The Twenty-second Day of Stubbornness in Irresolution

Stubbornness in Irresolution by Maria L. Berg 2023

Today I’m out to capture the stubbornness in irresolution and irresolution in stubbornness: Determination not to change one’s attitude of uncertainty and hesitation and uncertainty about determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something. I think I can capture that in the mirrorworld with the denial filters I made yesterday.

Irresolution in Stubbornness by Maria L. Berg 2023

2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 22

Today’s prompt is to write a setting poem.

The Cliché Small Town

It’s become a cliché, the idea
of small town simple life
like baseball, apple pie,
and fireworks on the fourth of July
This small town lives in its people
as much as the people live in it
They may be as stubborn as the hills, immovable
or the river carving its path, irrepressible
Or they may be irresolute as the hawk
watching from a post along the highway
or the deer in headlights
But they must work hard like the beaver
building its den in the gold-green light
through the cedar and fir
They must have steel constitutions
to raise families in the shadow of a volcano
in a small valley town with nowhere to go
but uphill

Today’s poetry prompt got me thinking about my story’s setting. I’ve been playing around with the idea of a bad storm knocking out all the power for a few days—long enough for all devices’ batteries to run out. How would this affect my small town in crisis?

I read a passage in The Uncomfortable Dead (assoc. link) by Paco Ignacio Taibo II and Subcomandante Marcos that inspired my poem and how I am thinking about setting. Here are the parts I found inspiring:

It’s already becoming a cliché, this notion of being tied to the city by an umbilical cord, trapped in a love-hate relationship. . . . There is no hatred. Just an immense, infinite sensation of love for this ever-changing city that he lives in and that lives in him, that he dreams of and that dream of him. A determination to love that goes beyond all the rage, possession, and sex, and dissolves into tenderness. It must be the demonstrations, the golden hue of the light at the Zócalo, he book stands, the meat tacos, the currents of deep solidarity, the friends at the gas station across the way who always say hello when he passes. It might be that marvelous winter moon. It might be.

Paco Ignacio Taibo II

There’s so much I like about this paragraph. It got me thinking: what are the clichés of a small town? Who would talk about a small town this way, in my poem? In my novel? What things about the small town would my speaker(s) list?

Then I asked myself: What about a small town is stubborn? What is irresolute?

Today, as I write, I want to find places in my novel for three of my characters to talk about the town like this from his or her POV.

Happy Reading and Writing!

The Twenty-first Day of Credence in Denial

Credence in Denial by Maria L. Berg 2023

Today I’m trying to find the credence in denial and the denial in credence. Credence being the acceptance of something as true and denial that it is false.

Denial made me think of the word no, of stop signs, a circle with a line through it; things being X-ed out. So I cut all of those filters. Then, for the shoot I did something different. I took pictures of a security light left on all day through my office window. One half of the window had a screen which also added an effect.

Denial in Credence by Maria L. Berg 2023

2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 21

Today is the Two-for-Tuesday prompt:

  1. Write an introverted poem, or…
  2. Write an extroverted poem.

The poetics prompt over at dVerse Poets Pub about letter writing is a good fit with both an introverted and extroverted poem. Punam of Paeansunplugged challenges us to write letters in poem form or write a poem about letter writing.

The Luddite’s Letter

Happy Reading and Writing!


	


	





	

		
The Twentieth Day of Resignation in Rashness
	


	
	

		

Resignation in Rashness by Maria L. Berg 2023





Today I’m trying to find the rashness in resignation and the resignation in rashness. Resignation is also a janus word: a word that means its own opposite. Resignation as opposed to rashness means the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable. However, it also means an act of retiring or giving up a position. Where both the acceptance of the inevitable and retiring or giving up take time and thought, rashness is a quality of acting hastily and without due consideration. Perhaps if one’s nature is rashness, one would eventually become resigned to being rash.





