[Writing Post] The Year of Unexpected Interruptions
The last Wednesday of 2017. Here we go, wrapping up the Year of Unexpected Interruptions. Out with the old and all. Just a reminder that I’m still taking submissions for the Cancer Can Suck It anthology. Deadline is this weekend. Please consider submitting.
I am on vacation this week, but puttering about the house – Staycation is a silly, made up concept, but it’s pretty nice in practice when your year has been hectic. I FINALLY got the giant pile of clutter 90% cleared off my desk – granted, it’s the desk I rarely use anymore, but it needed to be done. And now it is, or mostly is, done. Yay. Check mark on the list of Things to Do.
It’s one of those annoying projects that seemed seriously daunting, but once I started in only took an hour. Which makes me feel stupid because that project has been hanging out there. Taunting me. Grr. But yay. Accomplishment. I’ve also read some – finished one book and hopefully will get through at least one more this week. Working on some paperwork and other projects this week. Built a small LEGO project. Will get some pens set up for reviews.
I will continue the Write the Story notebook. That was a good thing I did this year – and since I didn’t get nearly as much done I would’ve liked, I will move forward with it (and there’s a second notebook that Piccadilly sent me) into this next year. I will be working on finishing stuff this year and hopefully avoiding some of the Unexpected Interruptions.
It’s a good plan for 2018. Let’s see how far I get with THAT one. 😎
[Pen/Pencil Review] Christmas Blog
Yesterday was Monday but it was also Christmas and I didn’t (obviously) do a blog. I did get a number of pens and pencils for the holiday that I’ll be discussing in the future.
The plans are also for (finally) getting some organization done on (oh so many) things that was started in 2017 but never finished. 2018…the intention, the goal is to FINISH STUFF. To get everything back on track and not find myself in this position of struggling to catch back up.
My dad pegged it – and I’ll probably talk about this more tomorrow for Wednesday’s Blog, but 2017 ended up being the Year of Unexpected Interruptions. The plan for now is to (hopefully) create a way for that to not be as disruptive this year. There will always be interruptions, but fingers crossed that I can do my best to not let them pile up and derail me again.
So now… onward to vacation. I’ve done what has to be done so I can enjoy my time off. There are grand plans for not a whole lot for the next SEVERAL days. (Yay!) Seriously, I don’t know what this is like much. The only other times I’ve been like this, it’s been when I was extremely underemployed and felt like there were things I HAD TO DO (look for more lucrative employment). This is a real vacation.
We’ll pick up the pen blog next Monday (yes, New Years Day). New Year, New Pens, New ‘Tude.
Let’s do it.
[Write the Story] Running Away from Change
Prompt: Running Away From Change
Words: flight, blacktop, tense, contemplation, window, enclosure, spit, blink, trade, fence
Story
I peered out the window, lost in my own contemplation of the future. I stared at the blacktop beyond the fence enclosure, to the fields beyond trying to still the racing thoughts in my head. It didn’t work.
“Last call for Flight 301 to Ontario. Last call for Flight 301.â€
I still didn’t move. I couldn’t even feel myself blink. I was so close I could almost spit on it, but something held me back.
“Miss? The doors are closing. Are you getting on the plane?â€
I squared my shoulders once hunched and tense and turned to the desk clerk. “Um, no. No, I’m not. In fact, I need to trade out my ticket.â€
“Well, you know…â€
“All kinds of fees, I know.†I smiled even though I didn’t quite feel like it. “Sometimes…sometimes it not.â€
The clerk gave me the oddest look, and I couldn’t blame her. That statement only made sense in my mind. There was change and then there was CHANGE. I could handle one, but the other? Well time would tell if staying put in Canada as better than whatever was in Hollywood.
Word Count: 187
Written: 10/10/17
[Writer Post] Countdown to … All Kinds of Stuff
There are so many countdowns right now. Countdown to 2018. Countdown to Christmas. And most important (to me) Countdown to Vacation! In just TWO DAYS, I’m off work until January 2nd. It’s the first time in a very, very long time that I have time off that isn’t just a day or two for a convention or a long weekend. It’s pretty much going to be a “staycation” but still…it’s the real deal.
