Inspiring Song Lyrics

Hey everyone!  I'm in need of some inspiration, so I decided to go through some song lyrics that have always spoken to me.  Here I'll share a few lines that mean something to me. Music has always been an inspiration for me, so maybe these lines will say something to you as well.

"I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl . . ." 

-"Scar Tissue" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Taste the memories running from my eyes."

-"Under a Glass Moon" by Dream Theater

"Face each day with both eyes open wide/And try to give, don't keep it all inside."

-"The Answer Lies Within" by Dream Theater

"If we could, say that forever/Is more than just a word."

-"Everything Changes" by Staind

"And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking/Racing around to come up behind you again/The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older/Shorter of breath and one day closer to death."

-"Time" by Pink Floyd

There's a mixture of positive and negative feeling in these words, but they all make me think.

Now, I wanted to share an excerpt from a song that means a lot to me to go with the lines I selected above.  Unfortunately, I couldn't decide on an individual part of the song to share, because all of it speaks to me.  This was the first song to play at my wedding reception, and I loved it before that.

                             "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters

Thanks for allowing me to share these inspiring lyrics with you.

Which words, whether they come from a poem, a song, or a book, inspire you most?

FSF: The Elixir of Limitlessness

It's time once again for Five Sentence Fiction.  The prompt for this week is LIMITLESS.

Those of you who have missed previous chapters of my ongoing story can find it all on this PAGE.

Unchained

Chapter 40: The Elixir of Limitlessness

Image courtesy of posterize
 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The small vial Warberry had handed Ylana contained a soft pink liquid called the “Elixir of Limitlessness.”  Why it had to have such a philosophical-sounding name, she could only guess.  Maybe everything on this world had to have the air of mystery about it.

In essence, this elixir was supposed to, in limited cases, turn the impossible into that which is merely unlikely (apparently it would never be enough to save the planet from the supposed guarantee of doom-she even made sure to ask).

She hovered above Nara’s sickbed, ready to administer the treatment, her stomach in knots as she wondered where she would go from here should this fail.

Celebrate the Small Things-July 26, 2013

I'm sliding in front of my computer at the tail end of my Friday to Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit.

I survived today.  That alone is worth celebrating.  My two boys both had an energetic streak today, and neither of them seemed to be at all interested in listening to me.  At least I wasn't able to get bored with all their antics!

Instead of doing dishes, I find myself compiling a humorous list of excuses as to why the dishes don't actually need to be done.  Isn't it always nice when you find a creative way of avoiding something you don't want to do?  Perhaps if the list amuses me enough once it's finished, I'll share it with all of you.

This weekend looks like it's shaping up to be reasonably boring, but that sounds just fine to me!  A nice, relaxing weekend sounds perfect, so I'll celebrate that too!  (Now hopefully the universe doesn't conspire against me!)

What would you like to celebrate?

Express Yourself: The Trials and Rewards of Being a Writer

The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is brought to you by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

This week's question is: What is the most frustrating/satisfying thing about being a writer?

For me, the most frustrating thing about being a writer is writer's block.  No matter how often you write or how creative you are, you will run into instances where the words or ideas simply won't come.  You may feel bad because you aren't producing quality writing, or you may be frustrated because you know you have a great idea for a story, but you simply can't seem to get it to work. That kind of creative blockage can be awful.

The most satisfying thing about being a writer is seeing a story come together. When I see my characters spring to life on the page and interact in a vibrant world that I created for them, I feel good about myself.  As a writer, I want to tell stories that people care about.  When I manage to do that, it's one of the best feelings in the world.

FSF: Locked Away

Here's another Five Sentence Fiction piece!  This week, the prompt was LOCKED.

If you haven't read prior installments of my ongoing FSF story, you can find it all on this PAGE.

Unchained

Chapter 39: Locked Away

Ylana froze as she processed these words of death and destruction, though they still refused to make sense to her tired mind.  She didn’t want to believe Marberry’s words of warning, yet she had to set stock in them, because if she couldn’t, then she couldn’t trust him to help cure Nara.

Source

“Is there anything you can do to thwart this dire future?” she asked simply.

Shaking his head sadly, Marberry replied, “I cannot, young one, for the secrets of how to hold back the will of the universe are locked away in some hidden corner of time; I see what is and what will be, but not how to influence it beyond the individual level.”

“Then please, help my friend, and if we’re fortunate enough to have her well again, she and I will fend for ourselves against any terror fate might bring.”

Express Yourself: Social Challenges

The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is made possible by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

This week's question is: What is the biggest challenge you face socially?

I've always been a socially awkward person.  When I'm in a group of people who don't share the same interests I do (which involve science fiction books and movies, writing, and science), I tend not to say much.  It's not easy for me to jump into a conversation on topics that I'm not familiar with or don't generally care about.  Some people have, on occasion, accused me of thinking I'm better than everyone else because I don't join in with their discussions.  Yet this is not the case.  I'm just too awkward for my own good sometimes.