Rashness makes me think of colorful movement. I’ve been thinking of trying different colors on the LED net to see if they separate with movement. I got out too late and it was light out. However, I tried movement with the LED net on different color settings and didn’t find as drastic a separation with any other color. I saw a bit with yellow, and with a purple color, so I headed into the mirror world and tried the different color settings with my fairy light LEDs. There I found the color separation without movement.  










Rashness in Resignation by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 20





Today’s prompt is to write an even poem (as opposed to the odd poem we wrote on day 11). 





Resigned to One’s Rash Nature





Rashness
resignation =
brashness reputation
clash stress—reservation—dash less
relaxation restoration: confess
splash mess? repress = realization relocation





relocation realization = repress mess. Splash!
confess—restoration —relaxation
less dash: relocation stress: clash
reputation brashness =
resignation
rashness






















Today I want to go deeper in a scene I started yesterday. I found this post “5 Ways to Add Depth to a Scene” by Janice Hardy at Writers in the Storm Blog. A few things stood out that I’ll explore today:





    

  • Character body language: “Does their body language not match what they’re saying?”
    • 




  • Use the setting: What can characters use to defend themselves, or attack that is specific to the setting? “How does the setting emotionally affect the characters?”
    • 




  • Use all the senses: “Can one sense suggest the opposite of what the rest of the senses are saying?”
    • 






I think these suggestions will help me dive deeper into my MC’s experience in this chaotic scene.










Happy Reading and Writing!






	


	





	

		
The Nineteenth Day of Importance in Unimportance
	


	
	

		

Exploring Galaxies by Maria L. Berg 2023





Today I worked to capture the importance in unimportance and the unimportance in importance. For my images I revisited one of the filters I made yesterday out of junk I found in the bottom of my fabric closet. Here’s a picture of the filters:










The one I focused on today is the one on the top left. I love the effect the light hitting that plastic disc makes. It’s exciting how the small discarded bits of unimportance, glued together have become something of great importance to me.





Birthing Planets by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 19





Today’s prompt is to write a customized poem. Customized means: modified to suit a particular individual or task. Since I am exploring the importance in unimportance and the unimportance in importance, I will have to modify this poem to fit me doing that.





Finding Importance in Unimportance





Among the detritus gathering
on the floor                I grabbed a fistful
of the fallen and discarded:
 cheap costume boa feathers and a plastic disc fallen off of fabric
given away because it shed plastic iridescent discs
with white glue so old             it came out clear
I pressed these items together
hoping in time they would adhere
to a thin plastic lens filter
And it took time, stole time, most of a morning, but not wasted time
and not my important time, as I used that for other things
And when these items of no importance
fused and bonded                sat upon my lens
a universe of beauty exploded
and in awe I explored
bursting galaxies, dying and birthing stars
I captured every one
so all could admire this exaltation
And this filter, my new favorite, a gift of lint
must be carefully preserved              locked away
untouched, encased and saved
for it holds creation's power
that takes me to ecstasies
















Today’s focus on finding the importance in unimportance and the unimportance in importance inspired a good look at my character arcs. The most important person to my main character will become the least, and the least will become the most. My main character’s world view will need to completely change for this to happen. Her wants and needs will be completely different by the end. 





I’ll need to make sure I’ve shown her ideas about importance and unimportance at the beginning, and write scenes that show her questioning these ideas and then show how her new needs change her views on importance.





Since I’m writing a supernatural horror, in each of the moments she is afraid, the person she sees as most important will not be of help to her, and the person she finds least important will. She will come to doubt the importance of the one, and the unimportance of the other. And finally she will accept the unimportance of the first and value the importance of the other.





Over at EADeverell.com there’s a Character Change Worksheet to get us thinking about the internal and external changes in the character due to certain plot points. I’ll be going through this worksheet with my main character exploring her attitudes about importance and unimportance to help me brainstorm the scenes showing how she changes.










Happy Reading and Writing!








