Snapshot Prompt

Leanne has put together this week's prompt for us. Next week, my turn, and I announce our new winner for the monthly ad contest! Make sure to check out The Rules and get your stories linked up by 8pm EST next Tuesday to be eligible.

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Happy Wednesday, my friends! It's time for the next round of Writer Wednesday Blog Hop inspiration. If you've been following along, we've been gathering the most wonderful stories from the photo prompts and our community is growing! Carrie, Nicole, Tena and I are so grateful to all of you for your participation and creativity in the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop. Thank you!

If you haven't yet joined in, please know you are welcome to hop in anytime. All are welcome!

Before we get to this week's photo, take a look at the stories that came in from last week. They are truly wonderful!

1. Last Train Out by Randy Lindsay
2. Journey to Huge Stone by Christopher Shawbell
3. A Decision For Peter by Scott Taylor
4. A Ghost of Herself Emily Jean Roche
5. Fading Tracks by CK Sorensen
6. Granddaddy's Pocket Watch by Leanne Sype
7. This is Where the Nightmares Started by Nicole Pyles

Be sure to take some time to read these and show some love to the author by commenting on their story. :) 

Okay... a quick reminder of how all this works:
1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story.
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

Drum roll please.... badabadabadabada

Words:

cook

help

relative

tears

finger

Photo courtesy of here.

Snapshot Reveal: Fading Tracks

410 words. :) I was so afraid I'd gone over this time.

This post is in response to last week's Snapshot Prompt. Click on over to read more work inspired by the same photo and words. Or even (gasp) submit your own.


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Fading Tracks

Roger flickered into sight next to the overgrown rails. He frowned down at them a moment, kicking at the wild vegetable greens. His foot went right through.

These tracks used to run straight into the city, carrying folk from all over to come try their luck under 24 hour lights. Now the living just forgot them, forgot the importance of them, lost in their need for single-passenger cars, clogging up the highways and filling the air with that smoke--

"Good morning."

Roger's frown melted away as he turned to his fellow ghost.

"Well, hello there, Miss. Going somewhere special today?"

"I'm hoping," she said with a toothy smile. The girl had obviously been around a while, dressed in petticoats and layers of muslin, holding a little purse in a white-gloved hand.

"Did it take you a while to get here?" Roger asked politely. The woman's eyes widened.

"Oh, yes. I was tied pretty tightly to my place of death. Childbirth, you know," she whispered. Roger nodded solemnly before pulling out his silver pocket watch.

"Well, my dear, you won't have to wait much longer. The train is due in three minutes precisely."

"Oh, I'm so excited. Where does the train go, precisely? I'm not entirely sure ... " Her voice faded, her hands clutching her purse. Roger sent her a reassuring smile.

"Why, nearly anywhere in the Cosmos you would like to go." Her smile lit the world in that moment.

The wind carried a heavy note followed by a whistling breeze. Roger signaled the passenger to wait a moment. The breeze kicked up dirt and ruffled the vegetables  but didn't do anything to the two figures standing by as the iridescent train materialized before them.

The lady rushed up to the ladder, cheerily greeting the conductor who opened the door for her. She paused on the landing and looked down.

"Are you coming, sir?" Roger hesitated, sharing a glance with the conductor before he answered.

"Not today, Ma'am. Have a nice trip, now."

She didn't waste another moment, slipping onto the train and out of sight.

"You sure, Roger?" the conductor asked. "It's been a long time."

"One day," Roger challenged. "One day they'll remember the tracks. They'll need me, then." The conductor set his lips and nodded goodbye. The train engine pushed the air up again as it disappeared.

Roger sighed and shook his head, looking down at his pocket watch before tucking it away and fading out of sight.

The Half-Ling Escape: Part 4 of the Collaboration Challenge

Anika's secret power is revealed and her need for the real amulet increases.

Part Four: The Half-Ling Escape

by Yolanda Lane

Catch up links:

Part One: For What it's Worth  -  Part Two: Bridges Burned  -  Part Three

Part 3 Of the Collaboration Challenge

Meet your enemy.

Part 3 of the Collaboration Challenge

by Joseph Redhorn (aka Gavril Mikhailovich)

Catch up links:

Part One: For What it's Worth  -  Part Two: Bridges Burned

Snapshot Prompt

There's something about a holiday weekend that throws everyone off - particularly since everyone doesn't have the same day off.

But, we have the prompt set up thanks to Nicole. It was posted before midnight her time, but it was too late for me. Still, the prompt is good. Check it out.

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Goodness gracious, people! Who forgot to tell me it was Wednesday??

I'm not exactly a day late though (although I'm several dollars short, according to my bank account), because it isn't midnight yet.

So, first, let's do a quick shout out to my fabulous upon fabulous co-hosts, Carrie K. Sorensen, Tena Carr, and Leanne Sype.

Also, make sure to grab a blog hop button if you love us as much as we love you!

Click and copy this code

<p align="center"> <a href="http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Wednesday%20Blog%20Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh540/sommerfugldesign/Worldofmyimagination/wednesdayhopbutton.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a> </p>

Now, let's check out the amazing stories from last week -

Thank You Again by Chris Shawbell

A Bitter Sun, A Hazy Sky by Scott Taylor

Abandoned by Heather

Cloaked by Leanne Sype

Good job everybody!!

Just as a reminder, here are the rules - 

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story.2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Wednesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess when you're done via the inLinkz linky.
5) Have fun, don't stress, let those creative juices flow.

Now, here's the fun part. 

Here is the photo for this week (found here)

And here are the five words -

Pocket Watch

Cosmic

Ghost

Vegetable

Train

When you are ready, submit your link below!

