Be kind to yourself #AtoZChallenge

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2015. If this is something new to you, check out the website here to find out all you need to know.

My topics this year are covering studying and/or writing advice and guidance, to maybe help you as you cope with everything else in life. 

 Be kind to yourself

I'm very good at scheduling things, work to be done, writing tasks, study tasks, laying everything out in my diary for when I can theoretically fit everything in. And in an ideal world I'd be able to do all the things when I say I'm going to do them.

But as we know we don't live in an ideal world, at least I don't anyway. There are family things that come up, and all manner of other occurrences that seem determined to knock us off our intended course.

To take into account all these unexpected eventualities you need to be kind to yourself, and not expect too much. Don't set yourself a mountain to climb with things to do each day, limit tasks to one or two and celebrate when you manage to get them done. You may have to put one off until the next day, and only catching up on one task is better than catching up on ten.

And don't forget to give yourself a treat as well when you actually complete a task on the day you set it. It's a rare event for me, but one worth celebrating!

And so it begins ... #AtoZChallenge

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2015. If this is something new to you, check out the website here to find out all you need to know.

My topics this year are covering studying and/or writing advice and guidance, to maybe help you as you cope with everything else in life. 

And so it begins ...

So here we are on the first day of the Challenge, and I started off with the usual problem of staring at the blank page wondering what to write. How many times has this happened to you?

Too many ideas are competing for attention in my mind, including non-writing tasks that are demanding to be done, and a lot of time is wasted with wandering thoughts getting further off topic.

All you need to get yourself going is to write something, anything, to push past the confusion. It can be something mulling around in your mind, the tiniest story idea to get it out of your brain and onto the paper/screen. Just write something and it will wake up your mind and your imagination and before you know it you'll be notching up the word count.

I try to start my writing day with a 15 minute free write, just to brush the cobwebs away and get focused into writing mode.

Why not try it yourself if you're feeling stuck?

For those about to A-Z, we salute you!!! - an IWSG post

So, here we are on the first day of the A-Z Blogging Challenge, and I know many of us are wondering what in the world has possessed us to take this crazy ride ...

Why, the fun of it, of course!!!

You may be anxious, you may be insecure, you may be just scared witless, but just hang on for the ride, plan your socks off and enjoy meeting some new blogging buddies in this month of alphabet madness.

Huge thanks must go out to Arlee Bird, the founder and master brain behind this monumental month of posting. Without him our April would be a lot more mundane and probably stress-free.

So, chin up everyone, and

GOOD LUCK!!!!! 

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For more information on the amazing entity that is the Insecure Writers Support Group, click on the link and head over. Here you will find the list of who's participating and it's well worth a browse to see what everyone's insecurities are. Trust me, you're not alone, there are plenty of us on the same wavelength.

 Happy IWSG Day!

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I must be mad! A-Z Blogging Challenge 2015, here I come!

I must be totally mad, but one week before it's due to begin I decided that I will be joining in with the A-Z Blogging Challenge this year. For anyone who doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about, you can find out everything you need to know about the Challenge here.

I've done it for the past three years now, and I've enjoyed it every time, but those who've been following me will know I've been in the blogging doldrums lately with a loss a direction and purpose. 

I'd decided not to do the Challenge when I'm in such an uncertain place, but being back at work has given me more time to sit and think and plan, so in one afternoon I came up with my theme and titles for each letter of the Challenge. (My work is pretty dull, and I have a lot of time to think.)

The theme I'm going with is my own guide to studying at home, with tips on how I get through it, which can also be applied to my writing world too. I'm hoping that by writing these things down and using them as advice for others, I may start listening to it myself a bit more and have more confidence in what I'm doing.

I hope you enjoy what I have to offer, and I'll see you back here tomorrow for post number one!



Taking some time out at the WWBH

Hi folks!

We're taking a break for a while over here at the WWBH, Leanne has all the details ...

