Life in progress


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Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 8th, 2024

Today marks our eighth prompt for Just Jot it January 2024, and it’s brought to us by Sadje. Thank you, Sadje! Please be sure to visit Sadje’s blog to read her posts and say hello. And follow her while you’re there, if you’re not already.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 8th, 2024 is “gratitude.” Use the word “gratitude” any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list and what’s to come, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for Monday, January 8th, 2024.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, 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! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan24 and/or #JusJoJan24.

6. 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!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

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

9. Have fun!


16 Comments

JusJoJan24 the 7th – But what’s your motivation?

Back to our regular prompts, this post is part of Just Jot it January, and our prompt of the day is courtesy of Dan. Check out his blog here!

As a writer of stories, I do my best to make my character’s motivations clear. Like, not only are they doing this or that thing, but it’s obvious why they’re doing it.

And to take a step beyond that, I do my best to make sure they’re not doing something just for the sake of doing it, especially when the action is dangerous or stupid.

Which is why I don’t watch a lot of horror movies.

Why does the girl who’s about to be killed really need to go into the room where the killer is? Curiosity? Don’t be stupid!

I get that it causes tension for the viewer, but ugh!

If it makes me scream at the screen, it’s obvious to me there’s no plausible motivation behind the action.

If the character is walking into a dangerous situation, for instance if there’s a killer at the door and she answers it because she’s sure it’s someone she’s expecting, that’s good motivation.

But “ooh, what’s that weird noise in this dark room when I don’t have a pet and I believe I’m alone in the house?”

RUN! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

Because we all know curiosity kills more than the cat in a horror film.

This frustrated post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Dan for the prompt!


27 Comments

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 7th, 2024

Welcome to the seventh prompt for Just Jot it January 2024! Today’s prompt is brought to us by Dan Antion. Much appreciated, Dan! Please be sure to visit Dan’s blog to read his posts and say hello. And follow him while you’re there if you’re not already.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 7th, 2024 is “curious.” Use the word “curious” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list and what’s to come, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for Sunday, January 7th, 2024.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, 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! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan24 and/or #JusJoJan24.

6. 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!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

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

9. Have fun!


15 Comments

JusJoJan24 & #SoCS the 6th – Harder than it looks

This post is part of Just Jot it January and my weekly prompt, Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt and see how you can join in HERE.

I tell myself to “just do it” all the time. But it really is a struggle.

Just willing myself to start writing this post, I sat back in my chair, picked a few stray dog hairs off my sleeve, looked at my to do list, checked out not one, but two of my calendars, and had a drink of water before I gathered the courage to place my fingers on the keyboard.

And it is courage, it seems, that’s necessary.

Because I want to get it right the first time.

Now, yes, because this is stream of consciousness writing and I can’t go back and change it, but much of the time I’m like this.

I suppose I’m a perfectionist.

Or maybe it’s a case of not wanting to have to fix things once they’re done.

HA! And I call myself an editor.

But that’s different. When I edit someone else’s work, I’m actually looking at it for the first time…

Anyway, that was a tangent.

Just do it.

It’s more than three words. (Editor Linda is saying no, it’s literally three words.)

It’s a concept.

And it’s far bigger than meets the eye.

I’m starting to think that in many cases, there’s no “just” about it.

Do it.

Yeah, that’s better.

This windingly sub-conscious post is part of Just Jot it January and SoCS! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

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

 


12 Comments

JusJoJan24 the 5th – The Penultimate Bite

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and our prompt of the day is courtesy of Judy. Check out her blog here!

It’s a chicken and an egg situation—which came first?

I’ve always left the best for last, especially with food. It’s just the way I am.

So I’ve always thought about that last bite as the ultimate. The best.

The dictionary definition of “ultimate” says nothing about it being the best. Just the last.

For me, it’s simply associative.

But …

Did I start by associating the ultimate for the best?

Or did I start by associating the best for the ultimate?

I think it’s the latter.

Either way, the second last bite is always the penultimate bite.

This not-so-ultimate post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Judy for the prompt!


55 Comments

The Friday Reminder for #SoCS & #JusJoJan 2024 Daily Prompt – Jan. 6th

Welcome to our first combination Daily 2024 Just Jot it January Prompt and the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt for SATURDAY, JANUARY 6th! It’s been such a fun week of blogging so far. Here’s to keeping it up!

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 or single word. 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 the 6th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “just do it.” Use the phrase “just do it” somewhere in your post, or write a post in the spirit of the phrase. Enjoy!

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!


22 Comments

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 5th, 2024

Hey there! Today is the day for our fifth prompt for Just Jot it January 2024, and it’s brought to us by Judy. Thanks so much, Judy! Please be sure to visit Judy’s blog to read her posts and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 5th, 2024 is “penultimate.” Use the word “penultimate” any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list and what’s to come, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for Friday, January 5th, 2024.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, 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! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan24 and/or #JusJoJan24.

6. 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!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

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

9. Have fun!


11 Comments

JusJoJan24 the 4th – Captivating

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and our prompt of the day is courtesy of Wendy. Check out her blog here!

I’ve always been captivated by sparkly things.

I think it started at Christmas time.

Photo: A sparkly red ball hanging from my Christmas tree along with a few other non-sparkly balls and a plush bear with wings, holding a star.

If I had my way, all my ornaments would be sparkly and they’d turn all by themselves so they sparkle more. Or maybe that would be overkill. Less is more, after all. Besides, I might be so captivated I wouldn’t be able to do anything else the whole time the tree is up.

This sparkly post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Wendy for the prompt!


34 Comments

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 4th, 2024

It’s January 4th and today is our fourth prompt for Just Jot it January 2024. Today’s prompt is brought to us by Wendy. Thank you, Wendy! Please be sure to visit Wendy’s blog to read her posts and say hello. And follow her while you’re there, if you’re not already.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 4th, 2024 is “captivating.” Use the word “captivating” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list and what’s to come, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for Thursday, January 4th, 2024.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, 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! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan24 and/or #JusJoJan24.

6. 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!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

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

9. Have fun!


42 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday & #JusJoJan24 the 3rd – ?

Do you ever take a picture with your phone and wonder where or how you took it? Mine are usually blurry pics of my feet or just black pocket photos. But this one … No, I don’t have any clothing this colour, but it is lovely.

Photo: Red. That’s it. Just red.


If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the “One-Liner Wednesday” title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure.

Here are the simple JusJoJan Rules:

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 prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). The prompt will be the word in quotation marks in the title of my 2am post. You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

2 a) The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:

1. Make it one sentence.

2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.

3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.

4. Add our lovely badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

3. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, 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! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan24 and/or #JusJoJan24.

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. If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

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

8. Have fun!