He eats gravel
Chews on stone
Crunching crunching
On rock harder than bone
He swallows big mouthfuls
Out on the street
If you’re out driving
Then you might just meet
You’ll be going along
And feel a loud bump
Followed by your back tire
Complaining with a thump
You’ll ask yourself
What could make such a hole?
Torn up pavement
Such a sight to behold.
Your annoyance is apparent
A foul mood you foster
For many a times you have met
The pothole monster
★The Chosen Games
A land in a fantasy country is ruled by “The Chosen” one, which is predicted by a prophecy by having a special and specific physical feature (this could be white hair, different colored eyes, anything really). However, unfortunately, multiple people fit this criteria so when it is time for a new “Chosen” to be picked to rule and protect the kingdom, a competition is held to find out who is really the chosen one. Let the games commence!
★Chosen Few
A vague prophecy predicts a land to be saved by a “chosen” hero among the people. However, five different families cite their child as the chosen one, each interpreting the prophecy differently. They meet to settle this matter once and for all but, to their surprise, the children take to each other, becoming friends. They decide that perhaps it doesn’t quite matter who was chosen and form a team that will bring down the evil plaguing their land.
★Chosen Hunter
You’re tasked with finding The Chosen one who is destined to bring about the destruction of an evil king. You search high and low but find yourself short of time. Tired, in a rush, and sick of your years long search, you randomly choose your Chosen One. You weren’t one to really believe in prophecies anyway.
★Made not Born
Deep in a wood, a clearing can be found. In it, an orphanage that very few know about. Above the entrance a sign reads “The Fairy Godmother’s Orphanage for The Chosen Ones”. Then, just below that “your destiny awaits”.
I read a tweet awhile back (as all good stories start I’m sure) and I just really wanted to discuss it. It’s a tweet that is by a woman named Elicia Donze (an artist) that reads as follows:
I immediately knew I wanted to talk about this, especially since I, myself, am a creator of art. All different kinds in fact, the biggest one being writing. And, subsequently, I know a few writers (and artists) follow me as well. So I think this is good for both me and my readers to hear.
Sometimes you spend a lot of time working on a piece of art, usually for me it’s a writing piece. I work and work on it until I’m done. I step back and reread over the piece and instant dissatisfaction. Not because it’s BAD but because it just doesn’t sound like I want it to. I want it to sound like that narrator in that book I just read a few days ago. The one that was particularly clever. I want it to sound like my favorite authors. In short, I want it to sound like someone else. Because, apparently, the sign of creative genius is your work sounding nothing like you. Something like a stranger wrote. This is, of course, a lie. One that I am often guilty of without even realizing it.
It’s hard when I get so inspired by the world around me that I want what I create to look EXACTLY like that. But, in doing so, I’m defeating the whole purpose of me creating. The joy comes from MY specific take on something. The point is it becomes unique by the fact that I’m merely creating it. If I am creating something correctly, it should look different from everyone else’s work. But it should also sound like ME. And, as the tweet above states, that’s the valuable part of your art.
I know this is a short post but I really wanted to talk about this because I think it’s something that many creators struggle with. Let me know in the comments below what you think! Have a lovely day!
★ A Book by its Cover
You find a book with a title that is your name.
★ The Library Mirror
You walk around a library and find a magic mirror which you walk through. In this new world, you find the library you were in but mirrored. That and the patrons look suspiciously like book characters from the books you’ve read in the library from your world. Opening a book in the mirror world you find the book characters are the regular people from your world.
★ Safehouse
The world is ending. The last safe house in town is a public library. Locked and safe, here people build a book centered community that continues to grow and survive.
★ Book Hunter
You accidentally tick off a knowledge deity. They’re Annoyed and you’re indebted to them now. Your punishment? You will not be free of your servitude to them until you return every book to its place on its shelf in the deity’s enormous library. Your hunt begins.
★ No Return
There is book you want to read at the library that is LONG overdue. You finally run into the person who has it. You go on to make it your quest to befriend them and get the book back so you FINALLY figure out what happens next. Little do you know that the person with the book has a crush on you and is now not returning the book simply out of fear you’ll stop talking to them.