It’s going to be good to take a breath because 2018 (hopefully in much different ways) is going to be busy. The day job busy is going to be quite creative (which can be really fun, I hope). There’s a lot to do and ways to track it. I’m hoping that will also translate to everything else.
There’s going to be some focus on Work/Life Balance and a bit of self-care to make sure the important stuff doesn’t get lost along the way.
I’ve said all year that I have a lot of plans. I do love a good plan. However, there’s not been nearly as much implementation as there should of been.
That’s the goal for 2018. Implementation. Time to get stuff done rather than just make plans. I have a really good calendar and a lot of good intentions – not to mention a crap ton of pens that need using. Time to get to it.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Nightmare Before Christmas Rerun–Because
I’m doing another rerun post deliberately and not because I just didn’t get something done (that, too), but this is the only “Christmas” themed pen set that HASN’T been repeated since I first wrote about it. And even though it’s a repeat, I’m doing my best to get back on track. Holidays are busy and stressful, and this is fun and frivolous. There’s a bunch of plans for next year – including organization and streamlining (you can stop laughing now). So I should find all kinds of things to catch up on. But until then…
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** NOTE ** I made a mistake – Sarah didn’t give me the below pens, Rie Sheridan Rose did. Not to belittle Sarah or FenKids – but credit where credit is due. Rie is an awesome writer. Go check her out.
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For the next couple of Mondays I’m going to do Halloween (ish) novelty pens, because, well, I can. And novelties are fun. Today’s novelties were a gift from the awesome Sarah Brigdon who works with FenCon’s FenKids program – this is a whole programming track for children to help them grow into our next generation of Fans. God Bless her and her crew.
![IMG_2212[1]](https://www.rhondaeudaly.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_22121-e1382363366648-244x300.jpg)
This is a duo of ball point pens are plastic and decorated with the primary characters. One is Jack Skellington only. The other has Jack and Sally in a heart – both with black backgrounds. The ball point writes on a finer point – I’m thinking about 0.7mm – in black ink with a brass point. The action is smooth and the ink fairly dark for a novelty – which is a nice surprise. They run about 5.25″ capped and 6″ with the cap posted. The cap doesn’t post securely, so be careful of accidental flinging (something I’m prone to). The clip is plastic as well. Seems sturdy at first, but I have a feeling if you’re a fidgeter with it, it’s going to fail.
![IMG_2213[1]](https://www.rhondaeudaly.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_22131-300x225.jpg)
The pens were packaged in a coffin shaped box which was fun, but difficult to remove the pens without destroying – the box also bangs up quickly in transit. The box notes that this year is the 20th anniversary for the movie, so get ’em while you can. These pens are distributed by Walgreens (according to the box) so they’re not going to be expensive, but they are licensed Disney, so they might not be as inexpensive as you might like. Out of respect for the gift, I’m not going to go look. But for something fun (and useful) for the Halloween – or Tim Burton – lover in any family.
![IMG_2210[1]](https://www.rhondaeudaly.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_22101-e1382363422838-190x300.jpg)
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s a decent ballpoint pen for an inexpensive novelty pen. The action seems smooth. The ink is decent, and the point is a nice diameter.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s inexpensive plastic. It’s wider than your average ball point and has a ridge that can dig in. The cap seems loose when posted which could lead to loss.
3. Material – 1 – It’s an inexpensive novelty pen. It’s plastic. It is what it is.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s an inexpensive novelty two-pack, what else can I say.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s a Walgreens/Disney collaboration. I have a feeling these are in the $3-$5 range (see the note about them being a gift). Which might price them out of silly impulse buys, but aren’t awful.
