IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 23: Grim Sense

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 23 Prompt:

You go in for a rather complex dental procedure and the dentist has to put you under in order to complete it. When you wake up, though, you are no longer in the dentist office. You are on a train with a briefcase handcuffed to your wrist. Just as you are soaking in this situation, a man walks in with a gun and points it at you. What happens? - WritersDigest.Com

Word Count: 2k+

Akpan

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 16: Considering the Alternative

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 16 Prompt:

Two objects sit before you: a golden hammer and a cup of what seems to be water. A note on the wall says: "Go ahead, make your choice. The outcome will decide whether you're ready or not." Ready for what? What is this place? Why these objects? Which will you choose? - WritersDigest.Com

Word Count: 2k+

Akpan

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 12: Sharp Edge of Reality

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 12 Prompt:
Ah, back home and time to relax. Long weeks are brutal. Is that the television you hear? Well you haven’t been home all day so you decide to check it out, thinking you left it on. As you enter the room you see the television is indeed on. And you’re already sitting there watching it. What’s going on here? — WritersDigest.Com

Word Count: 2k+

Akpan

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 10: Only a Fool Believes He's Dreaming Before He Wakes Up

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 10 Prompts:

While you dig the soil for a flower-bed, you find a magical dragon bone. — Writing.Com

You had that dream again. The one where the beast with the drooping hands and wicked fangs stares you down from your window. Except the windows open this time—and you’re awake! What happens next? — WritersDigest.Com

Akpan

IntShoWriMo 2015: Day 4: An Eternity of Nights

You went to bed like any other night and were out like a log in minutes. But when you woke up, you weren’t at home. You were in a car (that wasn’t yours), wearing clothes (that weren’t yours), and holding a bag full of money (that wasn’t yours). Suddenly, a police car turns on its lights to pull you over. What do you do? — WritersDigest.Com

Write about an ancient gypsy curse. — Writing.Com

Word Count: 2k+

Akpan

7 Ways Social Networking Makes You a More Confident Writer

Social networking involves a lot more than sharing on Facebook or joining conversations on Twitter or even posting photos on Instagram, Pinterest and StumbleUpon. Running a blog on Blogger or Wordpress or any of the other blogging sites is also social networking. And that includes participating in online writing communities like Writing.Com, WritersDigest.Com and GoodReads. Keeping these points in mind I’ll like you to tag along as we explore the limitless resources a writer can avail himself of by indulging this great web tool.

1. Connect with Writers Who Write Similar Genres –

Connect is the realest word in networking right now and social networking sites have made it perfectly easy to connect—you can follow, add to circles, friend, add to a list, receive notifications from folks who share similar interests with you. But the word carries well over social media platforms so much so that its present weight of meaning has made its basic interpretation inadequate. When you are surrounded by folks who share your passion, the vibes come off you in waves and charge up the atmosphere with electric potential.

2. Develop an Authoritative Voice –

Whether we realize it or not, the more we share content with our network, the bolder we become in constructing descriptive titles. If you are a twitter fanatic, you know you’re stuck with 140 characters to express yourself less, if you add links. This goes to boost your writer confidence in a whole lot more ways than you could ever possibly imagine. You learn to believe in the power of your own words and ideas. You also fine-tune your creative ability in crafting sensational titles because you get to judge firsthand how catchy your words are in grabbing people’s attention. This is especially true if the posts are re-shared articles by big time websites.

3. Hook Up with Mature Writers and Publishing Insiders –

Social networking would be a pretty sleazy neighborhood on the cyber sphere if this option was not a given. I signed up on Writing.Com which I found when I googled the word writing, because I wanted to learn more on fiction writing within a community of experienced writers. I’ve had no cause to regret that positive step. Besides, this blog is a reality because of that earnest decision I made five years ago to join the wonderful folks of a community I’ve come to call Facebook for Writers. By engaging your connections, you create a personal niche and find your place as a writer. And you know the feeling that accompanies being accepted by folks you revere; personalities you aspire to be associated with.

