From Future learn... Radio Story

His background

January 16, 2017

“The rain is coming down tonight… I am smiling. But why am I smiling, I hate rain. Because with it comes possible lightning and thunder and other things that you cannot see in the dark.  As I think about it I have not liked rain since I was a kid.”

“But why Jackie what is it really about rain that scares you?” The woman said sitting in the chair next to me. “After all rain does help trees, flowers, and grass grow.  And it keeps the dust on windy days from blowing everywhere making it hard to see.”

“Alright several good points. I don’t know what it is about these days that bother me, they just do.”

“Okay so they bother you, but every time it rains you fall apart and call me the next day. Don’t you want to not do that? Don’t you want to…”

“Are you saying you would rather me not call when these days happen?” Jackie said sitting up now looking at the woman.

“No not at all but wouldn’t you rather not have to call because you don’t fear it anymore? You have no idea what a relief it is to face a fear because you have learned to overcome it.” She answered setting her pen on the notepad she had been writing on. 

After a moment of thought Jackie sat back exhaling. “Well yea of course but I don’t see how I can overcome this fear I have of rain.”

‘You can’t see how right now because all you know is fear. But once you start work on conquering it, it will not control you.”  The woman said sounding rather sure that this would be the case. How did she know?

For a moment we just sat in silence. I don’t know why she was quiet but I found myself thinking how nice it would be to overcome this problem. She may have been quiet allowing me time to contemplate whether I wanted to get rid of this fear or not. It would be nice to not be afraid when it rained.

Since I was unaware of just how much time had passed, she spoke up softly so as not to startle me in case I was deep in thought.  “We have 10 more minutes can you share what you have been thinking?

After a moment more I just looked up and into her eyes “what makes you think I was thinking of anything?” 

“You look like you were far away and lost in thought.”

“Oh okay. Well I was just having a conversation with myself about this fear about the rain. How can I be in the line of work I’m in if I can’t leave my house when it threatens to rain.”

She looked back over her notes. “ I can’t find it off hand what do you do for a living?”

“I am an exterminator. I am supposed to eliminate unwanted pests.”

End of assignment

Stories... inspired by futurelearn

Good Evening everyone  so glad you stopped by. I originally created a specific website for these however what ever could go wrong did. It was more trouble posting a story each week than I thought. And suddenly it dawned on me I had a blag for stories already created soooo um why not use it?  So the following stories and entries will be the stories which were inspired by the course I am taking.  We are currently in week 3. So there will be3 new pieces.  With just a touch is going to be a short story. But there will be a few entries that there will be other stories between the story "With just a touch but they will be marked.

I hope you enjoy these stories and story starters that we were asked to do and come back time and time again.


Thanks

My Phrase for the New Year

As I sit here sipping my first cup of coffee I reflect back over last year and the many things that happened. None of them I would wish on anyone. Divorce surgery death relocation starting over. But then isnt that what we do New Year?  Start over often with new goals, new people in our lives new places.

For some they begin making these plans these goals these resolutions just after Christmas or shortly  after. Then on January 1st they start talking about them. Well for me that time of year was too fast and filled with other things I just didn’t have any time to start a list. Yet I knew what I wished would change but was unable to get them down on paper. Now a week into the new year I am putting them on here.

I only have one real goal, and that is to pick one of the 33 plus stories i have started and stay with it until I finish it. So as I look through them I carefully read each one and see which one moves me which one is one I am interested in staying with until the end?  

I have 3 first drafts that have ‘the end’  written on them and of those there is one I want to work on until complete.  Then I will move to the next one and so on.

The author of one of the blog’s I follow doesn’t make resolutions instead she chooses a word or phrase  for the year and then works  with that word in mind. So I think I am going to try and do that this year. So after much thought my word is….. Either complete or finish. By the end of the day I will choose  But this can be turned into  a phrase by saying “ I am going to pick one story and complete it until it is finished!”

