Life in progress

Category Archives: Just Jot it January 2018


by 45 Comments

#JusJoJan Daily Prompt – January 21st, 2018

It’s Sunday today, so Just Jot it January is back with our regular daily prompts again. I’m not sure what I did yesterday, but I twisted my knee and when I sat down, it felt like I tore something. I’m falling apart! And just in time for my birthday tomorrow. That’s it! I’m blaming it on my birthday. Hehe. Here’s your prompt:

Your prompt for January 21st, 2018, brought to you by the wonderful and talented Willow, is “Silence.” Use it any way you’d like in your post. And make sure you visit Willow at her blog, “Willowdot21” to read her post and say hi! Here’s her link:  https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/

Here are the general rules to follow for Just Jot it January:

1. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list) counts as a “Jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

2. I’ll post the daily prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5), every day except for Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness (SoCS) prompt–you’ll find that one on Friday morning at 9:30am. That daily post (i.e. this one) will be where you leave your link for others to find in the comment section. There will be a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday.

3. As long as your blog is on WordPress, you’ll be able to link via pingback. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! If you’re participating from another blogging host, just drop a link into the comment section. Note: The newest pingbacks and comments will appear at the top.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

5. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

6. The prompts are here both to remind you and to inspire you to write. However, you don’t have to use the prompt word of the day. You can link any kind of jot back here. Note: If it’s 18+ content, please say so in a comment with your link or close to your pingback.

7. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

8. Have fun!

To find the full list of daily prompts from now until the end of the month, click this link: https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/27/what-is-just-jot-it-january-2018-rules/ and scroll down to the bottom of the post.


by 21 Comments

#SoCS & #JusJoJan 2018, the 20th – Occupation

Occupational hazards are present in every job, it seems. I mean seriously, you would think staying at home working on a computer in your pajamas has to be the safest thing you can possibly do. Apparently not. I need to get up and move occasionally. And the eyes! They’re at risk as well unless I look away from the screen regularly. I suppose that’s true of many desk jobs, though. Even ones that aren’t performed in one’s pajamas.

Companies should have pajama days, don’t you think? Casual Fridays have been a thing for many years, but what about designating a day of the week, or even a day of the month, so people can go to work as though they’re shopping at Wal-mart? Oh, and especially if you work at Wal-mart, though that would be more of a dress-up-like-the-customers day.

Not sure why I’m picking on Wal-mart, though. I see people walking around in their pjs in the grocery store, around the mall … hell, even I ran out to the bus a couple of months back to hand Alex something he’d forgotten for school, dressed in my sleep clothes. (“Sleep clothes” is what I call them in sign language – it’s managed to translate to English nine times out of ten in my house.)

Speaking of sleep, my Saturday Second Seat on the Right series post will come out at 11:58pm my time–hopefully I’ll be sleeping (what a segue!)–and then Sunday’s Second Seat post will appear at 12:01am, just three minutes later. If you’re a regular reader, don’t miss them! It’s kind of a two-parter.  Could I call it a bi-parter? Because then, if it had eight parts, I could call it an octo-parter …

This post full of sleep-clothes madness is brought to you by Just Jot it January …

and Stream of Consciousness Saturday! Click the link to read the other posts and join in the fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/01/19/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-daily-prompt-jan-20th-2018/


by 30 Comments

#JusJoJan 2018, the 19th – Darkness

I totally dropped the ball on this prompt, and for that I must apologize to Kerry, our very gracious provider of the word of the day for the 19th. You can visit her awesome JusJoJan post here: https://kkherheadache.wordpress.com/2018/01/19/its-all-around-me-jusjojan/ Definitely worth the visit.

My only defense for being so late is I tried. Yet as hard as I tried, I spent most of the day paralyzed with fear that I would get another migraine. I had a headache all morning and well into the afternoon until finally I broke down and took an Advil. The pharmacist told me not to while I’m on a daily dose of ASA, unless I really needed it.

It’s only been since I took the Ibuprofen that I’ve begun to relax, to go back to normal. To calm myself enough to sit in front of the screen and type. Even now though, I’m sitting in darkness with my eyes closed, touch typing and feeling my way through this post.

