 A longer episode with podcast updates, writing updates, a sample read of Chlorophyllium 9, and talking about creativity. What is Creativity?(Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/9) Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.  If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. Today's podcast episode is about Creativity.Taking a closer look at what creativity is and what it means to be creative.Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!My WeekLabor Day weekend was great! I'm usually off on Friday's, but this year I've made a real effort to make it to the kids' homeschool co-op sessions. Sure, it eats into time I could spend in an empty house, writing, but I feel like I've been missing out on this experience with them.I guess that's one thing about having your oldest getting ever-closer to 18 and then having a very young one join the party. I just don't want to miss out on the important stuff. I swear, you blink and so much of life has passed you by.I know my dream is to become a full-time writer, but this is just something I have to do. I'm starting to get some rhythm to it and I have even gotten some words in during the classes. I'm mostly an observer at this point, I help when needed, which isn't much in my wife's class on world geography. But when we rotate over to the nursery, I tend to help a little more actively. To celebrate Labor Day, I cooked up some mean steaks on the grill and we tried to watch Tomorrowland. Unfortunately, the disc we got from Red Box was scratched and it was skipping huge sections of the movie, so we bagged that idea and watched some Doctor Who, Season 1 instead.I won't lie to you, I also wasted a pretty large chunk of time playing the new expansion that just released for World of Warcraft. I haven't paid for game time in over 5 months now and this was the perfect time to play the auction house as players were scrambling to level up their crafts. Call me a nutter if you'd like, I love online economies and making money in online games. I know it's not real money, it's just so much fun!Podcast NewsWhat's new with the podcast? Milestones? Achievements?I realized this week, while looking at some of the podcasts I listen to regularly, that my post names were way out of whack with how other folks have their episodes showing up in iTunes. I've gone back and changed the post names and I'll probably have to manually refresh the RSS feed or something, but I hope it changes the older episodes.The change makes a lot of sense, now that I think about it. This is just another one of those instances where I look back and think, "Now why in the world did I think this way was somehow better? Sheesh, no brainer!"I'm notoriously hard on myself and overthink silly things like this.I haven't gotten a whole lot of listener feedback for the podcast lately.Listener Shout-outsMy dad replied to my author newsletter this week. Here's some of what he had to say, "Every podcast gets better and better. They are done in a professional manner yet you draw people in with your personal touch. Listening to them makes me want to know more about you. When you start your writing prompts I am almost disappointed because I realize that we are reaching the end of the podcast. Yet the prompts makes you think with a creative mind. You do an excellent job. I am very proud of you. Nothing in life seems to stop you. You just learn from it and move forward. I think that Coma is my second favorite right behind  “The Boy in the Window.” I know you are very busy but if you get time you really need to work on Coma I think it has great potential."Thanks, Dad! I really appreciate that you take the time to listen to my podcast and read my stories. It means the world to me! I'm really excited about all the stuff I have going on. I won't lie, though. It can be pretty exhausting. This whole podcast journey has opened my eyes to how much I still don't know. But I'm learning and trying to do things better.Writing UpdatesChlorophyllium 9 is pretty much done. I just need to put on a bit of polish here and there before I compile the document and give it a read through start to finish. I like to do this on my Kindle Paperwhite. I find the switch in media helps me find the errors and inconsistencies better than on my computer screen where I've spent large amounts of time writing and editing.This change in venue helps me keep my mind fresh and I don't have to keep going back to reread portions when my brain gets lazy.Next up is Final Hope! The first chapter we encounter after Chlorophyllium 9 ends throws us right back into the most gut-wrenching scene of the novella and we pick up on the details that were washed over before.[Excerpt of Chlorophyllium 9 - Opening Scene.]What is Creativity?Definition: "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."What makes you unique?I'll write the show notes later. :)Supporting idea.Narrative.Supporting idea.Narrative.Supporting idea.Narrative.Supporting idea.Narrative.Supporting idea.Narrative.Supporting idea.Narrative.The Sign-OffEnding summary and sign-off.And now, for this week's writing prompts!What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week.  1. Broken Wing You are sitting at the dining room table, eating breakfast, when a loud bang startles you. No one else is home so you quickly check all the doors, but there is no sign of anyone to be found. You figure it might be some of the neighborhood kids up to their hijinks again. Then you see it. Outside the back sliding glass door lies a bird. It must have flown into the pane. It’s flapping around erratically and looks dazed. You carefully reach down and pick it up. In an immense measure of trust, the bird doesn’t struggle. It just looks at you. The left wing looks broken but, remembering a story from when you were a kid, you think you might be able to brace it and look after the bird while it heals. You take it inside and set to the task of wrapping the broken wing.2. A Familiar Case You’re a medical examiner for a sleepy, country town. There isn’t even much in the way of violent crime in the entire county. Therefore, most of your examinations center around natural causes of death. Everything seems routine at your latest call-out: cold body, very little decay, no obvious sign of a struggle, and.. What’s that? There’s black underneath all the fingernails and… a strange black line is drawn down the middle of the victim’s tongue. While the detectives seem remiss to write it off, something in the back of your mind tells you this one little detail is very important. You express your concern to the lead investigator, but they tell you to give the body a full examination and write it up in your report. They clearly have better things to do than chase ghosts when it comes to simple, open-shut cases like this one. When you proceed with your investigation, you discover another clue on the body. This confirms your worst fears, an old unsolved case you researched and used as supporting evidence in your college thesis has come back to haunt you. If you’re right and the deaths follow previous patterns, you should be examining your next corpse in five days; with many more to follow.3. Strange SproutsThis was it, the year you finally got down to it and planted your garden. It was a lot of hard work clearing out the unkempt overgrowth of previous years’ failures, but you did it. You planted tomatoes and carrots, corn, and beans; even a few heirloom varieties, since that’s all the rage. You’ve spent countless hours in the garden pulling weeds, watering, and tending to all the little seedlings. Then one day a new batch of seedlings sprout next to the ones you planted. They don’t look like weeds, but they certainly have something sinister in mind. One by one, they consume your seedlings. When you try to pull them, they resist. You don’t know where these little devils came from but you have a bad feeling about this; still, watching them bear fruit could be interesting.4. On Darker TidesYou’ve been invited to your best friend’s wedding on a cruise ship, it’s been so amazing, and you couldn’t be happier for her. The ceremony is beautiful and you watch the two newlyweds dance. They both look so happy.  It’s the picture perfect wedding. After the festivities, you walk back to your cabin and take a refreshing shower before stepping out onto the veranda. The salty ocean air is refreshing and you watch as the last rays of sunlight are consumed by the fathomless depths. You must have dosed off because the next thing you recall is hearing a man’s voice shouting, begging someone to please stop. You can’t be sure, but it sounds like… the groom. Then a dark silhouette flutters downward and you hear the splash after what seems like an eternity. Rumors abound in the hours afterward while the ship authorities investigate the incident, but the preliminary report seems to indicate that it was just an accident. How can that be? You heard what you heard and something about your friend’s alibi troubles you.5. The Dancing NunNo one can explain it and the whole world is watching as all news channels feature a nun performing an elaborate dance around a fountain in a prominent town square. What first came across and a humorous oddity has transfixed viewers all across the world as the hours tick by.  Bystanders elbow in to share the spotlight and reporters angle in to shout their questions above the cheers of the growing crowd, but the nun just keeps dancing her wordless dance. Is this some sort of demonic possession, a civil protest, an elaborate distraction, or just fun tomfoolery?6. The TemptationYou’ve never considered yourself a thief, but lately you just can’t seem to resist the urge to pocket trinkets and gadgets. You’ve even found things in your pockets you don’t remember seeing before, like the key chain you’re sure someone is missing. As if to complicate matters, it seems that the objects you are somehow attracting have become stranger, more… arcane? Have you become an unwitting magnet for magic items and enchanted objects? And is that a… wand? Just as you think you’re about to lose your mind, you hear a strange knock at the door before the lock clicks open.7. See You LatteAfter several non-starters, you’ve finally found someone on the Internet dating sites who seems interesting enough to meet in person. After talking on the phone for over an hour, you decide to surprise them with an iced latte before you start your date. Then, while waiting in line, you’re accosted with the contents of an entire tray of coffee beverages. The unfortunate perpetrator is apologetic and scrambles to clean up their mess. As you bend down to help, you both lock eyes and any thoughts of your upcoming blind date melt away. I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts. Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. 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Hunting the Muse: Creative Writing Podcast

