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Tag Archives: SoCS


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 15/2020

Hey there! How are you? It’s that time again–time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. We’re into our seasonal deep freeze for this sunny Valentine’s Day. Hope you have a happy one! Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “cheek.” Use it as a noun or a verb. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to 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 Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our beautiful 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

Here are the rules:

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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 19 Comments

#SoCS – Unpacking a Thought

There are many ways to go about unpacking a thought or a problem. Some people find walking or exercising helps to clear the mind and open it up to new ideas. I get so many solutions in the shower for my problems when I come across them in my fiction writing, that by rights, I should be the cleanest person in Canada.

But often, when it comes to other issues I need to solve, writing is the best way to unpack what I’m trying to get at. The root can often be found by just spelling out the problem.

Sometimes a list can help, showing me from one step to the next how I can get from A (the problem) to Z (the most positive outcome).

Other times just this: stream of consciousness. You have to wonder what lives inside of our brains that just needs a little nudge to get out. Even memories of what worked before that we’ve long forgotten. They’re there, just buried by all the stress of what we NEED to remember on a daily basis, rather than the things that seem less important. Until they become important.

I have a feeling I’m going to look at this post later and cringe, so I might not reread it at all.

A glass or two of wine will do that.

Speaking of memories … I have no idea why, but I thought tonight of the first time I ever heard Enya. Her song Exile was in the movie L.A. Story. Such a beautiful song. Have a listen.

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This reflective post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to see how you, too, can join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/02/07/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-8-2020/

 

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

Get your free copy of The Magician’s Sire: A Paranormal Romance → Click here


by 54 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 8/2020

I’m late on this snowy Friday, but I made it here for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Yep, snow day here in windy southern Ontario. How’s your weather? Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “(un)pack.” Use “pack” or its opposite in your post. Have fun!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to 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 Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our beautiful 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

Here are the rules:

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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 14 Comments

#SoCS – Multitasking

I make a lot of difficult decisions in the course of a workday. It’s a hazard of the job of an editor. (Please don’t look at the word choices in this post and judge me for them. This exercise doesn’t allow me to edit!) Commas used to give me a hard time, once upon a time. Now I can look at a sentence and say, usually, in a split second whether or not it needs one and where. Still, it’s a critical decision.

But then there are the days in which I have no choices more pressing upon my brain than how many things I can carry from the fridge to the counter in one trip. I have it down to a science on the way to breakfast.

  1. Grab the margarine and the milk.
  2. Put the margarine on the counter beside my coffee cup, pour the coffee, and put in the milk.
  3. Carry the milk back to the fridge, put it in and take out the marmalade.

Simple. I have three things and only two trips.

BUT …

(There has to be a “but.”)

On the way from breakfast, I have a conundrum.

Here, let me draw you a diagram of my kitchen, so you’ve got a visual.

Okay, there we go. There are maybe (a big maybe) two steps from the fridge to the coffeemaker, and if you’re standing between the counter (yes, it is that colour green EXACTLY) and the table, there’s no step. It’s just basically a swivel and you’re there.

Okay, where was I?

Okay. So. I’ve got my coffee (I just have to walk around the island and grab everything I’ve taken out of the fridge from the other side and put it on the table) and I sit at the table and drink my coffee and eat my breakfast. I have three things on the table–my mug, the margarine, and the marmalade.

When I’ve finished my breakfast, I have to do two things: put the margarine and the marmalade back in the fridge, put the mug on the counter close to the coffeemaker, and get my last cup of coffee for the morning.

But I have 3 (count ’em–THREE) things to carry from the table to the counter (or the fridge), and only two hands!!!!

It’s a conundrum … a multitasking conundrum!!!!!

Do I do the opposite of what I did before breakfast: put everything on the counter and then go around, get the milk out of the fridge and pour my coffee, then put everything back? NO! That means two trips to the fridge!

Or, do I put just the coffee on the counter, go back to the table, carry the margarine and the marmalade directly to the fridge, grab the milk, go back to the counter, pour the coffee, then go back to the fridge to put the milk away? I’m still taking two trips to the fridge!!!

I go through this scenario EVERY SINGLE DAY and it DRIVES ME MAD!!

There’s only one obvious solution.

I need to grow another hand.

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This ranty (how did that happen? SHARE MY PAIN!!!) post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday! Click the following link to find all the other entries in the comment section and join in. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/31/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-1-2020/

 


by 55 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 1/2020

Hi there! I’m back with your regularly scheduled Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Of course, I’m writing this while it’s still January, but the prompt is for Saturday’s post, and Saturday will be the first of freakin’ February! Crazy stuff, man! Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “choices.” Base your post on the subject of making small, uneventful choices. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to 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 Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our beautiful 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

Here are the rules:

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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 44 Comments

The Friday Reminder for #SoCS & #JusJoJan 2020 Daily Prompt – Jan. 25th

Welcome to the Daily 2020 Just Jot it January Prompt and the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt for SATURDAY, JANUARY 25TH! This is the last combination SoCS/JusJoJan prompt for the year. Time flies, eh?