I hope tomorrow all the anxiety will begin to fade.

I’ve taken all my tests now–ECG, CT scan, ultrasound on my neck, and a fasting blood test–and I have an appointment with the stroke specialist on Tuesday morning. Hopefully I’ll get my driving privileges back and I’ll be able to do my own grocery shopping. In the meantime, I’m making every moment count.

This post is brought to you by Just Jot it January and the prompt of the day; you can find it here: https://lindaghill.com/2018/01/19/jusjojan-daily-prompt-january-19th-2018/ Please visit and check out all the other posts, which you’ll find in the comments!

 


by 60 Comments

The Friday Reminder for #SoCS & #JusJoJan Daily Prompt, Jan. 20th, 2018

Hey there! It’s Friday, and time for the daily Just Jot it January prompt for SATURDAY, JANUARY 20th and your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. For those of you joining SoCS for the first time, it’s a little different than the other prompts in that it’s not always a whole word. Much may be left up to your discretion: this week is no exception. Having said that, if you’re joining in from JusJoJan and don’t want to write stream of consciousness style, no worries. It’s up to you! If you do want to try it, please check out the rules below. It’s fun! Here’s your Saturday prompt:

Your prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “oc.” Find a word that starts with “oc” and use it in your post. Bonus points if you start and end with your post with an “oc” word. Have fun!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here at this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

You can also use the Just Jot it January badge!

Here are the rules for SoCS:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


by 51 Comments

#JusJoJan Daily Prompt – January 19th, 2018

Hello. I’m here with your Just Jot it January prompt for Friday, January 19th. I’d like to say thank you to everyone who wished me well in the comments of yesterday’s post. I’m trying not to stare at the screen too much as I write this on Thursday evening; I hope you don’t mind the blanket appreciation. Oooh, a blanket of appreciation! Heehee. Yes, I’m feeling a bit better. Anyhoo, don’t forget, this is Friday’s prompt. Saturday’s prompt will show up here on Friday morning as the Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS) prompt – don’t get them confused!

Your prompt for January 19th, 2018, brought to you by my dear friend and fellow Canadian, Kerry, is “Darkness.” Use it any way you’d like in your post. And make sure you visit Kerry at her blog, “Her Headache,” to read her post and say hi! Here’s her link:  https://kkherheadache.wordpress.com/

Here are the general rules to follow for Just Jot it January:

1. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list) counts as a “Jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

2. I’ll post the daily prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5), every day except for Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness (SoCS) prompt–you’ll find that one on Friday morning at 9:30am. That daily post (i.e. this one) will be where you leave your link for others to find in the comment section. There will be a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday.

3. As long as your blog is on WordPress, you’ll be able to link via pingback. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! If you’re participating from another blogging host, just drop a link into the comment section. Note: The newest pingbacks and comments will appear at the top.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

5. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

6. The prompts are here both to remind you and to inspire you to write. However, you don’t have to use the prompt word of the day. You can link any kind of jot back here. Note: If it’s 18+ content, please say so in a comment with your link or close to your pingback.

7. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

8. Have fun!

To find the full list of daily prompts from now until the end of the month, click this link: https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/27/what-is-just-jot-it-january-2018-rules/ and scroll down to the bottom of the post.


by 56 Comments

#JusJoJan 2018, the 18th – Revolt

It seems my brain has revolted against me. I hope the following post makes sense – I’m not entirely sure I’m over it.

It started last night while I was driving to a coffee shop, to work on a short story I plan to submit to a new anthology. I began getting blank spots in my vision–the “s” was missing at the end of the word “McDonald’s,” for instance–which I know is an indication that a migraine is coming. Migraines like this, for me, usually come without pain, so I figured I’d be fine to continue on my way as long as I picked up some Advil. I stopped at the dollar store and walked around for a bit to see if the blind spots would clear, but they only got worse. Yet by the time I found the Advil and got to the checkout, it had completely cleared up. So off I went.

