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Creative Writing

Writing Practice: A Young Prodigy publishes a novel

I am trying something different this morning, thanks to The Write Practice Blog.  Today’s prompt is “A young prodigy has just published his first novel. Write a scene describing how he is handling his new fame and fortune.” So here it goes:

He couldn’t believe it was over. Everything he worked for had now come to this. A fifteen, Ryan had just accomplished the one goal he had since he was old enough to pick up a pen.

“It’s real.” he whispered. “It’s real. Now what?” Ryan checked his stats on Amazon for the fifth time that day. Now he was up to number 3,257,427. Wow! it went up another notch! Now he was in the top 3.5 million!

He searched the room for his cell phone. No new messages. He checked the bars on the phone. At least it looked like there was a good signal. He wondered where were the groupies.

“Well, the only thing to do is to take matters into my own hands,” he said. He Googled the number for the nearest elementary school and called them.

“Hi, I’m Ryan and I am a famous, local teen who has just written a novel about a… okay. I’ll hold.” He waited for ten minutes. The administrative professional came back on the phone.

“Hi, I’m Ryan and I am a famous… okay. Who is the school librarian? Can I talk to her?” He was put on hold again.

“This is crazy,” he said to himself. “How can anybody become famous when they can’t even get a direct line to the school librarian?”

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Parenting Cartoons

Be careful! It’s contagious

Cartoon of a mom and a sick child in a doctor's office. The doctor, child and mother all have spots on their skin. The doctor says, "Well whateve he has, it's contagious."
Cartoon of a mom and a sick child in a doctor’s office. The doctor, child and mother all have spots on their skin. The doctor says, “Well whateve he has, it’s contagious.”

So many things are contagious. Whether it’s a viral video, our beliefs or attitudes, when something takes off, it can everything around you.

Kids are the most susceptible to catching whatever is contagious. I never knew how many times I could get sick in one winter until my kids began attending school and brought every virus known to man home to share with the rest of the family.

What beliefs, attitudes or actions do you share with your kids that they are picking up? You’d be surprised how much your kids act like you when they are away from you. What we say and do makes a difference. Be sure the messages and actions you communicate to your kids are ones you want them to catch and spread to others.

Be careful! It’s contagious!

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relationship cartoons

Why you can expect change in a marriage.

Cartoon of a bearded lady and a man

Cartoon of a bearded lady and a man. The man says, “Face it, Helen! You’re not the same gal I married.”

Change is going to happen, whether you want it or not. That’s just the nature of things. Some of us will gain hair where we don’t want it and others will long for the days when we had hair.

If you celebrated any wedding anniversary, then you simply aren’t the married to the same person you once were. We all change.

That’s a good thing. Celebrate the fact even our relationships change. Nothing stays the same. If an organism is alive, it is either growing or dying.

Take the time to make sure your relationship is growing even as the both of you are growing. Invest in your marriage like you would tend a garden.

Your partner probably isn’t the same person you married. And come to think about it, she may be very glad you aren’t the same person she married!

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growth

Resolving to Avoid?

Cartoon of a sheep and a wolf

Cartoon of a lamb and wolf. The sheep says, “€œThis year, I resolve to stay away from unnecessary risks.”

One thing I have discovered over the years is that if I make a resolution to avoid something, that temptation doesn’t necessarily go away. Resolutions just don’t work if I phrase them as a negative. I can give up soda pop as a resolution. But if I don’t replace it with something, such as water, I usually fail.

So instead of thinking about what you’re going to give up this year, think about what good habit you can replace it with.

This month, my goal is to write five hundred words a day. Hidden within that goal is to regulate how much time I spend online. If I’m going to write those words, something will have to give. So while I may not be surfing as much, this will give me a better opportunity to write my blog. I also plan to explore writing my next book.

So what is your resolution for the new year? Feel free to leave a comment and let us know.

 

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Safety Cartoons webcomic

Taking Playground Safety Seriously

Cartoon of a business man jumping off a swing

Cartoon of a business man jumping off a swing

Cartoon of a business man jumping off a swing. The caption says, “Playground tester, Cyrus Kolter demonstrates his graceful form as he jumps off a swing.”

My dad is an insurance guy. He spent his career as an underwriter. He sees safety hazards wherever he goes. Sometimes, that didn’t make trips to the playground fun. I didn’t realize the curly slides could be such a death trap.

All the same, he taught me to pay attention to my surroundings. Too many times, we assume a playground, a school or any public place is safe. While officials like Cyrus Kolter do their best to make these places attractive and without hazards, It’s always a good idea to pay attention and survey the area instead of plunging right in to that merry-go-round of misery.

Have fun, people! But play it safe too!

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