Tears

When this time comes it is often the words of others that best say what we cannot. I came across this quotation, and today it expresses the way a number of people are feeling, myself included.

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.

       – Washington Irving

Start of the New Week

Weeks like this should not come very often. A colleague and a friend passed away from cancer within days of each other. Although they both were in great pain at the end, it is still hard on those of us that are left behind. One can only hold on to our faith that they have left this world for a better one -- where there is no pain, and no tears.

On a happier note: I got my camera, and I love it. It is easy to use, and produces amazing quality pictures. Just what I needed. I will post one or two here, not of the dogs as gorgeous as they are, to share with my writing. Perhaps they will inspire a new story or two, or grace the front cover of a book of mine one of these days.

Still working on a SF (science fiction) short story for a competition, titled: Hunger. I am not sure if the title will remain, but right now it is appropriate. It is a story of a genderless person who wishes to find love in a world where children can only be raised by couples of male and/or female partners. Isa, my main character, does not have much time left to find a mate and be transformed into either a male or a female. Love does arrive, but it only signals the start of the struggle. The ending is still in the making, as I have no idea if Isa becomes male or female as a result of the struggle.

Even a fictional story can surprise its creator sometimes. I do hope it will still be a good ending, irrespective of the outcome.

Writing in September

I am like a little kid waiting in anticipation for a new toy -- I bought myself a new digital camera and can't wait for it to arrive. In the meantime, of course, the next short story competition details needs to be provided, and here we go.

It is a subject competition, and this month it is SHADOWS. Rules apply as normal, and the closing date is 15 December 2011.

Happy writing, and don't forget to register for NaNoWriMo in November!
Linzé

Rockfig's Daughter

One of my all time favourite photographs taken in the Timbavati Game Reserve with a Pentax K10 digital SLR. It was awesome to be so close to such a magnificent animal and of course, the memory card in the camera was filled up with record speed. This was a photographic opportunity of a beautiful lady not seen very often.

Celebrate a new season

Summer is on its way in the southern hemisphere. Temperatures are soaring and all the layers of winter are flying --away. What a relief! Writing season is open too it seems, with NaNoWriMo on its way and www.fanstory.com also jumping onto that bandwagon.
I have already registered for NaNoWriMo, my first, and I am looking forward to it with some trepidation and a whole lot of excitement. I will be starting my seventh story during November and hopefully will be able to make the word count required. Fanstory, however, is not gong to be so lenient on the word count. Ten thousand more words than NaNo and of course, it has to follow the rules of good plotting, no jumping in just to generate the required 50,000. No, there will be a vote and reviews, and a prize on the line for the best submission.
Two competions with one effort? Sounds good, but that extra 10,000 words may seem insignificant, I mean it is only 20% more, right? That translates to an additional 333 words per day -- that is on top of the NaNo target of 1667 words per day.
Hard it will be, harder if you do Fanstory too. Well, my friend, we will fight the fight, and write the write, one word at a time.

Creative Writing Competition: August

This month there is an opening line to start your short story: The lights went off.
Start your short story with this opening line exactly as is. There is no limit on the subject matter, as long as this opening line is used.
Closing date for this month's competition is 15 November 2011. If you are planning on taking part in NaNoWriMo this year, I suggest that you submit your story before end of October.
And lastly -- we will need a judge for the August competition.
Happy writing, Linzé

The photograph of the Harvard is courtesy of Francois Venter.

This old veteran of the war still has some serious mojo as it dances through the skies above the city. While it is true that its fighting days are over, just seeing it fly and hearing the drone of the engines, makes for some wonderful inspiration. If freedom had a sound, it would sound like that of an aircraft engine. Freedom from the gravitational pull that keeps us anchored to the earth we inhabit; freedom from our daily struggle that presses us even closer to the ground.

To fly -- the temporary release from the ties of our existence -- freedom.