd heard about. The one with that free book.

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This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week :) 

In explanation, I was given the assignment to come up with my marketing avatar - the ideal client for me as a spiritual life coach with an emphasis on transformation, awakening and big change. It's a creative task, and I decided (to my surprise) to express mine in the form of a story prompted by the word Dwell - in its third definition, of course ;) 

Oh, and that free book on meditation? It's called A Tree of Me and it's in its first draft stage as of the publishing of this story :) You want a copy, just drop me a comment and I'll send it when it's done.

This week's word is:

DWELL

1

: to remain for a time

2

a : to live as a resident

b : exist, lie

3

a : to keep the attention directed —used with on or upon < tried not to dwell on my fears >

b : to speak or write insistently —used with on or upon < reporters dwelling on the recent scandal >

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone.  Please join us.

Why Not Relax?

Poet Lu Yu Wrote:

The Clouds above us join and separate,
The breeze in the courtyard leaves and returns.
Life is like that, so why not relax?
Who can stop us from celebrating?


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This was written for the Trifextra Challenge for this weekend :) Mine is from The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff...and Lu Yu of course :D


This weekend we are venturing into uncharted territories once again.  This Trifextra isn't so much a writing challenge; it's more of a reading challenge.  We want you to scour through your favorite pieces of literature and give us the best 33 words you can find.

Some quick guidelines:

• The writing you choose should not be your own.
• The 33 words should be lifted directly from another source (i.e. don't take 33 random words from Macbeth and shake them into a poem of your own (though that would be an awesome idea for another challenge) and don't take a sentence from the beginning of a book and another from the end--keep the original order).
• Credit your sources.
• You can't use the same 33 words as anyone else in the linkz. Skim through before posting your own.  You can use the same author and even the same title, just not the exact same words.

Clarity

When the path is unclear, we can return to the breath
The font of life from beginning to end, it is always there
Like the beat of the heart, it sustains...and guides

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This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week :)

This week's word is:

PATH
1: a trodden way
2: a track specially constructed for a particular use
3a : course, route
  b : a way of life, conduct, or thought

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone.  Please join us.

They'd Noticed

"The light is fading..."

"Don't worry, we'll find him."

"But what if he's hurt? Or lost?"

"Don't even think it. Kevin's a smart boy, I'm sure he's fine."

"I hope you're right..."

"Keeeeeeeevviiiiiiiinnnnnnn...!"


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This was written for the Trifextra Challenge for this weekend :)

It's the other side of the story from the previous entry, He Did.

For the weekend prompt we're asking for exactly 33 words of dialogue.

He did

Stars wheeled outside the cave mouth,
Marking the passing night

He wondered if they'd noticed he was gone...
He wondered if he cared...

As morning birds began to chirp, he realized he did

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This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week :)

MOUTH

1a : the natural opening through which food passes into the body of an animal and which in vertebrates is typically bounded externally by the lips and internally by the pharynx and encloses the tongue, gums, and teeth
  b : grimace
  c : an individual requiring food
2a : voice, speech
  b : mouthpiece
3: something that resembles a mouth especially in affording entrance or exit: as

  a : the place where a stream enters a larger body of water

  b : the surface opening of an underground cavity

  c : the opening of a container

  d : an opening in the side of an organ flue pipe

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone.  Please join us.

The Tease

It sat there innocently enough, but temptation lurked in its every delectable curve.
"What?" I asked, frowning.
The french tart said nothing, poised just so, enticing me.
"Stupid diet..." I muttered, giving in.

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This was written for the Trifextra Challenge for this weekend :)

And now on to our quick weekend challenge.  This weekend, we're sending you back to English 101 to revisit the concept of literary devices.  We want you to give us a 33-word example of personification.  Wait.  What?  You forget what that is?  It's the practice of attaching human traits and characteristics with inanimate objects, phenomena and animals (http://literary-devices.com).  It's when the wind howls, the car door grunts, and the front porch shrugs its shoulders under the weight of its own history.  Remember?  For some writers, it's the backbone of their art.  This weekend, we want you all to give it a whirl, and we can't wait to see what you come up with.  Good luck!

Dream Weaver

Her fingers drew lines of light through the air as she coaxed a cloud into being. It blurred, potential and truth appearing momentarily ghost-like as they blended together, gaining form in the here and now. Golds and whites, air and water, purity and power and thunderous potential...she felt more than saw them, humming through her body.

"And we can't forget the silver lining," she said, hands twirling with a flourish worthy of a master craftsman as she settled aspects into place. Her eyes were focused with the deep, dual-world concentration required of dream weaving, but she hadn't missed the gathering crowd.

Emily was one of the best in the lands, and when she worked people were bound to stop and watch - just like now. Usually they maintained a respectful distance, but she noticed a few daring souls edging a bit close to the hastily drawn line of her sacred circle.

A devilish smile played at the corner of her mouth as one particularly brave boy crept dangerously near to crossing the line. "Better watch out," she said in his general direction. Not waiting to see if he'd listened, she suddenly spun, turned, and swept her body in one smooth motion as graceful as it was direct.

The movement ended with a crisp flick of the wrist, sparking lightning in an arc from the tips of her fingers to the cloud, burnishing its underside with silver. The remainder buried itself in the iron rod at the boy's feet. "Lightning can be a real bitch."