9: What is Creativity?

8: What Writing Means to Me

7: Beginnings

6: Pushing Through

 Doing It! (Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/5) Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.  If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. Today's podcast episode is about doing it!Setting goals.Following ThroughFighting for the dreams that are important to you.This week was tough, but despite all the roadblocks, the hiccups, and the distractions... I was Doing It!Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!Writing UpdatesChlorophyllium 9 is coming along nicely. I've already written over 6,000 words in my expansion of the story since I unpublished it. The characters are starting to grow and I feel like they have a lot more dimension to them. I've been working in Scrivener and being able to select alternating chapters and read them back to back has been invaluable! I love that I can quickly see if my cliff hangers are paying out and if my pinches and pulls are doing their jobs. So far, I'm very satisfied with how everything is coming together.Greg's thread (my primary MC) is almost done and then I will be moving to polish up Julia's thread. I'm really excited to see the story go back up on the market, but I've learned a lot of things on the road to where I am right now. I'm definitely going to be sticking with Kindle Unlimited for a while. I just don't have the following or enough of a mature series to support going wide. I think I really liked the idea of it, but seeing what that move did to my short story sales is enough to convince me that I need to build a strong foundation before branching out.I will also definitely be waiting until Final Hope is complete before I release Chlorophyllium 9. I've already covered this to a degree in previous episodes, but it just makes sense to finalize the whole novel before I release the novella. I'm not going to make that mistake again.I might even delay publishing Chlorophyllium 9, then Final Hope, until I have at least a strong foundation for the next novel in the series. This isn't a big stretch as I have that novel partially outlined already and I know what purpose it will serve in the overarching series.I'll have to watch how things go as I get closer and modify my strategy accordingly.That's one of the great things about the shifting Indie culture and weighing what is working vs. what isn't. There are so many great voices to listen to and get input from. It truly is an amazing community to be a part of.A Tough WeekAs I mentioned earlier, it was a tough week for me. You see, we moved to the country about 2 years ago and we don't have a few of the conveniences we were used to back in Utah. One of those conveniences we gave up was access to a public sewer system. That's right, we have a septic tank, and this weekend things came to a head when I heard the burbley-gurbelies bubbling up in the lawn. I guess the sprinklers stopped working and the last tank in the system had filled up with water that would normally be pumped out into the field. Yikes!Afraid that we might get some back-flow into the house, I tried my best to get things working again. I attempted to siphon off water out of the tank, I tried messing with the electrical breaker. No dice. I really hoped it wasn't the septic pump.Yeah, it was the pump... $475 later, we once again have a working septic system. But, as luck would have it, just a few hours after that issue was fixed, I got home and noticed that one side of the house was practically boiling. It seemed like one of the A/C units wasn't working.I went outside to take a look and there were several bites in the thermostat control wire leading into the unit. What could possibly do such a thing? Bunnies... Yeah, those crazy North-Central Texas rabbits do some crazy stuff. So, determined to try to fix it myself and save some money, I headed to the hardware store for a spool of wire I could use to splice in. I picked up some electrical tape and some other doodads, (hey... I'm no electrician or plumber... what can I say?) and then got home and replaced the wiring. The unit tried to fire up, but it just wasn't turning the fan over. Sheesh! Defeated, I asked my wife to call an HVAC company to come out and take a look. $189 later, we once again have functioning A/C. I guess one of the capacitors had died and a second was on its way out. Can't a guy get a break?!I can't help but think how those two expenses could be at least two professional-looking covers for books. Or maybe a round of edits. It's tough. But this is just part of owning a house and I'm not the only one to get slammed out of the blue with one issue after another... But, despite all the trouble and the frustration this last week brought, I still managed to meet my writing goal. That's huge! There was ample opportunity, from the moment I discovered the septic was having issues, to toss out an excuse and give up.I've also been playing with the Mac Mini I bought a few months back when I saw a really good deal on eBay. I've used a Mac for work in the past and I never bothered to play with any of the creative features it included. I mean, it was a work machine and I worked the dickens out of it... But I've really been enjoying messing around with it and I even turned off my Windows tower for the entire weekend. That's why I've got new podcast intro and outro music tracks!I also had the opportunity to work on a creative project with my wife, Tara, and it was an awesome experience. We've been dealing with a fair amount of stress for a while now. I'll be honest, this move has been tough on us at times. But sitting down and working on this project was amazing. We talked and laughed and worked together to create something. It's funny how things that take some effort can actually recharge your batteries far more than sitting and trying to relax after a long, hard day.Podcast NewsOf course, I mentioned the new Intro and Outro music tracks I created, but I'm already thinking the out track might be a little long and info-heavy. I tried to include information on how to contact me and interact with the podcast community as it grows. I know I don't have a big following yet, but I guess I was trying to anticipate a future need. I think it might be best to record several similar-sounding out-tracks and then alternate them from week to week. One week you might be encouraged to hit me up on Twitter, while another week might be a plug to join the Facebook group. It's just a thought for now, so let me know what you think.I also set up the Patreon page I mentioned last week. I know, I know... I said I didn't have time. But then I thought about it and I wanted to make sure noone took patreon.com/huntingthemuse. Okay, yeah, that's probably silly... I just didn't want to be that guy. I honestly just put it out there for a part of the journey I'm hoping this podcast takes. I didn't mention the financial hardships we encountered this week in any way to garner sympathy or push supporting the podcast. I hope you believe me! Setting up the Patreon page was just something I did earlier in the week and I was rather proud of doing it.There's still so much I don't know when it comes to Patreon. I mean, I need to figure out what kind of content, incentives, and bonuses I could create to reward the donation tiers. So, yeah, this isn't a push for you to donate money. (I know what the outtro says, but that was just me trying to create an episode feel that sounds the same now as it will in the future when I have several more episodes under my belt. Okay, I'll leave that dead horse alone for now.)Doing It.Are you doing it?Turning dreams into reality is hard work.Yes, it can be harder for some than it seems like it is for others, but we have to stop comparing. The truth is, we don't know the entire story. And even for those to whom success seems to come so easily, perhaps we don't see the agony they face when they try to duplicate that selfsame success.It isn't about how easy or hard the journey is. It's about putting one foot in front of the other. It's about moving forward, even when you don't feel like it. It's about learning from your mistakes and redoubling your effort.Goals vs. DreamsI came across a great post written by Hugh Howey (a well-known Indie author) in 2014. It's all about the difference between goals and dreams and he does a bit of introspection with his own success. It's just the sort of navel-gazing post that I think a lot of writers would benefit from reading; because Hugh has been there and he's done it. It took a lot of hard work and sometimes