For Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge, “drink,” I bought yummy, colorful juices and repurposed my candy mold as an ice tray. The drink photos did not go well. I made a terrible mess and I’m going to have to deal with a drunk alligator and zombie later, but I like how the candy pumpkin shots turned out. Making shots for a zombie, what was I thinking?
For Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge, “decor,” I thought it would be a great inspiration to put up my decorations early, but it’s supposed to rain for a week, so I thought I might make some decor inside instead. Decor makes me think of lamps and wallpaper and carpets, but once I got started appreciating the things my friends and I have made over the years, I was exhausted. I definitely need to appreciate my decor more.
Our Cabin in the Woods Fell on the Witch by Maria L. Berg 2021
Things brought out from corners, corners created by entertainment “systems” or pianos Things covered in dust and cobwebs gathered, brought into communion, become a community of treasured objects, electrified, let, no longer in shadow, creating their own shadows, playing together in foreground, in background, circling, layering, finding their place so I will see them like I have seen them with love before and as I arrange them, the dust scatters, the webs break the bulbs warm and they glow, wax flows, and surprises me with unexpected beauty of planned destruction. If I had saved that candle, left it contained and whole; I would have ignored its purpose and plan. These days of creating are expanding, building one on the next, finding ways to combine find each other, another word inspires connections, overnight multiplying into multitudes, overlapping concepts grow and spark searches in more dark corners.
The Witch’s Grasp by Maria L. Berg 2021 sculpture by ES3Creative
For Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge, “desserts,” I looked at some fun Halloween desserts and found a vegan “white chocolate” recipe. I also loved the idea of putting raspberry filling in the center of my chocolates as blood, so I gave both ideas a try with my Halloween candy mold. The photos tell a Halloween horror story.
Mr. Skeleton offers us candy.
One pumpkin has cute little eyes.The horror!There’s blood everywhere.
It’s a plate of cute pumpkins and skulls.
Oh no! Watch out little pumpkin!Here’s a happy little skull.Why, Mr. Skeleton, why?
flickering fire gathering filling our mouths with sweets after dinner treats while dark encroaches and dreamtime closes firelight fading stages for frightening storytelling fiction milling, smoke smelling manipulator spinning lore, remaking before, and later, savor thrills and chills from tales of killing shivering because we fear taboos breaking rules even nightmares beware
in the dark
beware nightmares even rules breaking taboos fear we because shivering killing of tales from chills and thrills savor later and before remaking lore spinning manipulator smelling fear milling fiction storytelling frightening for stages fading firelight closes dreamtime and encroaches dark while treats dinner after sweets with mouths our filling gathering fire flickering
Zombie Kitty Eats Dessert Maria L. Berg 2021
Tasty Brain by Maria L. Berg 2021
NaNo Prep
Yesterday’s obligatory scenes brainstorm was fun. It led me to starting the exercises in The Breakout Novel Workbook (affiliate link) by Donald Maass. I took a look at the novel’s public stakes and making them worse.
Then I took a look at the worksheets from Writing &Selling your Mystery Novel (affiliate link) by Hallie Ephron. Today I’m going to make a second copy of the protagonist worksheets and fill them out for both my detective and my MC. Once I’ve done that deep-dive into my main characters, I’m going to explore their internal and external conflicts as I continue through the Plotting chapters of The Breakout Novel Workbook.
I just remembered that I bought a copy of The Emotional Craft of Fiction (affiliate link) by Donald Maass this summer. I turned to chapter 5: The Emotional Plot and read:
Many authors motivate their characters with external circumstances. I must do this, because if I don’t, that will happen. The stakes in such stories are also external. Things need to come out right or, gosh, life will be terrible for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with what I call public stakes; they just don’t have automatic emotional effect. Personal stakes are the more reliable way to make a story matter to readers. Personal stakes are why protagonists must act for themselves. It’s the drive that comes from inner need and yearning. It’s what would propel a protagonist toward change, even if the events of the novel weren’t happening.
Maass, Donald. The Emotional Craft of Fiction (pp. 82-83). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
And just last night I started plotting in my workbook with exploring public stakes. 😉 So today, I’ll be adding personal stakes to my plot brainstorming.
Happy Reading and Writing!
I Always Thought He Was Planning to Eat Me by Maria L. Berg 2021
Today’s prompt is an empty pot. The suggested form is Double Exposure. I like this type of poem-within-a-poem form. It provides the opportunity for more than one speaker, or combining two different related images (like vampires and empty pots 😉). The 2018 prompt was “Once Upon a Time.”
