Tuesday 10 June 2014

Blogging beats other social media...at least for my readers. And a little romance...

Hello everyone!

My post for IWSG (below) was about whether we preferred blogging over other social media. It seems (not surprisingly) those who visit me prefer blogging. That's good to know. Most commenters who prefer blogging stated, however, that they have changed the way they blog. Instead of daily, or thrice-weekly posts, most are posting once a week. Personally, I think once a week is enough to keep in touch and have your little soapbox/inspirational/crafty moment, but more importantly, it enables us to devote more time to our writing.

Apparently, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the prime blog post reading days, so if you post once a week, maybe you, like me, are posting around Wednesday.

Today I am giving a shout out to my monthly bloghop, WEP, which is there to give writers of any ilk the chance to participate in a writing prompt. It is a great way to get feedback, and some (including myself) have used the bloghop to write a serial that will evolve into a publishable novella. It's amazing how the prompt can shape the story.

Some of you know that WEP evolved from RomanticFridayWriters, but that shut out those who didn't write romance, or didn't think they did. But most of us agree that whatever the genre, often a romantic element gives the story that buzz, that tension, that isn't present if there's no hint of romance.

I saw The Fault in our Stars yesterday. For those of you who've read the book, I highly recommend the movie which stays very true to the book. Even though this is a story of living with a terminal illness, without the romance between Hazel and Gus the story would not have been nearly as engaging. Their romance gave readers/viewers a focus for their shattered emotions as they viewed teenage angst from another point of view.

So, on Wednesday 24th June - Friday 26th June, I invite you to dabble in romance if you haven't before, or post romantic photos, post a photo essay from a romantic city/place/time in your life, pen romantic poetry, get your vamp on...whatever you fancy! There's a $10 Amazon Gift Card for the most creative entry!

As a taster for the ROMANCE prompt, here is a romance with a twist I wrote a couple of years ago for #FridayFlash when I got my vamp on...I hope you enjoy it.




I remember when the sky stretched above me, high and blue. I remember it filtering through the branches in slivers of light.

You reached out your hand and took the picnic blanket, red and black, made of the softest wool. You shook it free from its folds, its tassels floating in the afternoon breeze, until it settled onto the thick grass.

Mesmerised, I watched the rise and fall of your arms, then you stepped forward, held those arms out to me.

There we lay, bathed in sunlight and joy, inhaling the sweet smell of the sea.

So wrapped were we in each other we didn't notice the air had become cool.

I turn and see the stranger who is no stranger.

The strength of him is like nothing I've seen. His powerful arms fling me aside as if I were a rag doll. My face is in the grass. I squirm to the side, my head thick and throbbing.

I hear my Adoni grunt. The stranger is a madman. The two men struggle, but Adoni is no match for those arms, muscles like steel ropes, squeezing. 


Adoni is failing.

I fling myself onto the madman's back. I feel helpless but Adoni needs me. 

Pulling, pulling, on the ropey arms. The stranger turns to me and I see eyes gleaming like underwater stones.

It is the moment of inattention Adoni needs.

"Rialdo!" he screams. "She's mine now. Let us be!"

The madman falls to his knees. I peer closer. It is Rialdo. I remember the sweetness of our love...but this is another Rialdo, a man undone by love, Adoni's and mine.

I drop to my knees and face him.

"Adoni speaks truly, Rialdo. Our love was of another time, another world."

"My world is bleak and black without you, my love. I have come for you."

"No!" I hear Adoni scream.

Rialdo's eyes burn red in the fading light.

"No!" I echo Adoni's scream, dread thrumming through me. "I must stay with Adoni. He is my life now! We have many years of earthly pleasure before us."

"I'm sorry my beloved, but I must take you with me this time. Now. You will be mine into eternity."

I remember the last earthly sound I heard. It was the rustling of the leaves in the trees at the edge of the forest and my name in the wind - "Elspeth! Elspeth! Stay!"


Over to you...


You can practise your short stories, flash fiction, poetry etc during the WEP challenge each month. Current prompt - ROMANCE. You can sign up right here in my sidebar or visit WRITE...EDIT..PUBLISH.Love to have you - you can request critique, suggestions...we may even help you get published!!


