Spring Update

It's finally spring in Kansas (which means there are some nice days and some days that feel like summer). Amazingly, this seems to have cured most of my ailments.

I've been suffering from one illness or ailment after another for the last five months, everything from colds to flu to bronchitis to sinus infections to dental and mouth surgeries. I've been to the doctor and the dentist and I've been on inhalers and steroids and antibiotics and my own array of herbal supplements. It figures what finally cured me was just time and a change in the weather.

The other ailment the weather seems to be slowly curing is writer's block. I'm starting to feel creative energies flowing again, and I actually have an idea or two percolating. I think it helps that my head isn't as full of snot or pain and that my seasonal depression is fading.

At any rate, I haven't started actually writing yet, but I have written a few wine blogs (you can check them out at Red Wine Reminiscence), and now I'm writing a blog here. I've poked around some short story markets on Duotrope. I finally read my NaNo novel from last year, and decided it wasn't the pile of trash I originally thought it was. It's a start. A small start, but it's something.

This weekend is ConQuest, and the boyfriend and I are going all three days. I will write a story for Story in a Bag - the contest I won last year (well, three way tied for first). I will listen to writers and publishers and editors and artists talk. I will write down a thousand book recommendations. And I will relax with my man on his birthday weekend. I've taken several days off work, so I am going to rest, relax, read, and hopefully write.

The third course in my editing certificate starts tomorrow. I earned a B+ in both the first and the second courses, have learned a ton, and am looking forward to the next class. Just two left until I am done with the sequence. I just finished copyediting a friend's manuscript (my first paid gig).

I am making slow and steady progress towards my goals again. The post-NaNo blues took me down hard this year, and I wandered aimlessly for a long time. But I'm taking it back now. I'm ready to reclaim my writer title. I know I never really lose it, but sometimes I put it away for awhile. During those times, I always worry I'll never get it back out, but as all of my writing friends remind me, it will always find me again, even if I can't find it.

Promo Day - My Wine Education and Page-Turning Tips

It's Tuesday, which means it's Promo Day! This is where I plug the two other blogs I hang out on every week.

At the Cafe this week, the Confabulators are talking about how we keep readers turning the page. It's our jobs as writers to write compelling stories so readers stay engaged, and we all have different suggestions on how to do that. My suggestion? Just Write Awesomely.

Over at Red Wine Reminiscence, I talk about the night I received my red wine education from my sister's roommate. There's a lot to learn about wine - I'm still learning - and she gave me a place to start. It's too bad that the Senda 66 wasn't a very delicious start. But at least I ended up with a pretty bottle from it.

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the posts, and see you Friday!

Promo Day - Wine Flashback and Life Events

This week at the Confabulator Cafe we all talked about life events that changed our writing. I've talked about how losing my mom two years ago affected my writing before, but I explored how various life events, including death, affect a writer a little more in Writers are Clay, Life is the Mold. It's been very interesting to read what life events have shaped my fellow Confabulator's writing, as well.

I haven't been drinking as much wine lately - I was on antibiotics for a week so I couldn't drink at all, and I've been trying to cut back to once a week, so I had to unearth some wine stories from a few years ago for Red Wine Reminiscence this past week. It's a good story, though, about one of my favorite wines: The Chupacabra from Merkin Vineyards.

Hopefully this Friday's post will actually go up on Friday, unlike last week where I accidentally saved it as a draft instead of publishing it. I've been having blogger interruptus lately. I apologize, friends. Thanks for your patience.

Promo Day Plug - Italian Wine and Breakups

Everything seems to be back on track this week, so here I am for promo day. Check me out at my other internet homes.

At the Confabulator Cafe this week, the question was asked if we've ever quit. If you've ever been a reader of my blog, you know that I have. More than once. I always come back, but usually when I "quit" I'm convinced I'm forever broken. Prospective Writer reminds me that I'm not. I recognize my cycles now: My Break-up/Make-up Cycle, which I address at the Cafe today.

