I have been picking my writing assignments randomly from my massive database of photos. Basically, I am looking until I find one that is not my kids. So feel free to join me in writing a short story somehow including or at least inspired by this picture (shown below) . . . or stay tuned for mine sometime this week.

My family made the 5 hour trek up from “almost Mexico” to see us for the holiday. It was enjoyable to have a house full for the feast and lounge around visiting with each of them for a few days. I cooked, shopped and walked with my Step-Monster (term of endearment). I almost beat my brothers at rummikub, but MWD creamed all three of us instead. Dad and I bonded through osmosis and we both drank coffee and surfed the net on separate computers in the same room. There were …

The other night both Emily and Noah started reciting all the lyrics to the SNL skit – Threw it on the ground.  Andy Samberg, I think. I let them watch it (except the end), but  I can’t believe how many words thew knew. I admit that I cracked up over this skit and watched it for days.  Telling my kids I was gonna throw their homework, dessert and clean clothes on the ground constantly. Hey – why are they some much better at remembering the words than I am?
Well I made them …

I think I’ll start to post my assignments via twitter (and maybe here) going forward. It probably won’t catch on right away, but maybe eventually someone else can write something based on the same picture and we can compare notes. Seems fun.
I actually started a short story today with a woman character for a change (assignment picture below). It’s dark as usual. I should acquiesce and start writing true crime stories, since MWD thinks I would be good at it. Anyways – this story is a little creepy. It will …

I have heard many times that music is what brings us together. Really? Are you sure? When I think about it, I’m conflicted. I turn to music constantly in my life and I do bond with the other people who like or listen to things that I like. But, it’s much more complicated than that though. I won’t even go into the music “business” side of this discussion. I don’t think I am ready for that blog yet (oh, it’s coming). But, I see so many ways in which music …

Sheeeww. I have a plan and I’m gonna try to follow my own rules. Even if I am not writing on my book (paused for tweaking my complicated outline). . .
I. Am. Writing. Every. Day.
So – I made up my own assignment. Based on my true hobby – photography. I take a ton of pictures. I try to keep a handle on how many I post, because it could overwhelm the 3-4 people that follow what I am up to. No one is going to look through 240 pictures …

Apparently everything has a process. I’m not very patient (shut up) and I jumped right into writing this book. This is my first actual written material over a few pages and I decide it should be a book? Technically it is a 3-book story. WTF? So I started it and I am finished with the first 7 chapters and now I have a mess!
A little more than a decade ago, I worked on databases while I was in corporate training. I was the go between for the users and …

I am. Really. I wasn’t always this way. Until my early teen years, I was convinced I was a tomboy. All I thought about was riding my bike with the neighborhood guys. I guess I almost always enjoy the company of guys over girls. They are easier to be around. Less judgmental and more funny (when they aren’t trying to hump you). Being dirty and smelly from climbing around the Amarillo sewer drains under the town never really bothered me. I wore jeans everyday and had my ratty perm (thanks Dad) …

Today was kind of a breakthrough writing day for me. Mentally had some interesting new character developments (part of the planning), I got some specific research done on underground creatures AND I wrote the first thing that made me cry. I had to write a really sad scene and I have been kind of putting it off. I wrote it pretty quick since I had it all worked out already, but when I got to the middle of it, I just started crying. It’s funny, because someone else will probably …

This is an especially fun week around the Devers house, because both Halloween & Wurstfest (two of my favorites) take place. Personally, I am pretty big on traditions. I’m not sure why I care about it since we didn’t have very many when I was a kid, but the few we had really did it for me. Little things – like the fact that my Mom would always make a big spread of random unrelated snack food items on Superbowl Sunday. I didn’t even like football, but I loved the …