tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37982872292538735372024-03-13T19:09:19.607-07:00From Jen's PenJenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-36322112063574918502021-10-21T05:23:00.001-07:002021-10-21T05:23:46.303-07:00I'm Still Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlIall8FKFqdD1UDMGzdWs5bH8es-cpEvHw1yevdaGRlNKwQivx40lEsxC1TCljHT0XYjWLIm99LGNkhAhqf2Q8yril9eDtSs5HA5RMI3vpS1PKyPN715be33qZGFEwoEK3VibzBI6qkS/s1600/1634819383383828-0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlIall8FKFqdD1UDMGzdWs5bH8es-cpEvHw1yevdaGRlNKwQivx40lEsxC1TCljHT0XYjWLIm99LGNkhAhqf2Q8yril9eDtSs5HA5RMI3vpS1PKyPN715be33qZGFEwoEK3VibzBI6qkS/s1600/1634819383383828-0.png" width="400">
</a>
</div><div><b><i>A farm near our home.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br></i></b></div><div>The above photo was taken last Friday, when my fiance and I went to do some volunteering. The site is beautiful, and my main function that day was as photographer.</div><div><br></div><div>It has been over a year since I've updated this blog. I have not gotten back to my writing, but I will soon. I will. The writer's muse can be a fickle one, though.</div><div><br></div><div>I am a member of a local writers' group, but I have not been attending, due to my health. I would like to change that, so I am going to make the effort. The truth is that there are a lot of things that I want to write!</div><div><br></div><div>So what I am saying is please hang in there with me. I will get back to it soon, and I will happily share excerpts of my work! You can also find me on Medium, though I have not uploaded there in quite a while, either.</div><div><br></div><div>More soon!</div>JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-44870080526267135292020-08-26T10:49:00.004-07:002020-08-26T10:50:21.754-07:00Late Summer Update<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28sSfpnywzAhGAOImFROmGm9N8eRAtMX2V8pXn34A8CZyscte0hLSgNbgrOB3wlKWmE-tlQk7NyawvH86hyphenhyphenA2Q8I7M-KG8l54Zeu5AlgurNbCi6fjgZz__jEmRccznsoMAsiGHEjJfYxi/s4032/IMG_20200805_093838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28sSfpnywzAhGAOImFROmGm9N8eRAtMX2V8pXn34A8CZyscte0hLSgNbgrOB3wlKWmE-tlQk7NyawvH86hyphenhyphenA2Q8I7M-KG8l54Zeu5AlgurNbCi6fjgZz__jEmRccznsoMAsiGHEjJfYxi/w246-h328/IMG_20200805_093838.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>View from my kitchen window.</i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">I have not been focusing on my writing. I'll be honest. The summer here at the farm has just flown by, and other than a quick script for an event I hosted earlier this month and my continuing work on writing exercises and on the transcription of my handwritten material, not much has been happening.</p>JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-34107952629560008782020-08-14T18:11:00.002-07:002020-08-26T10:50:02.833-07:00James Clear- The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrICuYtJfck6Linbe5R0x0r-ouDe89Ts4zT6YMtu2EYC5NDVYJpGBrqU6Axe0WzuA9A3f0UbcWJB2mQzri2mlqi_2tTbdK5bHvKLtLcqKw7kZwXVkZ_3jUoo3O3Ju2JdFErML_GYXlxmvy/s1600/1597453911632749-0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrICuYtJfck6Linbe5R0x0r-ouDe89Ts4zT6YMtu2EYC5NDVYJpGBrqU6Axe0WzuA9A3f0UbcWJB2mQzri2mlqi_2tTbdK5bHvKLtLcqKw7kZwXVkZ_3jUoo3O3Ju2JdFErML_GYXlxmvy/s1600/1597453911632749-0.png" width="400">
</a>
</div><br></div><div><br></div>I found this very inspiring.<div><br></div><div><a href="https://jamesclear.com/daily-routines-writers">from James Clear</a><br></div>JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-38794722809025639562020-04-29T16:22:00.003-07:002020-04-29T16:22:41.183-07:00Springtime: Reading<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh360Wa9vFGBub2FJGghoSIHWkjIX-Pt8ckr_Ckm5bnXoD3p_YGCHQ0O8L9MlyPGtkEmkQovovs1MZekbIebrOSxUgmRA7d2BxSma92phPUmBzyNhnUjWhcTemvobrA82IFnG5pW3TD1WjW/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh360Wa9vFGBub2FJGghoSIHWkjIX-Pt8ckr_Ckm5bnXoD3p_YGCHQ0O8L9MlyPGtkEmkQovovs1MZekbIebrOSxUgmRA7d2BxSma92phPUmBzyNhnUjWhcTemvobrA82IFnG5pW3TD1WjW/s320/books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Photo by </span><span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/@nietjuh?