At Red Wine Reminiscence, I review a delicious bottle of Italian wine, which was kind of an impulse buy, but one that totally paid off. This has been one of my favorites so far. I might have to explore more Italian wines. They aparently have the wine reputation they do for a reason! Check it out: Villa Parini - 2010 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

Holy crap, I've had too much coffee today. I seem to be vibrating.

I'm excited because I have a writing date with the Writing Buddy tonight! I'm hoping to get a brand new short story knocked out.

I should be back for my regularly scheduled Friday post this week. Hope to see you then!

Wine Stories

It's Promo Day! The day I plug my other internet hangouts.

It's a wine-y week this week.

It's flash fiction week at the Confabulator Cafe, and our assignment this time was to write a story taking place in one room (and only one room) of a cyber Manor we are building. We are putting it together room by room, story by story, year by year. I wrote my story in the wine cellar in 1855. Check out "Bloody Wine" if you're in the mood for a quick story.

On Sunday at Red Wine Reminiscence, I wrote about a fancy French Cotes-du-Rhone wine I drank the night of a great catastrophe. I don't care how well it goes with a turkey dinner, I think I might be giving up on Cotes-du-Rhone from now on. It makes for a good story, in hindsight, although I can't tell you much about how the wine actually tasted. Go read about it!

I'll be back Friday.

Philosophical Questions and Cabernet Sauvignon

Hello, friends. It's promo day today, where I encourage you to check out the other two blogs I hang out on every week.

This week at the Confabulator Cafe, we're being introspective. Although as writers, I guess we always are. This week we answer the big question, though. The question we ask ourselves almost every day, and a lot of people want to ask us, as well. Why do we write? The simple answer for me was that I Write So My Head Doesn't Explode. Pretty serious consequence, but it's true. Probably. Too many thoughts, too small of a head.

On Sunday, Red Wine Reminiscence had a brief post about the Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon I tried a month or so ago. The story that goes with it wasn't too exciting, nor was the wine, although I still do have fond memories of the Castle Rock Zinfandel I loved so much.

Hope you come back and see me on Friday. I have some super exciting news to share with you! I promise to post on time this week. I know I was very late last week, although there is the old saying "better late than never."

Time for more Wine and Writing Advice

Missed posting my promo day post yesterday, so here you go:

Read all about best and worst writing advice received from all of us over at the Confabulator Cafe. There's quite a range of opinions, some of them dissenting. As always. My advice? Just Write.

Over at Red Wine Reminiscence, I reminisced about a bottle of Columbia Crest Syrah, which I drank on a night while video chatting with my best friend. We're talking about making more frequent video drinking dates in the future, which should be a lot of fun.

Come see me again on Friday for more about my life as an aspiring writer!

Some Port with your Subplots

It's Tuesday, so that means it's my day at the Confabulator Cafe. The topic this week is the importance of subplots in longer fiction. I think all of us are in agreement that subplots are pretty crucial. I mean, you could eat just a hamburger, but it's better with french fries and a soda. Or I suppose if you are a healthy eater, you wouldn't want to eat a salad with just lettuce. It's better with other veggies and dressing and some croutons, maybe a little shredded or feta cheese...ehem. I'm making myself hungry. At any rate, go take a look at my post "A story isn't just vanquishing foes and saving the world" at the Cafe. Be sure to read the other posts this week to see how the rest of the crew uses subplots.

While you're at the Cafe, you should check out some of our new site functionality. We have a tab that links to all of the different post categories, so if you want to go read all of the Ephemera answers we've ever posted, you can hover over the "Categories" tab to pick which category you want to see more from.

Even better, if you want to just read the flash fiction we've posted, you can hover over the "Flash Fiction" tab and select which story prompt you want to read. It lists all of the stories by name and author for that week.

The Cafe has been open for six months now! I'm so proud of all of our contributors and that we're still going strong and always making improvements.

This past Sunday, I wrote about my first experience trying Port wine over at Red Wine Reminiscence. I wasn't much of a fan, and I'm not sure if it had to do with the wine selection - the Founders Reserve Sandeman Porto -  or port in general. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to try again. Sadly, even over a month later, we still haven't finished the bottle. We even tried to pawn it off on our guests on Father's Day. I should have just sent it home with my Dad. He liked it, at least.

