POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
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Gathered by Nandy Ekle
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200 Words
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
200 Words
By Nandy Ekle
I’m starting this goal of writing at least two hundred words a day. Sickness, health, richer, poorer, hell or high water, I’m going to write two hundred words a day, and more if I can wring them out.
I will not worry about cohesion, plot, punctuation, spelling, long sentences, short sentences, or run-ons. There will be at least two hundred words a day.
I may be tired, sick, sick and tired, giddy, depressed, busy with grandkids, busy with grown kids, busy with no kids. I may be so down I can barely drag my self out of bed. On the road, on the high seas, hidden high up on a mountain top. In a crowd, or all alone, I will put down two hundred words.
The purpose of this two hundred words a day journal is to get the words flowing again. Words are like blood cells. They tend to stick together and close up portals where they might flow out and land on the pages. Like beautiful flower-shaped blotches of blood stains, words on the pages are soothing and sweet smelling, even when they’re dark and scary.
So this is my goal. For the next six weeks, I will get at least two hundred words a day added to this journal.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
The Post Card
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
The Post Card
By Nandy Ekle
I’ve been sitting here for a week staring out my window, trying to think of something to write. Anything. At. All. I see a squirrel run up a tree and think, Okay, must be something there. But nothing interesting happens. I watch as a beetle trudges across the sidewalk to the other side and wonder if I can make a play on the old “chicken crossing the road” story. But then I decide that’s too cliche.
I’m about to give up and spend another day not writing when the mailman puts a stack of letters in my mailbox. Looking through the day’s deliveries I find a couple of bills (must remember to make those payments), sales’ ads, sales’ gimmicks, and a few announcements to “Resident.” Then I come across a picture of a beautiful sandy beach. The sun is setting and the palm trees are almost black against the bright purple, pink and orange sky. The white foamy water has seeped across the beach nearly up to the legs of the two Adirondack chairs positioned under the fronds of the trees.
I turn the post card over and see these words: “No Drama Here.” And the story of who sat in those chairs under those starry palms with their feet swishing in the tide, and how they got there. The events leading up to such utterly delightful peace exploded in my mind and I couldn’t get to the computer keyboard fast enough.
Dear Muse. I get frustrated with you, nearly on a daily basis. But when you’re right, you’re very right indeed. Thank you.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
Friday Funnies
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
Friday Funnies
Gathered by Nandy Ekle
A Little R and R
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
A Little R and R
By Nandy Ekle
It’s been more than two years. When the invitation came for a grand vacation with our closest friends, we asked no questions. Just jumped right in, credit card in one hand, telephone in the other, and joined the party.
I set the count down ticker on my count down app and watched the days tick by. I continued with my day job, I continued planning my stories, and I shopped for vacation clothes. My excitement was building higher and higher.
And then this week began. Nothing unusual, same old, same old. And finally today. I mailed/fax’d my letters, researched new letters, then mailed those. And the last few minutes of the work day.
Rest-and-Relaxation has arrived, at least for the next several days. And I must say, not one single solitary moment too soon.
I love my job, I love the company I work for, and I love the people I work with. But sometimes, you just need some R and R.
Write me a comment below and tell me about your favorite type of vacation.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
What Happened to Detective Dougan?
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
What Happened to Detective Dougan?
By Nandy Ekle
Detective Jeremy Dougan headed to the station for his first day on the job in the city. After finishing the academy and putting in his time as a patrol officer, he had returned to his home town. He finally had the career he had worked and planned for: working on the police force in his hometown as a detective. He walked into the office with a whistle on his lips and noticed a new case waiting on his rough wooden desk. Setting down his coffee, he opened the folder.
The police report told about a missing person, Anton Easley, last seen getting into his car on July 20 on the Texas A & M University campus. He had told friends standing near that he planned to return to his residence to prepare for an upcoming chemistry exam. Jeremy had seen it before—an irresponsible college student suddenly decides he’s not bound to anyone and takes off without letting a soul know his plans. The last known residence of the uncaring boy sent shivers of surprise through his memory: 924 Ginger Street.
To find out why the address gave Jeremy such a surprise, go to amazon.com/The Least He Could Do. It’s $6.99, and Miss Bitsy is the second story in the book.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
A Little R and R
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
A Little R and R
By Nandy Ekle
It’s been more than two years. When the invitation came for a grand vacation with our closest friends, we asked no questions. Just jumped right in, credit card in one hand, telephone in the other, and joined the party.
I set the count down ticker on my count down app and watched the days tick by. I continued with my day job, I continued planning my stories, and I shopped for vacation clothes. My excitement was building higher and higher.
