Express Yourself: Songs That Make Me Sing Along

For those of you looking for my C post for the A to Z Challenge, you can find it HERE.

The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is co-hosted by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question for this week is: Do you have a song or songs that you belt out in the car, shower, etc.?

Well, I've never been one to sing in the shower, mostly because my voice sounds ten times louder, and I have a singing voice that could bring down entire armies, leaving them covering their ears and begging for the end.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but not by much.

If I'm alone in the car, however, there are certain songs I have to sing along to if I hear them on the radio.  If I'm home alone, I might also sing along to them on my stereo.  Some of them may be somewhat embarrassing or strange, but I'll share them anyway.

"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers

"Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra

"Inside Out" by Eve 6

"Bitch" by Meredith Brooks

"Come Sail Away" by Styx

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Monty Python's Life of Brian

Why can't I stop myself from singing when I hear these songs?  I have no idea.  I love plenty of songs that don't have that effect on me, but these do.

What songs are you compelled to sing along to?

C is for Create

Here's one of the drabbles that actually came out as a poem, so while it's not technically a drabble, it's 100 words long.  I hope you enjoy it!

Create

I am potential.

I am unwritten,

unscribbled,

unmarked,

                        bare.

You look at me

with hungry eyes

and lofty aspiration,

eager to

                        begin.

Pencil, marker,

paintbrush in hand,

you ache to change

my blank

                        nature.

I am yours.

Your freedom.

Your expression.

Through me, you

                        live.

Create in me

and of me.

Splash of color,

of life and

                        love.

Be my creator.

Make me special,

a masterpiece.

Let me change

                        you.

I am the canvas,

the blank sheet.

I bring forth the

beauty locked

                        within.

Unleash the

power, the light,

the color, and the

songs of

                        wonder.

I am here.

Create.

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: April 2014

Quick note: Those of you who would like to read my B entry for the A to Z Challenge can find it HERE.

It's time for another meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group!  Our Ninja Captain, the one and only Alex J. Cavanaugh, has called upon us to gather once again and offer support for one another.  Whether you would like to share your lingering insecurities or offer words of inspiration for your fellow writers, you've come to the right place!

The co-hosts for this month are Hart Johnson, Chemist Ken, Candilynn Fite, Terri Rochenski, Clare Dugmore, and Lilica Blake.

You should also check out the IWSG website!  It's another great place to find that support system you need.

The A to Z Challenge is upon us.  Not all of us are taking part, but those of us who are (myself included) may be asking ourselves how to balance the challenge with other writing goals we may have set for ourselves, or even with the demands of everyday life.  Whether it's a job or kids, we all have demands in our lives that cannot be ignored.  I know it'll be a challenge for me, especially since I'm one of Alex's minions.  However, it's a challenge that I welcome.  If we don't push ourselves, we never grow.  If we never step outside our comfort zone, we never learn.

I've decided that I'll do what I can to budget my time wisely, and I won't be too hard on myself concerning the goals I don't accomplish.  I want this to be a fun month, and not one filled with self-flagellation.  I want to meet new bloggers.  I want to hear what people have to say about the things I share, and I want to learn more about subjects I previously knew little to nothing about.  That's part of the fun!  Yes, the challenge takes dedication, but at the end of the day, it's about having an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.  If my other writing projects don't see as much from me this month, I'll remind myself that they'll still be there in May.

Happy writing, and blogging, everyone!

B is for Bonded

A drabble a day keeps the boredom at bay!  Here we go with Day 2!

Bonded

The electrodes feel cool against my temples.  The mechanical hum soothes my frazzled nerves.  A youthful technician attaches the remaining electrodes to William.

Tonight is our night.

William and I have been bonding since we were five.  Now, fifteen years later, we know each other more intimately than most people know themselves.  Our minds have learned to mingle together, to work in tandem.

Scientists bond to unlock the mysteries of the universe.  Lovers bond to heighten the experience.  We bond to make art, symphonies of light and sound, and on stage, we shall stun the world with our creative power.