I'm also much better at writing about my thoughts than I am with verbalizing them.  I'm sure that doesn't help in everyday social situations.

Celebrate the Small Things-July 12, 2013

It's Friday, which means it's time to once again Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

My computer had a mild freak out earlier today.  When I tried to type, browser windows popped up instead.  I can't begin to tell you how irritating that was, but it's fixed now!  That's definitely worth celebrating!

I had an amazing holiday weekend with my family.  We took the kids to the zoo, and they had a great time.  My husband and I were utterly exhausted after the excursion, but it was definitely worthwhile.

My youngest son Lyle has been having a good time this week experimenting with new word combinations.  Once this week I was about to pick him up, but apparently he had other plans. He pointed his finger and declared "No!  Over there!"  I think that was his way of telling me to go away.  I couldn't help but laugh.  Yes, it's the beginning of years of talking back, but for now while he's two, it's still cute.  And I still got my way in the end, because after all, while his voice might sound commanding for a child who recently turned two, I'm still bigger than he is!

What do you want to celebrate?

FSF: Flight

I decided to use my typical Wednesday post as a way to catch up with Five Sentence Fiction. The holiday weekend threw me off of my normal posting schedule, but I didn't want to miss out on this past week's prompt entirely. Lillie's chosen word for this week was FLIGHT.

Those of you who've missed previous chapters of this ongoing story can find the entire narrative on this PAGE.

Unchained

Chapter 38: Flight

Warberry was an unsettling sort of host to have, but all things considered, Ylana had grown accustomed to interacting with unsettling people on a regular basis.

Source

“My people have the ability to enchant inanimate objects, to give them a special kind of sight, as it were,” he’d explained as he poured her a drink of some unidentified hot beverage, “and in fact, the enchantment that gives the goggles of fate their sight is one of mine.” 

He looked at her knowingly, and Ylana wondered if he truly knew all the details of how she had come to be here.  “You said you know why I’m here, so perhaps we should get down to business before it’s too late.”

“However,” he continued wistfully, “as certain as I am that I can help your friend, I am not sure that it would do her much good, because I have foreseen that something terrible will soon take flight, something that will set the skies ablaze.”

Express Yourself: Movie Snack Favorites

The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is made possible by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question this week is: Whether watching a movie at the theater or at home, what's your go-to snack?

When I'm at home, I like homemade popcorn or potato chips.  I guess I need to ingest salt when I'm enjoying a movie.

At the theater, I like to have buttered popcorn and a Coca-Cola.  I also enjoy Junior Mints, Milk Duds, and Raisinets.  I never eat them all at once, of course (I'd probably get sick!), but I'll go to any of them.  It just depends on my mood.

Musing About the Weekend

I'm sorry to be writing this so late, but my muse took an extra long holiday.  She even came back with a hangover.  She was probably off traveling distant lands and having a good time.

I had a pretty good holiday weekend myself.  We spent some time with family, saw fireworks, took our kids to the zoo, and celebrated my husband's birthday. The most dramatic moment of the weekend came when my son Jude bumped his head at the zoo and ended up bleeding everywhere.  We had to go to the first aid station and get him bandaged up.  It looked dramatic with all the blood Jude had in his hair, but all he cared about was getting back out there and enjoying the rest of his day.

Now I need to get back on track.  Sometimes holidays make it difficult to get back into a routine, but I'll do my best.

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: July 2013

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh to support fellow writer's who might benefit from the encouragement of others who can relate to their writerly insecurities.  His co-hosts for this month are Mark Koopmans, Nancy S. Thompson, and Heather Gardner.

This month I've been fretting about the difficult concept of originality.  So many things have come before.  There are so many books and films out there for people to enjoy (or eviscerate as often happens) that it's a little daunting to sit down and try to come up with an original story idea.  It's impossible for any one person to know what all has been done before, so one may rehash an idea that's been done before without even realizing it.  And if you share your work with the world, someone will inevitably point that out, and they won't necessarily be nice about it.  You may also draw upon things that have inspired you, as all people are bound to do from time to time.

All you can do is write the best work you can.  You need to tell a story that captivates you and try to give it a life uniquely its own.  Remember, no one will ever write a particular story in the same way that you would.

"The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can."
-Neil Gaiman 

Others may still accuse you of not being original enough when they see elements in your writing that are similar to things they've seen before.  All you can do is stand behind your writing and try not to let those voices of criticism hurt your confidence too much.

Express Yourself: July 4th Plans

The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is brought to you by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

This week they ask: What are your plans for the 4th, if you celebrate it. If not, do you have any fun things planned for the weekend?

It's going to be a busy weekend for us.  On the 4th, we'll have a cookout with my dad before watching the fireworks.  Then my husband's birthday is on Saturday. We have a few ideas of how to celebrate that, but we're not 100% sure yet what our plans will be.  Either way, we're hoping for a fun weekend!

Will you be celebrating the 4th of July?