Tag Archives: writing

Glass Houses- Writing Wednesday

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Did you participate in last week’s #WritingWednesday post? It was about PATIENCE. If you haven’t posted your response, click HERE so you can do that now. Then, make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt! Now, back to today’s regularly scheduled post…

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 Ethan, a character in one of my current ‘WIP’ manuscripts.

Today’s writing prompt:

Finish this phrase: ‘People who live in glass houses should not…’

I’m supposed to say, ‘throw stones,’ right? Whatever. I couldn’t care less what people in glass houses do. Do whatever you want, just don’t judge me when I do what I want too.

That’s the problem with society, too many judgmental, arrogant, knobs who think they know better than everyone else. It’s why I left the rat race. I was at the top of my field. People all around the world knew of me, the man who founded Operation Atlas. But, no one knew my name, Ethan Atlas. No one knew what I looked like, no I had made sure of that. No one knew anything about me, why I started Operation Atlas in the first place, or why I eventually left.

Operation Atlas was never meant to be a means for controlling those with power. It was never meant to become a prison for the ones who wouldn’t conform. No. No, Operation Atlas was meant to be a sanctuary for those who were different, like me. A place we could go to avoid the judgments of others. A place we could go to escape from the hate crimes that seemed to follow us. That is until the government weaseled their way in. Good old Uncle Sam, that’s what they used to say, right? Good old Uncle Sam got his hands around my neck and there was no turning back. That’s why I had to leave. That’s why they had to believe I had died. It was the only way to get out. The only way to protect myself so that one day I could come back and take it all back.

That time is coming.

© 2020 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [People who live in glass houses should not…] 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! 

Looking for daily writing inspiration? Check out my latest publication: #WRITINGPROMPTS

Who Can Benefit from Using #WritingPrompts? Everyone! Whether you’re an avid writer or just someone who is interested in the creative and/or therapeutic art of writing, #WritingPrompts is for you. Studies show that maintaining a daily handwritten journal, or creative writing notebook, can: 1. improve memory, 2. enhance creative expression, 3. lower stress, 4. build self-discipline, 5. eliminate writer’s block, and so much more! Writer’s Block Got You Down? Eliminate It, One Day at a Time! When it comes to writer’s block, the struggle is real! If you’ve ever sat at your computer, typewriter, or with pen in hand, but couldn’t get a single word on paper, then you know what writer’s block feels like. #WritingPrompts is the solution you’ve been looking for! Within the pages of #WritingPrompts, you will find over 700 writing prompts that you can use in order or at random, the choice is yours. Jump-Start Your Creativity with over 700 Unique Writing Prompts! Good writing takes time, practice, and unique ideas. Why not jump-start your imagination with these unique writing prompts and watch as you find your voice and become a more confident writer in just one year.

What books have made your April 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out my latest post for the New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!

FICTION TOP 10
YOUNG ADULT TOP 10

Patience – Writing Wednesday

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Did you participate in last week’s #WritingWednesday post? It was about the little things in life. If you haven’t posted your response, click HERE so you can do that now. Then, make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt! Now, back to today’s regularly scheduled post…

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 Tripp, a character in one of my current ‘WIP’ manuscripts.

Today’s writing prompt:

What is something that has required your patience?

That’s easy, teleportation. The power to transport runs in my family, my dad could do it, just like his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather, and as far back as he knew. It wasn’t surprising when my powers started to develop, despite my mother’s hope that they never would.

Teleportation takes time and patience to learn and if not done right, it could be a death sentence. In all honesty, it is a death sentence either way. With every trip you make, you’re slowly killing yourself. It takes a toll on the body and the mind. I’m twenty-two, but my doctors can’t explain how I have the heart and lungs of a forty-year-old even though I look like I’m in the best physical condition of my life. I exercise daily, I eat right, and I’ve never smoked a day in my life.