you need to examine that road and keep a level head about it.You see, goals require work, but they can help you achieve your dreams. Some dreams require more than just goal fulfillment, though. They require outside interaction.For example, your goal might be to write 10 books in the next 10 years. Your dream might be that you will be able to retire rich, write when you want to, and have the love and adoration of fans worldwide. You can do the work, but realizing the dream requires many things that are out of your control.How well do fans connect with your writing?Despite your best efforts, are potential readers finding your books?What market constraints are you up against?An example for those of you who aren't interested in pursuing a writing career:Are you wanting to capture your family's stories?You might have a timeline requirement.Aging family members.It can be hard to track down old records, etc.How do you take control of your desire to write?What goals can you make to help you achieve the outcome you desire?Do you make time for your writing hobby, or do you dream of writing... someday?Do you only dream about finding the quiet and solitude you need in order to sit down and write?Following Through “I have made up my mind. I will strive to finish my novel and submit it to publishers or agents within the year. I must dedicate myself as I have never before - this means that I must ultimately face my many insecurities… It is true that my story may not succeed in being the Great American Novel, or even find itself on a single bestsellers list.” --R. Brady Frost, A journal entry August, 2003.It's 2016. That journal entry was written 13 years ago... What happened?I failed to follow through. Failing to follow through equates to empty dreams...I was in the active duty military when I wrote that journal entry and I had a lot on my plate. While the military took its pound of flesh, I was also working my way through a full-time course load for my bachelor's degree. As time wore on, my passion for the project died.I look back now and I see the project for what it was, a juvenile endeavor, and it probably wouldn't have done well, but finishing would have been a huge start. By not following through, I set myself on a downward spiral where I lost faith in my abilities and gave up on my passion.The military was both very great and very hard on me in different ways. Things didn't necessarily get any easier for me when I got out of the service like I thought they would. In some ways, they got harder as I had to face things that I'd long pushed under the rug.Excuses are the enemy of follow-through.I'm not going to get overly deep into my personal hardships or distractions because there's only one thing you need to know. Excuses are the enemy of follow-through. Follow-through is required to meet your writing goals. It's very seldom that your dreams will come true if you don't have a healthy relationship between your goals and your ability to work towards them. Don't count on your fairy godmother. You have to fight for the dreams that are important. While things might not always be under your direct control, you usually do have a significant level of influence on how they turn out. You have to keep trying. Keep reaching for those dreams.Hedging Your Expectations...It also helps to keep your dreams somewhat realistic. You can dream of winning the lottery, but (generally) short of investing more money than you'll feasibly stand to gain, your odds are not very good. It's still fun to play sometimes, but your expectations have to be in line with reality.In the end, what matters most is...Are you DOING IT?Are your day-to-day actions in line with your goals and dreams? If you need to make a change, what can you do to help reinforce your efforts?When it comes to writing and creating art, there is very little use in guilt or shame in having failed in the past. Look, that journal entry from thirteen years ago is a constant reminder of my past failures, of how sure I was of being able to finish a project and latch onto a writing career. I knew that immediate success probably wasn't going to happen but, even knowing that, I failed to finish my project. I can't allow that to hold me down. I can't let a failure in the past dictate the rest of my journey.It's important to get back on your feet and keep pressing forward. Keep creating. Keep telling the stories that only you can tell.And now, for this week's writing prompts.What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week.  1. The Steamsmith's ApprenticeYou’ve been working on your mechanical wings for months, but when your test flight doesn’t go as planned, you crash into an attractive bystander. You notice right away how kind their eyes look as they help you to your feet. When they proceed to gather the scattered parts of your contraption, doing more harm than good with their clumsy hands, you decide to let them help as best they can. After all, chances are you’ll have to start from scratch anyway.2. Save the ChildOn August 9th, 1945, the second of two atomic bombs strikes Japan. This time the target is set on Nagasaki, a ship-building town where an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people will die at around 11:02 AM. In a horrifying race against the clock, you’ve been sent back in time to save just one of them, a small child who holds the genetic key that will unlock a cure to the disease that threatens to consume us all.3. The Road to NowhereIn Alaska there once existed plans to build a bridge. It was a very expensive bridge ($398 million by some estimates), one that would connect the town of Ketchikan to a small airport on the island of Gravina. When federal funds were shifted to natural disaster relief, the bridge project fell through. Or did it? With funds already allocated to road construction, crews worked to build the road. Now the Road to Nowhere ends where the bridge to Gravina would have once begun. Though, it is often said that if you stand at the edge of that vacant road in the dead of night and stare out into the fog and mist, you can hear the sounds of traffic.4. Just a Touch of CyberpunkIn his book, Neuromancer (1984), William Gibson coined the term, “cyberspace.” (Though he also used it, to lesser fanfare, in a 1982 short story, “Burning Chrome.”) Since then, the magic of computers and the notion of an interconnected grid has lost much of its luster. For many of us, it has become the expected norm. Think of something you do on the computer, your smartphone, or any other electronic device as a part of your normal day-to-day activities. Now take that action and make it magical by adding a touch of cyberpunk. How will you visualize traveling the information superhighway? Will you get entangled in the sticky web of Social Media? What is it like to encapsulate how very integrated into the system we’ve all become?5. A Modern TribeTake a look at the world from where you are in this moment. Do you see convenience and excess? Now imagine the infrastructure crumbling around you. Something has happened, be it natural disaster, man-made pandemic, meteorite impact, or something else. All you have is a group of your most trusted friends and family members. All you know is that you’ve got to get out of the city with your tribe as fast as you can. Take us through that tribulation.6. The Magic TouchHave you ever felt an unexpected spark of magic in a touch? After a man in a shabby trench coat stumbles into you on the street before disappearing into the crowd, you can’t help but feel… different. Now it seems that every time you make physical contact with someone, they instantly feel connected to you on some intimate, trusting level. How do you use this new power? Give us a try-fail cycle (An instance when your best intentions don’t work out the way you hoped they would.) on your way to mastering your new ability.7. A Shoebox in the AtticYou’re cleaning out the clutter in your attic when you find an old shoebox. By the layers of dust, you imagine it’s been tucked into the shadows of the remote corner for decades. You carefully pull it into the light and open the cover. What you see surprises you. I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts. Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join my monthly newsletter for writers and get more helpful content, encouragement, and more!* indicates requiredEmail Address * First Name Last Name Email Format htmltext Powered by MailChimp (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); If you enjoyed this feed, please stop by my blog! www.HuntingTheMuse.com