I got something to drink, took my Advil, and sat down to work. I began to get a mild headache, so I held off on writing for a while. Once I felt fine, I got out my notebook, put the pen to the paper, and couldn’t remember what I was going to write. Hmmm… I thought about it for a few seconds and then remembered the word I wanted was “snooze.” I got the S-N-O-O on the page and couldn’t for the life of me envision what the next letter was supposed to be. I was relieved about ten seconds later when I got it. Off to the next sentence.

I vaguely recalled I wanted to write, “I’ve never been much of a dreamer.” It took me a few tries, but I finally got the sentence written on the page. I thought it was a bit weird that I wasn’t able to concentrate, but I wasn’t too concerned. Yet. Seems my letter of the day yesterday was “v.” It was all I really managed. This is what I wrote:

Snoove

“I give have been a dreamer.”

I realized this when I reread it about ten minutes later. I also realized I had to get to the hospital.

Fast forward to 3:10am: I walked home (thank goodness I only live 15 minutes from the hospital–I’m not allowed to drive) with a diagnosis that it may have actually been a migraine, but it could also have been a mini-stroke. The doctor at the emergency said that though I didn’t have any other symptoms, I should treat it like a stroke as a precaution. I’m going for a CT scan and an ultrasound this afternoon (don’t believe what they tell you about wait times that kill people in Canada!) and after I get a blood test, I have to go to a stroke specialist to get an all clear.

Now I’m going to try to get some sleep. Three hours and twenty minutes with 31 minutes awake/restless in between (thanks, Fitbit) wasn’t enough.

This dramatic post is brought to you by Just Jot it January, and in particular, prompted by the word “revolt,” provided by Sandra! Thank you so much, Sandra! She hasn’t written a JusJoJan post yet, but I’ll link her blog again here. Please go and say hi! To participate in the prompt, please visit this post, where you’ll find the rules and you can leave your link in the comments.


by 46 Comments

#JusJoJan Daily Prompt – January 18th, 2018

Time (late) for your Just Jot it January prompt. Sorry for the delay: had an emergency trip to the hospital. Will explain later. Here’s your prompt:

Your prompt for January 18th, 2018, brought to you by the lovely Sandra, is “Revolt.” Use it any way you’d like in your post. And make sure you visit Sandra at her blog, “What Sandra Thinks” to read her post and say hi! Here’s her link:  https://whatsandrathinks.com/

Here are the general rules to follow for Just Jot it January:

1. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list) counts as a “Jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

2. I’ll post the daily prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5), every day except for Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness (SoCS) prompt–you’ll find that one on Friday morning at 9:30am. That daily post (i.e. this one) will be where you leave your link for others to find in the comment section. There will be a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday.

3. As long as your blog is on WordPress, you’ll be able to link via pingback. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! If you’re participating from another blogging host, just drop a link into the comment section. Note: The newest pingbacks and comments will appear at the top.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

5. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

6. The prompts are here both to remind you and to inspire you to write. However, you don’t have to use the prompt word of the day. You can link any kind of jot back here. Note: If it’s 18+ content, please say so in a comment with your link or close to your pingback.

7. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

8. Have fun!

To find the full list of daily prompts from now until the end of the month, click this link: https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/27/what-is-just-jot-it-january-2018-rules/ and scroll down to the bottom of the post.


by 52 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday & #JusJoJan Daily Prompt – January 17, 2018

Short on inspiration and energy: a comic from Facebook, originated from http://buttersafe.com/

*comic shows stick figure sitting, laying down, begging, and sitting up in a coffin. Caption: Dog tricks: not as impressive when done by humans

Here are the general rules to follow for Just Jot it January:

1. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list) counts as a “Jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

2. I’ll post the daily prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5), every day except for Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness (SoCS) prompt–you’ll find that one on Friday morning at 9:30am. That daily post (i.e. this one) will be where you leave your link for others to find in the comment section. There will be a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday.

2a. Since today is Wednesday, I challenge you to make your JusJoJan post a one-liner. If you don’t care to, or if you’ve already written your post, no problem. Remember, with One-Liner Wednesday you can write anything – it’s only a prompt to write one line, not necessarily to keep to the same theme as mine. The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:

(i) Make it one sentence.

(ii) Make it either funny or inspirational.

(iii) Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.

(iv) Enjoy yourself!