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Ylanite Koppens</a></span><span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"> from </span><span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/book-on-a-white-wooden-table-1809340/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Pexels</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Happy Spring! Our thoughts here in Massachusetts have turned to planting, pruning, and freshening up! (Also leaving the house and going out for a good meal, not gonna lie!) My writing is a bit stalled, but I've been making time to <i>read </i>which tends to spark my writing, so there's that.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm at various stages of reading four books. I'm very close to the end of one, at which point I'll be starting a new one. Three of the books are for a book club. The one I'm about to finish was our first selection. I'm about halfway through the current selection. It's a weighty book. Like college textbook weighty. As soon as I finish the first book, I'll be starting on our <i>next </i>selection. The other two I have going are my writing book, <i>What If, </i>and a <i>Grimm's Fairy Tales</i> anthology. The book club selections are all non-fiction (spirituality.) To be honest, I'm <i>dying </i>to just read a regular old <i>fiction</i> selection (for me, that means either literary fiction, horror, or sci fi.) Once I'm done with the <i>Grimm's</i>, I'm going to do that.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Why <i>Grimm's," </i>you may ask. I've always been deeply interested in fairy tales, folklore, and myth. They inform my art. There are also a few of the fairy tales that I would like to modernize. I usually enjoy it when other people do it, and the genre adapts <i>really </i>well to horror, which is where my fiction aspirations lie, should I ever go there. These stories carry very strong and timeles themes.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The only thing I have written lately is a comedy set, which I performed about two weeks ago. Though I have not performed on a physical stage in a pretty long time, I have been taking advantage of online opportunities to do so. I also have rejoined my comedy writers' group back in DC, who have been meeting online every Monday night during the lockdown. I'll continue to do that until they go back to meeting in person. (Bad connections be damned!)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'll get back to my other writing eventually. For now, I have farm work, house work, and other desk work to tackle first. I know this may make it seem like I'm not prioritizing my writing, but I <i>do </i>spend some time working on it, in some respect.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and has a wonderful Spring!</div>
</div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-46686518807723723532020-03-02T13:19:00.000-08:002020-03-02T13:19:20.763-08:00Checking In<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y26ICf96_aO2rMfy0eg_rA4lJBK5zudrK_1qszkm1kKQ7IjO_reJ8tow9-26vsak0mipisduWSl9C0PlepvCRof7_5IhxufGDA_ifw4jqWWQfJw34aV9jeYRMbOh4WTm0gGPmV7NB5Gv/s1600/wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y26ICf96_aO2rMfy0eg_rA4lJBK5zudrK_1qszkm1kKQ7IjO_reJ8tow9-26vsak0mipisduWSl9C0PlepvCRof7_5IhxufGDA_ifw4jqWWQfJw34aV9jeYRMbOh4WTm0gGPmV7NB5Gv/s320/wood.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Just checking in, as its been a while. The truth is, my writing has been on hold, as we work on our new home and as I struggle with a chronic illness.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm still a member of the writers' group I joined when I first moved here, but unfortunately, we haven't been able to go in a while, mostly due to my illness. We take it one week at a time. I hope to return soon, especially since the weather is improving!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I was thinking about my memoir this morning, which is not the same as writing. What this means, though, is that I will soon sit down and work on my notes. If I'm lucky, I might even get an outline started! This would be new for me, as I <i>hate </i>making outlines!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As of this afternoon, I'm going to work on one of my other blogs while I'm here in town where there is Wifi. I <i>did </i>watch a book talk by Stephen King (my Forever Inspiration) earlier today as I worked on stuff around the house.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My writing projects are never far from my thoughts. It's <i>sitting down and writing</i> that is a challenge for me!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Onward!</div>