When my great grandfather was thirty-nine, he was committed to a mental ward, he died their ten years later. When my grandfather was forty-six, he died of a heart attack while in transport. We lost my father when he was only forty-two. He had had two strokes before he turned forty, the third one killed him.

I don’t expect to live beyond my twenties, no male in my family ever has. I guess that’s why I live the way I do, on the edge. I never say no and I am willing to try just about anything. I can’t lie, it has gotten me in a bit of trouble from time to time. I’ve done things I don’t recommend but wouldn’t take back. That’s probably why the watchmen at Operation Atlas have put out a reward for my arrest. I guess we just have to see who catches me first, Operation Atlas or Death!

© 2020 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [Patience] 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 books have made your April 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out my latest post for the New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!

FICTION TOP 10
YOUNG ADULT TOP 10

The Little Things – Writing Wednesday

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Did you participate in last week’s #WritingWednesday post? It was about something you’ve inherited. If you haven’t posted your response, click HERE so you can do that now. Then, make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt! Now, back to today’s regularly scheduled post…

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 Embry, a character in one of my current ‘WIP’ manuscripts.

Today’s writing prompt:

They say it is the little things in life that make life worth living. Describe one of those ‘little things’

My life, if nothing else, is unexpected. I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen. When my powers first started developing, my parents acted like they didn’t notice. Then, shortly after my sixteenth birthday, during an argument with my mom, I accidently made her walk through the sliding glass door at the back of our house. I hadn’t meant to hurt her, but she ended up spending three weeks in the hospital and has permanent scars across her face to reminder her every day of what I did. I hadn’t meant for anything to happen. Honestly, at the time, I had no idea how it happened.

I’m what is called a Possessor. I have the power to take control of, or possession of if you like that better, someone else’s body. Yes, even yours.

I used to have to be in contact with the other person, but not anymore. Now, I just have to be in visual contact. They don’t have to see me, and its often better if they don’t, I just have to be able to see them.

So for me, the little things that make my life worth living are more about the little moments I steal from others. I don’t have a family that looks after me, cares for me, or even thinks about me. In order to feel that kinds of closeness to other people, I steal those moments. You might think that’s wrong, and maybe it is, but it’s a natural base emotion to need to feel loved. That’s all I want. I try not to hurt people in the process, but I can’t say it never happens.

© 2020 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [The Little Things.] 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 books have made your April 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out my latest post for the New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!

FICTION TOP 10
YOUNG ADULT TOP 10

I Inherited It – Writing Wednesday

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Did you participate in last week’s #WritingWednesday post? It was about a Mirror. If you haven’t posted your response, click HERE so you can do that now. Then, make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt! Now, back to today’s regularly scheduled post…

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, a character in one of my current ‘WIP’ manuscripts.

Today’s writing prompt:

Describe in detail one thing you would love to inherit from a relative, or that you have inherited.

Most girls will tell you about a necklace, a ring, or something else that is shiny and sparkles. Not me. When my mother died, I inherited the only thing of hers with any real value. It’s been in our family for centuries, at least that’s what she told me when I was just ten years old. It’s a six-inch blade, hand-carved from the jaw bone of an alligator. At one time I’m sure it was bone white, bleached by the hot summer sun. With years of use, it has been stained red with my ancestor’s blood.

“The ritual won’t work if you don’t spill a little blood,” my mother always said. “Blood is the key to pouring life back into the dead.”

But you didn’t ask about that, did you? No, you wanted to know about my most prized heirloom. Isn’t that right?

The blade. My mother’s blade. Her mother’s before her and her mother’s before her and on and on back as far as my family goes.

Now, its mine!

© 2020 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [Describe in detail one thing you would love to inherit from a relative, or that you have inherited.] 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 books have made your April 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out my latest post for the New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!

FICTION TOP 10
YOUNG ADULT TOP 10

MIRROR – Writing Wednesday

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Did you participate in last week’s #WritingWednesday post? It was about an unopened box. If you haven’t posted your response, click HERE so you can do that now. Then, make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt! Now, back to today’s regularly scheduled post…

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 The Twin, a character in one of my current ‘WIP’ manuscripts.