I've been enjoying the wine blogging as much as the wine drinking. It's given me a chance to practice my photography skills, as well. I've been having fun coming up with artistic shots. This photo contains the boyfriend's awesome wine rack.

Thoughts on Writer's Block and Wine

My posts for the week are up at both the Confabulator Cafe and Red Wine Reminiscence!

At the Cafe, read about why I think writer's block is a real phenomenon in my post The Semantics of Writer's Block. Be sure to check back all week to see what the rest of my writing group has to say about it; the opinions vary drastically.

When you're done, you can read the much lighter review over on my wine blog of one of my new favorite wines, the Lomas del Valle 2010 Malbec.

Come back here and visit me on Friday, where I'll talk about how Camp NaNoWriMo got rained out for me, but how the month wasn't a total bust.

Spooky Stories and a Lovely Bottle of Zinfandel

Today is the day I promote my other blogs, so let the shameless self-promotion begin!

I need a picture or icons or something for promo day. I'll work on that for next time.

So it's my favorite week of the month at the Confabulator Cafe. Flash fiction week! Once a month we all get a writing prompt and have to write a short story in 1000 words, give or take. This month our prompt was to write campfire stories; the kind of spooky stories you would tell while sitting around a campfire. So far, my fellow writers have managed to scare the bejesus out of me, so if you're up for a case of the chills, head on over to the Cafe and read the stories so far, including my story "The Fools on the Hill." Make sure to stop in all week for your daily cup of horror from the rest of the Confabulators, as well.


On Sunday, I posted about one of my favorite bottles of wine so far: the Castle Rock 2006 Zinfandel. It was a gift from my best buddy on my birthday. My only regret about this bottle is that I didn't crack it open sooner! And that it is all gone now; this wine was consumed in less than a week. To learn more about the bottle (and my birthday hi-jinks) head on over to Red Wine Reminiscence.

Poetry and Wine

It's Tuesday, and that means it's my day over at the Confabulator Cafe. Come see what I have to say about poetry (and stick around all week to see what my fellow Confabulators have to say, as well) in my post called What Rhymes with Poetry?

And if you find yourself thirsty, you can read about my latest wine conquest that I wrote about on Sunday at Red Wine Reminiscence, in my entry about the Sabor Real 2008 Toro.

Because poetry and wine go together pretty well, in my opinion.

Even if I didn't particularly like the bottle I reviewed, and my favorite book of poetry is Zombie Haiku.

According to my new regime, I should be back here on Friday, so I hope to see you then!

No more broken promises

I know I've made promises in the past about blogging more frequently, but as you may have noticed, I've never actually followed through.

I'm about to try once again to be a more active blogger.

These days I have three different websites where I live. One of them is here at Prospective Writer, albeit not as actively lately. I can be found a little more actively (in fits and starts) over on my wine blog: Red Wine Reminiscence. I try to post once a week on Sundays, although sometimes it is a month or two between strings of posts. And the last, most notable place where you are guaranteed to see me every week is over at the Confabulator Cafe. I blog every Tuesday at 11am at the Cafe.

That's three places where I hang out in cyberspace, so if I wrote a blog for each site week, you would get three touches from me each week.

My hope is to link to the wine blog and the Cafe from this website, so this one gets a bit more action.

I have my reasons for doing this, mostly because if I am required to write a personal writing blog once a week, it keeps me a bit more accountable. I should do at least one thing a week to make further steps towards my goal as a professional writer. I've stagnated lately, and I feel like it's time to get back to it.

The other reason is, I am a huge nerd, and just ordered Confabulator Cafe business cards. I decided after writing down the web address for the Cafe on slips of paper on two separate occasions, it was time to get more professional. On this business card, I also include the links to my other websites.

If I am going to start promoting my sites, I'd best start reliably providing content.

So the goal will be to post a wine blog review on Sundays, my weekly spot at the Confabulator Cafe on Tuesdays, and an update on my progress here on Fridays.

See you soon, friends. Be sure to visit Red Wine Reminiscence on Sunday!