</div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-73958112649047318292019-12-21T01:25:00.001-08:002019-12-21T01:25:31.423-08:00Productivity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheIfZwFK5vcalYR5w0GV3eQnnKCC7N-CeXBWDdwFcTtM2QWJv4ATLZ6buAXIHCiCNXnYV-PK3RQFuyCU76toB5BY5YSjE4tRdB6DsjOR34zBHQZ2BM_BrCdCqG0wTr34ayvrL02xaQ9Fp/s1600/1576920279906441-0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheIfZwFK5vcalYR5w0GV3eQnnKCC7N-CeXBWDdwFcTtM2QWJv4ATLZ6buAXIHCiCNXnYV-PK3RQFuyCU76toB5BY5YSjE4tRdB6DsjOR34zBHQZ2BM_BrCdCqG0wTr34ayvrL02xaQ9Fp/s1600/1576920279906441-0.png" width="400">
</a>
</div><div><br></div><div>I have formed a new habit around my writing. I suffer from insomnia. I used to get up and watch TV or YouTube when I couldn't sleep. </div><div><br></div><div>Then I moved and unpacked some books. One of them is the one in the photo. It's a textbook. The chapters are super-short, but they are dense. The exercises are challenging. </div><div><br></div><div>As of right now, I'm mining some memoir material based on these exercises.</div><div><br></div><div>I have also joined a writers,' group. These two things should keep me busy!</div>JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-91689652870231086892019-10-11T04:30:00.001-07:002019-10-11T04:30:31.943-07:00Update: We're Moving!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECH8ZBRZDWtz1mxrU1rsNBDwLUsOcJv1OErHMOZnMw3AmB0SUcRNsAjfzjJzmlJZFumrXkmmc6mu8aa8q2hqrLlW357P1OosgZwwZXi3_AE8CadCkuvSnO7ymW-x7QYur1qJ8glYQV_3b/s1600/Farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1600" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECH8ZBRZDWtz1mxrU1rsNBDwLUsOcJv1OErHMOZnMw3AmB0SUcRNsAjfzjJzmlJZFumrXkmmc6mu8aa8q2hqrLlW357P1OosgZwwZXi3_AE8CadCkuvSnO7ymW-x7QYur1qJ8glYQV_3b/s320/Farm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Photo by </span><span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/@wildlittlethingsphoto?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Helena Lopes </a></span><span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">from </span><span style="background-color: #e8e8e8; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-field-under-white-sky-3045202/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Pexels</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Moving to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches..." If you remember what song this is from and who wrote it, then you know approximately how old I am! ;) Yes. We are moving! As I write this, I am sitting in a hotel lobby in New Jersey. We're on our way to Vermont, where we'll be staying with my in-laws while we look for a house to buy in Massachusetts! We are looking for a moderately sized house with a <i>lot </i>of land! We have about six or seven houses picked out from the web, and I'm sure our realtor has more for us to see. We'll be up there for about a week and a half. Our house is under contract, and it looks like this one will stick, so we need to be ready to move into our new house soon!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We live in the country now, on a pretty private five acres. We are looking for even <i>more </i> privacy. It's not that we don't like people. We are just both introverts (I mean, hey--I'm a <i>writer</i>, after all!) We are also homesteaders. You can read about that on my <a href="https://sagealley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">personal blog</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The past couple of months, I have not gotten much done on this front. I've been working more than I have wanted to, and when I wasn't working, I've been resting and recovering. My fibro has been off the charts. Now that I've ended my job and stepped away from the whole house-selling fray for a bit, I'm feeling a little more relaxed. As an early riser, I count this time as precious. I will be designating my mornings as writing and meditation time.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've noticed that a lot of the writings I am transcribing (stuff from the 90s, mostly) has a real YA feel to it.My intention was not to <i>write</i> YA, as I'm not particularly a fan, but I'm going to keep an open mind and see where this all goes. I would eventually like to write horror, but first I need to establish a habit, get these pieces transcribed, and see where it all goes. I will probably take some writing classes and/or join a writing group once we've moved and settled.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All I know is that I love words. Words shape our reality. They connect us to other people. Whether I end up publishing and seeing any success or not, I know that my words will affect someone, somewhere, some day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Have a beautiful weekend!</div>