Complete and ready to join the cycle of time, the cloud moved upward on its own. Emily released it and her audience with a hand on her heart and bow of her head, then turned on heel and walked out of the circle.

She didn't look back to see the shocked expression on the boy's face. She could remember it well enough as her own - the day she first saw dream weaving and discovered her true calling.


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This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week :) And got second place! :D

 This week's word is:

BITCH (noun)

1: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals
2 a : a lewd or immoral woman
   b : a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman —sometimes used as a generalized term of abuse
3: something that is extremely difficult, objectionable, or unpleasant

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone.  Please join us.

I Came Back for You

ZeroOne / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

She was waiting for him, he knew
His Maggie...her fingers now frail with age
She had always liked the park
He had known just where to find her
Soon they would fly together
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This was written for the Trifextra Challenge for this weekend :)

And now, on to our Trifextra.  We want you to choose one of the pictures below and give us a 33-word response to it.  Your responses will be judged by the community this weekend.  If you use the photo on your blog, you must include the attached accreditation (with active links).  

The Seekers

She blew on a dandelion, and changed her world

The seeds danced on the breeze, bearers of wish and a prayer

Given freedom with her breath, they searched

Their idle time was over

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This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week :)

 
IDLE
1: lacking worth or basis : vain
2: not occupied or employed: as
    a : having no employment : inactive
    b : not turned to normal or appropriate use
    c : not scheduled to compete
3: a : shiftless, lazy

    b : having no evident lawful means of support

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone.  Please join us.

Her Own Book

The heavy burden slid from her shoulders.
New truths arose in its place light as feathers,
Touched gold by the breaking Dawn...
Her own book revealed itself in the world of her eyes.

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This was written for the Trifextra Challenge for this weekend :)


This weekend we're asking for 33 words about a new beginning. 

That Damned Book

I look up at the moon, and I know she is gone...

I can still feel her hot skin under my fingers, hear the rasping as she struggles for each one of those last breaths.

"My book..." she manages to get out, her whole body straining with the effort it takes to speak. "Please."

I know what she's talking about immediately. The Book - the one that had been around longer than I had. It was always her intention to publish it, but there was always something more she wanted to add.

I realized that book marked the days of my life...and hers. It followed like a lingering shadow, and now it was finished - for her, anyway.

"Yes, I hear you," I say, tears in my eyes as I touch her bare arm. The hospital smell of cleaners covering death so strong in my nose marks the promise. "I will get it published for you."

As I said the words, I realized I hated that book. No, "I love you..." No, "I'll miss you." No, "I'm sorry." All that effort, her last breath all but used up on a final request. That damned book.

A ghost of a smile hints at her lips and she relaxes deeply, knowing the torch has been passed. It was now for me to carry it forward and do what she never could: End It.

That damned book was now my burden to bear, alone.

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Erk, this came as a huge surprise. It is a true story...and I hadn't realized how upset (and angry!) I was about the whole thing. I've just been stalling...for years... I still have the book, I haven't even finished reading it let alone published it :P 

It was my intention to do so by March, in time for the April 10 year anniversary of my mother's death...but I've still been stalling.

It's hard, I know how I'm supposed to feel. How I should be acting with such a thing. I dislike that I feel the way I feel...maybe that's why it took me so long to get in touch with it.

I showed my hubby the story - he knows I've been struggling with publishing the book for a while...it really is a mess. He said, "You know, she told you to publish it, not edit it and make it perfect. Just put it out there and let it go."

I'm gonna do that. I really wish I could love it - and maybe one day I will. But not today...not before it's published. Maybe that's what I was trying to do all along...force love. It didn't work.


****ADDENDUM**** I did it :) The book is now published through Kindle. It's here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZNY2HO

This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week :)

 
INTENTION (noun)

1: a determination to act in a certain way : resolve
2: import, significance
3a : what one intends to do or bring about
  b : the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone!!  Please join us.

Inner Sun Rises

Inner sun rises on wings of light,

Riches hidden by fear of darkness

She speaks in rivers and waves of fire,

Revealing all that is known and unknown

Time to be, to surrender.

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Here's my entry for the Trifextra Weekend Challenge! :D 33 words exactly again, for the fun of it :)

This speaks to me on many levels... primarily tho, it is about life. Becoming, living, and the shift of ages we're going through lately with everything coming to the surface, including inner truth that sometimes burns on its way out.

There's some Zen concepts in there... A bit about the flow of kundalini through the bodies (physical, mental, emotional) akin to the layers of Gaia - the She in the writing (or am I the She? Hmmmm) The earth and its inhabitants are intimately linked, and we are all deeply beautiful - even when we don't remember.

It speaks to me of my own life, and myself, and my inner self, too. Feeling blessed, in control, out of control and everything sandwiched in between. Time to be, to surrender...yep, that about sums it up.


On to the weekend challenge.  As you'll recall from your elementary science class days, the structure of the earth can be divided most simply into three sections: core, mantle, crust.  Here's a diagram.

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Give us 33 words from it.  Interpret the prompt however you wish--literal, metaphorical, or somewhere in between.  If you would like to use the image on your own blog, you must properly credit it.

We Become

In the halls of time we stand in tribute to our Spirits
Holding true to our values in the face of challenge,
We don’t just survive – we thrive. In living, we become Ourselves

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This was written for the Trifecta Challenge of the week :)

survive

1: to remain alive after the death of
2: to continue to exist or live after
3: to continue to function or prosper despite : withstand

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.