5: Doing it

 Understanding Your Writing Goals.  (Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/4) Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.Since last week's episode was so down-to-the-wire hectic, I tried to have a little more fun this time around. I hope the intro I made for the writing prompts doesn't bother anyone. It probably won't be a regular thing. I'm actually feeling a bit silly for including it now. Haha! If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. My week was pretty busy, but I still managed to get some writing in, about 3,000 words on 9, plus other bits of writing here and there, which is great! We went to see the animals at the Dallas zoo and it was a scorcher out! Still, we got to enjoy some time in the kids area and even got to play some Pokémon Go with the older kiddoes. Other than that, we did a whole lot of walking.Writing updates:Chlorophyllium 9 is now down from all markets. I pulled it from KDP today and switched my old short stories back to KDP Select. I didn't mention this in the podcast audio, but you can now read those stories for free if you have Kindle Unlimited. What I noticed when I took those short stories wide was that ALL sales died.I'm currently debating whether I should do a fresh release of Chlorophyllium 9 when I have Final Hope completely written. There are several reasons for me considering this. It would dump the 7 reviews I have, but I'll gain new release status in exchange. There have also been a lot of growing pains associated with how the story has grown since it was first published. I go into these a bit more in the audio of the podcast.Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!Along with this week's podcast topic, I'm taking a look at my goals. I'm challenging myself to write faster. Things I've considered include viewing my writing time as if I were taking on a part-time job. Would that help me give myself permission to write? (See Episode 3)Podcast News:Just a quick reminder, please consider joining the Hunting the Muse Creative Writing Podcast group on Facebook. I envision this as a place where we can foster creative writing discussions and you can post your questions or suggest topics to be covered in future episodes. You can post links or snippets of your writing that stemmed from a podcast writing prompt.This Week's Topic: Understanding Your Writing GoalsFirst things first, your goals belong to you!You don't need to make someone else's goals your own. You are on a special journey. Sometimes it makes sense to evaluate what your goals are. Just make sure you're setting goals that align with what you really want.It's been said that "Comparison is the death of joy." I think that saying could also be, "Comparison is the death of art."What do your writing goals look like? Do they include a specific word count? Do you want to write short stories or novels? Do you write to achieve relaxation? Do you just want to develop your hobby, without concern for economic factors? Is this a potential career for you, or are you in it for supplemental income?Resources and groups:It can be helpful to seek out resources and groups that align with your goals. Maybe for you, that might include listening to this podcast. (If so, I'm honored.)I have joined a few Facebook groups and forums for writing. Of course, not all of them have worked out. When they don't, I silently exit stage right.20 Books to 50kI recently saw a suggested, closed group on Facebook called: 20BooksTo50K. I decided to check it out and requested membership. Easy enough. Worst case, I figured I'd lurk for a while and then make a silent exit.I have since learned more about the group, and the story is great for a few different reasons. Since I joined, I've listened to several podcasts that touch on this 20 Books to 50K concept. Most of these were older podcast episodes (from a few months back) that I was finally catching up on. Throughout this process, I uncovered more details about the group's origin.Michael AnderleMichael Anderle has a story. As I understand it, he started publishing his books on Amazon in early 2016 because he wanted to encourage his son to pursue his own writing efforts. (If Dad can do it, so can you! And hey, I can sympathize with that as a father of 5!)To his surprise, his first book launched and started pulling in around $7.50 a day. Soon after that, he visited Cabo San Lucas with his wife and learned that the cost of living would be very reasonable if he chose to retire there vs. where he currently lives. He was so romanced by the beach, the water, and the atmosphere that he did some basic, presumptive math.If one book was able to get him about $7.50 a day, he could potentially retire at just over 50K/yr if he wrote 20 books. It must have sounded reasonable, so he got to work and planned to be there within two years!Of course, a lot of people scoffed at this. Some said it wasn't art. Some insinuated he might be a fraud.Michael had something interesting to say in response.Only my readers get to vote as to whether I'm meeting expectations. (I'm probably paraphrasing that to some degree.)So I looked on Amazon to see what the readers had to say. All of his books appear to be very well reviewed with high marks. These are some dedicated fans!Michael Anderle understands his goals.Joanna PennJoanna Penn has a great podcast! You can find it at www.thecreativepenn.com ('that's Penn with a double-N!') Joanna has been a juggernaut of positivity in the writing and self-publishing arena for years. Her podcast is personable and enlightening.I listened to her (July 19th) episode this weekend while I was out mowing the lawn, and Joanna talked about goals. Not just writing goals, now mind you, but life goals as well.She just completed her Race to the Stones -- a 100 kilometer trek that took her 2 days to complete! She said the second day was tough, and it really sounded brutal, but she pushed through and persevered.You see, Joanna is a very goal-oriented individual. Though, if you asked her, she'd say she is goal-orientated. (I love her accent. She's very fun to listen to and her attitude is great as well!) She understands that, even though she's naturally goal-oriented, it's important to enjoy the story. As someone who is also very goal-oriented, this is very inspirational to me.If you have a chance, please do check out Joanna's podcast.What do Michael and Joanna Have in Common?They aren't afraid to challenge normal conventions of what is or is not possible. Michael has proven he can publish a very well-reviewed book per month.You know, maybe I could challenge myself to write a bit faster?Likewise, someone might think, "I could never walk 100 kilometers in two days, that's insane!"Yet Joanna did it. Maybe with the right training and gear, that's something "I" could do as well.The Pitfall:Here's where it gets hard. When setting goals for yourself, make sure your focus is on the journey, not just the outcome. Don't fall in love with someone else's results. Dreamers are especially susceptible to becoming Destination Addicts.Don't become a Destination Addict!!!Enjoy the Journey.Gather a support group, if it will help. This could be other people with similar goals. Don't give up when things get tough because, more than likely, things will get tough.My Goals:I want to write great stories. You know, I've invested a lot in my IT career, probably way more than I needed to. I would love to be able to make a shift at some point to where I can write full time and produce podcasts that help fill a need for others.I want to help other writers achieve their goals and I want to let them know they aren't along. Other writers, like me, understand their struggle.Am I Successful?That's a hard question to answer. A better question might be: Am I happy with where I am right now? To that I would answer, "Yes." I think I can be proud of where I am and how far I've come.You see, I self-published my first short story on Amazon probably over 5 years ago now. There's a lot I could be ashamed of when you consider my goals. Look at all that wasted time. Look at what a fiasco Chlorophyllium 9 was. Why do I even bother calling myself a writer when my actions don't live up to my dreams?Perspective.How you see yourself, and whether you believe you can meet your goals, depends on your perspective. Instead of looking at the last five years and the growing list of writers who have launched their writing careers while I sat on the sidelines:I should examine my personal success stories.What have I learned?What can I do better?Are there any parts of my writing process that should be examined and tweaked?How Can You Help?Let me know if you found this episode helpful. Hit me up on Twitter @BradyFrost or on my Author Page on Facebook.I'm currently looking into Patreon, but I don't want to spend too much time trying to build another page or resource when that time is better spent on my writing and developing the podcast beyond its infancy.For now, if you find this podcast helpful or enjoyable, the best way you can support me is to share it with like-minded folks.Tell Me About Your Goals.Share your goals on the Facebook Hunting the Muse Creative Writing Podcast group. Or send me a tweet on Twitter @BradyFrost with the hash tag #HuntingTheMuse. What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, in first-person or third, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week.  1. Breaking All the RulesAs a life-long fan of horror movies, you’ve subscribed to a certain set of rules that have always served to keep you out of trouble. The rules are simple enough:Never read a book of waking the dead or summoning a demon out loud. In fact, just leave those books alone.Don’t make fun of things you don’t understand.Under no circumstances should you ever take anything from the dead.And never, ever, stray from a beaten path, especially when you’ve been warned not to.These fundamental guidelines are put to the ultimate test one scorching afternoon when you’re out on a walk with an old friend at a local park. A strange object catches your eye and, against your better judgment, you feel powerless to do anything but investigate. Bonus: Make your character break all the rules. 2. A Captive AudienceYou’ve just arrived at an obligatory gathering, and within a few short moments, you’ve already found several faces who might benefit if an unfortunate “accident” took you out of the picture for good. After a few uneventful hours, you decide to make the best of it and try to enjoy yourself.Of course, as things like this usually go, that’s exactly the point when you notice something strange. The other guests around you are beginning to look drowsy. This isn’t the usual high-brow boredom you’re used to. When they begin to slip, one by one, into a deep slumber, there’s no denying that you’re being singled out. It’s abundantly clear that someone has gone to great lengths to acquire a private audience with you. After watching the last hold-out topple over and begin to snore, you gather your senses and head for the exit. It’s locked. And now you’re the perfect captive audience. Why would someone go to this much effort? Who are they and what do they want? 3. Another Cup of JoeIt’s late at night and you’re sitting all alone at the bar of Racquel’s, a near-empty diner . It’s been a long night and you could use some good hometown cooking without much fuss. Lucky enough for you, Racquel’s is open late and the staff don’t ask many questions. You’re just about to prompt the man behind the counter for another cup of joe when the bell on the door behind you chimes as it swings open. You glance back casually but are surprised when one of the newcomers seems to recognize what you really are. While none of their companions seem to be able to see through the veil, this could cause some unwanted complications with your evening plans. 4. DistractionsA group of people bring randomness to the word by coordinating appearances in the background of live news feeds.It all started with a scuba diver climbing out of a water fountain during a piece on city hall. The next big thing was a skydiver dressed in a utility company uniform landing and then climbing into a sewer access point behind the newscaster in a related piece about the city upgrading the utility infrastructure in the years ahead. Each new iteration seems to be ramping up the sheer, brazen craziness of it all. Just last night during live coverage outside the governor’s mansion, regarding a special budget approval session, a man who was engulfed in theatrical flames was “saved” by clowns spraying fire-retardant foam out of seltzer bottles. When the gig was up, all the performers piled into a disproportionately small car and sped off while the woman performing the interview stood, shocked into silence by the sudden outburst of activity. With fear of copycat hijinks popping up around the world, a special investigator has been put on the case. Is this just a desperate attempt by one of the networks to hike up ratings that got out of hand, is it some amateur college art project, or is there something bigger at play here? 5. A Letter in TimeYou get home after a long day at work. You’re ready for the day to be over, but it seems like fate has different plans. When you check the mail, you find a very strange looking letter. It is addressed to you, in your own handwriting, but you don’t remember ever having written such a thing. Perplexed, you take the envelope inside and open it. Enclosed is a hastily written note and a small key.Either someone is playing an elaborate hoax, or some other version of you is trying to warn you about events to come. The handwriting gets progressively worse, perhaps frantic with desperation, as the letter goes on. When you turn to the second page, you find what looks to be a few droplets of dried blood, a coded warning, and one last instruction. 6. Good Morning, SunshineYou wake up in someone else’s bed in a room you don’t recognize. You haven’t been restrained and there isn’t any evidence of a struggle. After snooping around for a while, you realize you’re the only one home. No matter how hard you try to remember, you have no recollection of how you ended up in this strange house.At this point you figure you have two options, you can either cut your losses and high-tail it out of there before whoever lives in the house gets home, or you could stay and investigate. If you choose to stay and look for clues, you might unearth valuable information to help you figure out what caused the loss of both time and memories, but risk encountering a less-than-hospitable host. 7. The Legend of the Sleeping Prince (Or Princess)Some say the royal family was cursed. Never has anyone seen a young prince (or princess) with such a sour face. The king’s advisors all predicted that the child would one day grow into a more pleasing disposition but, despite their optimism, the young man/woman never learned to smile. Nor had laughter ever escaped their lips.Distraught with the idea that their son/daughter would never know true happiness, the royal family have released an edict to the citizenry. To anyone who could manage to make their beloved child smile and laugh, they would grant a special gift, their progeny’s hand in marriage, knighthood (with lands and servants equivalent to the rank), or more bags of gold than the strongest man could carry. Naturally, the kingdom is abuzz with the news as comers from all across the region gather and prepare to put on their best shows. I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts. Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. 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4: Understanding Your Writing Goals

