#NaNoWriMo & #NovPAD Day 5: Special Lies

And the Nose Keeps Growing by Maria L. Berg 2021

Today I was inspired to continue my ribbon and shadow experiment. I thought about how a “little white lie” can turn into a big lie. I also thought about how each time Pinocchio lied his nose grew.

Two-faced by Maria L. Berg 2021

November PAD Chapbook Challenge

The prompt is to write a special poem.

For today’s poem I revisited the mesostic method I first tried on Tuesday. I thought it would be a fun way to explore what I find special. I typed my journal pages from this morning into the Mesostic Poem Generator using SPECIAL as the spine word. I had it come up with seven mesostics hoping seven would be lucky, then selected and arranged the lines into my poem.

Today's Special


           the iSsues that will
          come uP with
               pEn to page working through gore
      i started Cold
          and whIle up there tried 
               hAven't had what   
    spine my toiLet

at random momentS common
          day caPturing
              thE have in my head 
     and pain i Could do
    when source Is my own word 
          there Are seven seasons it brings
  the garden my Lunch from the joy
Spotting the Lie by Maria L. Berg 2021

NaNoWriMo

Today I’m starting a new chapter. I’m going to play with a zoom in, like the beginning of a film when the view starts really wide and flies toward a city, then into the city, then zooms in on the main character in action. I’m going to play around with doing that with words: starting with an omniscient POV, then zoom closer and closer until the reader sees what my character sees, experiences his perceptions, and then gets inside his head. It should be fun.

Spotted by Maria L. Berg 2021
November Daily Prompts by Maria L. Berg 2021 Please leave your links in the comments. I hope you will join me.

Happy Reading and Writing!

#NaNoWriMo & #NovPAD Day 4: A Party Hidden in Plain Sight

Fancy Ribbons by Maria L. Berg 2021

Today I was inspired to try a shadow effect inspired by images I’ve seen on Pinterest. Pareidolia combined with tricks of light and shadow made for some interesting house guests.

Out from Hiding by Maria L. Berg 2021

November PAD Chapbook Challenge

The prompt is to write a party poem.

At the Party

It hides
behind the fancy ribbons
the glitter, the streamers
it hides in plain sight
behind white-toothed
red-lipstick smiles
is obscured by
laughter and music

but then a sudden light–
headlights through the window
sweeping the far wall,
someone leaves the bathroom
or enters from the hall–
and the shadows shift
and I see it so clearly
and then it’s gone
covered again in laughter
and the next song’s major chords

It hides
under every plastic cup
and every paper plate
under every chair
used to fasten a balloon
I can taste it
in every bite of cake
there it is
in the flicker of candles
I smell it coming
in the smoke
when extinguished

It lingers longer this year
as it lurks in the shadows
and leaves a clingy film
after the guests have gone

The shadow from a piece of ribbon created a profile on a white wall.
His Stern Profile by Maria L. Berg 2021

My party poem combined with “hide” made for a conceit that fits Björn’s Meet the Bar prompt at dVerse.

NaNoWriMo

My days are flying by. Every day I think I’ll get more done than I do, but I’m enjoying putting extra time into this initial set-up with the intent to have everything come up again later. I started hopping around a little bit yesterday, and that helped me get motivated to go back and continue the scene from the day before.

How’s your writing going? How do you get and stay motivated?

Why the Long Faces? by Maria L. Berg 2021
November Daily Prompts by Maria L. Berg 2021 Please leave your links in the comments. I hope you will join me.

Happy Reading and Writing!