4. Boost Your Site Traffic –

By driving traffic to your site or blog, social networking offers you an avenue to express yourself; to be yourself. You find release and discover the true meaning of self-expression as art blends with communication to create personal relevance in a highly competitive marketplace. All at once, you are transmitted from a lonely quiet world into a full-blown broadcaster. SMO keeps your audiences pouring in and puts your site out there where it ought to be. And that sort of changes everything. It gives you faith in what you can achieve as an individual.

5. Maintain Your Online Presence –

Networking is the world at your fingertips. Microblogging—conversations, mentions, comments, shares—are all ways to keep yourself buried in the craft of writing. Your writerly ego gets a boost every time you create something with words and you other people to respond. Social networking is kind of big on stuff like the ones listed above. Never a dull moment as you are constantly served opportunities to present yourself as a writer to the cyberspace and to make your subconscious aware of the fact. In other words, networking helps to groom the fellow on the inside.

6. Site Branding –

All that talk about networking falls through with a shearing sound if people cannot identify you for who you are or what you do. Social networking makes it easy to talk about what you are up to, what you’ve been up to and what you are all about. Your site gets the recognition it requires; it’s a medium to advertise your private little corner and call the world’s attention to your personal space. Back in the day, you would have paid one of the big media channels to do this for you, not anymore. And when your audience acknowledge your site for what it is through personal effort, your writerly ego is enhanced.

7. Market Your Talents –

You can put your books and other products out there where the buyers are. Market your wares like a big advertising firm would and it makes you feel big. If you can open up about your talent, letting the world in on it, spilling your gut out in the open, you can consider calling yourself a writer a piece of cake. I don’t think this last bit needs much rambling but it’s one thing to discuss the big authors on your network and a whole ‘nother talking about you and your books. The latter sort of changes your perspective; changes the way the writer on the inside takes on the world around him.

Yeah, that’s 7 ways to get your ego positively fired up through active, consistent participation in social networking; 7 ways to turn your world around and pointed in the right direction all because you tried. Wouldn’t you rather walk this path?

Keep your pens bleeding!

Akpan

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IntShoWriMo 2014: Day 16

Day 16: One Ill Turn

You are a world-renowned mystery writer living a life of seclusion. A random email informs you of a great story, the next bestseller. Unfortunately, you find the details to be a little too close to home. Write a scene where you confront this mysterious informant, who seems to know a little too much about your personal life.

—WritersDigest.Com

Word Count: 1,000+

Eneh Akpan,
June 16th, 2014

IntShoWriMo 2014: Day 9

Day 9: My Friend, Mark

Today’s Prompt: You receive a mysterious email and the subject line reads “Everything you know is a lie.” You open the email and read further: “Act calm as not to alert anyone, but everyone around you is not who they say they are. You need to quietly get out of there and meet me at the spot where you had your first kiss. You know the place. My name is Mark.”

— Courtesy: WritersDigest.Com

Word Count: 1,770

I want to tell you about my friend, Mark. But let’s get something straight from the onset. ‘First Kiss’ isn’t exactly what it sounds like and Mark who is the reason I’m telling this story to begin with, is not the guy’s real name. And I am not in the secret service or anything so lay aside every sentiment you may have for folks in that department. Let’s get back to Mark cause this story is about him. Him not me, forget everything you ever heard those wannabe shrinks say. Those folks couldn’t wriggle free of a wet toilet tissue trammel to begin with.

            …What? You wanna know how I ended up eating roaches for dinner? That’s what I’m getting at. Haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve said these past minutes?

            ‘First Kiss’ was what we called our rite of induction. We belonged to this cult, you see?

            …No it aint the kind of cult where you had to off people just to make an appearance. It was totally legit stuff.

            …How come I’m stuck here if it was totally legit? Are you for real? Who’s telling this story, anyway? Are you an undercover shrink or something? You even stink like one.

            …You’re not? Let’s get something straight, I’ll tell my story my way or it’s no way.

            Like I said, it was totally legit. We committed no crimes. Check your records see if you’ll find a crime by The Mark Gang. The only clause is we were all boys. Four boys, five, if you counted Mark.

            Let’s get to the highpoints of the story. There were school folks who believed Mark was an alien.

            …No. Not an illegal immigrant kind of thing. We never knew who his parents were, though.

