A review

She held the pages in her hand and thought hard. She was caught in a conundrum when her friend had asked her to review the book she was writing. She did tell her that she would not be able to be totally objective since they were such good friends. And now her worst suspicions were confirmed. The story was good but the writing was not up to the standard. If she were to be cruel to be kind, she would point out all the reasons that this should be rewritten all over again. The inner voice in her head was shouting at her to be brave and tell her friend that. But she knew her friend well enough to know the plaintive words which would follow. She would be hurt and would complain that the book was being judged too harshly. What to do now? She asked herself repeatedly. And didn’t know the answer. I guess I will have to be straight with her, she thought. Wasn’t it her friend’s dearest ambition to become a writer?

In response to the following prompts;

Your daily word Prompt;

Review

FOWC;

Conundrum

RDP;

Plaintive

Word of the day Challenge;

Cruel

#keepitalive

#fowc

#rdp

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Question Fun- Staycation, Vacation or Excavation?

Question Fun Emoji

Question Fun

Season 3 – Game 16

Question Fun Directory

Welcome to Question Fun!

An easy game, and more so if you love questions! 

If you wish to award a ping back in your response, then link to …

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HERE

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The Topic Today Is – Staycation, Vacation or Excavation?

What was the last holiday you took away from where you live?
The one I am currently enjoying here in Seattle.

Where did you go?

Seattle, Washington.

For you when is the best time to take a vacation [Holiday] as in which season, and why?
Any time is good when you have time.

Provide five links or titles [your choice] of the best comedy holiday films you have seen to date?
Don’t remember a single one. I am not good at remembering movies or songs or names!

Will post if I remember any.

Did you overspend or underspend to your allocated budget for the vacation that you took?
Typically overspend. This time I have tried to be sensible and did less ” overspending “

Have you ever fallen unwell, experience jelly belly or worse on a holiday and what happened?
I think that I do usually have at least one episode of falling under the weather on my holiday trip.

Are you a mankini/bikini/teenykini or nokini holidayer/vacationer?
Neither

Last time you went potholing/skydiving/parachuting/dolphin or shark swimming and if none of those, when was the last time you swam in the deep blue?
How about…….. Never ever.

How long do you normally vacation away?
Depends upon the free time I have. This time around it’s more than three months. Free spirits, you know!

Please provide three musical tracks/song titles that make you feel in the vacation spirit?
Hurray hurray it’s a holi holi day. I just remember this from my school days. Baaaaaad memory!

Please display five images of the top archaelogical ruins Landmarks you would love to visit or have visited and please define which they are [as in visited/love to visit].

Dolmabahće palace, Istanbul, Turkey

(Been there)

Eiffel Tower Paris

( Wanna visit)

Statue of Liberty,New York

( been there)

Some place in Switzerland

( Wanna visit)

Alnwick Castle, England ( Hogwarts Castle In Harry Potter movie)

( Wanna visit)

They are not ruins, but archeological landmarks.

If you are a staycationer, what do you tend to do when at home on your holiday/vacation break that is different to the normal routine?
If I am happy, I will be happily staying at home relaxing. I am adaptable, you see. The holiday spirit is evident with sleeping in late, eating too much and visiting friends.

Last time you were seriousy sunburnt was?
Never. I avoid the sun.

Do you speak any languages if so which and how fluent are you?I try to learn a few words of the language of the country I am visiting. But not a multilingual person.

When on holiday or vacation are you the same as when at home behaviour wise or are you a complete party animal?
EXACTLY the same! I swear.

Have you when away ever upset the locals to the point that the law had to be brought in?
As it is a very leading question, I am sure that you have. But the innocent me….. Never.

Provide three images to the worst souvineers you have ever purchased thinking they were fanbloodytastic when you bought them?
Don’t have any images. But I do buy souvenirs every time I go to a different place. Fridge magnets. But they all are back home and I am on vacation 🎼🎶🎵

What is your preference, solo/group/duo or family holiday/vacation time away?
I prefer to go with family or friends. Much more fun that way.

Please name five places you have never seen that you would love to visit?

Switzerland, England, Scotland, Paris and Mount Everest.

Why do you want to go there?
Just enjoy the place. I don’t have to DO anything.

Come on fess up, l’ll not tell a soul, but have you ever seriously embarassed yourself or been embarassed by another when on holiday/vacation so badly that you wanted to excavate yourself right there and then? 

You know I am not that kinda person. Though there was this instance when a friend of mine….

Please explain …. in full detail …. if images ha ha help then go right ahead!

Well it’s better to keep mum!

Question Fun Emoji

Answer provided on a postcard will always be welcomed with cheer!!!

Left all my postcards at home.

Please take note and do remember THIS post will be reblogged twice daily till the new game so if you respond, either provide a ping back direct to my blog or to the link provided above. Otherwise you’ll probably get a “Oops page can’t be found” message.

Many thanks to Rory for these fun questions.