Actually that sounds good,,,” This year I am going to seriously look through my stories and choose the one that I want to work with and stay with until I finish it and it is complete.” Thats a rather long sentence but it is a declaration… I am  going to choose a story and continue to work on it until I finish and complete it  so it sports the words  “ The End” at the end. Now to figure out which one. Stay tuned for the name of that story.

Thank you Kelly  Exeter for her idea you  will find her  blog here 

lhttp://kellyexeter.com.au/one-word-for-2017-why

May your pen remained filled with ink so you can write your story.

Until Next Time……

New Years Writing Goals

Well it is a new yea and for writers everywhere its time to think about new writing goals. Thanks to The Write Practice, my favorite writing go to for all things writing site, I began thinking about what my new year writing goals were. After reading their latest post "11 Reasons you need to write a book Now"  Which you can find here http://thewritepractice.com/write-a-book-now/ . I began thinking of what I wanted to accomplish as a writer.

While I have a few books already written and on Amazon, I want to do more and add to my collection,  stretch my knowledge and see where else my writing can go. I have at least 33 stories written and only a handful completed, there are other stories I wanna tell. My problem is they all want to be told . I have placed them all in a hat and drew one or two out and while that worked then its time to select something to do this year. And this time I am going to finish the story, as well as engage in other writing practices like taking classes or workshops to help enhance my writing.

 I have always believed if you stop learning you stop . Period.  So I am not going to stop learning.   After looking through the many stories I have there are only a few that are complete first drafts. One of those is entitled Abandoned Car. The idea first came to me when I was in high school. Years later I took the story out and began editing it thus changing the name to Mistaken Identity which would be part one of a two part story. So the stories I think I am going to work on  now are as follows


Nonfiction

 One story I want to tell is how I survived child abuse and how that led to who I am now.

Two is how recent events in my life over the last year changed my life.


Fiction

 (inspired by true life events)

Working title Jason and Lisa  Crime story

 Mistaken Identity pt 1
 Family heirloom  pt 2 
 and Cameras View murder mystery


Now to put these on my calendar as well as let others know about them.

If you read this and want to know how I am doing or want to add your own writing goals please leave a comment,


Thanks,  till next time

Nano update

Sorry it has been more than a week since I updated you guys . I have had some up and down days and for the most part the story is going good. Although it has changed several times, I am still writing it. Fortunately or unfortunately that can be a good thing, keeps me on my toes. I am doing word sprints with the virtual write ins with Nano virtual write ins and through their sight.

I am over 13,000 words so far and am still going strong. It is a murder mystery instead of a western. The story seemed to change as I wrote this month, go figure.... And as with all nano / first drafts it will have to be  re written but the story is there.... I am loving it... talk to you all soon....  write on

Nano is apart of me

Well its the actual night before nanowrimo, heart and  stomachs are all a flutter waiting til the stroke of midnight where  we can actually release the story we have so diligently been planning, creating and outlining all month long.  Over at nanowrimo site they have been equally busy making preparations for all of us who will gather there in the month ( and months that follow November. 

My story was originally thought of as just western but now it has turned into a mystery, but after breaking it apart has tuned into a missing persons mystery set in simpler times.  There were no cars, just horses and buggies, women wore long skirts and the  men worked hard on their lands or in the other things that helped make money and the land great. 

Almost like Little House which I so love/ loved watching. 

The working title and may be the actual title when done is Molly's Journey and is about a woman who sets out  to find her twin when she learns she is missing.

I hope you come back for updates

Nanoeve

Yes that is a holiday, should be a national holiday but what do I know.... However  for the countless - and I do mean countless writers out there this is the busiest month of the year. That's because during November millions and millions of people from all over the world get together and write a novel together. As together as you can via the internet.

I am also partaking in this undertaking as well and will be posting snippets of my story here. I wrote this story a few nano's ago and am working to rewrite it and this year finish it.  It is about a young woman who works to help women who are going through or have gone through  marital abuse and have escaped.