	


	





	

		
The Eighteenth Day of Ingenuity in Materiality
	


	
	

		

Innovation in Materiality Maria L. Berg 2023










Today I’m trying to capture ingenuity in materiality and materiality in ingenuity. Materiality, though as an abstract noun it means: of substantial import; of much consequence; important; pertinent or essential; it made me think of physical materials, especially fabric. So today’s images were an exercise in cleverness or skillfulness of conception or design with material and other materials.





Inspired by the post KaleidoSaturday at KarenGadient.com. I tried out kaleidoscope maker at pho.to with some of today’s images and got some really fun results.







































































Materiality in Innovation by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 18





Today’s prompt is a title prompt: (blank) Cycle.





Innovation Cycle





preparation formulates purple plastic exploration
exploration generates oval fiber incubation
incubation conceives leather scarab insight
insight composes a wool hexagon prototype
prototype originates archetypal cookie sheet experimentation
experimentation procreates vital satin planning
planning shapes tidal thrust execution
execution pulverizes stone hagfish reflection
reflection transmogrifies evaluation
which leads to orbit trip preparation











Happy Reading and Writing!

	


	





	

		
The Seventeenth Day of Resoluteness in Disinclination
	


	
	

		

Resoluteness in Disinclination Maria L. Berg 2023










Today I’m trying to capture resoluteness in disinclination and disinclination in resoluteness. Disinclination made me think of a steep incline and having no energy to climb it, where resoluteness made me think of walking up the down escalator. Resoluteness in disinclination made me think of a round ball going up the incline, but continually rolling back down. Or a square shape trying to make it up the incline, but toppling back down.





It’s amazing to me how these very simple shape combinations can be so expressive. The slanted line with the circle made me really uncomfortable with the circle at the bottom left. It took on humanistic properties as I rotated it, looking like a slouching, depressed person when the line was vertical. Definitely a resolute disinclination. 





Disinclination in Reoluteness by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 17





Today’s prompt is to write a refresh poem.





When Resoluteness is Disinclination





I need a reboot; time to refresh
I’m tired of the same old refrain
Disinclination needs a reframe
This sketch reveals more when seen less





With a new resoluteness and a green dress
this mantra must be rephrased
I need a reboot, time to refresh
I’m tired of the same old refrain





The repressed now expressed as be best
distresses my depressed referee
who attests to blinders being refuge
which progresses to a request for flesh
I need a reboot; time to refresh












This morning I was reading the opening chapter of an odd but interesting book called The Uncomfortable Dead (assoc. link) by Paco Ignacio Taibo II and Subcomandante Marcos. The opening note from the authors says that the odd numbered chapters, thus this first one that I was reading, were written by “Insurgent Subcomandante Marcos.” When you read about a novel having “voice” this is what they’re talking about. The character speaking in first person to open the novel jumps off the page. 





Here’s an example that really stood out to me: 





“Since we spent some time getting the horse to go where we wanted him to go, Don Manolo and me got to talking and I think we even became friends. That’s how I found out he don’t like to be called Manolo, but me, you know, all you gotta do is tell me something is “no” for me to go “yes,” and I don’t do it outta being ornery or nothing, no sir, it’s just the way they made me, or that’s the way I am, you know, contrary: Contreras. That’s what El Sup calls me, “Elías Contereas,” but not cause that’s my name. “Elías” is my fighting name, and “Contreras,” well, that’s what El Sup named me cause he said I had to have a fighting last name too, and seeing as how I was so contrary, a last name like Contreras was just right for me.” 
Subcomandante Marcos





He does so much in that self-introduction. Through learning a fact about another person, he expresses his defining characteristic. He also expresses that he feels this part of his nature is out of his control, showing his outlook and attitude. He also shows that he has a superior who has renamed him, and he feels comfortable in his role as a fighter for him. The paragraph also shows how he speaks, familiarly with grammatical errors.





This got me thinking about my main character. What one word would she use to define herself? How would that come up in relation to something she learns about someone else? What is specific to her speech patterns that is different from everyone around her? What is she most excited about, emphatic about in the telling of her story? 