            I’m talking about an extraterrestrial, the Stephen Spielberg kind. He probably flew in from one of the Kepler cluster of planets all these young charismatic set of astronauts keep probing. He looked the type, too?

            …Did we find any evidence to buttress the fact? Plenty.

            First, one of the kids in our cult Etok (/hey toke/), I believe it was had this issue with Mark about his gender and he called him out, too.

            “How come I never seen you go on a date?” Etok said. It was the truth Mark rarely ever chatted up a girl and he forbade us to bring girls to meetings even a simple group gathering.

            …What did we discuss in the meetings? Why would I tell you? Those were group secrets and we swore to never tell. Would you tell me if I asked what you guys discussed in your locker rooms or what you and your wife do… Read More Here: IntShoWriMo 2014

Eneh Akpan

June 9th, 2014

IntShoWriMo 2014: Day 4

Day 4: Box Fever

Today’s Prompt: The department store elevator shuts down on the way to the fourth floor, with you and ten other people in it. You remain calm but other people begin to panic. Write this scene and the dialogue between characters.

— Courtesy: WritersDigest.Com

Word Count: 1,312

            “Last time I was in an elevator and this kind of shit happened things took a bad turn and one of the guys croaked,” A woman standing close to the doors said.

            “And when precisely was that, madam?” A man gone in years said.

            “Two, three, four, five years ago,” Said the lady.

            “On what floor was the elevator when it got stuck?”

And the answer came flying right back. “About the third or fourth floor.”

All eyes in the elevator shot up to the display panel. The electric potential in the atmosphere went up a few notches.

            “Ya gotta be kidding me. I don’t believe that hype you cooked up. A ball of crap and old women’s fables, is what it is.” The old man eyed the lady. Well, I can’t say he stared hard or was only looking in her direction cause the place we were in was dark with the lights out.

            “I swear on my mama’s grave.” The lady’s voice had increased in pitch. “Why would I lie when I’m also stuck in this circuit just like everybody else?”

            “Because some people major in giving other people a heart attack,” The old guy said. “Besides being under a lot of stress can lead to running off at the mouth.”

            “I am not under stress, sir.”

            “You’re stuck in this mess with us, lady. Ain’t you?”

“Excuse me,” a masculine executive voice said. Probably, the guy I’d spotted donning a three piece suit earlier when all the lights were on. “Shouldn’t we concentrate our energies on finding a way out of this jam?”

An alarm went off someplace overhead.

            “What on God’s earth is that?” Some guy topping a face cap said. That moment of urgency made his voice come out in a squeal.

            “People, if there ever was a way out of this situation, it is not racketing and panic,” Some dude, standing in the center of the elevator, said. “Let’s get ourselves to…” Read more here IntShoWriMo 2014

Eneh Akpan

June 4th, 2014

IntShoWriMo 2014: Day 3

Day 3: The Comic Book Generation

Today’s Prompt: It’s your 18th birthday and, upon it, your parents deliver some pretty shocking news: You’re not really human. They admit that they’ve been covering up the fact that you are actually a (fill in the blank). After hearing the news you still decide to go to school, but this school day is different than all your school days past, especially when it’s revealed to others what you truly are.

— Courtesy: WritersDigest.Com

Word Count: 1,406

            “I can’t make things pop out of thin air if that’s what you’re thinking.”

I could feel their eyes crawling all over me like a million needles and pins.

            “So what exactly do you do, then?” Alicia asked.

            “Maybe, he can spin a web like Spiderman.” Rebecca suggested.

There were a few giggles after that last statement.

            “Well…” I said.

            “Maybe, he can dance standing on his head.” That was Dick.

This announcement was followed by an uproar.

            “I’ve not really attempted that one but yeah, I think, maybe, I could if I gave it a try,” I said.

            “Don’t think. Just do it,” Dick said.

            “You don’t think before breathing, do you?” Rebecca.

            “Or before falling in love,” said a kid with a low punk haircut whom we called Groovy.

That got everybody in the classroom roaring with laughter. Even Amen, my best buddy, was slamming his fist into his desk again and again bellowing a belly laugh.

            “Sshhhh…..”

And the silence held sway for a moment.

Just then some kid in the front seat flung a ball made from crumpled paper at me. I caught if off the air and made a paper aircraft out of it in the space of 5 seconds and tossed it. It glided in an arc round the room and returned to me. I snatched it out of the air.