Family Fun: Sebastian's 1st Birthday

The Collaboration Challenge is on pause for the moment. I'll update you when I know more.

I had such a busy fun weekend! And I have pictures. Lots of baby-eating-cake pictures. (So sorry if this page takes forever to load.)

The party was so much fun. We had a good showing. I had Joshua (Big Brother) help open the presents while Sebastian played with the bags and boxes and tissue paper. As the toys were unwrapped, I passed them out to the kiddos watching and gave permission to take them out of the packages. Great for a couple reasons. 1) Kiddos don't get too jealous while watching the present opening. 2) Other parents open all the cardboard and twist ties and other crap for me! Win Win!

Then, there's the cake. We had Thomas the Train cakes (there's a photo somewhere, but not on my phone). A big cake for everyone else with Thomas from the store, then a little cake they copied the frosting on and I put one of Joshua's trains (Percy, if you know the show) on the little one for Sebastian. He got the little cake and dug right in while the rest of us enjoyed the untouched bigger cake.

Here Are the Photos!

I do not have before and after pics of the kitchen yet, simply because 'after' is not finished. Per typical DIY projects, this one had more issues than expected, is taking more materials than expected, and therefore will take more time than expected. But we're hoping to be done by this weekend, so pictures are still coming. Everyone at the party loved the progress, though, so it makes me all the more excited to finish it.

Snapshot Prompt

As promised, here's Leanne's post for the Snapshot prompt. :)

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My turn! This week I have the pleasure of hosting this week's blog hop. I hope you all are enjoying the challenges as much as I am... the stories that birth from these photos are truly fun to read. And this past week was no different. Check out the stories that sprung from last week's inspiration:

Hunter's Moon by Randy Lindsay
An Invitation from the SECONYC by Scott Taylor
As a Polis Slumbers by Chris Shawbell
Stormy Love by Leanne Sype
Runaway Moon by Cindy

Also, Chris Shawbell was this month's ad contest winner! Congrats Chris! For more about the contest part of the blog hop click here. Show him some love and fellow writer support with this button on your site:

   

 You're invited to jump into the blog hop anytime! Certainly the pictures are thought provoking, but there's something to be said about writers inspiring other writers...

Here’s a quick overview of how it works:

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story.
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday at midnight to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

Without further ado, here's this weeks picture and mandatory words:

Your words:

carpet

definition

sponge

wardrobe

pudding

Yikes! Tough! We can do it though... ready? GO!

The Balls of Life - As in, Juggling Them.

First of all - thank you to everyone stopping by for both the Collaboration Challenge and the Snapshot Prompt. I've had a surge in views for both of them these past week and I wanted to share my gratitude before I get into my mini-rant. ;)

I'm juggling too many balls this week, so I regret I won't be posting past tomorrow, and tomorrow Leanne Sype has control anyway, so I'm not sure it counts. But Thursday and Friday will be mute on my part and here's why ...

I'm tiling my kitchen back splash. All by myself. Well, my step-dad was kind enough to cut the tiny glass pieces for me. He comes when I call (well, sometime within the next few hours), cuts what I need and leaves until the next call. Fantastic system.

Did I mention I still have my two boys? Oh, yeah. And that the older one has decided he wants to be a baby again, so isn't using the toilet any more? And the younger one has decided he wants to potty train - in the bath tub?

Yeah. All during the tiling. All while my husband is off on his business vacation trip.

And I'm pushing the tiling because I want it done for Sebastian's 1 year birthday party this Saturday, which will be after we visit the little boy across the street for his 8th birthday party - after swim lessons (which I may not go to because ...) - after taking the dog to the vet because he's torn his ACL ... again.

I still have to clean up after the tiling, after the two boys taking advantage of my split attention and then wrap those presents and get the house party ready for Saturday.

Anyway, I have far too many balls and despite my best intentions, something has to go to keep others in the air. So, goodbye Social Networking and Blogging for the rest of the week. I will miss you, terribly, but I promise to come back with photos of the beautiful kitchen face lift and my baby's very first birthday party. :-)

Bridges Burned: Collaboration Challenge Part 2

L. T. Dalin has brought a bit more excitement into Anika's life with her contribution this week. I'm so excited to be able to link you to

Bridges Burned

By L. T. Dalin

Previous installments:

P1: For What It's Worth

Planning Stages for a New Story

Welcome to my 200th Post!

Which is cool to note, but I have something else to chat about today. :-)

In putting away my last two projects, both years in the making, I realized something very important. Though relationships inspire me, they also drive much of my plot. This results in us getting to know the characters a lot in the first few chapters, then this leads to events developing in the second half that could have been there the whole time. Or my big problem isn't as strong as I thought it was, because it wasn't thought all the way through from the beginning.

The solution, of course, is to figure out the greater plot ahead of time. I'm, uh, not entirely sure how to do this, though I have some theoretical knowledge about it.

Usually, I just start writing and see what happens. I'm trying something entirely different this time around. This past week I've been getting together my inspirational pieces and jotting notes about characters, location, artifacts, groups and cultures, etc. I'm getting to know the world very well, but I'm still not entirely sure what the problem is beyond the dirty laundry of relationships.

This isn't an issue so far. I'm going to write Fantasy this time so there is a lot of world building, and much of the research I do is balanced with me having to make a bunch of crap up. Not having a 'world is ending' plot point yet doesn't matter much at the moment, but it will once details come into play.

So, here's my multifaceted question. How do you start to plan, particularly the 'Big Problem' piece? Do you pants it? Does it come to you first? Or does inspiration come from somewhere else?