And then this week began. Nothing unusual, same old, same old. And finally today. I mailed/fax’d my letters, researched new letters, then mailed those. And the last few minutes of the work day.
Rest-and-Relaxation has arrived, at least for the next several days. And I must say, not one single solitary moment too soon.
I love my job, I love the company I work for, and I love the people I work with. But sometimes, you just need some R and R.
Write me a comment below and tell me about your favorite type of vacation.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
Q and A
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
Q and A
By Nandy Ekle
Some random thoughts that, hopefully, will make your muse sit up and take notice. I’d love to hear your answers/reactions in the comments. ☺️
- Write about a single man who is asked to escort his neighbor’s daughter to a school dance. Or write about a kindergarten girl who wants her kindly neighbor man to take her to a father/daughter dance.
- Write about a woman who retired from an insurance company. She’s bored with retirement so she calls the insurance company once a month to try to catch them in a mistake.
- Write about a child who meets his father for the first time. Or write about what a man feels in the first 30 minutes after his first child is born.
- Write about a new widow only two weeks after her husband of 50 years has passed away.
- Write about a girl who finds out she is a fairy changeling.
- Write about a family who is traveling to visit parents in another state and their car breaks down, leaving them stranded on the side of the road.
- Write about how you would explain to your three-year-old daughter why milk is white, water is clear, and Koolaid is red.
- Write about a woman sitting next to her mother and suddenly realizing her mother has become an elderly woman.
- Write about a middle-aged man who suddenly realizes he has the super power of strength.
- Write about a young teen age girl who has a fantasy of her famous crush stopping at her house because his car died, his phone has no signal, and he’s going to be late picking up his date to the concert.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
What Happened to Detective Dougan?
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
What Happened to Detective Dougan?
By Nandy Ekle
Detective Jeremy Dougan headed to the station for his first day on the job in the city. After finishing the academy and putting in his time as a patrol officer, he had returned to his home town. He finally had the career he had worked and planned for: working on the police force in his hometown as a detective. He walked into the office with a whistle on his lips and noticed a new case waiting on his rough wooden desk. Setting down his coffee, he opened the folder.
The police report told about a missing person, Anton Easley, last seen getting into his car on July 20 on the Texas A & M University campus. He had told friends standing near that he planned to return to his residence to prepare for an upcoming chemistry exam. Jeremy had seen it before—an irresponsible college student suddenly decides he’s not bound to anyone and takes off without letting a soul know his plans. The last known residence of the uncaring boy sent shivers of surprise through his memory: 924 Ginger Street.
To find out why the address gave Jeremy such a surprise, go to amazon.com/The Least He Could Do. It’s $6.99, and Miss Bitsy is the second story in the book.
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
The Writing Playlist
POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE
The Writing Playlist
By Nandy Ekle
In my world music is the backdrop of a lot of things. I listen to it while working at my day job of writing letters. I listen to it while I drive my car, if I’m not listening to an audio book. I usually wake up with a tune in my head and go to bed humming.
I have stockpiled a lot of music on my phone and my tablet. It’s a very eclectic collection from Irish instrumentals, Spanish instrumentals, western ballads, movie soundtracks, operas pieces, disco, dance tunes (Macarena), and techno.
However, there are certain pieces of music I’ve purchased just for the purpose of writing. And I’ve created my own “Writing Playlist.” These are the ones that make my skin prickle with excitement because I can feel the story hiding in there. Some of the stories are very evident, like watching a movie. But some of them are like playing a hidden pictures game. It’s there. The instructions tell you it’s there. There may even be a ghostly shape of what the story looks like, but I have to see it. And then, half way through the song, it begins to glitter and I wonder why I didn’t see it straight-out before. So I look away, then look back, and I have to find it all over again.
So, I’ll show you some of my writing playlist, and I’d love to know what your writing playlist looks like.
- Music of the Night – from Phantom of the Opera
- Phantom of the Opera (Junior Vasquez Club Remix) – from Phantom of the Opera
- Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
- Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
- It’s All Coming Back to Me Now – Celine Dion
- Dark Lady – Cher
- Hotel California – The Eagles
- Fire On High – Electric Light Orchestra
- Here We Are – Gloria Estefan
- Hallelujah
- Tom Dooley – The Kingston Trio
- El Matador – The Kingston Trio
- Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
- Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show – Neil Diamond
- Try – Pink
- Just Give Me a Reason – Pink
- Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
- Cell Block Tango – From Chicago
- Blood Theme (Alaska in Winter Remix) – from the TV series Dexter
- Perfect – Pink
Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.
Wordsmith Six 