★The Banned Book Club
You fall through a secret door to find a whole different, hidden level to your library. You are introduced to the “banned” book section of the library along with the readers- “The secret banned book club.”
★Monster Among the Shelves
A monster roams the shelves of the library at night after closing. You don’t realize this until you accidentally fall asleep in a chair during working hours and are forgotten about. You wake up in near complete darkness. And you are not alone in the library.
★Knight Detective
King Arthur is dead. This means disaster for the kingdom and such a deed will not go unpunished. But there is one problem- no one seems to know who did it. Queen Guinevere, the widow, launches an investigation and narrows down the suspects to the Knights of the round table. Uncertain she can go about the task of interviewing some of Arthur’s closest confidant without some mixed feelings, she turns to you to head the investigation. As her head lady in waiting, you are curios as to how this is going to turn out.
★Blind Detective
You’re used to being underestimated. People think you can’t do your job properly. But little do they know, you’re the best detective in the city and criminals fear you, especially when you’re on their case.
★Lavender Detective
Dawning a purple coat, one could easily pick you out in a crowd. But your sense of fashion isn’t the only thing on point. Your detective skills are even better. Well known in the area as the best of the best, when those in need see your purple coat, they know help can be given.
★Witch Detective
How much easier do you think the job of detective would be if you had familiars to do work for you? Or spells to cast and those who opposed your mission? It would be quite a bit easier (and interesting) I’d imagine.
★Ghost Detective
You are a detective who can commune with the undead. You take on the cases of the ghosts of people who have died, hunting down the perpetrators to enact justice.
★Love Detective
A serial killer has a crush on a detective. So, to see the detective and continue interacting with them, they commit crimes. This, however, makes thing quite difficult for everyone else involved especially for the detective themselves.
★Melancholy Castle
You buy a castle and go about renovating it. It’s beginning to look rather homey when you begin to see shapes moving in the halls at night. Soon, scenes of people who no longer exist play before your very eyes in broad daylight. Turns out, this castle has stood the test of time and outlived many families. But it struggles to let the memories of its old inhabitants go, so you are witnessing it memories playing out.
★What The Stainglass Tells
You own a castle. One day, walking its halls, you notice some of the stainglass pictures the windows depict look rather familiar. It is showing scenes from your life though some seem to have not occurred yet…
★Lady of The Lake
You are the lady of the lake. You live in your lovely, fairy castle, biding your time as you consider who the new hero of the land will be. A young child stumbles upon your domain and suddenly you find yourself considering them as a potential candidiate.
★Mossfell
Romping through the woods in your backyard, you stumble upon a moss covered structure. Upon closer inspection, you conclude that it is, in fact, a castle. But, little do you know, something deep inside sleeps. And you may have just woke it up and your little sub division neighborhood is not ready for it.
★Moon Castle
You live in a castle as a princess. Peacefully you live out your days on your magical little planet until one day, a very odd piece of machinery interrupts your tranquil afternoon. From out of it, steps an odd individual in a strange, white suit. Unbeknownst to you, this is an astronaut and your castle is perched upon the moon.
Truth is a battered woman,
Trampled beneath people’s feet.
After all, you can pick her flavor?
Savory, salty, or sweet?
Nothing is ever absolute
Except for that statement.
Fear of responsibility is the root,
Of this disease that has spread
That will murder your morality
And choke truth dead.
Because if there is a right,
It would cause a conundrum,
That we avoid with all our might.
But I’m afraid the world sings this song
That if there is a right,
There must be a wrong.
So if you are on the way
And you happen upon truth
Wrap her up and hold close
Feed her at your table
And she’ll show you what you treasure most
Digging through dirt and dust
Bones and broken pottery,
Shards and rust.
I seek truth and secrets true
A discipline kept
By very few.
In my work,
I search for one thing
Between the cracks of walls it lurks
As I work, it becomes clear,
That on sentence,
“Someone was here.”
★Foreversea
Wendy makes it to Neverland but finds herself disgusted with the childish cruelty of Peter Pan. Filled with rage at his mistreatings of the Lost Boys, she finds herself siding with the pirates. The last straw comes when Peter’s immaturity and callousness leads to her brother’s death. Alone and seeking revenge, Wendy picks up a blade, taking on a title that Peter would learn to Fear.