#keepitalive

#questionfun

Another Sunny day! And another Sunshine Blogger Award # 14

Tanya of Salted Caramel

has nominated for my 14th Sunshine Blogger Award.

Tanya has a wonderful blog. A diverse blog with many informative topics. Please go check it out. Thank you so much Tanya for bestowing this honor on my blog.

What is the Sunshine Blogger Award? 

“The Blogosphere community holds several awards that bloggers use to nominate a blog in appreciation for its creative, inspiring, or motivational content.”

“The award also helps other bloggers receive recognition and free exposure for their blogs.”

Award’s Rules 

There are some basic rules to follow if you decide to participate:

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their blog so everyone can visit.
  • Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
  • Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
  • Notify the nominees by commenting on their blog post.
  • List the rules and display the Award logo on your blog post.

Tanya’s Questions for the Nominees of this Award

1. How old is your blog now?

My blog is going to be one year old in a few weeks. It is because of Tanya that I started blogging in the first instance. So the credit for my blog goes to her.

2. What do you enjoy most about blogging?

Being the sort of person who can talk about my pet topics for hours on end, blogging has given me the perfect opportunity to say whatever I want to say. Surprisingly I didn’t felt shy, even when I wrote my first ever poem and posted it on my blog. Or my very first story. I never felt that I would be ridiculed or people won’t like my writing. I guess that is the most liberating experience.

3. How important do you think Social Media is for the success of a blog?

People ( experts) say that you should advertise your blog on social media sites like Twitter or Facebook. But I don’t think that it is all that important for the popularity of your blog. The content and regularity is more important.

4. How would you define a sucessful blog? In other words, what do think a successfu blog looks like?

For me the most successful blog is the one the blogger enjoys writing and their follower enjoys reading. That is the basic aim of blogging and if you want to measure the success in terms of followers or money made, then there will always be blogs who have many more followers or are making more money.

5. Describe your feelings when you received your first blogging award nomination.

Incredible! I couldn’t believe that someone thought me or my blog, deserving of an award.

6. Have you ever thought about monetizing your blog ?

I have Word-ads on my blog but am thinking of discontinuing them. They just take up space on my site and the money earned is just not worth it.

7. If so, what do you think is the best method of monetizing?

I think the best way to make money is through affiliated links. But I have no idea how it is done.

8. What kind of post fo you find easiest or most enjoyable to write?

Sometimes I enjoy combining a few prompts into a post, at others I like writing about the blogging process itself. It depends upon how I am feeling that day!

9. What is your opinion about writing prompts?

I like the prompts. I admire people who give us the Prompt words day after day. It take s lot of work and thought for doing it.

10. Funny/Weird Question: if you were a superhero, what superpower would you like to have and what would you do with it?

I would like to be Superman and Superwoman rolled into one. Or rather I think Captain Marvel will do. She is supposedly the most powerful hero out there.

11. What is your favourite way to unwind after a hectic day ?

Blogging, or reading. Or maybe relax in front of tv with my feet up. Depends on the sort of the day I’ve had.

Thanks a lot Tanya for this honor, once again.

I am asking anyone who is interested in answering the questions posed by Tanya to give it a shot.

Sorry for not posting new questions of my own but the ones Tanya has asked are very interesting and relevant.

No nomination this time around. The field is open, so anyone reading this, consider yourself nominated.

Thanks for reading!

#keepitalive

#sunshinebloggeraward

#awardsandnominations

First Line Friday: August 16th, 2019

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It is First Line Friday! Welcome and let’s get writing.

Below, I give you the first line, and you all get to write the rest. This prompt alternates with Jim’s Music Prompts, so make sure to check back next Friday for some musical inspiration.

I’ll provide the first line, you get to write whatever comes afterward. Length, genre, and structure are completely up to you. Feel free to modify the line as you see fit, adding punctuation, quotes, or other bits if so desired. No need to tie it to the picture, unless you want to.

Or for more of a challenge, change nothing. You have a week to write it, enjoy!

Include the first line of course! Tag it Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, First Line Fridays, and short fiction. Create a link (ping-back) to this post and add your link to Mister Linky below.

Your line for this week is:

The capitol grew rank in the summer heat, the humid streets clogged with sweating tourists and rats.

~*~

The capitol grew rank in the summer heat, the humid streets clogged with sweating tourists and rats. Even now the idea that these unnatural high temperatures were the direct result of climate change was not being taken seriously by the people in charge. Zach had written as much as his editor had allowed him, in the paper. And there were a lot of people who agreed with what he was writing. But not those who had the power to change, the power to make things better. Now he could see no other option but to take his family away from this place, where the disaster was just waiting to happen. He bought tickets for his family for Switzerland, where he hoped they could avoid the heat for a few years more. It was a wretch to leave his home behind but survival was more important.

In response to;

First Line Fridays August 16 -2019

#Keepitalive

#mlmm

#firstlinefridays

Weekend Writing Prompt #119- Tinker

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. 