The silence weighed down on my eardrums like a dead weight. I felt the eyes of the entire class trained on me. As far as I was concerned, I knew I had done something awesome but if you asked me to create a chemical formula to explain the process, you’d be barking up the wrong tree.

            “Dude, how on earth did you do that?” Dick whose eyes bulged with surprise asked.

            “I didn’t think. I just did it,” said I.

            “Do it again,” Shorty said.

            “I can’t.” I lied. “I don’t know how it happened.” Which was true. “Reflexes, I guess.” Which was both the truth and a lie. Read more here IntShoWriMo 2014


Eneh Akpan
June 3rd, 2014

Selected Articles for the Reader in You

20 great articles selected just for you, the reading writer. Have fun!

The 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute

Courtesy: The Mystery World

1. 40 of The Most Powerful Photographs Ever Taken

The 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute: African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their fists in a gesture of solidarity at the 1968 Olympic games. Both Americans were expelled from the games as result.

2. This Map Shows The Most Famous Book Set In Every State

Local literature can be a surprising source of home state pride, no matter where you're from.

We found the most famous book set in each state. How many have you read? Check out the annotated map below.

3. 9 Books Scarier Than Any Horror Movie

There is nothing better than a good ghost story. It might be tempting to pop in one of your scarier movies when you want to get into the Halloween spirit, but there are plenty of novels sure to keep you up for just as many nights.

4. 10 Tips to Enhance Your Fiction Reading Experience

Here are some tips that may help make your fiction reading experience even more enjoyable.  Some of them may be obvious and well-known, but others may surprise you.

5. Bestseller Success Stories that Started Out as Self-Published Books

You write, you re-write, you edit, you tweak and when it's perfect, you submit. And then you get rejected. Many times, maybe by a person who didn't even read it. Rejection is painful because it instantly devalues your creation.

6. 8 Lucrative Tips for Selling Articles to Magazines and Websites

 Article writing can be great for your career as a writer: nothing bad can come from writers trying to sell content to magazines, newspapers and websites.

7. How to Write for Writer’s Digest (… Even if You’ve Never Written for Magazines Before)

 A few years back I did what I wish more editors would do—I wrote about how to break into our magazine.

8. From the Bronte Sisters to JK Rowling, a History of Pen Names

In 1850 Charlotte Bronte finally outed the brilliant but obscure brother authors Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, and neatly analysed why centuries of authors have chosen to shelter behind entirely invented names or ambiguous double initials. The brothers Bell were her and her extraordinary sisters…

9. Is the Book Industry Sexist or Just Starved for Great Women Authors?

There’s a huge gender divide in speculative fiction publishing—especially when it comes to science fiction and space opera, which are incredibly male dominated.

10. Book Review: Alternate Movie Posters – Author Matthew Chojnacki

As an avid movie fan myself, it sure puts a smile on my face when I hear of news book releases that pay homage to the artistry of the craft.

11. 5 Ways To Manifest Your Reality With The Power of Visualization

Actor Jim Carrey is famous for parking his car on Muholland Drive every night before anybody knew about him, and visualizing becoming the Hollywood star that he inevitably became.

12. Mystery Influences

Who are your literary influences?

Readers often ask me who my favourite mystery authors and/or influences are.  It's actually a pretty short list.
Generally, when it comes to crime fiction, I like North American writers.

13. Important Writing Lessons From First Time Novelists

Here’s something most published pros know well: In this business, there are no absolutes. There is no fixed path, no yellow-brick road to success. The journey to bookstores seems a lot like that old snowflake cliché—No two are alike.

14. Hidden Disney Characters in Disney Movies

At the pet shop in “101 Dalmatians” all of the dogs in the window are puppies except for this familiar dog in the corner. The dog is Peg from the classic Disney film “Lady and the Tramp”

15. The Secrets to Successful Guest Blogging

Guest blogging can be a valuable asset in your tool kit, whether you’re a blogger, writer, podcaster, or small business owner.

16. Creative Writing Techniques: How To Enhance Our Creative Personality

Creativity is not a talent; it’s an ability: you can learn it, develop it and use it.