Since I decided to write my main character’s chapters in first person, I’m going to spend some time thinking about how to make her voice this vibrant and how to make her come alive the moment she starts telling her story.





Happy Reading and Writing!

	


	





	

		
The Sixteenth Day of Validity and Invalidity
	


	
	

		

Validity in Invalidity Maria L. Berg 2023





Today I’m trying to capture invalidity in validity and validity in invalidity. Invalidity being without foundation or force in fact, truth, or law; logically inconsequent, and valid meaning appropriate to the end in view: effective having the example: “every craft has its own valid methods” made me think about the validity and invalidity of methods I’ve created for my craft. I started by bringing pool noodles and reflection balls into the mirror world to explore if my valid outdoor methods are valid or invalid in the mirrorworld. But then I thought about looking at the word VALID. I haven’t done any vispo in a while, using the the symbols of the letters themselves to show their meaning.





Invalidity in Validity by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 16





Today’s prompt is to write an animal poem.Sounds like a good reason to enjoy the pictures in my copy of Woop Studios’s A Compendium of Collective Nouns (assoc. link). Wanting my collective nouns to be alliterative I had to get creative with some of them. I used https://www.collectivenounslist.com for inspiration as well.





This cold is an alphabet of aches

an army of ants
a battery of barracuda
a cauldron of crows 
a doom of dragons 
an electrocution of eels
a family of ferrets
a gallop of greyhounds
a herd of hippopotamuses
an intrusion of iguanas
a judgement of jackals
a kinship of  koalas
a lounge of lizards
a mischief of mice
a nuisance of nags
an orchestra of orioles
a prickle of porcupines
a quip of quails
a rumba of rattlesnakes
a shiver of sharks 
a terror of terriers
an unction of urials
a violence of vipers
a wriggle of worms
a xylophone of xeruses
a yolk of yaks
a zigzag of zokors

This cold doesn't feel like

an armory of aardvarks
a bike of bees
a comfort of cats
a dropping of ducks
an exaltation of egrets
a fancy of flamingos
a glint of goldfish
a hedge of herons
an imposition of ibex
a journey of jaguars
a kindle of kittens
a loveliness of ladybugs
a movement of moles
a network of newts
an observance of owls
a pulchritude of peacocks
a quandary of quokka
a raucous of reindeer
a swoop of swallows
a truelove of turtledoves
a unity of unicorns
a vanity of vultures
a wailing of whales
a x-ray of xolo
a yearning of yapok
a zeal of zebras





It’s Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub, so I’m linking up this poem there. If you can make it, there’s also an Open Link Live on Saturday (Nov. 18) at 10am Eastern.












Today I’m going to explore what my characters tell themselves to validate their actions and points of view. Is there validity in their thinking? What would invalidate their actions, goals, and motivations? How would they react to this invalidation? 





I’m also going to brainstorm the six kinds of twists presented in Novel Writing Blueprint Workbook (amazon assoc. link) by Jill Harris:





    

  1. Identity Twists: How could my characters turn out to be someone or something other than they seem?
    2. 




  2. Death Twists: Which of my main characters can I kill off in a surprising way?
    3. 




  3. Motive Twists: Who actually want the opposite of what they say they want? How is that revealed?
    4. 




  4. Perception Twists: How do my characters realize that their realities are different than they think?
    5. 




  5. Fortune Twists: When my characters appear to have good fortune, what or who snatches it away?
    6. 




  6. Fulfillment Twists: When my characters fulfill their desires and reach their goals, how can that cause unintended disaster for themselves or others?
    7. 






Once I’ve brainstormed at least five for each, I will choose one or two of my favorites to outline as scenes and then I’ll write at least one today.





Happy Reading and Writing!

	


	





	

		
The Fifteenth Day of Composure and Disquietude
	


	
	

		

Disquietude in Composure Maria L. Berg 2023





Today I’m trying to capture composure in disquietude and disquietude in composure. For this morning’s shoot I colored a plastic filter in red, orange, and yellow squiggly lines to represent disquietude, and created three different cut filters with groups of shapes meant to represent composure. 