</div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-54064381198705090662019-08-12T15:04:00.000-07:002019-08-12T15:04:22.326-07:00Inspiring Words: James Baldwin, Stephen King<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiideA8WbCcz4iT_oJnwdvJLw9OiVEmCdMlP01UATvgQZ4LA9hnRyj2VgGvnLYQDYBcYWpwgMWAIhf6bza3TsJhGwVKhxTuxfCcnvCCKL6luxQxBzT-ETMTHc5gHCIFfWA0YedILu42uWl5/s1600/words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiideA8WbCcz4iT_oJnwdvJLw9OiVEmCdMlP01UATvgQZ4LA9hnRyj2VgGvnLYQDYBcYWpwgMWAIhf6bza3TsJhGwVKhxTuxfCcnvCCKL6luxQxBzT-ETMTHc5gHCIFfWA0YedILu42uWl5/s320/words.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
I am not familiar with <a href="https://lithub.com/write-a-sentence-as-clean-as-a-bone-and-other-advice-from-james-baldwin/?utm_source=ForTheInterestedNewsletter" target="_blank">James Baldwin</a>'s work, other than to know that he was prolific and that he was a genus. As I am making my way back into the struggle and toil that is the writer's experience, these words were just what I needed today.<br />
<br />
I have been a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/stephen-king-22-lessons-creative-writing-advice-novels-short-stories-a8021511.html" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> fan since I was a child. At first, it was all about his horror stories and novels. (I'm a big horror fan, and let's face it: No one can write a short story like The King!) As I have grown up and grown older, I have read other work of his that is not horror, and I have come to really appreciate him, just as a fellow writer.</div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-14082930852017335212019-07-20T20:01:00.001-07:002019-07-20T20:01:49.955-07:00Project: Memoir<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimxp3eFdLAbVrlI4wmsmlbTzwdUQLnD6hAP3MbwUQTdDE0FxtmjGfbJJnXAEAIL2ZVSk-PdF8TqZeSiuFrSVPrV1NMig_OXJPyoWXVVkpNzA4ukUiyDWxBjxixYF2dvh7gGiq_TRYG_H8/s1600/lsd-for-society-GT4jH7i27Aw-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimxp3eFdLAbVrlI4wmsmlbTzwdUQLnD6hAP3MbwUQTdDE0FxtmjGfbJJnXAEAIL2ZVSk-PdF8TqZeSiuFrSVPrV1NMig_OXJPyoWXVVkpNzA4ukUiyDWxBjxixYF2dvh7gGiq_TRYG_H8/s320/lsd-for-society-GT4jH7i27Aw-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@lsdforsociety?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">LSD for Society</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/diary?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've been going through my typing folder. Tonight, I came across several college essays. Different episodes from my life. Opinions. I have created a folder just for this project. Tonight, I started collecting my stories into one document. Notes for my memoir. They're not really even chronological right now.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I have wanted to write a memoir for a while, but I'd convinced myself that my story isn't that good. I'm not done writing it yet, so there's no way to know how it will be. I don't need a central theme to compile notes, and maybe the materials I'm using will spark something.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
More as this project progresses.</div>
</div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-90370383975859528912019-07-19T11:42:00.002-07:002019-07-19T11:43:42.155-07:00Medium Post: Psychology of the Magus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MfJXFxsbGdI13fRpko858oXH_8SsH9xgq4HNMXsLaZLJxWIre4KP2L545V7P0ArpXNCAtFOXPdA2Vpq725N0PkjGeuZ435qOxlCaCNeEMXQ1Dl-Aa9KnG-FZaErpgOSCVRzCJ2PhKnb1/s1600/Magus.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="385" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MfJXFxsbGdI13fRpko858oXH_8SsH9xgq4HNMXsLaZLJxWIre4KP2L545V7P0ArpXNCAtFOXPdA2Vpq725N0PkjGeuZ435qOxlCaCNeEMXQ1Dl-Aa9KnG-FZaErpgOSCVRzCJ2PhKnb1/s320/Magus.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Back in the 90s and early 2000s, I was <i>very </i>active and prolific with my spirituality. I'm just now starting to get back to it. This is what I think was one of the better articles I've written, so I pulled it out today, dusted it off, and published it on Medium. You can read it <a href="https://medium.com/@from.jens.pen/psychology-of-the-magus-5c82334aab35?source=friends_link&sk=3d93feaf3bf46e46647fbf235060c90f" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