The Romantic Flop Blog Hop

Quick note: If you're here to check out my A entry for the A to Z Challenge, click HERE.

The amazing Krista McLaughlin is celebrating the release of her debut novella BREATHLESS with the Romantic Flop Blog Hop.

You can find BREATHLESS in the following places:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Now, on to the blog hop!

The Rules

Share your romantic flop story on your website on April 1st – 3rd. You can tell a real story from your life or you can make up a romantic flop! Be sure to use the blog-hop button and the details about my book release!

I had a Kindergarten boyfriend.  He even told me that he was going to marry me someday. Granted, he had at least two other girlfriends that I knew of, but I still somehow thought that I was special.

One day, the group of us assembled on the playground, and he offered to show us his "thingy."  I doubt I have to spell out what that means.  Anyway, I was curious, as were the other girls, so we stood in a circle and waited for the big reveal.  I won't lie.  Six-year-old me wasn't terribly impressed, but it was still exciting to have seen something I knew I wasn't supposed to see.

The teacher who discovered what was going on, however, wasn't so amused.

After receiving a lecture, and the boy in question receiving some additional punishment for his transgression, life went back to normal.  Sure, he continued to kiss lots of girls (myself still included), but I felt special to be part of that group.

That is, until my mom informed me that while driving by this boy's house one morning, she saw him kissing his mailbox.  Hmmm.  It was difficult to feel special after hearing that.  I simply had to conclude that the boy would kiss anything.  

He moved away not long after that, so I have no idea what became of the boy who kissed mailboxes.

Be sure to check out the other blog hoppers (you can find the linky list HERE), and to get your own copy of BREATHLESS!

A is for Anomaly

Hello everyone!  The A-Z Blogging Challenge is finally here!

After last year, I knew I wanted to write fiction again.  It's one of my favorite things to do, after all!  I also knew that I wanted to keep it short.  So I decided to write a drabble for each day.  Each drabble is inspired by a word that corresponds with the letter of the day.  A couple of them turned into poems, but the poems are also exactly 100 words long, so I think it still works.

Here we go with the first drabble.  Enjoy!

Anomaly

Freak.  Disgusting.  You should have been drowned at birth.

I’ve heard all the insults before, but they still cut deep, burrowing beneath the layers of my being, festering until I can barely stand to draw a breath.

It isn’t as if I don’t know the reality of my appearance.  I was born with sight in one eye.  Perhaps if I’d been born entirely blind, I wouldn’t have to witness how different I am from everyone else.

No arms.  No legs.  Deformed face.  Born to a drug addled mother.  I can’t help what I am, though they can help their cruelty.

Express Yourself: Favorite Character

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

The prompt for this week is: Name one favorite character you have written or read about.

There are so many characters to choose from!  Can I really only pick one?

Well, since I can only choose one, I'll go the easy route and choose a character from my WIP, A Silent Soliloquy.  I've essentially got the rough draft done, though there are a couple of major changes I'm considering making to the story. I've been so busy preparing for A to Z that I haven't gotten a lot of time to work on it lately, but it's still very much on my mind.

Tippie is not an ordinary girl.  She became a ward of the state at birth, and a new personality was programmed in her mind, forcing her real self into the background.  All she can do is watch while the government sends her out to perform tasks that make her waking life seem like a nightmare.  She cannot interact with anyone as herself, leaving her completely isolated. The only way she can create the illusion of human connection is by creating stories for the people she sees in the world.

To say the least, this is not an easy perspective to write from, but I'm enjoying the challenge.

There's one important question that Tippie has to grapple with, and that question comes up when she sees Kali, a woman who has been driven mad by the knowledge of how her existence has been used to hurt people.  The question is this: If there is only a choice between suffering and madness, is it wrong to choose madness?

I love this character because I find her deeply fascinating.  By living through her struggles alongside her, I feel like I've learned a lot as a writer.  That's more than enough reason for me to count her as one of my favorites.

Which character, whether one that you've written or read, is your favorite?