Tag: Darla

  • Friday Flash Fiction

    It’s been a long time, but I finally have an offering.  Happy Friday, folks!

    Darla M Sands – A Word of Advice

  • A Poem for the Day

    Beautiful Aberration

    There!  A flash of white
    Not winter snow – autumnal delight
    The white squirrel thrives, the albino’s luck holding
    I watch in awe, joyed by its bounding flight

  • Writer Wednesday – The Power of Proofreading

    Wow!  I just finished reading an e-book and have never been so overwhelmed by typographical errors in my life.  Never have I seen so many mistakes, to the point that they took me out of the story.  Who edited this?  The Three Stooges?

    Interestingly, the title was a re-release from something published in 2008.  Not knowing if this could possibly have anything to do with the problem (which seems unlikely), I can’t help commenting that it felt at times like the writer’s first language is something other than English.  There were wrong tenses, misused words, missing words, extra words – you name it.

    The story itself was very enjoyable, by an author whose writing I greatly enjoy and admire.  And yet, sadly, I am likely never to read the tale again for all the annoyances.  Too bad I can’t go into my Kindle Fire and fix the issues.  Wouldn’t that be nice?

    As for the names of story and author, I’ll keep those to myself.  Additionally, I’ll cross my fingers to never find something so botched again.  Now I’m going to read this several times before posting and try to make sure I don’t make any of the same mistakes!

  • A Haiku for the Day

    A Floral Feast

    Cobalt blue shimmers
    A sharp beak pecks small white blooms
    The peacock dines well

  • Darla’s Dotty Dictionary

    Today I had a random thought.  Most of us have online pals that we’ve never met.  And I guess they could be termed simply online acquaintances, or maybe e-friends for short.  Honestly, wondering about it never occurred to me before.

    That led me to ponder what we should call those that we have met in the flesh.

    Brick and mortar friends?

  • Writer Wednesday – Chapter Titles

    As both an avid reader and fledgling writer, I often consider the naming of chapters.  By no means do I consider the practice necessary, nor do I see many authors doing so these days.

    There are, however, times when I haven’t been able to help myself.  For example, I once wrote a short story with food items as chapter titles.  Within each chapter I worked that word into the storytelling.  They ultimately tied together as ingredients in a recipe.

    The reason I chose to expound on the issue here, however, is because of an e-book I recently downloaded.  This particular author, who composed a decent tale, took an odd stance on titling.  She actually used the location, month, and year in which the ensuing interval occurs.

    Because the storyline sometimes visited the distant past, that might not have seemed a bad choice.  However, I found that her habit merely pulled me out of the story without purpose.  After all, the flashbacks were just that – flashes – and always appeared in italics.  I can’t think of one instance where the title came from the past, either, while the timeline progressed naturally from the end of the previous chapter.

    I’ll definitely consider this experience for my future writings.  What is your opinion?  Do you like chapter titles?  Do you use them?  Or perhaps I’m odd for even considering the point.  Please let me know what you think!

  • A Haiku for the Day

    A Reprieve from Drought

    A knock overhead
    Rain pounds a tin roof – divine
    The very earth sighs

  • Rest in Peace, Tony Scott

    While this is no longer fresh news to the internet world, the undisputed suicide of British-born film director and producer Tony Scott has left a distinct sadness in my household.  And yet I find inspiration from him still, even as I wish his family and friends all the best in their time of grief.

    According to website IMDB.com, Mr. Scott said about “Days of Thunder”, which  failed to reach the critical acclaim or financial success attributed to many other of his works, “… you always have to get a story and you’ve got to get character first, and we hadn’t.“

    Wow.  So simple, and yet so important.

    According to Mr. Scott’s tell, putting 1990’s era Tom Cruise behind the wheel of a race car was all creators thought it would take to sell “Days of Thunder” to moviegoers, and that vein struck fool’s gold.  I believe all writers kind enough to read this know better, but I still felt the point worth sharing.

    Whatever you create, though, enjoy the process first and foremost.  That’s a lesson we can all take to heart.  I can only hope that Anthony D. L. Scott is at peace now and enjoyed his success while he had it.

  • Writer Wednesday – More on Establishing Routines

    Yesterday I brought up the value of establishing routine.  A. Catherine Noon commented with a good idea, too.  She recommends weekly planning, which makes sense; looking at matters within a larger block of time would cut down on the minutia of daily scheduling.

    I do intend to resume spending time each day at my desk, regardless of whether it be a Wednesday or a Sunday.  That kind of discipline can only be good for me.  Many writers have a set goal for their office time, such as producing a certain word count.  I used to be that way, with a hope of reaching a thousand words every day.

    Now, however, I’m not going to be that strict upon myself.  It’s enough to take baby steps in the right direction.

    In fact, whenever the weather cools back down I might count sitting on my porch with a laptop or notebook as office time.  I’ve enjoyed much creativity there.  And the creative process deserves flexibility to flourish.  At least I find that is true for me.

    So, here’s a proverbial toast to routines without restrictions.  I hope that any endeavor upon which you embark gives you more a sense of freedom than burden.

  • Routine Matters

    Looking upon the clock a short while ago, I found myself appalled that no ideas had surfaced for my blog post today.  The concern led me to wonder why this is so, to ponder many of the tips I’ve read on writing, and ultimately to come to a topic.

    As stated in the title, this is all about the value of routine, though my use of the word “matters” is meant in the description of a thing’s importance rather than the usual “matters at hand” insinuated by the saying.  Dear colleagues on this blog are a great source of inspiration and ideas in this area, too.

    Yet despite acknowledging this value of routine, I’ve been really slack at following any such thing since returning from a visit to my parents’ home.  In my own house, I find it all too easy just to pick up my Kindle Fire and flop across the bed.  Mealtimes (cooking to feed my partner or pulling out the cat food) seem to be the only timely activities accomplished.  Other than that, I barely manage one meager daily goal to keep up on housework.

    My desk, where I currently sit, has been completely neglected.  It’s nice, too, an office piece from my husband’s uncle.  It’s set up with a digital photo frame filled with favorite images, beloved art on the walls, and even a freshwater aquarium.

    So why have I lost interest in sitting here?  I currently find myself feeling quite comfortable and productive.  And I think that’s just the reason for avoiding the space.

    I’ve feared failing at getting into the swing of writing.  Of late, the act of opening a document on my laptop or pulling out pen and paper for more than casual journal keeping intimidate me somehow.

    In retrospect, I think making this once-joyous activity a routine part of my day will prompt my blogging and fiction writing to flourish once again.  I need to set up some sort of daily plan, which should certainly include physical exercise, but surely can involve some time for pleasurable reading.  After all, I need to know what’s selling if I really want to earn any sort of living in the publishing industry, right?

    What routines help you achieve your goals?  I’d really appreciate the moral support.  Best wishes in whatever you endeavor.  Now I’m going to go feed my fish.