A Bite Out of Life
I wake before the dawn this once and make
looks sharp like stakes that pierce upon the lake
some fangs to bite the day and suck its ache
the thirsty smiles of dreamlike life to take
I wander filtered searching out my foes
blue blood filled veins that pulse my presence known
and find them lurking everywhere I go
I am but juice a lifeforce to consume
there was a time I had a foggy view
Nocturnal beasts eternal feast infer-
no light to guide this urge of daybreak to-
nal damned immortal aortal portal
Monster House Across the Lake by Maria L. Berg 2021
Blue-head is a Vampire! by Maria L. Berg 2021
NaNo Prep
Today I’m going to have some fun exploring possible plot points. First, I’ll skim through the scenes from the 2019 draft. If I find any scenes that I want to keep and re-write in the new draft, I’ll fill in a scene card for that scene. Then I’ll look at the Story Grid obligatory scenes for a thriller:
Inciting Crime indicative of a master Villain
Point of no return
Protagonist’s initial strategy to outmaneuver the antagonist fails
Protagonist discovers and understands the antagonist’s external object of desire
Protagonist becomes the victim
Hero is at the Mercy of the Villain / All is lost
False Ending
For each scene, I’ll quickly list 25 possible ideas then choose my favorites. Then I’ll fill in scene cards for each of my chosen plot points.
Today’s prompt is Celebrating Milestones. The 2018 prompt was “Madness Reigns,” and talks about using homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently like reigns / reins / rains) in poetry which I think I’ll try today.
Masked Milestones
Try on a new face slam on the brakes before I break this pace racing
bear this pace racing when I’m wearing this new face masking feelings bare
bare raw emotions behind many masks plain stares on new planes upstairs
the new planes upstairs scare bare bears and hairy hares in the wild child’s lair
the liars wear masks where chaos rules behind them I come out to play
For Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge, “spider,” all I had to do was step outside to find plenty of spiders. There was I giant wolf spider on the ceiling in the shop too. But I wanted to do something more creative. Though I really like creating scenes in the space in my bookshelf, I found there isn’t enough space to also do the bokeh the way I want, so today I cleaned off the area in front of the fireplace and began exploring its potential. Inspired by Tourmaline .’s witch fingers yesterday, I pulled out my witch fingers and some other craft supplies and made this little beauty.
Creation by Maria L. Berg 2021
Stream of Consciousness Saturday
Today’s stream of consciousness is to start with “If.” I like that it’s “if” and not “what if.” “If” gets me thinking about action, “if/then” instead of maybes. Here’s an excerpt from my journal:
. . . if they actually cared not to disturb the fine wonder of the perfect beauty of this day: A hummingbird zooming to blow the pink trumpet flower then off again, the bee spider sprinting to bat at the air to my left then back to the shadows. If I filmed it all, and could produce the light, warmth, smells, sounds, taste of the vodka-lemonade everything the same, somehow immerse myself in the depth, trick myself to believe, would I be able to relive this whenever I wanted? Would I want to? Very often? Or is it really the unexpected surprise of it when it as equally could have snowed? Isn’t it the unexpected chance of this warm, sunny, quiet, joy of alone yet shared moment that makes it so wonderfilled?
Maria L. Berg 2021
OctPoWriMo
Today’s prompt is Sonnet which made me think of John Peale Bishop’s modernist sonnet “A Recollection” that we studied in the fourth week of ModPo (hint: it’s an acrostic 😁). The 2018 prompt was “Catch Me When I Fall.” The suggested form was the Terzanelle which has some interesting repetition.
Catch
When I fall, remember not if, then the catch me When I fall, remember
we are a spinning species despite gravity’s writer releases not if, then the catch me
describer I tell you these teases because a rebel’s treble has legs despite gravity’s writer releases
enough web will hold the dregs but not catch me when I fall because a rebel’s treble has legs
let my catcher quiver tall with a finely spackled spine but not catch me when I fall
the rind lined and intertwined with a finely spackled spine when I fall, remember when I fall, remember
Screen in the Screen by Maria L. Berg 2021
NaNo Prep
Last night I got through my first skimming of the draft and listing all the characters. Wow that was a shitty first draft! Good for me, but I’m also glad I’m coming at this work as a complete re-write. Today I discovered the one thing I do not do enough in my work: sitting still with my eyes closed in the sun. I needed and wanted new names for my characters. I wanted to see what they look like and get to know them. It only took trying to sit still in a chair on a surprisingly warm sunny day to come up with all sorts of ideas and have to get up and write them down. I have always been bad at sun bathing. If the sun stays out, I might have my new writing technique: force myself to sit in a lounge chair and try to relax!
over a dark wood spooky, haunting look there, be aware near fear’s edge jump scares come– banging cupboards footsteps creek floorboards weeping moaning whispers stale cigars linger something scrapes the panes incomprehensible sound movement unfounded unseen forces pushing and pulling the ethereal– even when expected make shudder quiver shiver spine tingling gut clenching skin-jumping scares eerie dreary swampy fear clings wavering on wheezy breezes leaves leave dried and dreary bleary and weary tree-cast shadow cover me, from feelings of hostility vague doubts bouts of suspicion of foliage affording shade, colors vainly display a crisp mockery of time
Ghosts on the Wind by Maria L. Berg 2021
NaNo Prep
I think I’m done with Writober for this year. I’m going to focus in NaNoWriMo prep instead. I started reading through my 2019 draft yesterday and I’m getting excited for my complete re-write. I’m already planning big changes including the names of the main characters and the POV of the opening scene.