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, 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: “last call.” Talk about the enterprise (sales or service) conducted by the last phone call you received from a business you’re not associated with (i.e. your workplace), or talk about that phone conversation itself. 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

You can also use the Just Jot it January badge! To find the rules for Just Jot it January, click here.

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 22 Comments

#SoCS & #JusJoJan 18/20 – Scrooge

I may have mentioned, maybe even more than once, that I always watch the old version of Scrooge every year at Christmas. The one with Alastair Sim. I try to watch it in black and white if I can find it–I have it on VHS somewhere in case it’s not on TV. This year I totally missed it on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I found it on Youtube though. The entire movie in black and white, so I watched it one night on my laptop, all by myself, between Christmas and New Year. It’s much more fun to watch as a family.

Being interested in words as I am, I decided to look up the word “Scrooge” to see where it came from. Not surprisingly, it became a noun to describe a grumpy, miserly person in 1940, a little less than one-hundred years from the time Dickens published the novel.

I worried that I was a bit of a scrooge this Christmas. I didn’t have a lot of money, but I managed to buy everyone something. What I didn’t do this time around was obsessively make sure everyone had the same number of gifts. I’ve driven myself crazy with this for years. This time, I bought what everyone needed (or wanted if I could afford it) and left it at that. So much less stressful, especially for someone like me who waits for the absolute last moment to shop.

Obviously, I don’t watch a lot of movies. The next last one I watched was the Downton Abbey movie. And when was that? Hang on, I’ll look it up …

October 20th. Thank goodness for this blog. If I didn’t write everything I do on it, I’d never keep track of anything.

I’m so busy!

Just not watching movies.

 

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and

 

Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/17/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2020-daily-prompt-jan-18th/

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

Get your free copy of The Magician’s Sire: A Paranormal Romance → Click here


by 54 Comments

The Friday Reminder for #SoCS & #JusJoJan 2020 Daily Prompt – Jan. 18th

Welcome to the Daily 2020 Just Jot it January Prompt and the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt for SATURDAY, JANUARY 18TH! I’m copying a prompt I used almost exactly four years ago. I don’t reuse prompts very often–I hope you enjoy it!

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, 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: “movie title.” Take the title of the last movie you watched (just the title, not the premise of the movie), and base your post on that title. 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

You can also use the Just Jot it January badge! To find the rules for Just Jot it January, click here.

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 12 Comments

#SoCS & #JusJoJan 11/20 – Books

Looking around for a book to find a quote for this post (it was actually “Looking around for”), the first book I came across was the dictionary. Figuring I didn’t have much of a chance of opening it to a random page and actually finding a sentence, I kept going. The book I finally settled on, which was actually the next one I found, was Transcendent, a book I have a short story in.

To be perfectly honest, I haven’t read all the stories in it yet. But I will! It’ll take a while though. It’s a hefty volume!

There are so many ways to read a book these days. I’m quite taken with audiobooks, now that I’ve finally discovered them. But there’s nothing quite like reading a physical book. I might be more enamored of ebooks if I didn’t spend all day staring at a screen … although I do still read them.

It’s beginning to sound like reading a good old fashioned book will be the only thing to do tomorrow. The wind is gusting and the freezing rain is due to start any time, if it’s not already doing it now. I’m in my PJs–I ain’t going out there to check. Anyway, we might lose our power, so if I don’t show up tomorrow, you’ll know why. I have the entire week’s prompts scheduled already, except for Wednesday and Saturday, so you’ll be good for a few days at least.

Wish us luck, as I wish everyone who lives in this wet, frozen part of the world the same.

 

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and

 

Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/10/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2020-daily-prompt-jan-11th/

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

Get your free copy of The Magician’s Sire: A Paranormal Romance → Click here


by 58 Comments

The Friday Reminder for #SoCS & #JusJoJan 2020 Daily Prompt – Jan. 11th

Welcome to the Daily 2020 Just Jot it January Prompt and the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt for SATURDAY, JANUARY 11TH! 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, 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: “the first 3 words of the first full sentence.” Okay, follow me here. This is what I want you to do: 1. Grab the closest book to you when you sit down to write your post. 2. Open it to a random page. 3. Locate the first complete sentence on that page. 4. Use the first three words of that sentence to start your post, then take it from there–write whatever comes to mind. That’s it! 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

You can also use the Just Jot it January badge! To find the rules for Just Jot it January, click here.

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!