Today’s writing prompt:

MIRROR

Have you ever been in a fun house? You know the kind with the mirrors covering every wall. You go in a dark entryway and come face to face with what seems like a thousand clones of yourself. It’s not dark, not really, but it isn’t light either. Because the walls are made out of mirrors, you can’t tell which way to go or even which ways you can go.

That’s me. I’m the mirror.

They call me ‘The Twin.’ They have since I was a little girl.

“Which one are you? Are you The Twin?” they would ask.

Sometimes they were right, but most times they were wrong. I was pretty good at mimicking others when I was young. Now that I’m older, they’ve stopped guessing. I guess when you’re always wrong, you stop playing the game.

I don’t mimic people any more. I become them. If you’re my target, good luck. You’re going to need it.

© 2020 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [MIRROR] 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 books have made your March 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out my latest post for the New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!

FICTION TOP 10
YOUNG ADULT TOP 10

The Unopened Box – Writing Wednesday

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Did you participate in last week’s #WritingWednesday post? It was all about Dreams. If you haven’t posted your response, click HERE so you can do that now. Then, make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt! Now, back to today’s regularly scheduled post…

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, a character in one of my current ‘WIP’ manuscripts.

Today’s writing prompt:

THE UNOPENED BOX

A coffin is just a box. A box we fill with the bodies of our lost loved ones. A box we fill with tears at the passing of friends and family. A box designed to keep out unwanted pests and vermin, vandals and thieves. A box not to difficult to unlock, from the inside, even when buried six feet under. All it takes is a little magic and a talented guide.

I am that guide!

I learned the ritual from my mother and my Aunt Clara when I was only ten years old. Although they were well known throughout our community and thought of as true practitioners, they had only scratched the surface of what it really means to be a necromancer.

By the time I was eleven, my mother was gone, sealed in a pine box and buried six feet below the earth’s surface. For the last six years, I’ve been salting the earth, above her body, weekly to protect her remains from those who practice the black magics. She was powerful, maybe not as powerful as I, but powerful enough that others might want to steal an ounce of blood, a sliver of skin, a lock of hair, or even a bone or two in an effort to intensify their own magic. It would work too. That’s why I salt the earth. That’s why I’ve never left New Orleans. That’s why, when Operation Atlas came knocking on my door I insisted that if I were to work with them, I wouldn’t be one of their pets, locked in a cage… or cell… or wherever they kept them at the corporate offices. When I showed them what I was capable of, they agreed to let me stay in my home in New Orleans. Not that they really had a choice.

© 2020 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [THE UNOPENED BOX] 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 books have made your March 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out my latest post for the New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!

FICTION TOP 10
YOUNG ADULT TOP 10

Dreams – Writing Wednesday

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a #WritingWednesday post because I’ve been knee deep in my 397 page manuscript. Yeah, its a doozy, and I can’t wait to release it and find out what you guys think of it. But, I’m back and ready to get back to my regularly scheduled posts, so make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt!

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 Nigel, a character in one of my current ‘WIP’ manuscripts.

Today’s writing prompt:

DREAMS

I can’t always remember my dreams, but when I do, they are significant.

This morning I woke up, in my small ten foot by ten foot room, and I couldn’t breath. It wasn’t the confined space, I’m used to that. No, it was the smoke. It surrounded me, blurring my vision and clogging my lungs. The only problem was that there was no smoke in the room.

I tried to call for help but was unable to find my voice. I could hear people all around me, but couldn’t see them.

“Are you alright?”

“What’s your name?”

“Are you in any pain?”