★Snow White the Dwarf
A tale about a dwarf with dark hair, ruby red lips, and pale skin who is being hunted by a group of seven gifted and dangerous hunters.
★Rapunzel the Witch
Rapunzel is a herb collecting, magic worker who is sought out for her fabled “magic” hair and abilities. So she hid herself away in a tower. But an Evil Prince has plans to find her.
★Belle the Beast
A girl who is shunned by a town finds a home in a mysterious castle. An enchantress finds her here and casts a spell on her that transforms her into a powerful beast so that she would never feel helpless again and has the means to make people leave her alone.
★The Little Sea Witch
Tell me the story of a young sea witch who fears humans and their polluting ways. Also tell me of the prince who vowed to hunter her down.
★The Bear with Gilded Fur
A heartwarming story about a bear cub with gilded fur who wonders her way into a cottage in the woods. There, a family of three finds her and wishes to take care of her.
★Rumpelstiltskin
Tell me the story of a female fae creature and her adventures trying to con irresponsible nobles and royalty who wish to make flippant promise that they cannot fulfill.
★Red Fur
A Wolf with bright Red Fur must outwit a hunter so she can reunite with her pack on the other side of the woods.
★Hansel and Gretel
A pair of magic working siblings run an orphanage in the woods where they take in children abandoned by their parents.
★The Piper Children
A group of orphans band together and learn bardic magic to get revenge on a town that shunned them and turned them away.
★The Sleeping Witch
In this version, Maleficent was actually invited to the gift giving of Sleeping Beauty. She was gifted with magic more powerful than any that has been seen before but signs of such power would not show until her 16th birthday. Fearing the child to be dangerous, the fairies put her in a deep sleep. Until an unsuspecting prince decides to force himself upon her, awakening a deep rage in her and the magic.
★Alice, Queen of Wonderland
Alice stumbles upon wonderland and, instead of being confused and misled by its inhabitants, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She brings an end to the Queen of Hearts and very swiftly. Soon, the courtyard echoes with the announcement.
“All bow to Alice, the Queen of Hearts!”
Hello, lovely people! I hope this post finds you well! Valentines day is around the corner and, I don’t know about you, but I am ready to have a cute, pink picnic to celebrate. So here’s a quick guide to what to bring to create your own Valentines Day Picnic and make it unforgettable.
I think sparkling pink juice is simply a must for achieving this lovely, whimsical and romantic vibe. Not only does it taste amazing, but the bottles are beautiful and can double as vases later.
And just to be clear, they don’t HAVE to be roses (I know they can be CRAZY expensive). You can go for some daisies or wildflowers or whatever you can pick near you. A frugal Valentines Day is a good one in my opinion, not to mention I think Wildflowers are just as pretty as your romantic roses.
I mean, what else are you going to drink your sparkling juice from? Not to mention they fit the vibe perfectly. Also, don’t be afraid to try out some adorable tea sets. Those also make for wonderful glassware for your main character Valentines’ Day Picnic.
Strawberries are a very easy snack to bring along on your picnic. Plus, they don’t make a huge mess to eat. Overall, they’re simple and effective in further establishing an immaculate vibe.
Sweets for the sweet! Give your picnic goers or that special someone a slice of scrumptious cake. But, just to be clear, is doesn’t necessarily HAVE to be picnic. A white cream cake will do the trick in a pinch or really whatever you want. I definitely recommend garnishing it with strawberries, whatever it is.
Okay, now you have this adorable spread but what should you set it on?? Well, seeing as how this is a picnic, it’s only fitting that we use a picnic blanket, but specifically one that matches all that you’ve laid out. Your picnic is going to not only be fun but look MARVELOUS.
And there you have it! A loose guide on what to bring to a Valentines’ Day themed picnic! Really you can change stuff up and go with whatever vibe you please. These are merely suggestions that I feel are cute or would be things that I would personally include in my own romantic picnic.
Hope you all have a fabulous Valentines Day filled with lots of sweets & hugs!
By the Brooke 