Composure in Disquietude by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 15





Today’s prompt is to write a poem without pronouns. The prompt inspired me to play with my invented “Jar and Janus” form. I talk about the form in the “Draft” section of my post Revising Poetry: Creating a process.





To Find and Temper Quiddity





Composure wishes for singularity
in the obsessive invention of disquietude
hacking gravity’s properties
like jelly and glue
yearning to find quiddity
disquietude glows allegro zing
in the tin flute of composure





Disquietude flashes nutmeg tension
at dragonfly elbows of composure
drowning in neon-green spirals
of daisy intonations
descending to temper the pod-person bite
composure conquers evil robots
in the rhapsody of disquietude












I absolutely cannot believe we are already halfway through the month. It feels like we just started. This week I got a terrible cold. My face is a mucous factory and it hurts. But maybe this is a good thing. I should have no problem turning my mind off and just letting the words flow, as long as my fingers will keep moving through the fog. 





I hope your writing is going well and you are enjoying your novel.





Happy Reading and Writing!

	


	





	

		
The Fourteenth Day of Purpose in Uselessness
	


	
	

		

Purpose in Uselessness Maria L. Berg 2023





Today I’m trying to capture purpose in uselessness and uselessness in purpose. As I made my shape cuts this morning, I was thinking of tools that are created for a specific purpose, but are useless for anything else. 





Uselessness in Purpose by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 14





Today’s two for Tuesday prompt is:





    

  1. Write a love poem, or…
    2. 




  2. Write an anti-love poem.
    3. 






The Poetics prompt at dVerse Poets Pub is in celebration of Spicy Guacamole Day. Melissa provided a list of words and asked us to choose at least four to mix into our poem.





Spicy Guacamole Heart





love is like avocado
always too mushy or too hard
mixed with the right ingredients
it may give some days a little spice
feel ripe with purpose
and mash uselessness
but after squeezing and forking
leaves an empty shell












This morning when I opened the kindle on my tablet, the audiobook function on the Creature Feature stories from Amazon started working. I had thought that was a fun idea, but for some reason the audio button wasn’t showing up for me before. I liked how I could read the story, and then when I was doing something else, like looking at my morning’s photoshoot, I could switch it to audio, and then when I was done picking my images for the day, I could go back to reading, and it kept my place switching back and forth. I wonder if they have that functionality for any horror novels in prime reading. I found a couple of Jeffrey Deaver thriller short stories, but I’ll keep looking.





Happy Reading and Writing!

	


	





	

		
The Thirteenth Day of Genius in Ignorance
	


	
	

		

Ignorance in Genius Maria L. Berg 2023





Today I’m trying to capture ignorance in genius and genius in ignorance. For today’s images I looked at those who have been considered geniuses or who have shown genius and thus inspired tried something new, cutting shapes out of clear filters I have drawn on. Being completely ignorant of how that would work, I did not see the genius of my efforts until I combined the new plastic filter with some of the cuts I did this week.





Genius in Ignorance by Maria L. Berg 2023





2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 13





Today’s prompt is to write a luck poem.





With My Luck





When a week had passed and my internet failed
It became apparent you would not arrive and I called
Typing background noise of the non-existent only confused
How many times do I have to tell your computer she can’t text me?





Misunderstanding is the nice way to say manufactured manipulation
Your salesman did his job well, putting me at ease, filling me with hope





Leveraging happiness on connection
Undermines this isolation
Coming to terms with my ignorance of everything
Kicked under the rug, or into closet corners, and down the road.












Since I’m exploring writing in a new genre, it’s important I read widely in that genre. Toward that end I made a Horror Novel Reading Bingo card. I still have nine squares left on my Thrill Novel Reading Bingo card to get my blackout. Luckily a couple of those might overlap. Here’s the new Bingo Card:










Happy Reading and Writing!