I’m looking forward to joining my first NaNoWriMo write-in of this year this afternoon. I usually enjoy them and get some good work done.
For Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge, “cat,” I wasn’t sure what to do, because my kitty friend is too cute to be scary and too independent for costumes. So I had to put extra thought into this one. I woke up in the middle of the night and the power was out. After rummaging around and finding all my flashlights, hoping it was almost dawn, the power came back on and it was only 12:30 am. I was wide awake, so I decided to write in my journal. While writing, I remembered I have a weird little cat tree ornament, so after going back to sleep and waking up again, I made a little scene in which this creepy cat is the familiar of the skeleton witches.
A Monster Rages Inside by Maria L. Berg 2021
OctPoWriMo
Today’s prompt “rain” has “triumph” in the word prompts which I find interesting in relation to rain. In 2018 the prompt reflected yesterday’s with “If I Were Me.” That sounds interesting. If I were me, I would be dancing in the rain. The word “authentic” was on that list.
Another Rainy Day
rain makes green and if I were me I would be singing “Once you’re wet you’re wet” while hopping from puddle to puddle splashing and laughing in my thick rubber boots that I bought from the feed store full of cheeping chicks in Buckley. If I were me, waiting and it started raining, I would turn the music up loud doors opened wide dance ecstatically under the clouded sky until soaked in exhausted triumph, I would pry clumps of mud off and run to the shower and shiver in the steam until glowing. If I were me I would believe that the rain brings clean, fresh, new authenticity, quenches thirst, perks rebirth, and reciprocity, but today these days I’d say I’m too tired and cold and don’t want to get wet or shiver or splash or drip or trip through puddles so I may not be me maybe I need to head back to Buckley and see if I’m peeping at chicks in the feed store.
Levi became curious, and though not cooperative with my ideas, did get into a couple photos.
Behind the Veil by Maria L. Berg 2021
Possessed Mirror Kitty by Maria L. Berg 2021
Writober
This Week’s Story
Logline: An arrogant gossip hears noises coming from his shower. Exploring the drain isn’t enough, after cutting a whole through the floor, he finds that his problems run much deeper.
Today’s excerpt:
I pulled my poor mangled elbow out slowly this time. Sitting back on my haunches, I heard the scratchy voices and got the distinct feeling that they were talking about me. In retrospect, this is the point when I should have called a plumber, but
For Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge, “ghost,” I changed the eyes on one of my ghost filters and got out the creepy children figurines. Then I thought it might be fun to try some shots from outside in to capture some ghosts on the furniture, so I hung some lights in the window and went out on the porch. Then the happy accidents began.
Ghosts on the Water by Maria L. Berg 2021
I am usually irritated by all the bright lights my neighbors burn all night. The light pollution blocks out most of the starlight in an area that should be a great place for stargazing. However, this morning before dawn, those lights across the lake created a perfect palette for ghosts and their oddly right-side-up (or upside-down) reflections on the still, glassy water.
Afraid to discover/Discover yourself/Discover you were wrong
Deceive your believer/Deceive with a smile/Smile through the pain/Smile while the heart breaks/Breaks barriers
Love ripped away in a day/Love in a paper heart
Consider your options/Consider how I feel Feel the love/Feel for another
In the 2018 prompt, she talked about feeling the need to get things off your chest, and times you wish people would see things from your point of view, but “If I Were You” has very different connotations to me. And combined with today’s prompt “theater,” it could be about an actor’s process, trying to actually become someone else.
An Actor At Heart
This theater, repeat defeater, creeps into everything, thespian terminator of tastier chemistry, detonates the latch that was holding me back, biting my tongue biding my time to tame forgiveness wild behind the clear fragile pane in its frame
And now, used as a mirror, a lover, afraid to discover, discover myself in you, through you, seen by you, discover I was wrong all along that you deceive your believer, that I am the believer deceived, deceived by a smile, the smile you smile through, through the pain, through the stuck loop-brain, mirrored smile as my heart breaks finally breaking through the faux-mirror barrier, the reflective shards splatter then scatter, tatters of face laced lateral flattery lacks fact staged as false safety now lost
And now, stage left alive while I writhe sleepless again, rage kept aside childhood nights of boogeymen, and man monsters in the closet I posit I had no options frozen in loss I tossed to any comfort familiar, known clung to as home, though full of ghosts haunted, roaming unwanted by most, I became host to a diaspora of spirits
And now, I consider my options, plethora of options to consider, one of those considerations could be how you feel, how I would feel if I were you, empathic fanatic actor collector of others, crawl into your skin shoes and eyes, see your lies and whys, the trauma that creates drama in response to the symmetry of leaves in trees
Studying the Beat Poets & My Exploration of Sonic Surrender
This week, week 6 of ModPo, we’re studying the beat poets. The section starts by reading and discussing Howl by Allen Ginsberg. As I read it I remembered a tape a friend gave me of Steven “Jesse” Bernstein. I heard the music behind Steven as he spoke his poems while reading Howl. I hadn’t noticed how close their rhythms are before.