A Brand New Podcast Format, Outlining and Grapes, and Prompts.Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.(Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/2) If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. This week's show had a brand new format, the title has been changed to The Hunting the Muse Creative Writing Podcast after a serendipitous happenstance that occurred when submitting the podcast for iTunes approval.Weekly creative writing prompts will still be provided as part of the show.Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!The podcast started out with some personal updates. We visited the Perot Museum in Dallas this last weekend and Pokémon Go launched! We live out in the rural areas East of Dallas, so catching Pokémon and leveling up has been harder for us. The trip to Dallas, however, coincided with the server issues the social game was experiencing, so we didn't actually get to log in and play until just before we headed home.As for writing updates, I am hard at work with Final Hope, the continuation of the Chlorophyllium Collection, which picks up at a high tension point mid-way through Chlorophyllium 9 and expands the shorter work into a full-fledged novel. Chlorophyllium 9, itself, will be included in Final Hope as Part I and lays an important foundation for the rest of the story.For this project, I am increasingly realizing that I get my best word count when I have outlined sections in advance. I cover this in the episode and challenge my long-standing beliefs that I had outlining. There's an abstract story about my childhood friend, Joel, and grapes, which I use to break down the path that brought me to where I am today.If you are interested in learning more about outline vs. writing by the seat of your pants (otherwise known as 'pantsing'), a great resource is: Libbie Hawker's book,  Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing.What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week. 1. Did you say something?You were going about your business in a public space (a flea market, a farmer's market, or a crowded street), when you catch a snippet of conversation between strangers that sounds out of place and unexplainably alarming, though by itself benign and senseless. For some reason, this odd conversation sticks with you as you get back to the rest of your afternoon. After several hours, however, you come to realize the nonsensical words you'd overheard had a profound correlation to big events that were about to transpire that day.2. Before the storm.A large storm is brewing and the weather alerts advise taking cover. While you go about bolting the hatches and securing your emergency supplies, it becomes apparent that something else is troubling you. But just as the approaching storm will leave a trail of torrential havoc in its wake, this central conflict threatens to leave its own path of destruction.3. His name is Fernando.You are walking alone in a park, when you're approached by a dashing young gentleman who appears to be dressed in fancy, old-world attire. When he talks to you, his words sound overly proper, if not downright archaic. He says his name is Fernando and he's lost in this land so far from his own.4. Animal Instinct.You're visiting a zoo with friends when someone points out that all the animals you pass by seem to be tracking you with their eyes. Every exhibit is the same. Even if the animals were previously occupied, they immediately stop what they were doing and give you every last bit of their attention. Some approach the edge of their enclosures and lock eyes with you. What is it in their gaze? What are they trying to tell you?5. A modern golem.You aren't sure why it's happening, but one thing is for sure. You are slowly turning to stone. It started with a hard patch of skin on your big toe that you absently thought you should buff off the next time you took a shower. Now your feet appear to be perfectly lifelike, and mechanically functional, obsidian carvings. What's more, it's still spreading upward at a rate of at least a couple inches per hour.6.  I didn't ask for this.Many epic tales start with a call to adventure or a specific point where the hero must make a choice. You've just been given that choice, but you're tired of being the hero. You decide to let fate play out. Maybe someone else will step up and take the torch. What happens as a result of your decision? Does fate let you stay on the sidelines, or does she thrust you back into the thick of it?7. The damsel in distress.You're investigating the disappearance of several tourists in a quaint town in the mountains. The place is known for its lush forests, exquisite hiking trails, and mysterious ancient markings engraved into caves and rock faces by a civilization long forgotten by history. All of the missing person reports indicate that whatever was taking these travelers was after a certain victim profile: Young men in their early twenties to mid-thirties. Until recently, you hadn't had much luck cracking the case. But a young man just showed up in town, badly injured and bloody. He says he was lured off the path by the cries of a young woman who needed his help. He insists she's still out there in the woods and is rallying others to venture out to save her. (Or, you suspect, to sate her growing appetite.) I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts.Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join my monthly newsletter for writers and get more helpful content, encouragement, and more!* indicates requiredEmail Address * First Name Last Name Email Format htmltext Powered by MailChimp (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);If you enjoyed this feed, please stop by my blog! www.HuntingTheMuse.com