They kept asking me questions, over and over. Finally, I could feel scrapping all down my back, as if someone was dragging me across a bed of rocks or glass. That’s when I realized I wasn’t in my room. The first glimpse of my surroundings came moments later with a wall of fire lifted the smoke in the distance. There was a car, burning on the side of the road in a town I’d never seen before. Locals stood a safe distance away, just staring at the car and back down at my broken, bloody body.

“Ma’am, are you alright?”

“Ma’am?” I asked. Was she talking to me?

That’s when I realized I wasn’t actually awake. It was my first subconscious, dream induced, precognitive vision. My first, but not my last.

© 2020 Nina Soden

Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [DREAMS] 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 books have made your March 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out my latest post for the New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!

FICTION TOP 10
YOUNG ADULT TOP 10

Finding Inspiration in the least likely place!

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My university degree is in the performing arts; a dual major in Theatre & Communications. Acting has been my passion for a very long time. After college, I moved to Los Angeles, like so many other hopeful young actors, to make a go of it. I booked a few low budget films, a dozen commercials, and a handful of indie-films, but my big break never happened.

Eventually, some life changes took me away from Los Angeles and my dreams of becoming a professional actor. Don’t get me wrong, I did NOT give up on acting. I still do the occasional play, every now and then, when I can make my real job line up with rehearsals. Although, it isn’t the same. 

I’ve been away from Los Angeles, and my dreams, for over 15 years now and I still find myself overcome with sadness every time the Academy Awards are on.

How’s that for honesty?!

Truth be told, I have a great life and a family I adore. Plus, I’ve been lucky enough to have found other artistic outlets that bring me true happiness; theatre of course, but also writing. 

Last night, while I sat with my son while he watched an episode of Liv and Maddie (Season 2 Episode 2) I found inspiration in something the father said to Maddie, “Just because you can’t do something you love, doesn’t mean you have to stop loving it.”

For the last 15 years, I’ve felt guilty for missing Los Angeles. As if leaving my dreams behind meant that I had to give up that passion. I felt like the ‘move’ was supposed to be easier and that there was something wrong with me because I wasn’t able to just let go of the goals I had been working toward for so long. Last night I realized that it’s ok to hang on to that passion, those goals, those dreams. It’s okay to embrace them not only through theatre but also through other forms of art such as writing. 

So, whatever your passion is, know that you don’t ever have to give it up – not fully.

Once Upon A Time…

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Not all fairy tales start with Once upon a time. Not all fairy tales have a happy ending. Not all fairies fly around like Tinkerbell with fairy dust.

COMING SOON! COMING SOON! COMING SOON! COMING SOON!

Austin discovered at the young age of ten that fairies aren’t exactly what Disney made them out to be and that blood tastes a lot like honey. Now, as an adult, he struggles to balance his public life with the one he’s so desperate to keep hidden. With the death count adding up, will he be able to keep his secret or will his world come undone? In this exciting interactive adventure, you’ll get to decide who lives and who dies. The body count is up to you, are you ready?

Sign up below to be notified with updates on THE BEAST WITHIN’s progress and release date!

Quit talking and begin doing!

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Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

We’ve all suffered from procrastination at one time or another. We make excuses. We tell ourselves things like, ‘I just don’t have the time right now,’ ‘I’ll get to that later’ or ‘I have other, more important, things to do right now.’ In reality, we are letting our fears of failure stop us from achieving our full potential. As authors, we do this a lot.

Today, I stopped talking and began doing! I let go of my fears, dropped the excuses that I knew were only holding me back, and sat down with my WIP (Work in Progress). I had finished the first draft during NANOWRIMO November 2018 and have since been putting off the much needed edits/re-writes.

Today, instead of putting it off for another day… week… or month, I decided to dedicate two hours this evening to writing. I made it through ten chapters and discovered a burst of creativity I’ve been longing for. I’m motivated in a way I haven’t been for quiet some time. Instead of dreading my next writing session, I’m looking forward to it. Instead of being worried I wont have anything to write, I can’t seen to turn my brain off. Sometimes all it takes is a little coffee and a bit of self-encouragement.