#Writober Day 15: #SoCS Busy Spiders Fill My Happy Place with Webs

Ghost Spider by Maria L. Berg 2022

Stream of Consciousness Saturday

Today’s prompt for some stream of consciousness writing is “happy place.”

My happy place is filled with stinky smoke. Frustrating sunny days full of sharp, acrid haze make me long for rain. This time of year, here, wishing for rain feels so wrong. My happy place all summer has been at an old picnic table on the porch, writing, pausing to stare out at the lake, hearing the splash of jumping fish, the scream of eagles, and brisk clicks of the kingfisher. Today it is in my room with the fan; even the living room smells of smoke. And yet, this is such a happy place, far from the fires threatening lives and homes. I sit comfortably in safety reading, writing, and watching Arachnophobia. So today, this is my happy place.

Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge

Today’s prompt is Spider. After capturing a macro image of one of the local spiders at work, I tried out some of my new filters with the light glinting off the webs.

Spooktacular Spider by Maria L. Berg
Strix in a Web by Maria L. Berg 2022

OctPoWriMo

Today’s prompt is “Surrendering Fear.” I though I’d give the recommended Terzanelle form a try.

The Sun Defeated, Shadows Form

The sun through smoky haze drips red as blood
in early defeat to the powers of darkness
the sun through smoky haze drips red as blood

shadows of trees smooth and barkless
branching fingers reaching toward the moon
in early defeat to the powers of darkness

fears distort like faces in shiny spoons
songs of loons to cries of demon flight
branching fingers reaching toward the moon

to battle fright, flood this world with light
fleeing shadows revert to rational mind
songs of loons from cries of demon flight

in surrendering illusion truth will find
real fears are warnings of survival’s pain
fleeing shadows, revert to rational mind

and until the fires are quenched with cleansing rain
The sun through smoky haze drips red as blood
Real fears are warnings of survival’s pain
The sun through smoky haze drips red as blood

Writober Flash Fiction

Today’s inspiration is “Shaman Concept” by Fanny Poulain. This very creepy creature looks like Hellraiser II concept art by Guillermo del Toro.

When we went through the broken gate into the overgrown churchyard, I expected a stream of costumed people ahead of us, but we were alone. “Are we early?” I asked Dahlia, suddenly chilled.
Dahlia hooked my elbow and tugged me forward. “We’re right on time.”
On the steps, I heard fluttering above us, and saw large crows pecking at the bell in the bell tower. I dropped Dahlia’s arm, and hurried to the door. It didn’t matter if some people thought getting shit on by birds was good luck, I did not agree. Dahlia laughed behind me.
The large arched doors were open, and the huge room glowed with more candles than I had ever seen. My eyes had to adjust, but I still didn’t see the other party-goers. “Dahlia, what’s going on? Where is everybody?”
“They’re here, silly. They probably found the treats. Go on.”

Maria L. Berg #Writober7 Day 15 2022

#Writober Day 16: Shiny, Shiny Lure

writober day 16

‘Drowning Salvation’ by Matt Dangler

I love the concept of this image, a creature that evolved to trap its prey by appealing to their impulse to help someone. Kind of like the Ted Bundy of water monsters. This image makes me think of Jaws. It also makes me think of the angler fish in Finding Nemo.

The monster looks like a jolly sort with a nice personality. Maybe he or she wants to tell his or her side of the story.

#vss very short story

The monster was having trouble finding food. No one was willing to help someone drowning in this lake anymore.

#OctPoWriMo

Losing Your Fears and Tears

Today’s prompt is perfect for #Writober and pairs well with the image prompt.

Pick one of your fears and have a conversation with it. I think I’ll contemplate what my sea monster fears, after exploring some of my own fears: like helping a drowning person who turns out to be only a lure for a hungry water monster.

Conditioned Fear

Why do you haunt me in the darkness
Make it impossible for me to sleep
Why do you linger at my pillow
Keeping me from rest that’s sound and deep
Why am I conditioned now to fear you
Images of life enjoyed before
The dreams that always bring me near you
Are a torture that my waking self abhors

Your over-active mind, it calls me
Wanting things to return to before
You hate the pain when you awaken
But in the silence you beg me for more
It is not me that you’re fearing
But whether your soul he will keep
And if your tired eyes that are seering
Will close and get stuck in the deep.

 

#FlashFicHive

flashfichive day 16

graphic by Anjela Curtis

If I do write today’s story from the perspective of the monster, how would I fill in the blanks? Let’s try a few:

Apathy was the main reason I left Lake Eerie. People just turned away from my lure like they didn’t see that hand begging for help.

Nessie was the main reason I left Loch Ness. That girl needed her space. She did not like to share.

Raw sewage was the main reason I left the waters of Victoria, B.C. I mean, who’s going to dive into that, even to save someone. It was gross.

How will you fill in that sentence?

Have a great day of reading and writing!

 

Exploring: Guest Posts

A small white rose

Each guest the petal of a flower

As the happy holiday season is now upon us and many writers are wrapped up in NaNoWriMo, time is  sucked away in more ways than usual and I’m guessing many blogs will be quite neglected over the next couple months. This made me think about guest posts. Not only looking to do some myself – gifts of time to my fellow bloggers, if you will- but also to invite bloggers to guest post here.

If you’ve been reading here for a while, you know I’ve set up a five day schedule with specific topics for each day and if you are new, here’s what I’m doing:

Monday- marketing, promotion, self-publishing, children’s picture books

A quilt of nature photos

Each a part of the Natural Tapestry

Tuesday- agents, query letters, middle grade fiction

Wednesday- Revision, re-writes

Thursday- Reading, book reviews, book lists, reading sites

Friday- Exploring, writing prompts, adventures, filling the creative well

Want to write on any of these topics? To be a guest writer on this blog, please let me know in the comments or send your post idea to mariaberg@mbercreations.com. Please, original (not previously posted on your blog) posts only. If I get enough interest maybe I’ll add Guest Post Saturday! I’m excited to get your outlook on these topics. Offering a guest post would be a lovely gift to me, to ease my fear and anxiety of running out of time to post while I make gifts, work on publishing the sequel to Gator McBumpypants Hears a Scary Noise, get over this stupid cold and try to revise my novel.

I look forward to hosting your fabulous writing and anyone whose interested in trading guest posts, or book reviews, I’d enjoy that as well. ‘Tis the Season for giving and I will do my best to give as much (or more) than I get.