30 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Good to know blogging isn't dead. I didn't get the memo anyway.
My Feedly reader tells me Monday is the busiest day for posting, and I know a lot who only post that day. Myself included. It does indeed free time for writing, which I really need now.

Pat Hatt said...

A kind of love that may not be grand for both in the end, dragged away, nice one at your bay.

Once a week? damn, the cat would need 50 blogs then to get everything said lol

Luanne G. Smith said...

Yep, I've decided to blog once a week. Wednesdays seem to work best with my schedule so I'm going to give that a try for awhile.

Not sure about seeing TFIOS movie. The books was such a tear-jerker. Sigh. Maybe.

And yikes on that story. Cool description of the eyes like underwater stones. :)

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Only post on Monday? That would give me more time to write for sure. An engrossing romance, Denise.

Denise Covey said...

Interesting Alex, that the day is now Monday, but that would be our Sunday, and very few peeps blog that day, so I'm still good for Tuesday which is your Wednesday.

Denise Covey said...

Ha Ha, Pat, there are exceptions to the once a week!!

Denise Covey said...

Go see TFIOS, L.G. It's every bit as much a tear jerker as the book, but is a worthwhile experience. Loved it!!

Denise Covey said...

I know I'll never convince you to blog only once a week Roland!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

For the past year, I usually only blog once per week as well. It has worked perfectly for me :)

Natalie Aguirre said...

Glad blogging is still so popular. And I agree with you that blogging once or twice a week is enough for everyone for most blogs.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I'm once or twice a week now. There are certain days of the week it's just not worth blogging on anyway.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Denise,

Nicely written. Wonderful tension and emotion...

I certainly have cut down to two, sometime three times a week, depending on the intros. But I do LOVE my blogging and glad to hear it is still fashionable. LOL.

Jo said...

Well as you know, I blog 6/7 but then I have no books to write so I love to blog.

Sad little romance.

Anonymous said...

I blog 2-3 times a week. Sometimes I blog once a week if things are really busy. I hope to see TFIOS after loving the book. Great piece.

Denise Covey said...

You'll enjoy it then Medeia.

Denise Covey said...

Great that you've found a niche in blogging, Jo.

Denise Covey said...

There'll always be Alex, Roland, Michael, and, er, me, blogging to the end! Great way to interact.

Denise Covey said...

You're right. Once a week, maybe twice if there's something else to do/say...works for me.

Denise Covey said...

I think blogging will always have its place Natalie.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise .. as long as people read I will blog .. but this TFiOS sounds good I hadn't heard of it .. so will look out for it here .. it opens in about 6 weeks time here .. cheers Hilary

Denise Covey said...

I hope you get to see it Hilary.

Nilanjana Bose said...

Once a week blogging - I have a different blog for that :)

Charmaine Clancy said...

Gorgeous writing as always Denise. And I'm looking forward to seeing The Fault in Our Stars.
I just blog when I blog now, but once a week sounds sensible to me.

Deniz Bevan said...

Aww, such a sad story. I want to know what happens after! Love the characters' names.
I'm not sure I'm ready to watch The Fault in Our Stars. The Book had me bawling my eyes out...
Funny about the blogging. I've been blogging once a week on Wednesdays for quite a while now. I'd miss blogging if I wasn't around. Twitter is great fun and tumblr and pinterest are neat too, but they're so much more ephemeral. I like the deeper thoughts you can get with a blog post.

Denise Covey said...

I love Pinterest too, Deniz.

dolorah said...

Cool short story.

I loved The Note Book and Choices, so I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy The Fault in our Stars.

Denise Covey said...

Who couldn't?

Trisha said...

I need to see that movie - I read the book and thought it was amazing.

Li said...

The Fault In Our Stars sounds like a great book/movie, but a little to close to home for me.
I've cut back on blogging due to increased work load and a baby granddaughter - all good news, but it's taking a bite out of my writing time right now. :-)

Michelle Wallace said...

Hi Denise
I hope you're well?
I have TFIOS on my want to read list.
I still enjoy my blogging. My blogging schedule looks like it's once every 9 or 10 days... I'm really trying to get a story outline done, and still working on polishing my flash fiction/vignette collection.
...and there's also the teaching...
I haven't participated in WEP for a long time now. But I'll get back to it...
Intriguing flash fiction piece, Denise! I felt a sense of immediacy and great tension too...