The Stranger And The "A" Word

Are you an accident prone writer? I know I am. 📝

it takes me 3-7 business days to process my feelings

may the last two months of 2018 be filled with pleasant plot twists, spontaneous fun, and good vibes.

Why we’re excited to engage audiences in new ways

mood: i want to read a story exactly like one of my favorite stories i’ve read a thousand times but not THAT story because i’ve read it a thousand times and i want to read a new one but it should be exactly like this one.

Valley of Fire State Park, United States | #Geology #GeologyPage #USA

Valley of Fire State Park is the oldest state park in Nevada, USA and was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1968. It covers an area of 42,059 acres (17,021 ha) and was dedicated in 1935. It derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park’s attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun’s rays.

Valley of Fire is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, at an elevation between 1,320–3,009 feet (402–917 m). It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the east at the Virgin River confluence. It lies in a 4 by 6 mi (6.4 by 9.7 km) basin.

Geology Page www.geologypage.com https://www.instagram.com/p/BoSIXItlG5b/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=kyu1dlriosi3

So true.

If you’re not ready to have a gay kid, a trans kid, an autistic kid, a disabled kid, then you’re not ready to have a kid.

If you’re not ready to love and care for them unconditionally, you aren’t ready to care for them at all.

I realize I was rather polite ("safe") when I created this. There have been times Thanksgiving has been just fine. But there have been others that were overwhelming. Then there were the times it included a person or two who thinks Asperger's is a load of bull and who ends up making things tense. In short, Thanksgiving can be complicated... How are these get together's for you?

Run with the Stars

I’m a writer, a published author. This reality humbles me. But lately I feel like I’m running a million miles an hour and making as much progress as someone trying to cross a finish line on a treadmill.

Getting this third manuscript pulled together has taken much longer than I ever anticipated. And that’s just to get it ready for submission (for consideration). Most of the reasons for this slow down are varied and valid. Shifting gears from creative nonfiction to fiction is an adjustment; one I underestimated. Life also happens and sometimes won’t take a backseat to anything. But there are other aspects I can control, instead of letting them run the schedule.

One thing my Aspergirl pointed out to me in the middle of all this was how this MS read more like naked retelling of events rather than allowing the reader a true glimpse into a new world. Her advice woke me up. It made me realize as much as I love writing, I had become stale. It explained why the last handful of articles I wrote feels flat. I’m grateful for her and her insight. I know what I needed to fix this; I needed to reacquaint myself with nature.

Can you relate?

Sometimes writing means we spend too much time ignoring our senses. We become dull and lack sheen. Our minds become hungry for stimulation a keyboard and laptop screen will never be able to provide. We need to step away and step outside, or at least peer out the window. We need to feel the breeze tousle our hair, to watch the leaves swirl about when a storm is heading our way. To sense the electricity in the air before the sky opens and drenches the dry grass. To hear the rapping of the rains against our windows, hoping we remembered to close everything up tight. To feel ourselves tense up when thunder makes our home feel like it will expand and contract with each burst.

In other words, our bodies as well as our minds need to know we are, indeed, alive. This life will be reflected in our writing, as well as any deadness that lingers inside.

~Julie