17. 6 Secrets of Writing a Novel Without an Outline

When I was in school and a teacher would assign us to write an outline for a story, I’d finish the story first, then go back and write the outline so I’d have something to turn in.

18. What to Do When You Feel You Haven’t Accomplished Much

We all have those days when it feels like we weren’t able to check enough things off our to-do list. What do you do when that happens?

19. What Writers Should Do When Drawing A Blank

If you’re drawing a blank in your #writing, lead yourself back to your natural nature.

20. Do You Lead Like a Lioness?

So what do lionesses have to do with leadership lessons? One of my big loves in life, other than my husband, is travel. My husband and I have had the opportunity to travel throughout the world and one of our favorite places is Africa.

These are all articles I have had the pleasure of reading and learning from. The lessons will remain with me to the grave.

Keep your pens bleeding!

Akpan

10 Favorite Sites I Found While Googling

When I was new to the internet, I was engrossed by the internet phenomenon called googling probably, just like everybody else. I plugged words and phrases which fell in line with creative writing or literature into the popular search engine and let it go to work. Much of the stuffs I ran into on the result page were... well, search results. I didn't have much use for these but there were sites which tipped the scales and reined me in, readily. I was obliged to browse beyond the landing page. I'd like to list a few of these Googling bounties in this post. I imagine it would be the reasonable thing to do considering the great deal of insight I gained trucking with these online resources.

1. Writing.Com:

This is the premier online writing community and the site I ever signed up for. And it is ‘where the writers go.’ I googled the word writing. And this site was the first to come up on the result page. I was drilled in the art of writing on this online community.

This is where I was introduced to one of my favorite writers Stephen King.

2. Lifewrite.com:

Before I went deep on writing.com, I was all over this site. Steven Barnes, the owner of the site and a mentor reawakened my passion for fiction writing. Over 400 newsletters on the craft have been delivered to my inbox. There are also lessons on personal development.

3. WritersDigest.com:

I can'remember what exactly I was hunting for on Google when I stumbled on this site. But I know whatever it was don't matter anymore; I've been coming back for more since I discovered WritersDigest.com. 93+ years and still going strong, this website is always pulling new stunts to keep a writers’ creative juice flowing.

4. Wikipedia.org:

I don't know how popular Wikipedia was when I went online but I got my hands on this loaded web-based encyclopedia by googling. It’s amazing how much information I have accessed for articles through researching Wikipedia.

5. FictionFactor.com:

Now there's one website that's true to type. I probably googled the word fiction and the giant search engine coughed this one up. Did a lot of print outs too. Fiction writers can access abundance of writing resource right here.

6. About.com:

As the name implies, you'll find information about almost anything on this site. I'm almost certain my search term included the word about. About.com goes bores deep into the heart of its subjects with its how-to articles. No dull moments here only copious party favors.

7. NPR.org:

Here's one that takes me back full circle. I was curious to know what Stephen King sounds like so I plugged the phrase “Stephen King Audio Interview(s) into the Google homepage.” I got npr.org (National Public Radio) for my troubles and my, did it pay? It’s probably, where I heard Tabby (King’s wife) mention Stephen King married her for her typewriter. *coughs*

8. CreativeWritingPrompts.com:

I went hunting for writing prompts and got a little more than I bargained for. I kept coming back, too. I used some of my finds for my annual 30 day fiction challenge. You ought to give this site a shakedown if you’re stuck for inspiration. It’s guaranteed to thrill.

9. NaNoWriMo.org:

I know this one's really popular I could have found it without Google but I did not. A site like this one was like a dream come true for a young writer; a community which challenges writers to create a novel in 30 days was too good to be true only it wasn’t. Last year, I finally, wrote the first draft of my novel thanks to nano (or should I say thanks to Google?).

10. Blogger.com:

I discovered a few blogging sites through Google. My writing instructor had me search for them, signed up with a few actually. But somewhere down the line, I got stuck with blogger. This blog is one of the first I created and it’s gradually evolved into my principal platform.

Dare I say, I have been made better (enhanced seems the appropriate word) by these and a few other sites which I have withheld (or this post would be much longer and I’m not really up for that). So, what are your googling keepsakes?

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan

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