2: New Podcast Format and Grapes

Giving Yourself Permission to Write.Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.(Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/3) If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. This week's show is all about giving yourself permission to write. Weekly creative writing prompts are provided at the end of the show.Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!In this week's episode, I provided a quick personal update on my week so far and shared my impression of Scrivener's new iOS release.I also talked about Chris Fox's book, Write to market, which I cover in more detail below. It was a good read, and it caused me to rethink my current strategy for my novelette, Chlorophyllium 9. I've since decided to take it down from the wide online market while I make some changes that should better align it to be a fully functional Act 1 for Final Hope. I also learned about cover art and what expectations certain images can telegraph to potential readers. It was really interesting stuff!Podcast news: I created the Hunting the Muse Creative Writing Podcast group on Facebook, where we can share more creative writing discussions. You can also post your questions and request topics to be covered in future episodes. Feel free to post links to your writing that you based off the podcast's creative writing prompts.This is arguably the hardest phase of podcasting and I could really use your help! It's so difficult finding your target audience and receiving feedback. Drop me a line and let me know where I can improve and if you think my efforts are worthwhile.Now on to this week's topic! Giving Yourself Permission to Write.Why aren't you writing as much as you'd like? Are there any reasons that stand out in your mind? Perhaps there's not enough time in the day or you don't feel like it's worth the time? Do you constantly weigh the amount of effort it takes versus your ability or the possible outcomes? At some point, did you convince yourself that writing isn't a valid pursuit?What are your preconceptions about writing and where do they come from?What's more important, the idea of writing or the act?For some of us, writing is all we seem to think about. We're dreamers. "One day I'll write that novel." But actually sitting down to do it can be tough. We have trouble carving out time and negotiating other obligations. We have a fear of failure.What if I do this and it turns out to be no good?I can't fail if I don't try.(Which is actually, as it turns out, the ultimate failure: the failure to try.)Permission has to come from you!You are the only one who can give you the permission you need to write. No one else is going to make you a writer. No one else can make sure that you're present in the task when you show up to write.Support is nice, but it isn't required to produce art.Learn to count on yourself. Hunting the Muse is about taking control of your writing process. I'll admit, this wasn't always the case. Take a look in the archives and it's easy to see that there were times when I lost my way. What I learned is that it's important to have personal accountability and to pursue your dreams on your own terms.Make time to write, because it's important...As mentioned in this episode, Chris Fox's book, Write to Market: Deliver a Book that Sells, provides a good look into a thought process that major publishers have used for centuries. But instead of blindly submitting a manuscript and hoping the themes and tropes match what's on the publishing What's Hot list, Indie authors can do a little research and figure out what themes give their book the best chance on the market.Of course, these themes change over time and I would never recommend giving up the soul of your writing, but it can be helpful to understand what a potential reader might expect when they pick up your book. Understanding these expectations can help you formulate ways to both satisfy and surprise your readers.What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week. 1. The Fig TreeIn a post-apocalyptic world, a world devoid of most everyday conveniences, food is scarce. While picking through the scavenged remains of what used to be a thriving suburban neighborhood, you come across a rare bounty, a fruit-laden fig tree. Your fingers tremble as you pluck the tender figs. For the first time in days, you’ll finally have something to bring back to your small, weary group. 2. Tainted Water SupplyWhether your story emerges in a modern urban setting, a future dystopia, or on a compound at the desert’s edge, you’ve just discovered that the water supply has been tainted. Is it a rotting carcass in the well, a terrorist attack on the populace, or a would-be-resourceful neighbor who rerouted their secondary, irrigation water through the water main to avoid service shut off? What happens next? How do you cope?3. Welcome to Skagway!The year is 1898 and you’ve just arrived at the entry point to the legendary White Pass, a rapidly growing tent town known as Skagway. But unlike the rest of the saucer-eyed travelers enticed by the call of the Klondike gold rush, you aren’t here to pan for flakes and nuggets or stand hunched over a sluice box for hours on end. Your story should slowly reveal your true purpose and demonstrate what sets you apart from the others.4. The Yellow DogYou woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Your heart is racing, but all you can seem to remember of the vision is a shaggy, yellow dog. What does this omen mean and how does it come into play in the days ahead?5. Travel InterruptedYou were finally on your way, making that trip you always said you would go on. Then life stepped in. Now you’re stuck half-way through your journey and must wait, in limbo, while circumstances catch up and you can either resume your adventure or start the trip back towards home. What is your greatest emotional resistance to where you are now? What ultimately pushes you into either embracing the change or running from it?6.  Someone Magical This Way ComesThrough the course of a normal day, you happen to encounter someone who possesses a bit of magic. From the fantastical all the way down to the mundane charm of a twinkling eye and a knowing smile, there’s just something different about this person that sets them apart from the rest. Is it really magic? Is it charisma? What is it?7. Time to Let GoYou have in your possession a priceless memento, a reminder of a lost love or a best friend, a parent, or mentor. Today you stand at the brink, afraid that you’ve lost it all. But in a moment of sudden clarity, you know what you must do. You reach out your closed fist and let go. You give up that reminder of what the world used to be and resolve to start your journey anew. Letting go of that reminder of the past allows you to refocus on the present and you vow to cherish the ones in your life that you still have. As a special challenge, let your writing take us through that process. I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts.Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. 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3: Giving Yourself Permission to Write

