Today is the 28th Edition of #WritingWednesday!!!

Sorry this post is a day late, but hopefully not a dollar short!

Remember, #WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.

• Read the writing prompt below,
• Spend 5 minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever comes to mind,
• DON’T EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!

The goal is 5 minutes of creativity.

Today I am writing in the voice of Tanja, one of the characters in the novel I am currently outlining. I’m not sure if this will be a selection in the novel, or just part of my character development journal.

Today’s writing prompt:

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

When I was just a girl, growing up in New Orleans, my mother told me, “If your good and quiet, you’ll be able to hear the voices of your ancestors.” I was naive, so I believed her. I tried so hard. Every day I’d sit in the corner of our living room, staring at nothing, focusing on voices that weren’t there. Then, one day, I heard a voice. It was faint, almost a whisper.

“The ritual won’t work if you don’t spill a little blood, Clara.” It was my mother. She was talking to my Aunt Clara on the phone, whispering in the kitchen.

That night, I followed them to the graveyard just around the corner from our house. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you what I saw; It’s been over twenty years and I still can’t believe it. It doesn’t matter that I can raise the dead now too, much less talk to them. It’s still so surreal.

You want to know the best advice I’ve ever been given? That’s easy. That night, standing there in the dark hiding behind a tree so my mother and my aunt wouldn’t see me, they brought my great grandma back from the dead. She looked passed them, straight at me, pointed her decayed finger at me and called me out of the dark. Then, standing just three feet away from my mother, who’s mouth was clenched with fear and anger, my grandmother told me, “It’s in your blood too, and child, you are powerful. Learn from your mother. Learn everything, because one day she won’t be here to protect you and you’ll need to know how to protect yourself.”

Less than a year later, my mother died.

© 2019 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with! 

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

What books have made your August reading list? Check out the New York Times bestsellers for August 2019 by CLICKING HERE!

Are you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my writing process!

Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized? Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel. It isn’t just for indie-authors. I have filled it with all the tools I’ve learned over the years and use on a regular basis with each book I write.

Want help meeting your writing goals? Check out JUST WRITE: The Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal a planner-journal hybrid to help new and experienced writers stay organized while still fostering creativity. Track your progress with daily/monthly word count goals. Plan your writing/publishing goals, manage your to do list, never miss another deadline or appointment again, keep track of writing ideas, schedule and log social sharing and blog post ideas, keep a record of books you’re reading or want to read, maintain a running playlist, etc.