Kelly Deeny

Motivational Monday: Strings Attached

Tied for security

You bob in the wind

Never allowed to fly free

Your beauty catches the eye

For the gain of others

You escape to the sky

The path uncertain but welcome

Carried in the breeze across treetops and buildings

You soar with ease and freedom

Passing friends along the way

You weave in and out of one another’s path

Ribbons tangling, tying, or blowing straight past

Your journeys cross but remain your own

Is the path unknown or the destination

Do we let go of the strings that hold us down

Or wait until someone cuts us free

The uncertain path relies

On the strings attached to us, not to others

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Wordy Trio

Use the words above as inspiration for a piece of writing. It can be non-fiction or fictional, a play, a scene on a TV show, poem, or essay. There are no correct answers or guidelines you must follow.

Let the story flow…don’t second guess where it takes you. Just write!!!!

I’d love to read the finished works, so please comment below and share the link to your blog or website. If you don’t have either of those, tell me about your experience. What style of writing did you choose? Did you start in one direction and the story end up somewhere completely different?

Please use the hashtag #WritingPromptWednesday on social media sites to connect with others who are doing the prompts.

Motivational Monday: In the Moment

Beauty surrounds me

In the most mundane of moments

Calling my name and pleading for attention

Do I acknowledge it?

Love dances through the air

Waltzing through clouds

And touching my cheek in a gentle kiss

Can I embrace it?

Music exists even in stillness

With the rustle of leaves

And melodic calls from one bird to another

Am I listening?

The floral aroma wafts in the breeze

Heightening my senses

And pleading for me to stop

Will I take a moment?

Relish the beauty in the moment

Let love fill your heart

Sing from the depths of your core

And pause when needed to smell the flowers.

Novel Update

After completing the latest draft of my YA novel, I read through the content with an objective perspective and asked myself the hard questions:

Do I want to keep reading?
Do any key elements get lost in the dialogue or subplots?
Are there any characters that don’t move the story forward?
Who is the story about and does the answer ever change?

I wrote copious notes in the margins and returned to the keyboard – with determination and motivation moving me forward. In addition to self-editing the novel, I also create content for blogs of various topics (all of which connect back to the themes/topics in the novel). There many times over the last few months when I got discouraged about the work I still needed to tackle to make the finished novel publication-ready. However, I still believe very strongly in the story, the characters, the themes, and the overall tone of the piece. It’s worth the time I put into it.

I am thrilled with the progress made so far and can see the finish line not far in the distance. Once I cross that mark, a new journey begins…and after some refreshment I’ll be ready to start the next leg!

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Curtain Calls

Use the image below as inspiration for a story (fictional or non-fiction), and include all five senses (or more) when drafting your piece.

Imagine that a set of red velour curtains are blocking your view. As they part, what do you see?

Are you sitting in a theatre, clapping excitedly as the cast takes their final bows?
Are you part of the cast stepping on stage to thunderous applause?
Perhaps the red curtain is symbolic of a particular turning point in your life.
Are you sitting in a classic-style movie theatre, waiting for the curtains to part and the movie to start?
Do the curtains block the view from your bedroom window, giving you a glimpse into all you’ve missed?

No second-guessing yourself – just write as the ideas flow!!!!

Please use the hashtag #WritingPromptWednesday on social media sites to connect with others who are doing the prompts.

Motivational Monday: Artist’s Tools

Via pencil or charcoal, draw your path

Does it wind like a river

Or split in differing directions

Is the road a straight line to your goal

Add vivid colors with your paintbrush or sponge

Bringing life to trees, fields, and creatures

Build the world around you

In rustic shades of brown, red, and orange

Or lovely hues of blue, yellow, and pink

Pick up that eraser and remove the rain

That threatens to wipe away your work

Reduce the hurdles that seem too high

And redesign the road as needed

Fill the setting with ambiance

Infusing alluring aromas

And stimulating sounds

Creating the soundtrack for your road trip

As you move forward, one step at a time

Pay attention to the world around you

Keep your artist’s tools at the ready

Just in case you need a blank canvas

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Dead or Alive

Let’s change it up a bit for this week’s writing prompt!

Use the image above as inspiration for a story (non-fiction or fictional), BUT take the following criteria into account when drafting your piece.

Include one protagonist and one antagonist.
One character is alive and one is dead.
Choose a setting that you have not yet visited or is completely made up.

Now, write…..

Please use the hashtag #WritingPromptWednesday on social media sites to connect with others who are doing the prompts.

Motivational Monday: A Child in Bloom

A helping hand as I grow

Providing support and a gentle touch

Love flows through her cells to mine

Innocence and spirit keep me rooted

Sunshine from the sky warms

But not as much as the child’s smile

Her laughter shakes my petals

And twinkling eyes connect at my core

I bloom with aid from the earth and the sky

Yet the child’s love helps me grow

In beauty, vibrance, and energy!

Keep Moving Forward Challenge: To Be Continued…

I will post an entry in the Keep Moving Forward Challenge every Thursday from now through March 2015. To join in on the journey, use the comment section to tell us about how you “kept moving forward” that week. Write about it on your own blog site (and include the link in the comments), make a video, and/or use the hashtag #KeepMovingForwardChallenge on the social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram). – KEEP MOVING FORWARD CHALLENGE: WEEK ONE

Though the Keep Moving Forward Challenge reached the finish line, my journey continues. I’ve learned that even the tiniest of movements matter, and that moving forward isn’t always dependent on physical movement. I am so glad to have completed the challenge as promised and hope that you found it helpful, motivating, and/or inspirational as well.

I’ll continue to post MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY and WRITING PROMPT WEDNESDAY entries each week, so “follow” the blog to make sure you know when a new entry posts!

Over the past 8 weeks, we’ve moved forward in many ways. Sometimes significant distances were achieved and other times the steps left only a vague imprint behind. Keep moving forward even when the rain pours down upon you or you reach a proverbial fork in the road.

As you journey on, here are a few reminders to carry with you.

Remember to rest when need, in order to replenish the mind, body, and spirit
Look to the sky and connect with the earth beneath you
Stay aware, alert, and awake to your surroundings
Have faith in your goals and your ability to reach them
Be forgiving, compassionate, and kind to yourself

KEEP MOVING FORWARD and know that we may not walk side by side, but we walk together!

Journey on!

KELLY

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Something’s Fishy

In need of a little creative inspiration?

Then, use the image below as a starting point for a story. It can be non-fiction or fictional, a play, a scene on a TV show, poem, or essay. There are no correct answers or guidelines you must follow.

Don’t overthink it or edit as you go – let the story build and the words flow!

Please use the hashtag #WritingPromptWednesday on social media sites to connect with others who are doing the prompts.