Why I missed a week and the importance of fighting for your dreams.Fight for that Dream!(Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/10) Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.  If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. Today's podcast episode is about fighting for your dreams. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made if we're ever going to achieve the things we've spent so much time dreaming about.Do you want to be a writer? Well? Get writing!Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!Podcast NewsI missed last week, but I'm back with an extra long episode today to make up for it! Listener ShoutoutsRadio silence. Hit me up on Twitter or at www.rbradyfrost.com/contact-meWriting UpdatesAs I mentioned in the podcast update, I opted to press forward with my writing after encountering some resistance with unfortunate events last week. I am very happy with the progress I made and things are looking good! Still, we always have to keep pushing toward those goals.Pursuing your dreams is important.Don't just dream about what you want to accomplish. Start doing it. Time is the one resource you will never get more of. You might be able to get a promotion or take on a second job to make more money, but you will never get more time. Why do we often opt to spend time on diversions instead of doing the things we really want to do?The Sign-OffShow notes for this episode are rather sparse. This week was full of tangents and passion about writing and dreams. What else can I say?And now, for this week's writing prompts!What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week.  1. Wayward ShadowLike Peter Pan’s shadow, you’ve noticed your own dark twin has been acting of their own accord as of late. While this makes for some interesting party tricks and a lot of laughs, it isn’t something you can control and it seems as if your shadow is learning how to interact with objects in the real world. Your friends are convinced you’re some kind of amateur magician, but the truth is: you don’t have any tricks up your sleeve and you’re just as mystified as they are.A few nights of parlor tricks go by before things begin to get even more strange. Your shadow disappears for hours at a time and when it returns it often appears exhausted, collapsing on the fabric of your favorite armchair. Rarely, it will muster the strength to tear itself off the surface of the floor and walls and sit across from you like a darkened void. Staring into the dark hollows of its eyes makes a shiver run down your spine. How is any of this even possible? Then, after a particularly long absence, your shadow returns just moments before a loud knock sounds on your apartment door. It’s the police and they have a warrant for your arrest. They are saying something about fingerprints at the scene of the crime and inform you that you have the right to remain silent.2. The PatientYou’re a nurse and you love your job working nights at the hospital but, ever since a new doctor rolled into town a few months back, things have been getting weird. You can’t put your finger on what it is, exactly, and you’re determined to figure it out. As tensions rise, you find yourself backed into a precarious position. Someone has taken note of your snooping and now your job is on the line.You’ve always taken great pride in putting the patients first, and when you notice that some are disappearing, you know what you must do. You wait. At first it seems like the pattern has broken and everything has gone back to normal. Were you really just imagining things all along? No. Just when you were about to give up hope of ever finding another clue, you catch a glimpse of the new doctor casually rolling one of your patients, strapped to their bed, down the hallway. Knowing this might be your only chance, you follow them and uncover the horrible truth.3. The Secret of Rainier MesaOn September 19, 1957, the United States detonated a 1.7 kiloton nuclear warhead in underground, 65 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada. Code named Rainier, the test was a part of larger mission: Operation Plumbbob, which included some 29 nuclear explosions. However, of all the tests, this one was special. The nuclear device was placed in a small room, six by six by seven feet in dimensions, 900 feet below the surface of the mesa. Of course, most of the real details of the test were left off the reports.As a part of an independent scientific research group, your team has maneuvered to gain access to the remains of the underground chamber. Much of the information you have on the site has been pieced together from redacted reports and off-the-record commentary throughout the years. By taking advantage of certain political oversights, you manage to secure access approval. Though, as expected, you encounter significant resistance when your team arrives on-site. But your credentials check out and, after a bit of hassle, you are permitted to set up a base camp and begin operations. Fortunately, you’ve brought your own equipment, so the Test Site Coordinator’s efforts to slow down your progress doesn’t impede your operations.After two days of digging, you find the first signs of what you’ve been looking for: a previously undisclosed ancillary test chamber. Just as you’re about to breach the hardened rock shell and gain access to the secrets you’ve worked so hard to uncover, you spot a line of armed military vehicles speeding towards the dig site. You know you don’t have much time when you watch the column veer off the road, leaving clouds of dust behind them as they close the gap to your location. It’s now or never.4. Such Beautiful EyesIt was a chance encounter, nothing more than a blip in history to most, but somehow a connection was made. Now you can’t stop thinking about them. No matter how many times you use the your time machine, you’ve never encountered anyone quite like them. They had such beautiful eyes; a deep blue, deeper than any ocean, and no matter how far away you travel, you’re sure you’ll never forget. But why can’t you find them when you go back?Your scanner can pick up no trace of any individuals matching your search criteria. Was it nothing more than a specter, a ghostly image of a history that once was and yet may never be? Or have you encountered another like yourself, one who can travel unbound through the ages? Could there be another time traveler weaving their way through history? If so, were you destined to meet? What will come of this chance encounter and will you ever learn the secrets hidden behind those beautiful eyes?5. At the Bottom of the WellWhen your friend accidentally drops a prized possession into the well, you volunteer to climb down and swim to the bottom in search of it. With the sun directly overhead, you can barely see into the murky depths. Something lurks in the shadows, something unexpected and profound. What is it?6. Before it Slips AwayYour night was filled with enchanting dreams of far off places. While you knew you were dreaming, you couldn’t help but hope it would never end. But, as with all things, the end did come. Now you find yourself staring at your ceiling while you try to piece through what was dream and what is real. Just as you’re about leave the memory behind, you find something lying next to you on the bed: an impossible souvenir from a night you’re now sure you won’t soon forget.7. The Shadowy BargainYou’ve just been informed that the data center you’ve been working at will soon close. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people in your career field will be scrambling for jobs. The market will be flooded. How can you hope to pick up the pieces after this devastating news? Instead of heading home, you decide to linger in the city and walk the darkened streets. You know you’re expected home, but when your phone rings, you can’t help but ignore it. You’ve worked so hard and feel so lost and… alone.Then you see her. She stands beneath the dim street light with her shopping cart full of mysterious objects. She beckons you over with strange promises of a brighter future. As you approach, you can’t help but notice the slight glow emanating from under her overcoat. She’s no devil or demon, she says, just a wayward fairy trying to make her way home, but granting wishes comes with a price. What bargain is this spirit of the fey trying at? What are the stakes, and what choice will you make? I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts. Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. 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10: Fight for that Dream

