Prison

 

Prison – Abstract Print by Claudia H. Blanton Available on RedBubble

Prison – A Haiku

self-imposed is
the prison holding me now
I long to be free

If you or anyone you know is suicidal, please contact your local help centers or call 1-800-273-8255. Please get help. The world is a better place with you in it.

Gratitude And Express Yourself – Weekly Posts

Time for  another blog hop smash up!

Again, there is so much to be grateful for, if one just chooses to look!

This week, I am  very grateful for connections. I have had the chance to interview a great writer, Devon Martin, connected with a comedian from Los Angeles (can’t wait to see her perform), talked to fellow Authors, and Flash Fiction writers, and was able to share some of the great work they are doing with others.

Warm afternoons – now there is another things to be grateful for. Mornings are chilly right now, but at least the afternoons are decent. I need warmth, I always freeze, so warm afternoons are like a balm for my body and soul.

Celebrations – this week there are two coming up, a celebration linked to Patron Goddess Hecate (January 31st), and Imbolc (February 2nd). For both days I want to bake something, just not quite sure what yet – not exactly a diet friendly celebration, hehe.

This week, we are asked to talk about writer tips we found helpful. I think I will serve you best, by answering this question by giving you links to sites and a list of books, so you can check them out yourself, and take from that what works best for YOU:

Books:

Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder (scripts)

Getting Things Done by David Allen  (not exactly about writing, but teaching you how to organize your thoughts, notes, and time, which I find essential for a writer)

How To Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson

Websites:

Script – filled with articles on writing, not just for film and television writers http://www.scriptmag.com/features/balls-of-steel-get-real-with-your-writing-goals

Get Into The Story – filled with good advice, again can be translate to writing, especially if you have problems with dialogue – learn it from screenwriters http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2012/01/1-2-7-14.html

another script writing blog – but hey, that is what I am currently focusing on http://johnaugust.com/

So, I hope you find something useful there. I am looking forward to hearing what inspired you this week!

 

Express Yourself – And Gratitude

This week I am doing another blog hop mash up: Express Yourself and Celebrate The Small Things, in order to participate in all of the wonderful blog hops that happen to be on at the end of each week!

Express Yourself asks what our favorite movie of 2014 was? Ah, I love movies – after all I am a Screenwriter, so that is kind of a job requirement – so I could make a list. But the ultimate favorite movie of last year, well that was “Lucy”, a movie with Scarlett Johansen, that flew a little bit under the radar. Here is the trailer:

Which brings me to gratitude. I am grateful for movies, and how many wonderful movie theaters are in our area.

I am grateful for the way they make me feel, and inspire me in return to want to make an audience feel. That to me is ultimate entertainment, to arouse some kind of emotional responds, may it be the one I intend, or one unintended. Either way.

I am grateful for the Authors and Artists I have spoken to this week, some of which I am interviewing for this blog, and for Medium, and some of who’s work I will share here as Guest bloggers – which is a new thing I am about to start on Avalon.

I am grateful that I have ideas, and even if they are sometimes scary to pull off, I am grateful that I am not shrinking back from the opportunities.

I am grateful to be an Artist.

I am grateful that we have a successful business which allows me to explore my art, without having to worry about the bills being paid, or if there is food on the table.

I am grateful for having a wonderful and supportive husband, great employees, and loving kids.

Enough about what I am grateful for, what are you grateful for this week? I hope you all had a wonderful week, and I am looking forward to sharing again with you next week – blessings!

Claudia

Express Yourself – Week of January 16th, 2015

This weeks “Express Yourself” prompt asks us about a musical of play we have viewed. Here is my answer to this interesting question:

It has been a long time since I have been to a play, or musical, if you don’t count my daughter’s performances with her former acting school.

The last “real”one I remember attending, was with my mother ten years ago in Germany. We went with her friend to a performance of a local theater group which performed a 1 hour play, that was written just for the occasion and was traditional Bavarian folklore. Funny and a little over the top, dressed as you probably imagined in lederhosen and the Dirndl, a specific dress worn to special ooccasionsin Bavaria, where I am from. To give you guys an idea what I am talking about, here is an image of what a stage in a play would look like:

I know the following example is in German, but it is still kind of interesting to watch, especially considering how different a traditional play here in the US is from a traditional play in southern Germany. Enjoy!

P.S. The video is from an older performance, but it was hard to find anything on YouTube that represented the type of play I was talking about.

Express Yourself Meme – Resolutions

Express Yourself is back – well, actually it was never gone, but somehow I did not find the time for the majority of the last few months to post as a part of this blog hop. This year, however, I am a much more organized (cough) blogger – I hope, so I decided this would be a good time to try this again.

This week, we are asked to write about our resolutions. I am going to limit it here to my writing and blogging goals – I blogged about my more personal, and otherwise categorized resolutions on my spiritual blog already.

Here they are:

1. blog more regularily and with purpose. I am building a brand – me – so that means I have to be a more responsible and directed, mission-oriented blogger. This goes for all three of my blogs.

2. balance three blogs, and not neglect any of them. Every one of my blogs covers an area of my life I am very passioned about. Because they really are not related, and putting them into one would be an unorganized mess, I have three. Spirituality, Productivity, and of course, this one about writing/reading.

3. connect – I want to build relationships, and maybe even friendships through these blogs. Writing means not much without an audience, and caring for this audience is a part of this years mission.

I am looking forward to reading all of your different resolutions!

Wishing you all the most wonderful 2015!

Claudia