(Please limit comments to the concept of <i>writing.</i> I do not wish to debate life choices and religion on this blog. Thanks.)</div>
</div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-32218673791352816492019-07-16T21:45:00.000-07:002019-07-16T21:45:38.655-07:00Snippets: Self Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"Snippets" are excerpts of my writings. I will <i>not </i>be sharing complete works on this blog, other than via links to where they are published online.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This was an essay I wrote some time back about the moment I learned to love myself. To give some background, I was in junior high, and my friend and I were both bullied pretty badly. One day, I had had enough...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
**</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9VW6oessZjsPgAcNLSfiZiC8YLHIAKLW8xt_dv5mDZetNFWlt-uGaI4IG4rdU2HzG0uyEVRxnUCNqwSSl9HHMSZ_vV64d_ZQz1l-xxAwlOWpRUQKP2WOqSeFaLmlk9NWloAjsZ9p07Y5/s1600/sharon-mccutcheon-wx3JOq0Xbh4-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9VW6oessZjsPgAcNLSfiZiC8YLHIAKLW8xt_dv5mDZetNFWlt-uGaI4IG4rdU2HzG0uyEVRxnUCNqwSSl9HHMSZ_vV64d_ZQz1l-xxAwlOWpRUQKP2WOqSeFaLmlk9NWloAjsZ9p07Y5/s320/sharon-mccutcheon-wx3JOq0Xbh4-unsplash.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@sharonmccutcheon?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Sharon McCutcheon</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/self-love?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 0.79in }
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }
-->
</style>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sandy
started to say something, and that's when Tammi drew back her tree
trunk of an arm and punched her dead in the face. The next few
seconds hung in the air, as if no one knew how to respond. Sandy went
to the teacher and was excused to go to the nurse's office. I don't
recall whether Tammi faced any consequences right then. I sat out the
rest of the class, because frankly, I was afraid I would be next.
Tammi had never been physical before!</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Something
inside me shifted that day, as I sat on the sidelines while my
classmates finished out the period. This was bullshit! Nobody has any
right to treat another human being with anything less than the
respect they deserve. People shouldn't be putting their hands on
each other, especially for such minor mistakes as uttering a cuss
word. I was sick of being bullied, and I was sick of Sandy being
bullied. I was going to do something!</div>
<br /></div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798287229253873537.post-85072769978805617312019-07-15T12:42:00.000-07:002019-07-15T12:42:01.460-07:00I write.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRMdtBznILhDZc4DWsfUMwo0UhgWxDuWUlMPwnaKLREPVXRwDmGYup9iGhNukMBxo9RCKEYi0to50GyUf4m3m68XgSZTzwxO4xg40zgjLSHNCOeYJM2pHNHEjE1S2QrDYQZUiinmC8Pci/s1600/IMG_20180725_113415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRMdtBznILhDZc4DWsfUMwo0UhgWxDuWUlMPwnaKLREPVXRwDmGYup9iGhNukMBxo9RCKEYi0to50GyUf4m3m68XgSZTzwxO4xg40zgjLSHNCOeYJM2pHNHEjE1S2QrDYQZUiinmC8Pci/s320/IMG_20180725_113415.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I write. Sometimes, I do it well. Other times, I struggle, as do most writers. I have goals. I have work I'd like to publish, some of it not yet created or completed. I needed a space to share my journey, so here we are.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am a poet, a blogger (I have five now, including this one,) a comedian. I've been a stringer, a section editor, an editorial liaison, a citizen journalist. I've written all kinds of things. The only area where I struggle is in fiction, so I will be working on that. I have a desire to write a memoir, and I'd like to write horror.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This blog is meant to be a space where I can share anything and everything related to my writing journey, from exercises, to snippets of original work, to relevant articles. I hope that you will join me on this journey, and I hope that you enjoy it. I can also be found on Medium, though I am slow to post there.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Peace.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736134123414438290noreply@blogger.com0