4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Babysitter Snoops and Finds Something Unexpected
Prompt: On Main Street in a Small Town
Words: square, separate, type, truculent, preach, wilderness, pang, façade, pawn, pavement
Story
Pay no attention to the “city limit” sign on the edge of town. The welcome to Grover Corner is a façade at best. But don’t take my word for it. Make your own judgements, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The city square is a truculent hold out to Old World architecture. Spires and stained glass juxtaposed with weeds and wild crepe myrtles along the foundation. But standing tall at the other end of the cracked pavement stands the Church of Grover Corner. No denomination. No type. Just a church with a rotating cycle of tired old men scheduled to preach to the handful of people who show up each week.
It’s with a slight pang of regret that I watch our dwindling population go about their separate lives in some deluded hope of a future. One that will never be. For we are all just pawns in a grander scheme of the universe, and none of us any the wiser to the Big Picture.
So, we battle back against the wilderness that ever encroaches on our dying but never quite dead town. Waiting for the sliver of hope that may one day release us from this place, but until they are done with us all we can do is endure. They won’t allow us anything else. They need us for as long as they can keep us alive. Some days that’s easier than others. Let’s hope today is not that day.
Word Count: 243
Written: 10/3/17
[Writer Post] Okay Then…Let’s Do It
I will get a blog post in before it’s not Wednesday anymore.
I will get the article that I should have written MONTHS and MONTHS ago written, becuase I shouldn’t have had someone ask me for it (FINALLY). So that’s happening this week. Darn it.
Still waiting for anthology submissions – might have to extend the deadline on that one. We’ll see. We could get an avalanche of subs between Christmas and New Year.
Really am trying to figure everything out – get everything done – and to be back on track. It’s been way too long and way to “excuse-y”. Time to change the language. Change the mindset.
The one thing I can’t quite change is the fact that pollen and allergens have been off the charts these last couple of months – so there’s been some medication muddling. But I’ve written some amazing stuff while on allergy meds in the past (some good, some amazingly BAD) but that’s something I need to remember.
Even muddled, I can produce. What I produce doesn’t have to be GOOD. What’s not GOOD can either be “fixed in post” or trashed as long as I DO STUFF. And this “excuse-y” mindset of “Oh, vacation is in just a week or so. I’ll get back on track THEN.” Noooooooo. Bad Procrastination! No biscuit. Not going to let that happen any more. Vacation is just a little over a week away, but I have plenty to do before then. So let’s get to it.
First things first. Article deadline.
[Pen/Pencil Blog] Ghosts of Pen Blogs Past
Yes, it’s another re-run post. Yes, it’s a day late I will get better at managing my time on Mondays. Promise. Yesterday got away from me. MONDAYS, whatcha gonna do? Grr. Truly hoping for this year to end strong and allow for a more…productive 2018.
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Okay, so I know Office Max and Office Depot are technically the same thing, but I still think of them separately. Though, it’s getting harder. There’s one line that still exists in the Office Max Universe – the TUL pen line. Which makes me happy this holiday season, because I like their 0.5mm retractable pens. And for the next month, I’ll be exclusively working in RED and GREEN… because fa lalalalala.
The TUL retractable pens are about 5.75″ long with the tip retracted and extended. The barrels are plastic with color coordinated dimpled rubber grips. The clips are metal and sturdy with color coordinating accents. The plunger is clear plastic with color coordinating plugs in side. There’s not a ton of squish in the grip, but they’re pretty comfortable.
The ink is decent. I’ve actually had these for a while, and they still work well, even on the rough handmade paper. The color is rich and smooth, especially for a 0.5mm. I’ve enjoyed working with these pens off and on for a while now. I’m kind of surprised I haven’t reviewed them before. But I looked, and lo, behold!
I’m more impressed with the green. Green is hard to get a good dark line in finer points, but these TULs do a good job. I think you may still be able to get smaller packages than a dozen in the multiple colors, but even if you can’t the 12 pack in multiple colors are still pretty affordable.