The Scene that Never Was -The difference between storytelling and writing.(Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/11) Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.  If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. I was talking with Tara this week about my Coma: The Cataclysm project and today's episode stemmed from that conversation.Is it possible to plan a scene so long that you forget you never actually wrote it? Yes. I can confirm that this is a distinct possibility!Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!Podcast NewsI realized that my podcast episode file sizes were pretty large and I'm experimenting with adjusting the settings to get things just right. Big files means more hosting costs and a pain for you. So I'm going to be working on that in the future. Also. just a heads up, there probably won't be an official podcast next week. We're going on a little trip and it may be difficult to record and upload something. Also, stay tuned for this week's special, funny creative writing prompts intro. I don't think this one will be permanent, but it was a lot of fun to throw together and I challenge you to listen to it without smiling.Writing UpdatesI've had to make some tough decisions with my writing lately. Yeah? One of the big ones came with the realization, and finally admitting to myself, that Chlorophyllium 9 doesn't make for a very searchable title. And it's really hard to get the type settings to look good on my cover. So, going forward, I think I'm settling on the new title: Distant Worlds. While this move ditches the novelty of showcasing the name of the mineral I invented, it makes a lot more sense when you consider how readers will find and otherwise look for the novella.I had originally intended that title to be for one of the novels in the series, but it really does capture the essence of what Chlorophyllium accomplishes as a story. It's okay! I have plenty of time to  come up with a replacement title for future books as I move forward.I'm still working on Final Hope and making progress. It isn't coming as fast as I would like, but every day I sit down and write and get my word count higher, it's a win. Storytelling vs. WritingHow much time do you spend in the planning phase of creating your story? Are you like me, in that sometimes it seems like you spend far more time planning and building than you do actually writing?This can be a significant problem for some writers. Myself included. But, I'm climbing that mountain every single day. Instead of just dreaming about writing, I'm actually doing it. Look, there are a lot of resources out there. A lot of products claim to have all the answers, but it's a never-ending road, that one. Sometimes I think how-to writing books and courses tend to feed into themselves, imparting a fear of failure in many cases when they should be filling you with hope.Make sure you're not just crafting a story, if your dream is to be a writer, stop planning and start doing. Start writing and let that be the medium you use to tell your story. I'm doing it. It goes one step at a time. And guess what? You can do it too.Stop buying into products that promise to make you into a writer. You've got to actually sit down and do it. If you want to read something, read a book you love or even one you hate. What did the author do well? More-so, how did they tell the story?The PrologueThis once scene in particular, the one I thought I wrote, will be making its debut on my blog in the next couple of days. You can check it out here: http://www.rbradyfrost.com/comaThe scene has changed a bit since I first imagined it. Much of it is the same, but I did choose to break sooner. I've learned how to be a better storyteller since then, and part of that is knowing where to cut things to leave both an emotional impact and a desire to read more.I'm not about to say I've done it perfectly, but I think it's pretty good and it's a heck of a lot better than not being written at all. Right?The Sign-OffKeep moving forward, folks! You can do this! Don't let your scenes or chapters be the ones that never were.And now, for this week's writing prompts!What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week.  1. Call of the WaterEver since you were a small child, you’ve heard a song that no one else seemed to hear every time you were near a large body of water. Now that you’re grown , you can’t seem to shrug the call of the ocean. You feel driven to the shoreline and some powerful force compels you to step out into the oncoming waves.2. A Sky of FlamesThe world is burning. At night, the sky glows orange from the wildfires. The mid-day sun is oft obscured by the dark tendrils of smoke. Sunsets blaze red in the west, leaving an echo of the days’ destruction in the last vestiges of light before the bonfire that consumes the night.3. ColonyChosen as a member of the first planetary colony, outside of Earth, you have started the voyage to what will be your new home. The trip is long and, once the initial experience and excitement wears off, rather boring. But it’s the perfect time to get to know your new colony-mates.4. The Broken PromiseYou always said you’d never lie to those you love, but after recent events you are starting to rethink that promise. Some things are better left unsaid. How could you expect them to understand? The things you’ve seen would be too much for most and it’s a burden you can’t have them bear.5. Needle and HaystackIn true fairytale fashion, you’ve been set to an impossible task. If you succeed, riches and opportunity beyond imagination. If you fail? Well, let’s just say that would be significantly less pleasant. You have twenty-four hours to beat the odds or pay the price. Will you rise to the challenge, find an unexpected loophole, or suffer the consequences of failure?6. The Three VisitorsThroughout the course of the night, you’re visited by three apparitions. But this is no Christmas story. These ghosts have other intentions, and you are the one person who can help them realize their schemes. Hold onto your hat, throw on your slippers, and prepare yourself for an spectral, out-of-this-world adventure that no one saw coming.7. The Corporate SchemeSomeone high up in the food chain at work has been making waves, and it’s no secret that they’re pulling any string they can find to get their friends in high places. All around you people are talking about leaving the company in an effort to get out of the toxic environment. You don’t know if it was all the promises this person made when they first arrived or what. Surely, other executives have done the same in the past and most folks just looked the other way. As fate would have it, you find yourself in the hot seat. You’ve somehow managed to come across a thread of information that will undo this person’s entire career. You feel morally obligated to bring it to light, yet you’re not sure you want to be the one who faces the consequences of doing so. I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts. Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join my monthly newsletter for writers and get more helpful content, encouragement, and more!* indicates requiredEmail Address * First Name Last Name Email Format htmltext Powered by MailChimp (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); If you enjoyed this feed, please stop by my blog! www.HuntingTheMuse.com

11: The Scene that Never Was

Creative Writing Commentary and Weekly Creative Writing PromptsWelcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. These prompts are a part of the HuntingTheMuse.com Weekly Creative Writing Prompt Podcast If you haven't already, please consider subscribing.There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you.Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse.Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!1. A large, iron feather falls from the sky, landing mere inches from your foot.It started out like any other day, but you knew things were about to get strange when you were nearly struck dead by a most unusual thing. You instantly think of that science experiment where two objects of differing mass fall at the same speed in a vacuum. But this is real life, not a vacuum. Where did that iron feather come from? 2. But first, let me take a selfie.It's been a rough night, but after your friend took a massive hit to their ego earlier in the week, you've been doing your best to be a good buddy and let them blow off steam. But, so help you, if you have to pose for one more stupid selfie, you swear you're going to scream. Your phone has been lighting up like crazy, undoubtedly from being tagged in the online photo archive of your night out on the town. Halfway through the night, however, something strange happens. When you finally give in and check your alerts, it appears that your online friends have seen something in the background of several photos that has them spooked. What is it? Where do things go from here? 3. Hello? Guys? Where did everyone go?After arranging to meet some acquaintances at an old, derelict factory swallowed by forest on the outskirts of town, you make a quick stopover to grab a video camera from a friend. When you arrive, it appears that the gang has left without you. Their cars are parked where you arranged to meet, but you can see no sign of the group. They must have followed the overgrown path through the woods toward the old building. Turning the camera on, you set out into the dark after them. 4. An unusual request.You're on your way home when a stranger approaches you. From the tear streaks that have drenched their cheeks to their bloodshot eyes, you can tell they've been having a rough time at it. After your awkward introductions, they hit you up with a very unusual request. They have money, lots of it. What they don't have is a friend. Will you be their companion? You can go anywhere, do anything, if only you'll help take them away from the shadow of their misery.5. The elephant in the room.You're called into an impromptu meeting with several people you've only met in passing. Everyone is excited about a new prospective initiative, a veritable goldmine of potential. The only thing is, they're way off base with their numbers and technology can't support their anticipated service. Do you expose the elephant in the room or go on with the ruse?6.  The map to nowhere.When you stopped for lunch at a hole-in-the-wall diner, the waitress nodded you over to a booth in the back. Halfway through your sandwich, an older gentleman with shaky fingers and a stuttering step walked up and gave you a map. He didn't say anything, but the twinkle in his eye piqued your interest. Like an idiot, you followed the directions. X marks the spot, right? You pull up to the marked destination to find a pair of shovels and several piles of dirt.7. Hiding in plain sight.Take a look around you and then choose any one of the everyday objects in your field of vision. Now imagine this thing anew. What secrets does it keep? How is it more than just ordinary? If there doesn't seem to be any striking detail or attribute to make it special, invent one.I hope you've enjoyed this week's creative writing prompts.Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. 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1: Awkward First Episode

A Creative Writing Blog and Podcast by R. Brady Frost

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Hunting the Muse: Creative Writing Podcast

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