Writing Unleashed with Laura M. Harkins

Happy Halloween!  Enjoy my Halloween-inspired drabble. Have a scary good time today!   Untitled Drew hated his parents’ Halloween parties. He’d rather be skateboarding than manning the buffet table. Couldn’t they hide the decay of their marriage like everyone else, behind closed doors? A witch busting the seams of her costume approached. He gave the prepared greeting. “Welcome to the Unforsaken Feast! Ooooooooo!” “Is that you, Andrew?” He clinched his teeth. “Yes, Mrs. Baer.” She grabbed two Deadly Chocolate Cakes. “So, whose ghost are you supposed to be?” “The ghost of my childhood.” “Haha! You slay me.” He rolled his eyes. She continued to fill her plate. Under his breath, “Who says that shit?”

November 1, the start of NaNoWriMo, arrives in 11 days. The planning of my amateur sleuth mystery novel gains clarity and complexity with each new technique and strategy Susan Meier presents in her class .  A photograph of the hardcopy of my ideas, notes and inspirational quotes are above. The rest of my scaffolding is sitting on my computer.  There's just one problem...my characters are nameless.  I need help to decide on the best moniker for them. So, I hand over to you, my readers,  the privilege of naming my characters. Of course, I plan to fill my novel with many more characters. These three are the only ones developed enough at this point.  Some quick background: I drew inspiration from two famous literary characters and a notorious historical figure. I've  included important character traits as well as the meaning of each name to help in the process.   Just write your choices for the three characters in the comments below. T...

The orange and red hues on the trees mark the beginning of my favorite season, fall. It also marks the prepping period for NaNoWriMo 2011. I’m excited to start my second NaNoWriMo challenge. Note cards with inspirational quotes and sheets of paper with story ideas and my research list cover every inch of my writing desk. The chaos focuses my attention on writing, instead of staring at the daydream-inducing empty spaces. As November approaches, my blog schedule needs to slow down while I get into crazy writing mode. I will post once a week on Thursdays from now until December. The new NaNoWriMo site  is up. I’m heading over there soon to start inputting my mystery novel info. Stop by and add me to your buddy list, LauraMCampbell . I’m going to need a lot of support to win this year! Now, I leave you with a poignant and funny article by Rebecca Makkai, “How To Find Your Story and Craft a Pitch in 10 Easy Steps (And You Can Even Do It Drunk!)" .   ...

Source Music fills in the empty spaces inside me. One of my all-time favorite songwriters, Billy Corgan, always knows what to say.  Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness grabbed hold of me so tight, I never returned the borrowed 2-Disc set to my friend back in 9th grade. It's still in my cd collection. My adoration for Corgan goes beyond his music and lyrics to his poetry. My copy of Blinking with Fists went missing for about six months only to find it at the bottom of a pile of books on my nightstand. Scatterbrained am I. So, as a tribute to him I would like to share one of his poems from the collection on this warm, sunny Sunday. on the maypole billy corgan around the maypole with childish eye rushing thru autumn days wrapping blankets around frames wishing in the sky no matter where you stand you stand here with me missing simple times mixing blood with rose oil we are leaving too soon to make new friends we shall not remember

Source Inspired by Syfy’s Destination Truth and host funny man Josh Gates, I plan to set out on a journey to write. Instead of searching for the truth behind myths and legends, I’m searching for places where my ideas will flow unhindered to the page. Writing at home for the most part is successful and gratifying for me. But, some days my writing area just doesn’t cut it. I’ll spend the majority of the time devising strategies to get around writer’s block or coming up with new ways to outrun devious distractions, instead of writing. I’m exhausted. My self-confidence is depleted. A wise writer once said, “You need to show up at the same time in the same place if you want your muse to find you.” What if the “same time, same place” isn’t a physical location, but a mental one? Writers and many other artists get trapped in the interiors of their minds. They dodge booby traps set by fear and self-doubt. I believe this mental perpetrator can be outwitted by finding the righ...

Flake. One word description of yours truly. I'm currently caught in a tug-of-war between life and prepping for NaNoWriMo. The focus on my fiction writing tends to monopolize my time. The blog suffers. In the meantime, check out the soundtrack my iTunes shuffle compiled. Alex @ Magpie Writes inspired me to gain insight into my "musical proclivities." I found it quite interesting, even when a song at first glance didn't seem to fit the category. The randomness for the most part is dead on and often times hilarious.   Municipal Services Bldg., Center City Philadelphia Soundtrack Of Life 30 September 2011 iTunes Opening Credits:  F*** You-Lily Allen Waking Up:  Forest-System of a Down First Day of School:  Whatever’s Left-Snow Patrol Falling in Love:  Shitloads of Money-Liz Phair Fight Song: One of These Things First-Nick Drake Prom:  Huffer-The Breeders Life:  Sanctified-Nine Inch Nails Mental Breakdo...