(v) Use our One-Liner Wednesday badge.

3. As long as your blog is on WordPress, you’ll be able to link via pingback. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! If you’re participating from another blogging host, just drop a link into the comment section. Note: The newest pingbacks and comments will appear at the top.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

5. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

6. The prompts are here both to remind you and to inspire you to write. However, you don’t have to use the prompt word of the day. You can link any kind of jot back here. Note: If it’s 18+ content, please say so in a comment with your link or close to your pingback.

7. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

8. Have fun!

To find the full list of daily prompts from now until the end of the month, click this link: https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/27/what-is-just-jot-it-january-2018-rules/ and scroll down to the bottom of the post.


by 26 Comments

#JusJoJan 2018, the 16th – Contemplation

As a writer, I spend a lot of time contemplating the stories that form in my head. At my worst, during my most creative spells, my mind blocks out everything going on around me. I become consumed, beyond contemplation, in my own world. I get to the point where I’m not telling the stories anymore, rather the stories are telling me what is and isn’t true. I’m not imagining; I’m listening.

So it’s rather a shock when my beta readers tell me I should take out a scene because it makes them uncomfortable. I don’t blame the readers; I appreciate their input and I understand their discomfort. But I’ve lost two betas at the same spot in the second book in my series, “The Great Dagmaru,” in the last week, and that makes me wonder if they’re not right. My guilty conscience for making people uncomfortable is warring with the writer in me who says the scene in question IS part of the story. It’s what happened. So changing it or removing it comes to the same result: compromising the story’s truth.

I have a feeling that if I leave the scene in, it’s either going to make or break my entire series. The readers who realized it needed to be in there enjoyed it (or tolerated it) because it made them feel uncomfortable – it’s what it’s meant to do. Those who hated it may end up hating me. Should I be hoping at this point that it will push enough buttons, whether positive or negative, to make the book go viral? On the other hand, maybe it’s not all that bad, in the hands of the right audience. Speaking of which, note to all the readers who thought The Magician’s Curse should have been categorized as “Young Adult”: the second book will prove to be distinctly “Adult.”

Stay true to your story and publish without fear, says most of me: Write to please people with a story fit for Hollywood, the part of me that wants to bow to the more sensitive readers says.

Lots to contemplate. Opinions are welcome.

This contemplative and rather undecided post is brought to you by Just Jot it January, and in particular, prompted by the word “contemplation,” provided by Cheryl! Thank you so much, Cheryl! You can find Cheryl’s JusJoJan post by clicking right here. Please go and say hi! To participate in the prompt, please visit this post, where you’ll find the rules and you can leave your link in the comments.

 


by 42 Comments

#JusJoJan Daily Prompt – January 16th, 2018

Hi once again. Time for your Just Jot it January daily prompt. Today is Tuesday, right? So hard to keep track lately! Sometimes I only know what day of the week it is by the garbage truck’s brakes squeaking down the street, but by then it’s too late! Anyway, here’s your prompt:

Your prompt for January 16th, 2018, brought to you by the multi-talented Cheryl, is “Contemplation.” Use it any way you’d like in your post. And make sure you visit Cheryl at her blog, “The Bag Lady” to read her post and say hi! Here’s her link:  https://rugby843.blog/

Here are the general rules to follow for Just Jot it January:

1. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list) counts as a “Jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

2. I’ll post the daily prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5), every day except for Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness (SoCS) prompt–you’ll find that one on Friday morning at 9:30am. That daily post (i.e. this one) will be where you leave your link for others to find in the comment section. There will be a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday.

3. As long as your blog is on WordPress, you’ll be able to link via pingback. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! If you’re participating from another blogging host, just drop a link into the comment section. Note: The newest pingbacks and comments will appear at the top.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

5. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

6. The prompts are here both to remind you and to inspire you to write. However, you don’t have to use the prompt word of the day. You can link any kind of jot back here. Note: If it’s 18+ content, please say so in a comment with your link or close to your pingback.

7. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

8. Have fun!

To find the full list of daily prompts from now until the end of the month, click this link: https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/27/what-is-just-jot-it-january-2018-rules/ and scroll down to the bottom of the post.