Word Prompt

Tinker

Challenge

Never at ease, letting things be

I have to tinker with something that I feel

Is broken or not working properly

I should learn to leave well alone

After so many disasters that have happened

It should be quite clear that I am not

The wizard that I think myself who can breathe

New life into all things broken or discarded

Since there have been many incidents

I think that I need to accept my weakness

Word count: 75+1 ( Prompt word)

The Prompt;

The challenge is simple: each week you will be given an exact number of words you can use to write a poem or piece of prose. 

In response to;

Weekend Writing Prompt #119- Tinker

#keepitalive

#weekendwritingprompt

Humor? I don’t think so!

When you can only rely on cynicism for humor

Then be aware that the enjoyment will come

Only from the perceived, not the actual

People are not fools and don’t like to be made one

Instead of enriching your personality it’ll take away

Because there is a cruelty behind the remarks

That you utter in the name of “just joking”

Eventually, flirting with this type of “humor”

Will make you a laughing stock for others

In response to the following prompts;

Your daily word Prompt;

Enrich

FOWC;

Cynicism

RDP;

Eventually

Word of the day Challenge;

Flirt

#keepitalive

#fowc

#rdp

Stream of Consciousness Saturday August 17-2019

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “co-” Find a word that uses “co” as a prefix and use it in your post. Have fun!

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

SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/

~*~

Co-existing in a peaceful environment with everyone is a dream that seems to be withering away in today’s atmosphere of competition and intolerance. Why are so myopic that we cannot see that this attitude will lead to destruction of the civilized society and result in a war like situation for our children and their children. Spreading hatred and spite, maligning someone else to look better can only be a short term achievement. It’s effects in the long run are extremely dangerous and harmful. Wake up from this coma and look where this is taking us. The apathy is as bad as actively generating anarchy as both will land us all in a place which we would wish never to be.

In response to;

Stream of Consciousness Saturday August 17-2019

A Prompt by Linda G Hill

#keepitalive

#socs

50 Words Thursday #33

The Rules:

  • Find the muse within the photo or line provided and follow where it leads. It can be a story, anecdote, poem. Anything!
  • The Story must be between 50 and 250 words, in 50 word increments. (so 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 words)
  • Link back to this post with the tag 50WordThurs so that everyone can find it, or post your response in the comments below.

I thought we would have something a bit obscure for this week, so have fun, I’m looking forward to the results.

Here’s the picture:

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And the words:

“David knocked on the door that the wizard had returned to its original dilapidated but one piece style,” – Shadow Pack – Marc Daniel

~* ~

David knocked on the door that the wizard had returned to its original dilapidated but one piece style and waited for a response. In a few seconds, it was opened and the wizard’s apprentice peeked out. “What do you want now?”

Jack brought forward his hand, clutching the magic beans. “I want to show him these” ” You mean the wizard?” The boy gave him a pitiful glance. “If you can’t say who he is, how will you have a conversation with him?” Jack straighten his shoulders and said in a more confident tone ” Can I talk to the wizard about these magic beans ?”

The boy stepped aside letting Jack enter. The inside was at a stark contrast to the outside and the door. The place was packed with boiling cauldrons and herbs and other magical ingredients. The wizard was brewing some evil smelling potion. Jack hesitantly asked him to change the magic beans for something more powerful because he had to defeat a giant. The wizard laughed at his request and told him that these were going to give him the best help in his fight against the giant.

” You just have to believe in the magic” he told him.

Word count: 200

In response to;

50 Words Thursday #33

A Prompt by; Debbie Whitman

#keepitalive

#50wordthurs

Reena Saxena Reena’s Exploration Challenge # 100

1,2,3…… and here we reach 100..

PROMPT

The limitation this week is 100 words, though there is no restriction on the format. It can be prose, poetry, essay, reflections, reminiscences, anecdotes or anything you deem worth sharing.

What does this image invoke in you?

The picture shows the number One, followed by the Infinity Symbol.

Let the creativity flow. I await with baited breath.

~*~

It may take an infinity…..

That’s a long long time to wait.

Yet I am ready as long as I am sure that I will get there at the end.

It is the result that matters at the end even if the struggle takes out more out of you then you were prepare to give in the beginning.

It tests the faith with which you start and the determination which takes you forward on this journey.

Unless you are sure of yourself, don’t take that first step.

And when you are perfectly certain then don’t stop till you get there.

~*~

Word count: 100

In response to:

Reena’s Exploration Challenge # 100

#keepitalive

#reenasexploration

Antagonizing Words

I am very disappointed, she says

At this un-civilized tone of your speech

Acerbic and argumentative words never help

When you are trying to win someone over

Why not use authentic logic to put your point across

Instead of drowning in the quagmire of endless clichés

In response to the following prompts;

Your daily word Prompt;

Civilize

FOWC;

Authentic

RDP;

Acerbic

Word of the day Challenge;

Endless

#keepitalive

#fowc

#rdp