Then I read some of “Old Angel Midnight” by Kerouac and watched Anne Waldman perform “Rogue State” and started to wonder about my concept of sonic surrender vs. “babble flow” vs. nonsense. I like the sound collecting I’ve been doing and connections I’ve been finding, but I’m not completely surrendering to only the sound of the words. I’m not even repeating words and phrases very much. I’m stuck in a constraint of creating meaning, wanting to create shared understanding, and I think I like that better than babbling sounds.
Last night I watched the movie Howl for the first time. It wasn’t what I expected. I liked how they included a dramatization of the obscenity trial against the publisher. But mostly it was a beautifully animated reading of the poem. One of the important things I took away from the film was Ginsberg’s belief that a poet had to bring the voice they use to talk to their friends to their poetry.
In the Light by Maria L. Berg 2021
Writober
This Week’s Story
Logline: An arrogant gossip hears noises coming from his shower. Exploring the drain isn’t enough, after cutting a whole through the floor, he finds that his problems run much deeper.
I’m having fun taking my time with this draft. Sharing my progress here is great accountability to keep me working on it. Today another fun idea came while I was writing. Here’s an excerpt:
I loosened my tie and pulled it over my head. I had the clever idea of lowering the tie down there, like a colorful silk claw-lure. After letting it dangle limply for a few minutes, I gave it a few quick jerks to make it dance, grab attention, but no takers. When I pulled it out it was splotched with black ooze. Ruined. Stupid.
Today’s Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge, is “frog.” My nephew told me that my next bokeh filter should be a frog a while ago. I’m glad I finally made it. I like how it turned out.
The Tuesday Writing Prompt at Go Dog Go Café is to write a poem without using the words “the” and “and.” I think this constraint could work well with sonic surrender, so I’m going to give it a try.
Today’s Poetics prompt at the dVerse Poets Pub: to write my way out of a place of pain, fits so perfectly with my thoughts of an ode to tortured love, it’s as if Ingrid was in my head this morning.
Oh, my Torture, this Love
When pain reigns, thrilling heightened awareness glaring nerves sparking with life firing toward limitations creating tense-muscled suspense extremes of what I can stand
Is it fear that brings me here? Does my flesh believe it will tear? Warning of peril from unlimited pleasure chaotic behavior when overwhelming pre-frontal processes, living uninhibited
In dizzying free-fall, Contusia dazed in a haze, purples sensitive to touch, crazed obsessive worries in separation so unstable wobbles, topples hobbled drained faint–that in-between pain
like frogs hopping perilously across back roads in thick morning fog brought on by a pond squashed in grills every year I am drawn to danger, red cayenne heat of danger, frying-pan-to-fire danger, tightrope-no-net danger, thin lines connecting cliffs over synaptic canyons too far to cross, between gains lost, ends too soon
Lake Frogs by Maria L. Berg 2021
Writober
Go Dog Go Café also has a Halloween-themed Prompt Challenge looking for Halloween inspired original pieces of writing / and or art. Submissions are open until October 25th.
This Week’s Story
Logline: An arrogant gossip hears noises coming from his shower. Exploring the drain isn’t enough, after cutting a whole through the floor, he finds that his problems run much deeper.
This morning I started the draft and it already surprised me. I’ll keep writing to about 1,000 words today and then let it simmer again until tomorrow. Here’s a little excerpt from my protagonist’s childhood trauma flashback:
I’m not sure what I did to convince it to stop playing dead, but when it did it was all claws and teeth. Its feet pierced my neck and shoulders trying to hold purchase while its teeth and front claws went for my head and face. I dropped the wood and flailed, but couldn’t scream for fear that parts of it would get in my mouth. So no one came to my aide.
I fell hard to the concrete on top of the wood I dropped, bruising my ribs, and played dead myself. It didn’t take long for it to lose interest and scurry into the shadows. I crawled up the steps and cried for my mom. She covered my cuts in stinging alcohol. I filled the house with screams, outmatching the wind until it died, and she took me to the hospital.
Experience Writing 