We're going on vacation! After at least four years of faithfully bringing you weekly photo prompts to inspire your creative side, the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop team is going on an extended (not indefinite) sabbatical to rest, regroup, and refresh.

At this point we plan on returning June 3, 2015 for some fresh summer fun with new prompts and maybe a new twist for this old favorite. :)


In the meantime, we'll leave you with the final story written by one of our most faithful blog hop participants, Scott Taylor. Thank you, Scott, for your awesome, funny, heartwarming, and creative entries!

Faulkner Made More Sense

Also, if you are really sad now because you really wanted to participate but just hadn't been able to, here's a list of all the prompts of this year so far.

Writer Wednesday 2015 Kickoff! (January 7, 2015)

January 14, 2015

January 21. 2015

January 28, 2015

February 4, 2015

February 11, 2015

February 18, 2015

February 25, 2015

March 4, 2015

March 11, 2015

March 18, 2015

Feel free to write as many stories as you wish and submit them to the link below. (The same rules apply as listed in each prompt!)


We'll publish all the stories when the Blog Hop returns in June! Be inspired and keep writing!


Farewell for now. <3


Your friends and weekly hostesses, Tena Carr, Heather Musk, Debb Stanton, and Leanne Sype

WWBH time again ...

Hi folks! How are we all doing? Each day it seems like the sun is battling with the clouds for dominance in the sky, but more often than not it seems to be winning now. 

Spring is arriving in my garden with the new growth coming through and the daffodils establishing themselves. It's the promise of new beginnings, and I can feel the same thing happening within my own spirits.

Talking of new beginnings, it's the beginning of a new week for the WWBH. We have two stories sparked from last weeks prompts, and here they are:

Checkmate by Leanne Sype

Meekahs Forever Home by Tena Carr

So, do you fancy having a go at the WWBH? Just write a ~500 word piece of flash fiction based on the picture prompts that I'll reveal in a moment.

Link up by next Tuesday to the froggy at the bottom, and then on Wednesday we'll reveal what everyone else has come up with.

If you are new to the WWBH, please do check out the full rules and guidelines first, we'd hate to have to omit a story for something minor.

And now to this weeks prompts, which is one picture and five random words:

 

milkshake, sausage, button, pumpkin, grasshopper

Back on the hop, the WWBH hop!

Hi folks! It's been a little while I know, but I'm still knocking around the blogosphere in a somewhat limited capacity.

Thank you to the comments of encouragement on my Having my doubts ... post. I'm still in a kind of limbo with the whole blogging thing but the good news is that I'm not worrying myself too much about it. Life's too short for all of that, right?

So, we're still rocking over here at the WWBH and Tena has the prompts for us this week. I haven't contributed myself for a little while, but maybe I just will for this one ...

Enjoy!!!

Wishing everyone a Wonderful Wednesday. I hope your week so far has been a great one.

Let's take a look at the two stories from last week's prompt:

• A Tale of Two Travelers by Scott Taylor
• The News by Sally Stackhouse

Now then on to this week's prompt. I've decided to go with two photos, meaning that your story must include and be related to the two pictures that I will provide below.....

But first, here is a quick run-through of the rules (for a more in-depth look head over to my main WWBH Page

• Write a 500 word (give or take) story related to the prompt (either two photos or one photo/five words)
• In the case of five words, your words must be clearly indicated in the story
• Please remember the photos used are the property of the WWBH Host in question (unless otherwise stated). While you are welcome to use the photo in your blogpost, please do not share as your own works (credit is very much appreciated).
• Please make mention that your story is for the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop (WWBH). While not required, a link to the hop is appreciated. Also appreciated is if you tag your story WWBH (and don't forget to link up to the blue froggy below)
• Any questions contact one of the WWBH blog hop hosts: Leanne, Heather, or myself

OK then.... The two photos to inspire your story

 

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{So you know, my son helped me in choosing the two photos}

  

And lastly.... Make sure you link to the froggy below so we may include your story in next week's hop kick-off.