These are good utility pens. Solid mechanisms with good ink for a decent price. You can go pretty far with these pens. I’m sticking them in my bag for work pens this month. Along with some Pentel EnerGel Xs and probably others. 😎
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – These are solid pens. The ink doesn’t skip in the fine point. The ink is dark and rich. It has a good feel.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s a utilitarian pen. Has a nod to ergonomics with the dimpled, rubber grip. It has a good length with decent balance.
3. Material – 1 It’s a solid plastic and metal retractable pen. It’s good for what it is.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s solid. It’s utilitarian. It works.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These run between $1.50 – $2.00 a piece, which make them affordable, but I’m not sure how easy they are going to be to get any more other than online. Since TUL was an Office Max “house brand” I don’t know that Office Depot kept them on. Get them while you can, if you can. Or order them online.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] Behind the Scenes of the Theater
Prompt: Behind the Scenes at the Theater
Words: loneliness, applaud, beg, jogging, memorize, admit, solitude, converse, eternity, marsh
Story
Todd tried to block out the noise and controlled chaos in the wings of the community theater. He was willing to beg for just one moment of solitude before the curtain, but it was way too late for that now.
“Two minutes to curtain! Places!â€
The cry from the stage manager seemed like both an instant and an eternity. This was his chance to go from understudy and stage piece to star, and he was strong enough to admit he was terrified. There had been a measure of comfort in the loneliness of the supernumeraries.
“Hey, understudy, don’t screw it up.†A muscle-bound actor shoulder bumped him.
“Stop it, Colton. Can’t you see he’s already freaked? Todd, you’ll do fine. Ignore him. He’s a jerk.â€
Todd smiled tightly at his leading lady, Gina Marsh, coming to his defense on her way to her mark. All he had to do, besides stop staring at his Converse Chuck Taylors, was remember all the lines he’d painstakingly tried to memorize without having to rely on his tricky for jogging his memory.
The next two hours went by in a hazy blur. He never could remember what happened. Colton shoulder bumped him again. “I applaud you, man. You stepped up. Now do it again in two hours. That was the dress rehearsal.â€
Word Count: 218
Written: 10/2/17
[Writer Post] Cancer Can Suck It
I just found out an author near and dear to me is going into hospice because of cancer after losing his lovely wife to a different varietal of this stupid disease. So this post is about the anthology project I’m editing. I have three stories so far for the anthology – one is a very short story I wrote for another cancer survivor friend. The other two are from amazing horror writers (one a multiple award winner/best seller) both came with the subject line “Cancer Can Suck It”. I’m tempted to use that for the title of the anthology. Because this disease can do just that.
To that end… if you want to submit… The only thing I ask is that if you share these, share them personally and not on the wide, wide, web. I’d rather not see these on an open board like Open Call.
Cancer Can Suck It Guidelines:
What we’re looking for – short stories, essays, and/or artwork. We mostly come from a shared Science Fiction/Pop Culture background – but your story or art can be in any genre – just please no fan fiction or fan art. Original work only.
REPRINTS will be accepted – just let us know where it originally ran.
This will be a non-exclusive First Serial Rights.
DEADLINE: December 31, 2017
Stories:
• Word length – 5,000 words MAXIMUM
• Minimum 12 point font in a standard font like Times New Roman, Courier New, or Arial
• 1 – 1.5″ margins all around, DOUBLE SPACED
• Any genre is fine – but keep it PG/PG-13 if at all possible – no explicit sex or violence, please. It can be sad, silly, light or dark – or any combination.
• Email submissions in .DOC, .DOCX, or .RTF format to rhonda@rhondaeudaly.com
Art Work:
• Work that evokes an emotion
• Work that captures a moment in time
• Character and mood
• Unusual approaches to figure, line, and color
• Imagination
• Cartoons/anime
• Line art/black and white
No, thank you:
• Gratuitous sexualization
• Common SF tropes like shiny distant cities with huge planets behind them
• Stereotyping, fetishization, or objectification of people
• Email submissions attached as .png or .jpg, not more than 1000×1000 pixels to rhonda@rhondaeudaly.com
Any questions, contact Rhonda Eudaly at rhonda@rhondaeudaly.com.