From the Mind of Jonathon Arntson: free writing piece #1

Dear Readers,

This is an unprecedented moment here at Jon's Life. I am posting, for the first time, a story of mine. 

I have been writing short stories and flash fiction all month and experimenting with all sorts of media. The following is a short story I wrote in a cafe. I had no direction. It took five minutes and I was not excited about it. I got home, typed it into Word and then decided to try something. I chose to post this particular story for two reasons. I adore it's simplicity and it's the shortest story I have written. 

(I believe clicking the image will make it large enough to comfortably read. 

If not PLEASE let me know, since in reality I have no idea what I am doing.)

Thank you, all of you, for the unadulterated support you continue to give me. That support has inspired persistence and now I feel accomplished.

One of the best writing prompts

I have read that putting music on your blog is a Cardinal Sin, but I use music every time I write. Music shapes my mood, my characters, and my dialogue. Music can set the scene and music can relieve you when you have written crap. Essentially, I'd be an entirely different writer without music. I am not sure if I'd be a better writer or not, but I can tell you that there's no going back.

Here's a song that has inspired more than one story. Without this song, I would have 14,000 fewer words under my belt.

"Weighty Ghost" Wintersleep



What songs prompt your muse to give back?

A link to my interview with Marybeth Smith

Goals and Plans

The other day, I blogged about finding my muse at the tail end of my accidental blog hiatus. Neither were planned. Most of you know that I have been in a writing slump for about four months and so writing a thousand words in one week has felt like a huge victory for me. Beside school, a social life, and work, I have one other major distraction in my life: you. Okay, it's not you. It's me. It's how I am around you: enthralled. I am enthralled with your every word. Whether it's a comment on my blog or a post at your blog. I'll be in the middle of an awesome scene, but somehow, the urge to check my blog pulls me away and my train of thought is lost forever. It's frustrating because it's as though two loves are fighting over me. I think it's fair to say that my virtual life has been given preferential treatment over the summer and spring. 

Until I can find a balance, I have decided to give autumn and winter to my writing life. My new BFFs will be my characters. Of course this does not mean I'll be completely MIA. I am going the Anita route and leaving insightful anecdotes when I feel like it and checking in on you guys when my muse and I are in a fight (which may happen a lot at first).

I think the fact that I am itching to finish this post so I can get an hour of writing in before I go to work is a good sign of things to come. I am always avail through email.

I am free writing right now. No WiP. No bounds. Here's a song from my unofficial playlist:

"Little Secrets" Passion Pit

Goals:
Finish PB rewrite in early Sept.
Query PB in late Sept.
Prepare one WiP for Nano


See you on the flip side.

Cabbage

I may have found my muse, and to think, it's been there all along.


(per Anita's comment--swearing ensues)
Aiding in the recovery is this prolific song. I bought their album as my b-day gift to myself:
'Little Lion Man' Mumford and Sons: