tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84271098163731451712024-03-27T17:53:00.708-06:00Crazy Creatives Cheerleading CampA haven for creative people living with mental illness. This is the place where you can tell it like it is, not yet another place where you have to pretend to be someone you've been told you should be.Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.comBlogger819125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-6058866080033519302024-03-25T10:32:00.000-06:002024-03-25T10:32:11.070-06:00A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal: Hiiiigh Anxiiiiietyyyyyy!<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/"><img alt="AtoZChallenge theme reveal 2024 #atozchallenge" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUCCyRxgpSQnVJaLOokIXDPjr8RwuSkXl8JB8j74ECAzZzWRy61oyEzHU4HijXCspw_5fd8auT2vox_8SAJyixoIwX_R86-vS-0OJkjrNvq3fNEqheXjilGvCM9nVKs4lwxxxM4fYSJGTahwVNucXC_W5pspHrRSDmyqoALu4OPrPvVZaAsPI1EDIB6aD/s320/theme%20reveal.jpg" width="400" /></a><div><br /></div><div>I'm tardy to the party, but I wasn't even sure I was going to attempt the challenge this year. I dropped out early on last year. I'm going to try again. This time my theme is something I'm all too familiar with. Get ready for The Aspects of</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8ln00uEcNvZIWED-by-x9Cs5rT09nH1lFQ3XjFNqh2ot9xPCYJ2-0MOQLFqo3ulIyO2t8pO8O1C08RPQsuEIHSl1JotWU5uAtiAkzI3LFuYA-7usI3LrdU2YI2sTKLvd6xhp_1HO7rXJJJX_lwHxyIngtPVPvVR3cvFBAG0JuuWanLwf9qufNmKE/s1920/anxiety-1156225_1920.jpg%20copyright%20the%20digital%20artist%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1920" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8ln00uEcNvZIWED-by-x9Cs5rT09nH1lFQ3XjFNqh2ot9xPCYJ2-0MOQLFqo3ulIyO2t8pO8O1C08RPQsuEIHSl1JotWU5uAtiAkzI3LFuYA-7usI3LrdU2YI2sTKLvd6xhp_1HO7rXJJJX_lwHxyIngtPVPvVR3cvFBAG0JuuWanLwf9qufNmKE/s320/anxiety-1156225_1920.jpg%20copyright%20the%20digital%20artist%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image by The Digital Artist on Pixabay</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As for interactions, I'm not looking for advice, although if something has worked for you, feel free to share it. I don't get along with psych meds, so I definitely don't want recommendations for those. If you can't relate to the topics I discuss, that's fine, but don't be a dick. This is the Crazy Creatives Cheerleading Camp, not the Awful Asshats Argument Area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As Mike, the delightful host of the That Chapter channel on YouTube says, let's give it a go. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I can't promise I'll get through to the end, or even much past the beginning, but what the hell. I'm in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rBHJKjg1AhQsyVUksTBu0IGyojBYO_vV3u7kHjJ1tYqMafF8slUltMN5l4F5d-9nQTwOKsKG4siaNmRtkqAh0-S6efbZwOvZCbJILR-PZ7q6fxI7xeHgf7nO9PAaMV2PcCnX1LF1BXvBhlCwEbV6OAbjdeNoQqoFFXQF0CBwgOvcoLNwl06Wnk75/s1280/owl-158415_1280.png%20copyright%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1280" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rBHJKjg1AhQsyVUksTBu0IGyojBYO_vV3u7kHjJ1tYqMafF8slUltMN5l4F5d-9nQTwOKsKG4siaNmRtkqAh0-S6efbZwOvZCbJILR-PZ7q6fxI7xeHgf7nO9PAaMV2PcCnX1LF1BXvBhlCwEbV6OAbjdeNoQqoFFXQF0CBwgOvcoLNwl06Wnk75/s320/owl-158415_1280.png%20copyright%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Owl. The ornery kind. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm actually pretty much a teetotaler, but I feel like doing this most days.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-80036548913512920392024-03-05T22:19:00.000-07:002024-03-05T22:19:10.276-07:00Insecure Writers Support Group 6 March 2024<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfucDO_pWYX0ZivhV211-GBpUZevIeb2M88Go2wZBE_DhyNgAMtay1TWnvh-ZERLwlRQSI_1iHvNb7fLdAKh_k9dBWrKgVvlm5yAWSN_E18abKaJdMcH4_NEnPiXwHW2hKZInbLH8TJeJjimJm3g474l1qEHa95RKRS9OHiD6ceWQ81DfqxbLvKYX/s600/Haters_Gonna_Hate_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfucDO_pWYX0ZivhV211-GBpUZevIeb2M88Go2wZBE_DhyNgAMtay1TWnvh-ZERLwlRQSI_1iHvNb7fLdAKh_k9dBWrKgVvlm5yAWSN_E18abKaJdMcH4_NEnPiXwHW2hKZInbLH8TJeJjimJm3g474l1qEHa95RKRS9OHiD6ceWQ81DfqxbLvKYX/s320/Haters_Gonna_Hate_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I actually don't like conflict very much or at all. I've already been involved in a few contentious discussions about this topic during the past month and I don't want to play anymore. While searching for new places to potentially publish my work, I encountered several publishers stating that anyone submitting work suspected of being written by AI would be blacklisted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I'm not a great fan of blacklisting or cancel culture or McCarthyism in any of its forms, so I did an experiment where I ran a blurb I wrote through an AI checker. It was flagged as potentially being written in cahoots with two AI programs, neither of which I had even heard of. I then had the QuickWrite program write a blurb using the same information. The version written by QuickWrite (an AI program) was only flagged as potentially using one AI program, ZeroGPT. Hence, QuickWrite is apparently more human than me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My point was I don't like it when people are accused of things they didn't do. I think there will be a lot more erroneous accusations caused by flawed AI-checking programs than there will be actual cheaters caught. Some people took exception to this, saying some people will do whatever it takes to gain recognition. However, there have always been those kinds of people.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I don't have any problem with people using a program like QuickWrite to compose such odious items as blurbs and synopses. I do have problems with people having Chat GPT write an entire book and claim it as their own. However, as I understand it, the joke's on them because they can't copyright material composed by an AI program. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I primarily use QuickWrite to create writing prompts for me, which short-circuits the amount of time my glitchy ADHD brain has to think of increasingly wackier ideas when coming up with story ideas. While writing the story, I will sometimes have QuickWrite create a filler scene that I later go back and rewrite myself because said ADHD brain really doesn't like it when I don't compose everything in chronological order. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">AI is a tool, no more and no less. Tools can be used for good or ill. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That's what I think about the subject. Others are welcome to think what they wish. I have neither the time nor the desire to police everyone's thoughts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</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/AVvXsEg8AApIhhyvQ3AJVBB9HZr4ImBRFuXEbhSCHi7UNc52dTPVQ4xmcC1npp9XpR4uxXCt9WExmpPvLq84mPP1fOfV6uq8guH7blD1rGg7nLpZvthvUPZEA4ZsdjwC2hZ99Jzx5rLauiskde15PHyVbcIxvySiraLzamFT9HOLb8-Kvz0fzDU_uziUOC1w/s1280/owl-151554_1280.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="897" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AApIhhyvQ3AJVBB9HZr4ImBRFuXEbhSCHi7UNc52dTPVQ4xmcC1npp9XpR4uxXCt9WExmpPvLq84mPP1fOfV6uq8guH7blD1rGg7nLpZvthvUPZEA4ZsdjwC2hZ99Jzx5rLauiskde15PHyVbcIxvySiraLzamFT9HOLb8-Kvz0fzDU_uziUOC1w/s320/owl-151554_1280.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" width="224" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image from Pixabay</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/AVvXsEj8pwmxVZcHRX9QDtkoBr3qjq4uomuNdAGwdI-trXuw2p4H5yNLz7w-kh6c-JQYO7Uxm1ILO7t0E2o2s4jt_Os-fGSivY3fBQL0C2NtTnrXRWdABmse09A_8-wHuJMsk9CUx9jFmg3lTU1FNOZ6dJRG3ea8SAyQ13DWN_Q2va-jiCF_TTmuqRYzUsKA/s2048/iwsg%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pwmxVZcHRX9QDtkoBr3qjq4uomuNdAGwdI-trXuw2p4H5yNLz7w-kh6c-JQYO7Uxm1ILO7t0E2o2s4jt_Os-fGSivY3fBQL0C2NtTnrXRWdABmse09A_8-wHuJMsk9CUx9jFmg3lTU1FNOZ6dJRG3ea8SAyQ13DWN_Q2va-jiCF_TTmuqRYzUsKA/s320/iwsg%20logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-14502671013430451172024-02-07T07:44:00.000-07:002024-02-07T07:44:34.972-07:00Insecure Writers Support Group 7 February 2024<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSq5-wTZMzkhdTyG7MfcwmFbPwLLWJ44HAv_rdJXbHr9XCIDO-w2CNerQk2082RhNh0bM04p6VXUApoWZaqpd3-QGv9R91YaXLCjYbiAbRpj95M0ZW16i16SWH1WQhM5LFF-MPlS-BXyGZUNdkSeC8FhAxGoYkEbH2xxt96W2abRR0LgRzMeX6dn1/s640/draisine-525577_640.jpg%20image%20by%20tania%20van%20den%20berghen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="640" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSq5-wTZMzkhdTyG7MfcwmFbPwLLWJ44HAv_rdJXbHr9XCIDO-w2CNerQk2082RhNh0bM04p6VXUApoWZaqpd3-QGv9R91YaXLCjYbiAbRpj95M0ZW16i16SWH1WQhM5LFF-MPlS-BXyGZUNdkSeC8FhAxGoYkEbH2xxt96W2abRR0LgRzMeX6dn1/s320/draisine-525577_640.jpg%20image%20by%20tania%20van%20den%20berghen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/taniavdb-54472/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=525577">Tania Van den Berghen</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=525577">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think I'll just leave this rubbish here.</div><br /><p></p><p><b>February 7 question: What turns you off when visiting an author's
website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little
mention of author's books? Constant mention of books?</b></p>
<p>I don’t blog very much anymore, but back when I was more
prolific, I was one of those bloggers who got a lot of flak for
writing too much about too many different things and also having too
many blogs. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had undiagnosed
ADHD. As has happened to me all my life, people took a dump on me for
the fact that my brain works differently.
</p>
<p>I also took a lot of crap for writing about my psychological
struggles. At the time, I had been misdiagnosed with type 2 bipolar
disorder. The diagnosis seemed to fit because there was a pattern of
ups and downs. I didn’t realize until I was in my fifties that I
had complex PTSD and was dealing with a fuck-ton of untreated trauma.
I won’t go in depth here, but I think “borderline personality
disorder” is a sexist, bullshit diagnosis. It is the modern-day
hysterical neurotic. (I’m old enough that I’ve had both of these
labels applied to me.)
</p>
<p>Every single person with a “borderline personality disorder”
label slapped on them has a history of trauma. The label is
overwhelmingly applied to women and girls. If you are looking at
someone with a “borderline personality disorder” diagnosis, you
are looking at someone with unresolved trauma issues. Treat the
trauma and you will see an improvement in the so-called “borderline
personality disorder.”</p>
<p>When it comes to blogging, I used to be a much more open book. I
saw how well that worked, so I closed the book. I learned a hard
lesson that I’m never going to find “my tribe.” I’m a lone
wolf, a unique entity, an acquired taste that most people don’t
acquire. I’m not looking for validation anymore.</p>
<p>As for the drone of constant negativity, I’d much rather read
someone’s real and honest discussion of their mental health issues
than happen upon “Little Miss Sweet Tea and Sunshine” (yes, this
is really what she called her blog and/or herself) who was, under her
syrupy veneer, one of the most toxic people I’ve ever encountered.
</p>
<p>“I simply don’t underSTAND those people who can’t see the
BEAUTY in life,” she opined. “How can you go through life
wallowing in self-pity? I just don’t GET it!”</p>
<p>People like this don’t want to get it. They don’t know or care
what anyone else may have been through or are going through. They are
best left well alone. As turn-offs go, Little Miss Sweet Tea and
Sunshine’s blog is probably the one that turned me off the most.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusoOUcrQl-AlGdCqaYaLrgGjArsvPxbyLtqmnaquLCY1DGqq5uuxfv89WUSZ42aA5YWpNSOHvkz8upgSXGjzKY_X32KfuvmsQfHNtKWCgJaUN3i6_-K_yePn-HQcdTNDkJEQWu0DFNOnENvnRvQ6aC4gDgCjXd-Hs0Vhyphenhyphenh6dvyKogwUttDVRGI0ZW/s770/never-say-these-things-to-a-depressed-person-770x770.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusoOUcrQl-AlGdCqaYaLrgGjArsvPxbyLtqmnaquLCY1DGqq5uuxfv89WUSZ42aA5YWpNSOHvkz8upgSXGjzKY_X32KfuvmsQfHNtKWCgJaUN3i6_-K_yePn-HQcdTNDkJEQWu0DFNOnENvnRvQ6aC4gDgCjXd-Hs0Vhyphenhyphenh6dvyKogwUttDVRGI0ZW/s320/never-say-these-things-to-a-depressed-person-770x770.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<p>If I go to a book blog, I expect to see posts about books. The
idea that someone could think there were too many posts about books
on a blog about books is a real head-scratcher.
</p>
<p>If there aren’t enough posts about books on a blog? Well, it’s
that person’s blog. They can post about whatever they want.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAe26TLcOfop0JoTvs9a7KFRikHmHvl4ipukyonBXZk_wMNDJAGOR5_dlV3j3BrDkfCawBRx3GYHDxoIV-1f9eS_bAlAWon3p6yk4NNjfPz96vVHRqL9ibSyHrJlNP7ktH_LAcQ2-pNv1emRUORdYpJMtOg1mhuQC9q01kPGkr10MhwA7Yy3zJKbu/s640/troll-162078_640.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors%20on%20pixabay.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="640" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAe26TLcOfop0JoTvs9a7KFRikHmHvl4ipukyonBXZk_wMNDJAGOR5_dlV3j3BrDkfCawBRx3GYHDxoIV-1f9eS_bAlAWon3p6yk4NNjfPz96vVHRqL9ibSyHrJlNP7ktH_LAcQ2-pNv1emRUORdYpJMtOg1mhuQC9q01kPGkr10MhwA7Yy3zJKbu/s320/troll-162078_640.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors%20on%20pixabay.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/openclipart-vectors-30363/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=162078">OpenClipart-Vectors</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=162078">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>This is Judgy Troll.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>He is full of unsolicited and unhelpful "advice."</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Really he just likes putting other people down to make himself feel tough.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Don't be a Judgy Troll.</b></div>
<p>Sometimes people expect others to be professional content creators
and judge personal blogs by unreasonable standards. For these people, I would advise that the blog’s creator didn’t make the blog for
you. Don’t be a sanctimonious ass.</p>
<p>The message I get from the various blog rules and regulations is a
muddled one. Do this. But not too much of this. Don’t do that. But
do some of that. Your blog should have a personal touch. But not too
personal a touch. Readers want to see pictures of your pets, but they
really don’t give a flying flock about pictures of your pets.
Readers want to know more about you as a person—no, not THAT much!</p>
<p>I say write what you like how you like.
</p>
<p>Perhaps I have “oppositional defiant disorder.” That’s a
new one I just learned about. It translates to being an ornery cuss.
I’m ornery because I got sick and tired of people telling me what I
could and couldn’t do, and what I did was never good enough for
them. I finally said to hell with it and decided to do things my way.</p><p>On a personal note, constantly being harshly judged and told everything I did or enjoyed was wrong led me to becoming the kind of person who is only capable of forming superficial relationships. Any person you engage with online may be in a fragile place. It's better to do a little walking on eggshells than to behave like the proverbial bull in a China closet.</p>
<p>Ornery Owl Has Spoken</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3PVMmIZC58CfoPQCFLZjUMsIZPMjktvm0Kqc7pWupPOzbTqvHqG5b_5Cwk6_2cz_0h8MEklILI3mKExKXSH4Qib1PTIXU09VeLIUwG7GsgX28oI1m2Xt0mkfX_oE5X_7KpoThHAL61QOhlX-mXOFwlUhm6yy92MsQlNbSaAkbfyTrLtFdOqhm1ss/s1280/owl-156933_1280.png%20copyright%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="1280" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3PVMmIZC58CfoPQCFLZjUMsIZPMjktvm0Kqc7pWupPOzbTqvHqG5b_5Cwk6_2cz_0h8MEklILI3mKExKXSH4Qib1PTIXU09VeLIUwG7GsgX28oI1m2Xt0mkfX_oE5X_7KpoThHAL61QOhlX-mXOFwlUhm6yy92MsQlNbSaAkbfyTrLtFdOqhm1ss/s320/owl-156933_1280.png%20copyright%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors</p><p style="text-align: center;">Ornery Owl is done with everyone's shyyyyt.</p><iframe allowfullscreen="" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@DigitConcepta:0/chillout-music-relax-lounge-ibiza-summer:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" style="aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; width: 100%;"></iframe><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@DigitConcepta:0/chillout-music-relax-lounge-ibiza-summer:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@DigitConcepta:0/chillout-music-relax-lounge-ibiza-summer:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOR6im_84HnI45u59cM-io4Zv6MmSqGRb_0CzQp2PWDMq2ir663tv2JLHf0e_wOs0LPZBrtUAef54wwrPFZ9bho_e3uNaBe6uOPq9AO9bzlck3rDgUfToXwsSbGC0HTFlrK-OY_TKuWUqseY_jr9zZNq4bmpUomrK4ZeZMKE5bUyVPeXuZrxRGEOD/s200/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="200" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOR6im_84HnI45u59cM-io4Zv6MmSqGRb_0CzQp2PWDMq2ir663tv2JLHf0e_wOs0LPZBrtUAef54wwrPFZ9bho_e3uNaBe6uOPq9AO9bzlck3rDgUfToXwsSbGC0HTFlrK-OY_TKuWUqseY_jr9zZNq4bmpUomrK4ZeZMKE5bUyVPeXuZrxRGEOD/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-60491757032801716102024-01-03T00:00:00.064-07:002024-01-03T00:00:00.353-07:00Insecure Writers Support Group 3 January 2024<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_9t9bOujGK_2XMjpR0B7QtbDCUucOFXstNlFOQqcNzYkMlr3CTH5gGtKtBvLdoAtP2TnkmuAd7iBtAkl6N0MV5qbozGtVdNfrX2YBuUdyDyWMl8vL_22v5fhfoomiPOt8kitpeDeKi_jk2lGTmJygUSlRfBIYVIyp0NrphiFhQqev3KGe8X3jb4H/s200/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="200" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_9t9bOujGK_2XMjpR0B7QtbDCUucOFXstNlFOQqcNzYkMlr3CTH5gGtKtBvLdoAtP2TnkmuAd7iBtAkl6N0MV5qbozGtVdNfrX2YBuUdyDyWMl8vL_22v5fhfoomiPOt8kitpeDeKi_jk2lGTmJygUSlRfBIYVIyp0NrphiFhQqev3KGe8X3jb4H/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>January 3 question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors?</b></p><p>Honestly, I'm not very active on BookBub or Goodreads. The only people I follow on BookBub are other authors. The only reason I keep the Naughty Netherworld Press Goodreads account active is because I have the blog feature set to mirror my blog posts on the official Naughty Netherworld Press blog. </p><p><a href="http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com">http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com</a></p><p>Facebook rejects links from my blogs as "abusive," and I can certainly see why. There is nothing more abusive than promoting one's writing without putting money in Zuckerberg's pocket. However, Facebook and GoodReads (powered by Amazon) have an understanding, so I post links to the GoodReads blog rather than my own. </p><p>You can promote your books on Readers Roost free of charge. Readers Roost is a multi-genre blog, so pretty much anything goes. If you have an upcoming book tour you'd like to let me know about or if you'd like me to put together a guest post for you, email me at chartley65 at gmail with BOOK PROMO (all caps helps) in the subject line. If I'm putting together a guest post I will need a media kit with all information you'd like me to include and graphics attached separately. I can promo books in languages other than English but the post will be in English so the information provided in the media kit must be as well.</p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost">https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost</a></p><p>I also recommend joining the Marketing for Romance Writers group. You don't have to be a romance writer. You can find other authors willing to help with promotion in this group. </p><p><a href="https://marketingforromancewriters.groups.io/g/main">https://marketingforromancewriters.groups.io/g/main</a></p><p>Wishing you all a productive year, whether you're active on BookBub and GoodReads or not!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV29-hKEJ85gCCE6nE53ZrXRxYZ8OjQRL1tumsAGcF76nDYzfiToOzN9xhbdof9RNzixO9O_lQQ6mKss4_Ld_hLel8oozMT-HZCDSTCkIsw0LszlEeOo8ve59qDj-8wgJyarWAeMu49Iktz3LhanXHli30xv8qtie-G5ti9c6fBn06Jr4v2CAdTJCL/s1280/doodle-4678658_1280.png%20by%20pencil%20parker%20on%20pixabay.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV29-hKEJ85gCCE6nE53ZrXRxYZ8OjQRL1tumsAGcF76nDYzfiToOzN9xhbdof9RNzixO9O_lQQ6mKss4_Ld_hLel8oozMT-HZCDSTCkIsw0LszlEeOo8ve59qDj-8wgJyarWAeMu49Iktz3LhanXHli30xv8qtie-G5ti9c6fBn06Jr4v2CAdTJCL/s320/doodle-4678658_1280.png%20by%20pencil%20parker%20on%20pixabay.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/pencilparker-7519217/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4678658">pencil parker</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4678658">Pixabay</a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-70051599546468474802023-12-13T11:31:00.005-07:002023-12-13T12:18:40.390-07:00The Xenomorphs Understand #WEP<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdJxIiXK2e1w_8PpeDZ5oVJmvHjY9UFJyVkQ8uND9Xtb_dzg_AGaneW2gCBz3KZZSxZj5GHiCJs0a7RidaAQpsF_Qm93gmYMlQ0mcYMVlrAgyc8vzuOm8UfjLi9Yy_QFsA8wWxb-qCfRTpY8RygQ4seMDCNM3RNYUH-x-CsiR8fuQNuAoUfPI1eLU/s1920/sci-fi-4787733_1920.jpg%20copyright%20wolfgang%20eckert.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdJxIiXK2e1w_8PpeDZ5oVJmvHjY9UFJyVkQ8uND9Xtb_dzg_AGaneW2gCBz3KZZSxZj5GHiCJs0a7RidaAQpsF_Qm93gmYMlQ0mcYMVlrAgyc8vzuOm8UfjLi9Yy_QFsA8wWxb-qCfRTpY8RygQ4seMDCNM3RNYUH-x-CsiR8fuQNuAoUfPI1eLU/s320/sci-fi-4787733_1920.jpg%20copyright%20wolfgang%20eckert.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image by Wolfgang Eckert on Pixabay</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Tagline: Thoughts from an Outsider on Aliens and Acceptance</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Critique Guidelines:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Full CONSTRUCTIVE criticism regarding the mechanics of the piece is acceptable. Tearing down the subject matter is not. Further, I don't give a rat's ass if any of you find my use of salty language "low class." I've had a hard life. I quit using both alcohol and drugs 25 years ago and stopped smoking cigarettes in 2006. I'll damn well cuss if I feel like it. If you have a problem with that, don't read the essay. It's simple.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Without further ado-doo, here's the contentious piece in all its glory.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>The Xenomorphs Understand</b></div><p></p><p align="left">Per the Wikipedia entry on Lovecraftian horror, H. R.
Giger's book of paintings, which inspired many of the designs in the
film Alien, was named Necronomicon after a fictional book appearing
in several of Lovecraft's stories. Dan O'Bannon, the original writer
of the Alien screenplay, has also mentioned Lovecraft as a major
influence on the film.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<p align="left">It’s no wonder a fourteen-year-old me, who had not
long ago started reading Lovecraft’s works, was so taken with
Alien. I was already a seasoned horror buff. I’m not being
hyperbolic when I say that I started reading Edgar Allan Poe’s
works at six years old. I loved reading horror comics under the
covers with a flashlight, even though this activity contributed to my
fear of venturing down the dark hallway to the bathroom during the
night. The giant cockroaches that invaded our poorly-constructed New
Mexico home and the whatthefuckery of a massive furnace vent right in
the middle of the damn hallway floor making it so you had to scoot
along the wall or risk burning your feet on the hot metal grate
didn’t help.</p>
<p align="left">I didn’t consciously entertain the idea of the
Xenomorphs being misunderstood until decades after my first viewing
of Alien. In 2012, I was sick of my life and sick of myself. I was
hung up on a guy who was never going to see me as anything but a
booty call. I was grieving the loss of my father. I was out of hope,
but my son still needed my help, so I had to find something to
distract myself from punching my own ticket, which was the action I
really wanted to take.</p>
<p align="left">My therapy came in the form of crazy fan fiction
crossovers featuring evolved Xenomorphs.</p>
<p align="left">Nobody but me will ever read these stories. When I
reread them, it’s obvious how much I needed someone to understand
what I was going through and how lost I felt.
</p>
<p align="left">The Xenomorphs—my fellow Outsiders—saved me.
</p>
<p align="left">Much of my writing centers around the idea of
acceptance. I hoped one day I’d find an audience of outsiders like
myself who would enjoy my strange worlds. This has never come to
pass, which may be no surprise to those on the outside looking in.
Normal people don’t get me, and I don’t get them.
</p>
<p align="left">Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I’ve tried to
convince people that I’m a writer, but at heart, I’m a wannabe
musician. Since You did not see fit to bless me with musical talent,
I turn my thoughts into stories rather than songs.
</p>
<p align="left">Now you know my secret.</p>
<p align="left">I read a lot of biographies and memoirs, partly
because I write fiction nearly every day so I want to read something
else, and partly because I’m still trying to find people who are
like me in some way. I’m currently reading <i>Edward Van Halen: A
Definitive Biography</i> by Kevin Dodds.
</p>
<p align="left"><a href="https://amzn.to/4alW5pu">https://amzn.to/4alW5pu</a>
</p>
<p align="left">Eddie Van Halen had something to say about being true
to your vision, and I’m going to let him say it uncensored.</p>
<p align="left">“I’d rather fail with my own shit than succeed
with someone else’s.”</p>
<p align="left">Jimi Hendrix felt the same way. I try to keep this
attitude in mind, but it’s difficult in a world that doesn’t want
stories chock-a-block with troubled characters. As John River said,
</p>
<p align="left">“In this world, no one can be different or strange
or damaged, or they lock you up.”</p>
<p align="left">They also lock you out. It’s hard to make an impact
as a writer anyway, and weird fiction is far from a popular niche. I
would prefer to spend my time writing Lovecraftian fix-up novels and
kooky fan fiction crossovers, which have some pretty dark roots if
you bother to look beneath the surface. Most people don’t. However,
I can’t generate social currency with these works, so I spend most
of my time writing romance both steamy and sweet.</p>
<p align="left">More than once, my stories have been branded
technically proficient but lacking emotion. However, when I let
myself bleed all over the page, I receive no response. Reading the
truth about someone who was the target of bullying and the victim of
sexual assault isn’t fun. However, when I write for fun, the result
is deemed “too weird.” I try to give the people what they want,
but then I die inside.</p>
<p align="left">It’s not that I think the romance stories I write
are bad. I like my comparatively well-behaved literary children.
However, it saddens me when I neglect my melancholy, misunderstood,
alienated brood with their tragically poetic souls in favor of
promoting the more acceptable lot.</p>
<p align="left">Weird fiction has saved me many times.</p>
<p align="left">That’s why I’ll always love my New Weird Tales
even though nobody else gets either me or them. </p><p align="left">The Xenomorphs understand.</p>
<p align="left"><b>References</b></p>
<p align="left"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovecraftian_horror">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovecraftian_horror</a>
</p><p align="left"><b>789 words</b></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</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/AVvXsEj0vhqX_XgxlfEGkH_Hmf-jR6JeIL7g38ylcQkAnABSXrh-L1CW66mxFrncKv09u-ThE1_esbdtf9wpBkfGuC1zFjL4zI2ms1FDSmmwY3Ywijb4xvupYoWcuFaIED7uEJZ4jDieIT6sWmdTQ9ArK0hb9Dws3bmXSgBJcXMEK2WehGt_nDBw0Ej56xqj/s1280/background-7755199_1280.jpg%20by%20jim%20cooper%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="784" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vhqX_XgxlfEGkH_Hmf-jR6JeIL7g38ylcQkAnABSXrh-L1CW66mxFrncKv09u-ThE1_esbdtf9wpBkfGuC1zFjL4zI2ms1FDSmmwY3Ywijb4xvupYoWcuFaIED7uEJZ4jDieIT6sWmdTQ9ArK0hb9Dws3bmXSgBJcXMEK2WehGt_nDBw0Ej56xqj/s320/background-7755199_1280.jpg%20by%20jim%20cooper%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/jcoope12-17392968/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7755199">Jim Cooper</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7755199">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Thanks for being my pal, Space Jockey."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><!--start InLinkz script-->
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<!--end InLinkz script-->Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-63986715495234256792023-12-06T00:00:00.047-07:002023-12-06T00:00:00.431-07:00Insecure Writers Support Group 6 December 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD47wj7PQDINUZRoSOE481c6oc8jDtQXRSzAn7QymBpFW63RPqsIqB2iKp_LGeJOCpGYUoU1ZEmQGqSQxqqUPh86JWLzAzDBC2Zcg5Y_mgvs4yp-YLEcIc58ft2DEq_ReW8Hks3hvEmMVihhgcO7icx_H3azPkLvoAZb3zHyG0Dx9Bm1_bwoC15ISH/s640/peer-review-icon-2888794_640.png%20by%20julie%20mcmurry%20on%20pixabay.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD47wj7PQDINUZRoSOE481c6oc8jDtQXRSzAn7QymBpFW63RPqsIqB2iKp_LGeJOCpGYUoU1ZEmQGqSQxqqUPh86JWLzAzDBC2Zcg5Y_mgvs4yp-YLEcIc58ft2DEq_ReW8Hks3hvEmMVihhgcO7icx_H3azPkLvoAZb3zHyG0Dx9Bm1_bwoC15ISH/s320/peer-review-icon-2888794_640.png%20by%20julie%20mcmurry%20on%20pixabay.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/mcmurryjulie-2375405/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2888794">mcmurryjulie</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2888794">Pixabay</a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>December 6 question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?</b></p><p>I...um...wut?</p><p>I'm not sure I understand the question correctly, but I'll take a crack at it.</p><p>When I review the book, I'm reviewing the story, including what I liked and/or disliked about it. I probably know little to nothing about the author, so it really isn't my place to critique them as a person. </p><p>Sadly, my experiences with Online Book Club burned me out on doing book reviews and I rarely have time, anyway. I'm almost always amenable to doing promotional posts. You can learn more about that at the following link if it sounds like something you'd be interested in.</p><p><a href="https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/p/ornery-literary-services.html">https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/p/ornery-literary-services.html</a></p><p>Here's a link to a four-star audiobook review I wrote in October. I cite several reasons for enjoying the story and explain my reason for giving it four rather than five stars.</p><p><a href="https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2023/10/for-long-run-audiobook-review.html">https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2023/10/for-long-run-audiobook-review.html</a></p><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@tombaileybackingtracks:d/acoustic-rock-guitar-backing-track-in-25:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@tombaileybackingtracks:d/acoustic-rock-guitar-backing-track-in-25:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@tombaileybackingtracks:d/acoustic-rock-guitar-backing-track-in-25:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-44433543262640705482023-11-01T00:00:00.115-06:002023-11-01T00:00:00.148-06:00Insecure Writers Support Group November 2023: NaNo or NoNo?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh382w5wEphbmS_b5CsYrIfGM6p9eec_nXnfSSgxsRE9nS2g5E-bAijT5RxGe9FL5f4AUOrzCU9P3r8biQQpoXMKP71pWZUfJDHYciqrpkeopDdu3ZvNvGiVjXMmGp77IJmGbzjuqaSDTIzMQt6edCjU3avm_BLRTbbNnjUsvDRGxzRDDeNALsZGV71/s500/challenge_prompt-c16ad860f61a48f10ac63c117bc39c39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh382w5wEphbmS_b5CsYrIfGM6p9eec_nXnfSSgxsRE9nS2g5E-bAijT5RxGe9FL5f4AUOrzCU9P3r8biQQpoXMKP71pWZUfJDHYciqrpkeopDdu3ZvNvGiVjXMmGp77IJmGbzjuqaSDTIzMQt6edCjU3avm_BLRTbbNnjUsvDRGxzRDDeNALsZGV71/w211-h400/challenge_prompt-c16ad860f61a48f10ac63c117bc39c39.png" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/team-netherworld">https://nanowrimo.org/participants/team-netherworld</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>November 1 question: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I believe the first year I participated was 2008. I almost stopped doing it because, not too fine a point on it, every novel I attempted to write during this time was BAD! Bad as in whatever was in the Death Star trash compactor would, comparatively, be treasure beyond measure. Bad as in a gold-painted bit of horse manure would, comparatively, be a priceless artifact. Let's face it, those early efforts sucked, and no amount of editing would make them readable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I was ready to stop doing NaNoWriMo, having dubbed it NaNoHellMo. I still call it that, but it's a bit of affectionate ribbing rather than outright loathing. You see, I discovered the joy of being a NaNo Rebel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3DDYNieDcVsfC3-GxzxYl-u-VJJ8OfClmV0gvmLhO50IbUYzi0AxE9cdcpp5CPiGrDwHp3PkbL_MTbhPnu-z6-IrDzgxxFMlW1ttnpO1Pc_GpZrmibK42jiRAx6YxfEViruQ1Bm5bXBuFhXYKbS1QN70sNANcrPh6Ncge3dwKToPh2JNh31uxuNk/s1280/nano%20rebel%20badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3DDYNieDcVsfC3-GxzxYl-u-VJJ8OfClmV0gvmLhO50IbUYzi0AxE9cdcpp5CPiGrDwHp3PkbL_MTbhPnu-z6-IrDzgxxFMlW1ttnpO1Pc_GpZrmibK42jiRAx6YxfEViruQ1Bm5bXBuFhXYKbS1QN70sNANcrPh6Ncge3dwKToPh2JNh31uxuNk/s320/nano%20rebel%20badge.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I created the banner with a free-use image from Unsplash and design software from Pixlr. Pixlr has an interface similar to Photoshop but it's much more user-friendly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I'm sure most of you know what a NaNoWriMo Rebel is, but for those who don't, you can read about it here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.wikiwrimo.org/wiki/NaNo_Rebel">https://www.wikiwrimo.org/wiki/NaNo_Rebel</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There's a lot of wanking about whether Rebels or Traditionals are better, to which I say, do what works for you. I really couldn't give a flying toss.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">For this year's Rebellion, I will be working on two short novellas and filling in the rest of my hideous, sanity-destroying word count document with poetry and any other thoughts my bleary brain may toss out. It might be wise to complete my submissions for The Fear Doctor, next year's drabble anthology from Dragon Soul Press so I won't be having to write drabbles while trying to get next year's Passionate Ink project wrangled into submission.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Heh! See what I did there? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Passionate Ink is an online special interest 501(c)(6) non-profit organization for erotic fiction authors. Like Lil DeVille, who puts the Naughty in Naughty Netherworld Press and often writes about submission--the fun kind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://passionateink.org/">https://passionateink.org/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://dragonsoulpress.com/drabblecalls/">https://dragonsoulpress.com/drabblecalls/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Join me. You know you want to. But if you aren't convinced, you can check out this year's drabble anthology, The Damned. It contains five pieces written by C. L. Hart (the Netherworld side of Naughty Netherworld Press) plus chilling tidbits from other authors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NQhqwx12kd_70CmL1EN-6q8icWIPG3DtCHY_u9HOBr_gnLlhxTm6y8SRoGT2h2JMrBIJFZ7RvKNK9RkwAC_5WiW26qFNv74n-mGv3S1eN1ukzVpR4eZ8pYD0DtdV28HRp0iNx40rQ8zjVWwGTANeddg0srGmucCo51Lut2PUp47o8anBEAJbjULT/s1640/C.L.%20Hart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NQhqwx12kd_70CmL1EN-6q8icWIPG3DtCHY_u9HOBr_gnLlhxTm6y8SRoGT2h2JMrBIJFZ7RvKNK9RkwAC_5WiW26qFNv74n-mGv3S1eN1ukzVpR4eZ8pYD0DtdV28HRp0iNx40rQ8zjVWwGTANeddg0srGmucCo51Lut2PUp47o8anBEAJbjULT/s320/C.L.%20Hart.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Get it here!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://books2read.com/DamnedDrabbles">http://books2read.com/DamnedDrabbles</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That's all for this time. I got kicked off the roster because I completely forgot about doing the monthly IWSG post while trying to write a story that would fit into the forthcoming winter anthology from First Coast Romance Writers. It only took me three tries to get it right. Sheesh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iTA_o4J_hWGcZwgi5N2CsUkF0ncDTldgN0SJ5tHNlIEBBNZLPm8E2kGZ0Cu2JHLR7PdRZYNEwRdRw7URNe6LF0TGxAVMb3eeUn7nugBVl-mCOtKKesN5NH3DpTip45cjJUR7P2G-MLT8kX1tKAXY0Qf8Df1v6uPLH2yk7-sXGUHQV50G5eiHvU9M/s1200/ftlow%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iTA_o4J_hWGcZwgi5N2CsUkF0ncDTldgN0SJ5tHNlIEBBNZLPm8E2kGZ0Cu2JHLR7PdRZYNEwRdRw7URNe6LF0TGxAVMb3eeUn7nugBVl-mCOtKKesN5NH3DpTip45cjJUR7P2G-MLT8kX1tKAXY0Qf8Df1v6uPLH2yk7-sXGUHQV50G5eiHvU9M/s320/ftlow%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/baqw6y">https://books2read.com/u/baqw6y</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You can pre-order the anthology for just $3.99. Proceeds benefit First Coast Romance Writers, an independent non-profit organization helping writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the publishing industry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That's about all the damage I can do this time. If you're NaNoing, good luck! If you aren't NaNoing, good luck to you as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</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/AVvXsEg7DGnPyHrarVlbXmF8lhj_QhTvQSw-Xw0j-sLsHhkiXSGGkierMmaWE5DbsthyV1ACF8Yq24_U9_NFP48CczZGN309PvQiMx8HOgefMdlIJkfcZdH3uMJY9xN6HjaorsISZDJkhp5yZQXWgkxHHgVlZvk1bEkV_3WWaPgupyvdtb8VKOC7WR_pRmMY/s1280/owl-158409_1280.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1280" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DGnPyHrarVlbXmF8lhj_QhTvQSw-Xw0j-sLsHhkiXSGGkierMmaWE5DbsthyV1ACF8Yq24_U9_NFP48CczZGN309PvQiMx8HOgefMdlIJkfcZdH3uMJY9xN6HjaorsISZDJkhp5yZQXWgkxHHgVlZvk1bEkV_3WWaPgupyvdtb8VKOC7WR_pRmMY/s320/owl-158409_1280.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors</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/AVvXsEgvXc8TsDWE-hshe3cZ7OkocB5KiyNA8LiFWk-Eqdm1VBn9ABXEVS3xxo0bxGvzbzB5D3GI10npS8P5b-UZ6o39Oa3kbxJrSdXHvnyTkCGtVotOv3wmXNiDx2s5JIqYCzH7F-qkHennMYiO5GRE5AlQRM99lWqIKc05o0I0Twcoz-JCEsGvNmyqNFZa/s2048/iwsg%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXc8TsDWE-hshe3cZ7OkocB5KiyNA8LiFWk-Eqdm1VBn9ABXEVS3xxo0bxGvzbzB5D3GI10npS8P5b-UZ6o39Oa3kbxJrSdXHvnyTkCGtVotOv3wmXNiDx2s5JIqYCzH7F-qkHennMYiO5GRE5AlQRM99lWqIKc05o0I0Twcoz-JCEsGvNmyqNFZa/s320/iwsg%20logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I designed this banner using Pixlr. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You're welcome to use it if you like it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-55894486254545673692023-10-19T14:48:00.000-06:002023-10-19T14:48:08.949-06:00The Star Child and the Phantom of the Opera #WEP<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SshYYMSR8_7qZ-v4zTlt1knJ7KRAGyMURRHSCf1Sg-U-qvyqENu9AY_GcoDk7URIxJ05mkRIQk6wi7V93Atdj2-Re23KIPR9ncsj2s535zTyN2wVG4lqYzqN66auBlMsJDfhbobS_JJqfXNcj_aLJRe0DaJO-Q2e3Hdz72DtoWTY6-l45FcdZchs/s1280/man-158329_1280.png%20free%20use%20image%20from%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1280" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SshYYMSR8_7qZ-v4zTlt1knJ7KRAGyMURRHSCf1Sg-U-qvyqENu9AY_GcoDk7URIxJ05mkRIQk6wi7V93Atdj2-Re23KIPR9ncsj2s535zTyN2wVG4lqYzqN66auBlMsJDfhbobS_JJqfXNcj_aLJRe0DaJO-Q2e3Hdz72DtoWTY6-l45FcdZchs/s320/man-158329_1280.png%20free%20use%20image%20from%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/openclipart-vectors-30363/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=158329">OpenClipart-Vectors</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=158329">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Genre:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Nonfiction</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Critique Preferences:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Whatever. Just don't be a dick.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Tagline:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The Other remains reviled.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>The Essay:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p align="left">Over the course of more than a century, many actors
have played Erik, the title character of Gaston Leroux's 1910 Gothic
mystery/romance The Phantom of the Opera. Born with a disfigured
face, Erik was abandoned by his father and his mother expressed overt
disgust at his deformity. He wears a mask to hide his face.
</p>
<p align="left">A feeling of being an outsider may not be necessary
for an actor to portray Erik authentically, but it can certainly
help. Lon Chaney, the first actor to interpret Erik on film, was the
son of deaf parents. He learned sign language at a young age. Chaney exhibited a self-reliant and perfectionist
attitude, which sometimes strained his relationships.
</p>
<p align="left">Chaney drew from sympathy for The Other to lend
authenticity to his portrayals of deformed or monstrous characters.
As he wrote in a 1925 article for Movie magazine:</p>
<p align="left">"I wanted to remind people that the lowest types
of humanity may have within them the capacity for supreme
self-sacrifice. The dwarfed, misshapen beggar of the streets may have
the noblest ideals. Most of my roles since The Hunchback, such as The
Phantom of the Opera, He Who Gets Slapped, The Unholy Three, etc.,
have carried the theme of self-sacrifice or renunciation. These are
the stories which I wish to do."
</p>
<p align="left">Ray Bradbury once said of Chaney, "He was
someone who acted out our psyches. He somehow got into the shadows
inside our bodies; he was able to nail down some of our secret fears
and put them on-screen. The history of Lon Chaney is the history of
unrequited loves. He brings that part of you out into the open,
because you fear that you are not loved, you fear that you never will
be loved, you fear there is some part of you that's grotesque, that
the world will turn away from."</p>
<p align="left">Unlike Erik, Lon Chaney was a triumphant figure whose
abilities as an actor and makeup artist are still lauded more than
eighty years after his passing.</p>
<p align="left">Nearly seventy-five years after Lon Chaney brought
the Phantom of the Opera to life, a man better known as a musician
than a thespian brought a powerful authenticity to the role, drawing
inspiration from his own experiences. The name Paul Stanley has
become synonymous with the Star Child character he created for his
band, Kiss. Star Child allowed Paul a way to become someone besides
Stanley Bert Eisen, a deeply wounded and angry young man who looked
normal on the surface but saw himself as distorted and possibly
unlovable.</p>
<p align="left">Until I read Paul’s autobiography, I had no idea
how sensitive and thoughtful he is. I knew he had been born with
microtia, a condition affecting both the appearance and function of
the ear. Paul’s right ear was deformed, lacking an ear canal and
eardrum. His peers targeted him for ridicule, calling him Stanley the
One-Eared Monster. Between holding his own against bullies and
dealing with a volatile home environment, Paul became a defensive
personality always ready for a fight.</p>
<p align="left">Although Paul’s parents never expressed any strong
revulsion regarding his disability, they weren’t particularly
supportive either. Paul describes the house he grew up in as filled
with constant tension and frequent arguments. His older sister had
serious mental health challenges and at times acted out violently.
His parents weren’t affectionate with each other or their children.
Paul believes his thirst for acceptance led him to develop addictive
sexual behaviors.
</p>
<p align="left">Unlike the tragic and ultimately doomed Erik, Paul
Stanley is a triumphant figure. He found success at a young age
despite his insecurities. He managed to avoid succumbing to substance
addiction in an industry that offers constant temptation. He has a
healthy relationship with his children. He has been been happily
married to his second wife, Erin, since 2005. He credits mental
health counseling with helping him work through his anger,
self-doubt, and tendency to overextend himself to the point where he
starts having panic attacks.</p>
<p align="left">Since Gaston Leroux wrote The Phantom of the Opera,
attitudes toward those who do not conform to exacting standards of
beauty have not significantly changed. People still place a greater
emphasis on a person's external appearance than on their character.
While technological advancements have been impressive in recent
decades, ridiculing those who fail to meet rigid ideals of
attractiveness remains not only acceptable but encouraged. We need to
do better, starting now.
</p>
<p align="left"><b>730 words</b></p>
<h2 class="western">Acknowledgements</h2>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lon_Chaney">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lon_Chaney</a>
</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microtia">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microtia</a></p>
<p>Blake, Michael F. A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry
in Motion Pictures. Vestal, New York: Vestal Press, 1997. ISBN
978-1-8795-1121-7.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/45GHKAB">https://amzn.to/45GHKAB</a>
</p>
<p>Stanley, Paul (2014). Face the Music: A Life Exposed.
HarperCollins. p. 13. ISBN 9780062114068.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/3S1E4Gf">https://amzn.to/3S1E4Gf</a></p>
<p>Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera is in the public domain. Free digital copies of the story are available here.</p>
<p><a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/gaston-leroux/the-phantom-of-the-opera/alexander-teixeira-de-mattos">https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/gaston-leroux/the-phantom-of-the-opera/alexander-teixeira-de-mattos</a></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0Kgom9g7uLh_x2QxnKeayqlHviKAqO36_AKfLGODUYBayUKJncW7sY4krlTnH78iBVZR55oFWRoBgdDsZH1X6Lw4SXup5uOzOriCngOtxJDCyC9FEznGDo8PlvQZ4osOEj-bzk2rY_fHxwuSmPJQqJ9A43ULqhM9ziJTtE2NHaPwg15GDXKsOV2Y/s320/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0Kgom9g7uLh_x2QxnKeayqlHviKAqO36_AKfLGODUYBayUKJncW7sY4krlTnH78iBVZR55oFWRoBgdDsZH1X6Lw4SXup5uOzOriCngOtxJDCyC9FEznGDo8PlvQZ4osOEj-bzk2rY_fHxwuSmPJQqJ9A43ULqhM9ziJTtE2NHaPwg15GDXKsOV2Y/s1600/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/10/wep-october-flashfiction-challenge.html">https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/10/wep-october-flashfiction-challenge.html</a></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/AVvXsEgwYAB_QEfPgqpupagmzJz2_ELK4Q7euXWvj30ZVU3v9gefyCw3rbabYayVjSm7qOmiGvBLundHk9yR1tUa6fKQ_GdPWLI7_VVE-u04W7mUmSY4Vl6sTg5E7bTvsdxHUQe7wBoP4huKmYP3UrT0161AUyh_bXCOisZ8W3gVEZdDYSgLjWN-7sqUA8JX/s1280/mask-32385_1280.png%20by%20clker%20free%20vector%20images%20on%20pixabay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="860" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYAB_QEfPgqpupagmzJz2_ELK4Q7euXWvj30ZVU3v9gefyCw3rbabYayVjSm7qOmiGvBLundHk9yR1tUa6fKQ_GdPWLI7_VVE-u04W7mUmSY4Vl6sTg5E7bTvsdxHUQe7wBoP4huKmYP3UrT0161AUyh_bXCOisZ8W3gVEZdDYSgLjWN-7sqUA8JX/s320/mask-32385_1280.png%20by%20clker%20free%20vector%20images%20on%20pixabay.png" width="215" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/vectors/mask-owl-play-face-kids-game-toy-32385/">https://pixabay.com/vectors/mask-owl-play-face-kids-game-toy-32385/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ornery Owl Sez:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You know how some people like to abbreviate the names of their favorite movies or TV programs? Like GOT for Game of Thrones or SNG for Star Trek: The Next Generation? You don't want to abbreviate Phantom Of the Opera. Trust me on this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br />
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</p></div><br /><p></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-54251950189671087842023-08-22T15:11:00.000-06:002023-08-22T15:11:48.954-06:00Ugly Fat Old Failure Intro<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8ZkT72fbhFXcsW95ApG8rUhiDkODLCfDzFVpATcLVuKJJnsRjYFbVmI5Et2yoal0lubJHnUC-4l8JSeoB1Q3fOOP3ttVpV7iVOqf3IhJdoXP_ljn3eQtpblKgnBWCItNnEDOEw2ZFEj5XKzKi1MiNulNJuhKKnGlZBiiSLKcqF5Lc5zKrnPLOHgv/s1920/ufof%20banner%20book%20cover%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1878" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8ZkT72fbhFXcsW95ApG8rUhiDkODLCfDzFVpATcLVuKJJnsRjYFbVmI5Et2yoal0lubJHnUC-4l8JSeoB1Q3fOOP3ttVpV7iVOqf3IhJdoXP_ljn3eQtpblKgnBWCItNnEDOEw2ZFEj5XKzKi1MiNulNJuhKKnGlZBiiSLKcqF5Lc5zKrnPLOHgv/s320/ufof%20banner%20book%20cover%201.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><p></p><p align="left"><b>Image created by the author with free-use elements
from Pixabay plus text art and enhancements from Pixlr. Base images
by Dina Dee and John Hain from Pixabay. The woman depicted is an AI
creation, not an actual person.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<p align="left">The reasons for the war I am about to wage date back
decades, even centuries in some cases. I was not around in this form
centuries ago, but I may have been there in a different one. However,
this book is not about reincarnation. I will strive to remain on
topic. Having ADHD means going off on unrelated tangents is a far
from slim possibility.</p>
<p align="left">I am a woman. A large woman. A woman who has been on
the planet for close to six decades. A woman whom no-one would ever
mistake for cute, hot, pretty, sexy, or any other such thing that all
women are supposed to be in order to be judged momentarily worthy of
attitudes other than outright disdain. This explains the presence of
the unflattering adjective Ugly in the title. Personally, I feel both
Old and Fat are neutral descriptors, but all too many people use
these words as insults.</p>
<p align="left">As for the descriptor Failure, my reason for choosing
that word stems from an article I read several years ago. Sadly, I
don’t remember the name of the person who wrote the article. I
believe she was a doctor attending a conference. When she expressed
the opinion that shaming larger patients did nothing to improve their
well-being and, in fact, prompted them to avoid seeking medical care,
many of her fellow physicians laughed at her. One even commented
something along the lines of “do you think coddling these losers
will do anything to improve their failed lives?”</p>
<p align="left">This is exactly the way many doctors feel about their
larger patients. It is an attitude encouraged by medical schools. I
somehow survived nursing school without offing myself or anyone else.
Fatphobic attitudes are prevalent AND encouraged in nursing schools.
They were also prevalent in the hospitals where I did my clinicals.
In fairness, the staff at one of these hospitals treated a very large
woman suffering from depression severe enough that she had become
nonverbal and unable to care for herself with great kindness, never
shaming her for her size or for not responding. It is one of the few
times I have seen a fat patient treated with real compassion.</p>
<p align="left">Fatphobic attitudes were not encouraged in the EMS
program I attended. We were trained that our goal was to help
patients get the care they need, not to scold or belittle them. Even
if they were chronic substance abusers (known in the business as
Frequent Fliers.) Even if they were extremely heavy. Even if they
lived in squalid surroundings. The reasoning for this (sensible) rule
was a practical one. Shaming patients does not encourage them to get
the care they need. We are there to help them get care.</p></div><p>Here are your three options for reading the rest of the chapter:</p><p><a href="https://odysee.com/@crazycreativescheerleadingcamp:2/intro-ufof:e?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@crazycreativescheerleadingcamp:2/intro-ufof:e?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></p><p>Purchase the PDF for 100 LBC (approximately $1) on Odysee. This is the preferred option for anyone who would like to support my work but doesn't want to commit to a monthly subscription.</p><p><a href="https://reamstories.com/naughtynetherworldpress">https://reamstories.com/naughtynetherworldpress</a></p><p>Subscribe to the $5 tier (Sneak Peeks) on Ream. This gives you early access to chapters from all my independent works plus Lil DeVille's naughty one-off stories if that's your sort of thing. </p><p><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/naughtynetherworldpress/p/ugly-fat-old-failure?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web">https://open.substack.com/pub/naughtynetherworldpress/p/ugly-fat-old-failure?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web</a></p><p>Subscribe to the official Naughty Netherworld Press Substack. There are only two options with this one, free and $5 per month. The Substack subscription gives you pretty much the same thing as the Sneak Peeks tier on Ream. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nR9fNS4zg7IvokO8AXP2v716S1EaMAJ2YPiJ7DkQSj_8MPB_wUYQrZl5DfsnaHTj1kFIexBOzYZxo_KQQZdV1OFR3eR1UvlJW6hqEFoHufNhOaxFbsH3T0rT0ehKIkX1TD0k9MVG2MG5eT7mbgMAW1ElWImnkQjCm-EwhZpszhMQZLacD8S4K9_3/s1920/cara%20h%20calling%20card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nR9fNS4zg7IvokO8AXP2v716S1EaMAJ2YPiJ7DkQSj_8MPB_wUYQrZl5DfsnaHTj1kFIexBOzYZxo_KQQZdV1OFR3eR1UvlJW6hqEFoHufNhOaxFbsH3T0rT0ehKIkX1TD0k9MVG2MG5eT7mbgMAW1ElWImnkQjCm-EwhZpszhMQZLacD8S4K9_3/s320/cara%20h%20calling%20card.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-50711500452120561532023-08-16T00:00:00.080-06:002023-08-16T00:00:00.143-06:00Fudge #WEP<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtYTOfd01VwnOPbUQchkG5yub9UWo9ufccQi-ZyKM_ol1nu4OQJRpv8uc-k-wKTvP-kBa3iosmQVBOvG1Bb6ntmLeKvIMXhLvWtMVRPdqaUPg-jDuA5RdCF9AG1MeJSPMJiHjaoWdTXYgh3vhWhLv8Fe0LFwhC3OPigAxwJbjMvCWIbn_SQM7h-eJ/s4000/20230801_221321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtYTOfd01VwnOPbUQchkG5yub9UWo9ufccQi-ZyKM_ol1nu4OQJRpv8uc-k-wKTvP-kBa3iosmQVBOvG1Bb6ntmLeKvIMXhLvWtMVRPdqaUPg-jDuA5RdCF9AG1MeJSPMJiHjaoWdTXYgh3vhWhLv8Fe0LFwhC3OPigAxwJbjMvCWIbn_SQM7h-eJ/s320/20230801_221321.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you're hell-bent on using this picture of a pan of fudge, go right ahead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Critique guidelines:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Major points only. Given the subject matter, I can foresee this becoming a real shit show otherwise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4Qepfbf-fB__z76H-7XoItGYkM2mwDtdCp72jleAH9RXAdK9Bp9tew3QOa9jOlv_Jxg4_GbiEgg7BfXfgIazPP1EDZny3zWp5LqTVB2TCH4o_fr7-iFIeiHDYoOlF95jLmrQiS_-G9EIiwdZqGIB18FnvmHBjKUMXZuaNkSMkmkxrlR55vab2-uC/s320/Chocolat.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="222" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4Qepfbf-fB__z76H-7XoItGYkM2mwDtdCp72jleAH9RXAdK9Bp9tew3QOa9jOlv_Jxg4_GbiEgg7BfXfgIazPP1EDZny3zWp5LqTVB2TCH4o_fr7-iFIeiHDYoOlF95jLmrQiS_-G9EIiwdZqGIB18FnvmHBjKUMXZuaNkSMkmkxrlR55vab2-uC/s1600/Chocolat.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com">http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p>August 1</p>
<p>I made fudge. If you need a fast chocolate fix, this is the
quickest ever.</p>
<p>1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips</p>
<p>1 can of sweetened condensed milk</p>
<p>1 teaspoon of vanilla</p>
<p>Pour the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips into a bowl
and nuke them for one minute. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth.
Pour into a parchment-lined 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Eat.</p>
<p>This recipe is the epitome of me in the kitchen. I don’t do
anything that involves a lot of prep work.
</p>
<p>I am once again recovering from severe emotional dysregulation.</p>
<p>I feel hopeless. Even my writing is like horrible homework.
</p>
<p>I want to do the writing part of writing and leave the promotion
part to someone who knows what the hell they are doing. I am not a
social butterfly. I am more of a social pill bug. If I see someone
coming, I curl myself up into a ball and hope they won’t notice me.
Unfortunately, at my size, it’s hard for them to miss me.</p>
<p>Social pill bugs tend not to be treated well, even at the doctor’s
office. Dr. Deborah Serani, a psychologist who lives with clinical
depression, writes about this phenomenon in her excellent Psychology
Today article.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/two-takes-depression/201905/medical-shaming-and-mental-illness">https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/two-takes-depression/201905/medical-shaming-and-mental-illness</a></p>
<p>This vitally important takeaway from the article sizes up (Heh!
See what I did there?) the attitude that heavy people and patients
with mental illness just “aren’t trying hard enough.”</p>
<blockquote>In 1948, The World Health Organization defined health as
a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.
Regrettably, it didn't take into account chronic illness or disease
and the layered challenges individuals face with such conditions.
While the definition of health has changed over the years, most
professionals - and the general public - believe health is a state of
well-being that a person "earns" or "maintains."
This social construct goes like this:</blockquote>
<blockquote>If you eat well, you will be well.</blockquote>
<blockquote>If you exercise, you will be fit.</blockquote>
<blockquote>If you don't have good mental health, you just aren't
trying hard enough.</blockquote>
<blockquote>And that those who can't, won't or don't achieve
well-being are just weak, lazy - or worse - need to be shamed to get
it done.</blockquote>
<p>Shaming doesn’t work, but even doctors, who are supposed to be
so much smartier than the rest of us, don’t understand this. If
shaming worked there would be no addicts of any kind. There would be
no fat people, and nobody would have mental health problems. Everyone
would eat the exact right amount of the exact optimal kind of food at
every meal. Nobody would drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or weed,
snort cocaine, inject heroin, or become addicted to pills. Everyone
would be content to do the jobs assigned to them by those in power.
</p>
<p>I recommend re-reading Brave New World. Or reading it for the
first time if you haven’t read it yet.</p>
<p>As for me, if hating myself thin never worked during the
thirty-three years I tried to do just that, it sure as fuck ain’t
gonna work now. The doctor should have berated my thyroid, which
killed itself and thrust me onto the path to largeness when I was
just thirteen years old. She should have berated my ovaries, which
developed PCOS once I was old enough to menstruate. She should have
berated my pancreas, which waited until I was 49 years old, but then
joined my thyroid in death.</p>
<p>If anything, this woman of medicine who is so much smartier than
me should have berated me for becoming bulimic at twelve and starting
down a path of lifelong food insecurity, both self-imposed (dieting)
and involuntary (not having the money to buy adequate supplies of
food while social services tells me I make too much money to qualify
for assistance.) Better yet, rather than berating an old broad coming
to you because she has a fucking sleep disorder and the sleep
specialist said she should, why not berate a society that allows food
insecurity and pushes people to hate their bodies?</p>
<p>TREAT THE PATIENT, NOT THE CHART!</p>
<p>This doctor, by the way?</p>
<p>A pulmonologist.
</p>
<p>I was there to find out if something was awry with my lungs, not
to have bad drugs with serious side effects suggested to me on the
slim chance (see what I did there?) they might turn me into the svelte, slinky vixen that
every woman is supposed to be.</p>
<p>I am not unaware of my size nor of the theoretical correlation
between my size and conditions. However, I’m working on making
peace with my body and food because dieting and eating disorders
(among other factors) have caused me serious trauma. Even if I remain
at my current size (given my history, this is the most likely
outcome) my overall health will still improve if I am receiving
appropriate care for my underlying conditions.</p>
<p>I guess everyone would have been happier if I’d lived fast, died
young, and left a good-looking corpse.</p>
<p>Fuck all of them.
</p>
<p>I look out of my shell and realize I’ve failed at my goal of
opening people’s eyes to the way bias against troubled people or
those who don’t conform to a certain rigid standard of beauty and
acceptability hurts the world.
</p>
<p>I am aware that I’m ugly.</p>
<p>Those who puff up their egos by shaming those who don’t conform
to their standards don’t realize they are ugly too.</p>
<p>I had a couple pieces of the fudge. I think I prefer cookie bars.</p>
<p>Not that it’s anyone’s business, but I don’t eat dessert
after every meal or even every day.</p><p style="text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF038LKS90Q1guW5d52C702p_maimwNcHKEZzhorEVfn6ibZ98RfoIO6qERTiuet54P7hCS_htGYIrd4_ptmWwBXCZ4wubq1oGo16KFZVSZT9PrskDiKZsz42rjqg8kMwUg3B1wtRJVOixPrN3d3FcLpoTZpUFPZLsQXXKBw3YxOx13RUI1_UshMhO/s640/owls-7407619_640.png%20by%20hk%20mennist%20on%20pixabay.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF038LKS90Q1guW5d52C702p_maimwNcHKEZzhorEVfn6ibZ98RfoIO6qERTiuet54P7hCS_htGYIrd4_ptmWwBXCZ4wubq1oGo16KFZVSZT9PrskDiKZsz42rjqg8kMwUg3B1wtRJVOixPrN3d3FcLpoTZpUFPZLsQXXKBw3YxOx13RUI1_UshMhO/s320/owls-7407619_640.png%20by%20hk%20mennist%20on%20pixabay.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/hk_m-28545848/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7407619">HK Mennist</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7407619">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It should go without saying, but I know it doesn't. Comments such as "but it's unhealthy to be fat," "but if you just eat less and exercise more," and "but if you just tried the sawdust and metal shavings diet" are not welcome.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As for the first comment, I'm not going to waste time debating with you. Go read this book. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://bit.ly/HAESCIE">https://bit.ly/HAESCIE</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As for the second comment, I am excellent at starving myself. It is my first reaction to being size shamed, along with suicide ideation. I can't engage in orthorexia the way I used to because of my back problems. Go read the aforementioned book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As for the third comment:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Dd0wUEgnexyUy__T5llwnnac_c17ac6_SEpR8o3PI_bq4je8ICmEKjQByk8IeebnvXuniCWb9H49D7STRNCrDaE24sPeIXk4kDZ7JLwkrDU0_13Xvf8SStKVqUhxZSANW-R3NjbASxmt6skkSU7r_zl21Bhbdird-5ucGmy3dKk7mHDEelYvVYIn/s494/shut%20up%20about%20your%20diet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Dd0wUEgnexyUy__T5llwnnac_c17ac6_SEpR8o3PI_bq4je8ICmEKjQByk8IeebnvXuniCWb9H49D7STRNCrDaE24sPeIXk4kDZ7JLwkrDU0_13Xvf8SStKVqUhxZSANW-R3NjbASxmt6skkSU7r_zl21Bhbdird-5ucGmy3dKk7mHDEelYvVYIn/s320/shut%20up%20about%20your%20diet.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><p><br />
</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-81561561117921552082023-08-12T14:12:00.000-06:002023-08-12T14:12:34.722-06:00Another Book Beginning: Don't Write a Novella In 24 Hours<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6oBWLmh3lV-IleWklelu1sykiIedQq_Vid0r8M8zqVXaabZTTUgke_D8sA6eknCuiNeIylodtZFh7lKFh78BlDNR3zAb8sZhmhgvn736C5F_rtX73t_bMTryHelahb0dM5gNdmJT31u76shNB8keBNeYz4hD8hXfnSAhitoWmSCEJcNHRYAkYW_n/s1920/dont%20write%20a%20novella%20in%2024%20hours%20cover%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6oBWLmh3lV-IleWklelu1sykiIedQq_Vid0r8M8zqVXaabZTTUgke_D8sA6eknCuiNeIylodtZFh7lKFh78BlDNR3zAb8sZhmhgvn736C5F_rtX73t_bMTryHelahb0dM5gNdmJT31u76shNB8keBNeYz4hD8hXfnSAhitoWmSCEJcNHRYAkYW_n/s320/dont%20write%20a%20novella%20in%2024%20hours%20cover%201.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The following is an excerpt from another of my nonfiction WIPs. This one is called Don't Write a Novella In 24 Hours. </div><p></p><ol>
<li>
<h1 align="center" class="western">Introduction</h1>
</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<p align="left" class="western">First of all, it is necessary for me
to state that I’m not trying to start a war with Andrew Mayne, the
author of How to Write a Novella in 24 Hours. In fact, I recommend
reading his book. It contains lots of useful advice in a small
package. I particularly appreciated the building your author empire
and book cover sections. However, I found attempting to do what the
title suggests soul-crushing.</p>
<p align="left" class="western"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://amzn.to/3Yu1sgU">https://amzn.to/3Yu1sgU</a></u></span></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western">I bought the book back in April while
attempting to complete multiple creative projects. I am generally
capable of creating the first draft of a 20,000-word story in ten
days.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western">Let me introduce my writing personas.
Lil DeVille is my pen name for erotica and C. L. Hart is my pen name
for pretty much everything else. My poetry persona is Ornery Owl, but
I publish the works under my real name. I write on mental health and
recovery topics as Cara H in keeping with the ideals of recovery
programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western"><b>Anonymity is the spiritual
foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place
principles before personalities.</b></p>
<p align="left" class="western">When writing works such as this one,
I am not Cara Hartley, Aspiring Poet and Hack Writer. I’m just
Cara H, a fatally flawed fuckup who would love to change the world
but doesn’t know what to do. I’m no better or worse than anyone
else.</p>
<p align="left" class="western">Truthfully, I don’t have problems
with thinking I’m superior to others. Believing I’m inferior
comes naturally. Toning down the acid-tongued diatribe of my inner
critic, whom I call Ayce Hole, is an uphill battle. Ayce Hole is
pretty much every mean girl from every teen movie combined with every
abusive headmistress. She’s flat-out awful. She and Rick
Springfield’s inner critic, Mr. Darkness, would probably get on
like a house on fire. They both want to watch the world burn.</p>
<p align="left" class="western">If you’d like to read Rick’s
autobiography, you can find it here.</p>
<p align="left" class="western"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://amzn.to/3qq5Dh8">https://amzn.to/3qq5Dh8</a></u></span></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western">I never would have guessed Rick
Springfield was a kindred spirit. He seemed like someone who had it
all. He’s good-looking and talented. However, looks and talent
can’t heal deep emotional wounds.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western">Back to the April breakdown that
inspired me to write this book.</p>
<p align="left" class="western">I was working on a story called The
Quest for Captain Sammy’s Treasure under the C. L. Hart pen name
for potential inclusion in the Pirate Gold anthology from Dragon Soul
Press. I’m happy to report that the story was accepted. You can
follow this link to grab your copy of the anthology.</p>
<p align="left" class="western"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://books2read.com/PirateGold">http://books2read.com/PirateGold</a></u></span></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western">I was also doing a poem a day for
potential inclusion in the Soul Ink anthology from Dragon Soul Press.
I’m pleased to report that all 25 of the poems I submitted were
accepted. You can purchase Soul Ink through the following link. I’m
a poet, and I know it!</p>
<p align="left" class="western"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://amzn.to/3CL4fs5">https://amzn.to/3CL4fs5</a></u></span></span></p><p align="left" class="western"><span style="color: navy;"><b>There are three options available to read the rest of the chapter.</b></span></p><p align="left" class="western"><span style="color: navy;"><a href="https://odysee.com/@crazycreativescheerleadingcamp:2/dwanin24intro:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@crazycreativescheerleadingcamp:2/dwanin24intro:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></span></p><p align="left" class="western">Purchase the PDF for 100 LBC (approximately $1) on Odysee. This is the preferred option for anyone who would like to support my work but doesn't want to commit to a monthly subscription.</p><p align="left" class="western"><a href="https://reamstories.com/naughtynetherworldpress">https://reamstories.com/naughtynetherworldpress</a></p><p align="left" class="western">Subscribe to the $5 tier (Sneak Peeks) on Ream. This gives you early access to chapters from all my independent works plus Lil DeVille's naughty one-off stories if that's your sort of thing. </p><p align="left" class="western"><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/naughtynetherworldpress/p/dont-write-a-novella-in-24-hours?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web">https://open.substack.com/pub/naughtynetherworldpress/p/dont-write-a-novella-in-24-hours?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web</a></p><p align="left" class="western">Subscribe to the official Naughty Netherworld Press Substack. There are only two options with this one, free and $5 per month. The Substack subscription gives you pretty much the same thing as the Sneak Peeks tier on Ream. </p></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@LastScoutRadio:1/video1894846070:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@LastScoutRadio:1/video1894846070:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@LastScoutRadio:1/video1894846070:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div><div><br /></div><div>When I want to hear radio done right, I head for Last Scout Radio on Odysee. It's like old-school FM radio before it went to crap. </div><div><br /></div><div>Stick it to YouTube and subscribe to Odysee. It's free and you can find all sorts of cool and unique stuff. You can even create your own channel or channels and potentially make a coin or two. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9JzYu9sCl8mRZnHkEGq3aR5Hcx_ej0FK4ZEhoSTm_1vXx264QfcDfyOvpU5LWE4qSvednpY9VqxFa9-y5w8SjZUTEKfhSLRKMmvPm3kgQxAoUWC6g9Jq30Bo25kVDZHRjv8OaQCUvH3aqrI6D9qISRIjkl6mOQMNLYKg9dAo2G9TZbFkfdWv9WdI/s1920/cara%20h%20calling%20card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9JzYu9sCl8mRZnHkEGq3aR5Hcx_ej0FK4ZEhoSTm_1vXx264QfcDfyOvpU5LWE4qSvednpY9VqxFa9-y5w8SjZUTEKfhSLRKMmvPm3kgQxAoUWC6g9Jq30Bo25kVDZHRjv8OaQCUvH3aqrI6D9qISRIjkl6mOQMNLYKg9dAo2G9TZbFkfdWv9WdI/s320/cara%20h%20calling%20card.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-56730151363027562972023-08-02T00:00:00.053-06:002023-08-02T00:00:00.157-06:00Insecure Writers Support Group 2 August 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhmkaR3HO35OP7VenAgQ5tU2V9RpADpx7HNYfPwJom90QEdewFcmBqViNTFhM7PPwaGwYuvGSz826a7jq0k1TCJnNQJvr1WCpgswYUswbyBjUYfuoJNXfsdFgCQIzgmA-YPujjrgIfOdCZqgRDe52EUojLsjEA9G2NshqUMklYurOqbIgmrAp4vD2/s640/shipwreck-6609824_640.jpg%20by%20enrique%20meseguer%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="640" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhmkaR3HO35OP7VenAgQ5tU2V9RpADpx7HNYfPwJom90QEdewFcmBqViNTFhM7PPwaGwYuvGSz826a7jq0k1TCJnNQJvr1WCpgswYUswbyBjUYfuoJNXfsdFgCQIzgmA-YPujjrgIfOdCZqgRDe52EUojLsjEA9G2NshqUMklYurOqbIgmrAp4vD2/s320/shipwreck-6609824_640.jpg%20by%20enrique%20meseguer%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/darksouls1-2189876/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6609824">Enrique Meseguer</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6609824">Pixabay</a></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/AVvXsEha2CUQNxZw7qBns55gdbU75VM7yMhnKMm3mq1MjdnAiNk7_1yL3TfnexnU8NVOnQU9GlVxRGYh10GuES0LHB7II0PMW8w65-x_S_HdxKwhZcfBR8Cpl37uSh1PebWj6Oj8GhBjUjL_6Dg3RBB-94XVzdiulpv3EjZQ79Kkq_R1MsAxY3DzTEKRAXfa/s200/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="200" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2CUQNxZw7qBns55gdbU75VM7yMhnKMm3mq1MjdnAiNk7_1yL3TfnexnU8NVOnQU9GlVxRGYh10GuES0LHB7II0PMW8w65-x_S_HdxKwhZcfBR8Cpl37uSh1PebWj6Oj8GhBjUjL_6Dg3RBB-94XVzdiulpv3EjZQ79Kkq_R1MsAxY3DzTEKRAXfa/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></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: justify;"><b>August 2 question: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The answer is I once wrote an entire book that I regretted. I've detailed this experience previously for the IWSG. Why not check out that post here?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://crazycreativescheerleadingcamp.blogspot.com/2023/04/insecure-writers-support-group-april-5.html">http://crazycreativescheerleadingcamp.blogspot.com/2023/04/insecure-writers-support-group-april-5.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>That experience almost made me stop writing. Unfortunately for the world, I'm either too stupid or too legit to quit.</div><div><br /></div><div>More recently, I had stories published in two different anthologies. I don't regret either of them. Check them out below if you're so inclined.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8LBL7f57tVbSRRn69myXX4_4nWaC6rrTCaGVGsvkrpr_cfZ1SMv7SCkaxWB2ZvObGgIx0Kw-dTqYKr_m8o_8LIo9CFQdisrocmwXadrahn5qpzGTZk7cyg49I1-KwvDYIQWSnjE3wOTPSOROTypARBWLkTXeLgbzVxr3VxZ-hYb0OMST1_7zvZ8r/s2701/0_2023%20Anthology.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2701" data-original-width="1801" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8LBL7f57tVbSRRn69myXX4_4nWaC6rrTCaGVGsvkrpr_cfZ1SMv7SCkaxWB2ZvObGgIx0Kw-dTqYKr_m8o_8LIo9CFQdisrocmwXadrahn5qpzGTZk7cyg49I1-KwvDYIQWSnjE3wOTPSOROTypARBWLkTXeLgbzVxr3VxZ-hYb0OMST1_7zvZ8r/s320/0_2023%20Anthology.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILz599o9zeoa1Wa40DpoQWqPqo8qP00BE7szXdTJAYNu3v1s9a_ec9Epfox23mtcUqj92kdblBI2qQx7lkSkNGaL1ZtMLn4fbBC7cWzJXWwFWcmYI63dHEVmjSsfMtgNCEpfFjKOKDz_FA7ekitajNDyzC1tCOnRo0aBScrR4PgWYDK5DUSAgdEkF/s1920/lil%20deville%20calling%20card.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1889" data-original-width="1920" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILz599o9zeoa1Wa40DpoQWqPqo8qP00BE7szXdTJAYNu3v1s9a_ec9Epfox23mtcUqj92kdblBI2qQx7lkSkNGaL1ZtMLn4fbBC7cWzJXWwFWcmYI63dHEVmjSsfMtgNCEpfFjKOKDz_FA7ekitajNDyzC1tCOnRo0aBScrR4PgWYDK5DUSAgdEkF/s320/lil%20deville%20calling%20card.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p align="left">Anthology Genre: </p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Erotica, Steamy Romance</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">(various sub-genres)</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Heat level:</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Five Flames</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASIN :
B0C5RSJS5M</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Publication date :
August 1, 2023</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Buy Link:</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6054771568924990927/7030714574832910893#">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5RSJS5M</a></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">$4.99 ebook</p>
<p align="justify"><b>Book Blurb</b></p>
<p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Celebrate
summer with this steamy collection of short stories, perfect for a
beach read!</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">All
proceeds will go to ProLiteracy to benefit adult literacy all over
the world. Visit their website at </span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.proliteracy.org/">https://www.proliteracy.org/</a></p></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/AVvXsEgXdSY24Vmsos5nQuKAciXo3E_iSxVLwJYXfXpAmw2zOC9YAd1VQDspyGZDvptXPleyqgV6rZNpnry46yfo--rhM6372SU2OCFBJs1ZIlP8JnoTVfC-VODquBIQKZYecPMYnMMfZYLq7Uwy-DJ63BDCqmiaQdOBV7xi9D77bgNHFNGVHS23ljeiXbHO/s940/C.L.%20Hart.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdSY24Vmsos5nQuKAciXo3E_iSxVLwJYXfXpAmw2zOC9YAd1VQDspyGZDvptXPleyqgV6rZNpnry46yfo--rhM6372SU2OCFBJs1ZIlP8JnoTVfC-VODquBIQKZYecPMYnMMfZYLq7Uwy-DJ63BDCqmiaQdOBV7xi9D77bgNHFNGVHS23ljeiXbHO/s320/C.L.%20Hart.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviUosDO2mcJrCSGYdgH9JkelcA-LCD7A788NrHL0-RQnUl8w34Prj5GSjMDNMFES9wqNR8ZSgujg9Y9X5dKvOVOH_HyDSrmKwDq2fT6c_KDWfvPwCTyI-uP0gPOUm785X4iGoAJgn6mS57me2Hl3f6P_5a4bN_VRUnkIbUVpDWhKRZ4fc8uP4Cx3h/s1280/cl%20hart%20calling%20card.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1280" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviUosDO2mcJrCSGYdgH9JkelcA-LCD7A788NrHL0-RQnUl8w34Prj5GSjMDNMFES9wqNR8ZSgujg9Y9X5dKvOVOH_HyDSrmKwDq2fT6c_KDWfvPwCTyI-uP0gPOUm785X4iGoAJgn6mS57me2Hl3f6P_5a4bN_VRUnkIbUVpDWhKRZ4fc8uP4Cx3h/s320/cl%20hart%20calling%20card.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p align="justify">Book: Pirate Gold</p>
<p align="justify">Story: The Quest for Captain Sammy's Treasure</p>
<p align="justify">ASIN: B0C47Y85Y3</p>
<p align="justify">Publication Date: July 31, 2023</p>
<p align="justify">Genre (for the story): Action and Adventure,
Paranormal Fantasy, Lovecraftian</p>
<p align="justify">Buy Link:</p>
<p align="justify"><a href="http://books2read.com/PirateGold">http://books2read.com/PirateGold</a>
</p>
<p align="justify">Price: $4.99 ebook</p>
<p align="justify"><b>Book Blurb:</b></p>
<p align="justify">Treasure is within reach.</p>
<p align="justify">Nineteen original tales of swashbuckling glory are
at your fingertips in this anthology. From pirates lured into traps,
treasure hunting gone wrong, and epic battles on the open sea. From
vengeful ghosts to gruesome mutinies. Living on the edge comes with
high costs.</p>
<p align="justify">Featuring stories by Paulene Turner, James Romag,
Maeve A. Baird, Matthew Fryer, Isa Ottoni, Bianca Breen, Charles
Kyffhausen, Allison Tebo, Douglas Allen Gohl, Edgar Mahaffey,
Jennifer Strassel, Stephen A. Roddewig, Robert Allen Lupton, K.
Anders, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Melody Bowles, and C.L. Hart.</p><p align="justify">I am detecting a deficiency of 1970s German prog rock in your life. Allow me to remedy that tragic situation.</p></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@ChristopherKennethBowser:6/Wolf-City---Amon-Düül-II:6?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@ChristopherKennethBowser:6/Wolf-City---Amon-D%C3%BC%C3%BCl-II:6?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@ChristopherKennethBowser:6/Wolf-City---Amon-D%C3%BC%C3%BCl-II:6?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-16547565291380651232023-07-30T23:33:00.000-06:002023-07-30T23:33:10.808-06:00Introducing the Introduction to my Latest Memoir Attempt<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0jCjBMNZ3YgdHZoUmISHbSOvF365qxW6ixps0kJqS9Vzj6mB1rQEZAGINsX1UOTbmLlUpSbLKqkkbN1pGRsUXom-w3qlZrHDZXsVuxtc9ozS_WrTWcKsukXiuuukbQOjFEh7j0oPCOgxuXa9B2T5Rxii5gbURyu1MLVa940Y518Ujk-WYGY033RN/s1920/llg%20banner%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0jCjBMNZ3YgdHZoUmISHbSOvF365qxW6ixps0kJqS9Vzj6mB1rQEZAGINsX1UOTbmLlUpSbLKqkkbN1pGRsUXom-w3qlZrHDZXsVuxtc9ozS_WrTWcKsukXiuuukbQOjFEh7j0oPCOgxuXa9B2T5Rxii5gbURyu1MLVa940Y518Ujk-WYGY033RN/s320/llg%20banner%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>I'm making another attempt at writing a memoir, and this time I have a strategy to help me stay on target. Read the sample from the intro to learn more!<p></p><p align="left">This may be THE book I need to write. I am a
storyteller by both trade and by nature. Most of the stories I’ve
had published (also most of the stories I haven’t had published)
are of the fictional variety. The old saying “the truth is stranger
than fiction” is no lie. My life has been exceedingly strange and
often brutal. Many times the pain already cutting to the core of my
soul was made all the sharper by a phenomenon called limerence.</p><p align="left"><i>How sharper than a serpent’s tooth...</i></p><p align="left">Psychologist Dorothy Tennov coined the term limerence
in her 1979 book, <i>Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in
Love</i>. The phenomenon is discussed extensively by Anna Runkle, AKA
The Crappy Childhood Fairy, on her YouTube channel.</p><p align="left"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CrappyChildhoodFairy">https://www.youtube.com/@CrappyChildhoodFairy</a>
</p><p align="left">The rest of the intro is available on my subscriber platforms. You have a choice of:</p><p align="left">Odysee for 100 LBC (approximately $1).</p><p align="left"><a href="https://odysee.com/@crazycreativescheerleadingcamp:2/limerence-book-intro:7">https://odysee.com/@crazycreativescheerleadingcamp:2/limerence-book-intro:7</a></p><p align="left">Ream for $5 per month.</p><p align="left"><a href="https://bit.ly/NaughtyReam">https://bit.ly/NaughtyReam</a></p><p align="left">Substack for $5 per month.</p><p align="left"><a href="https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com/p/limerence-is-a-losing-game">https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com/p/limerence-is-a-losing-game</a></p><p align="left">Ream and Substack both give you access to any other material I publish on either platform. Substack is a blog and Ream offers ebooks. The Odysee post would be a one-off purchase. This is a better choice for someone who doesn't want to commit to a subscription but would like to offer a little monetary support.</p><p align="left">"Yeah, but Ornery, who wants to read a depressing book about your depressing life?"</p><p align="left">Fair enough. Feast your eyes on these fine options instead!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6aD5W6ukp8AZNmhADlvmVlbc22jNPPxz8hPg9_h0wlqCQQBB3_mc4teAlaJuCMOcrC2wgLhNSfAlHKB4X03VSjp05NWHznOB7iiVIH6DR6Z2PLKkzyUlR1cyNwFK9o3jxwN1szMS31hdRuhWeENqk34B3whR9n0GvtmjulcD3YLyAwvZP9wjlfEh/s2701/0_2023%20Anthology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2701" data-original-width="1801" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6aD5W6ukp8AZNmhADlvmVlbc22jNPPxz8hPg9_h0wlqCQQBB3_mc4teAlaJuCMOcrC2wgLhNSfAlHKB4X03VSjp05NWHznOB7iiVIH6DR6Z2PLKkzyUlR1cyNwFK9o3jxwN1szMS31hdRuhWeENqk34B3whR9n0GvtmjulcD3YLyAwvZP9wjlfEh/s320/0_2023%20Anthology.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Lil DeVille's five-flame scorcher, The Liberation of Mac MacCarrick, is just one of the spicy stories in the Hot and Sticky anthology, to be released on August 1st. Pick up your copy here:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6054771568924990927/7030714574832910893#">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5RSJS5M</a></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Proceeds benefit ProLiteracy.</p></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibrdQvVSBH96aysH9AANEwO1uCAKj_K8ndTQNGx2MaAOAriqFTfvtyKbMKZl69EyZT1_so-qfr1sl1MyA4XrRpLsvfJqlv-YFN7KcCNrJyNaGBBKvvygfMTuAnwEgjtc0I1v8q64WOl4FiOdJddylWcIQoEbjvNsKB3kmTOdfFcJM00hlcOlwNZKN/s1920/lil%20deville%20calling%20card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1889" data-original-width="1920" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibrdQvVSBH96aysH9AANEwO1uCAKj_K8ndTQNGx2MaAOAriqFTfvtyKbMKZl69EyZT1_so-qfr1sl1MyA4XrRpLsvfJqlv-YFN7KcCNrJyNaGBBKvvygfMTuAnwEgjtc0I1v8q64WOl4FiOdJddylWcIQoEbjvNsKB3kmTOdfFcJM00hlcOlwNZKN/s320/lil%20deville%20calling%20card.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL0yuPJGh0Aet043JwaXYefBpj6t32030m4OTMErHU2NeVN10Ij-c21UzGnavjWyNXIYhMn-KQFU1YdW8-AIxlgsC-j8x0BpX9t2w3WSdO5uja_BFIAqVInDYvvNPFOmp5HlId3qVAwziVGA8310ZlvjWWAgRzoNxqbyd3NcPzdmofy7qs8jtBupB/s940/C.L.%20Hart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL0yuPJGh0Aet043JwaXYefBpj6t32030m4OTMErHU2NeVN10Ij-c21UzGnavjWyNXIYhMn-KQFU1YdW8-AIxlgsC-j8x0BpX9t2w3WSdO5uja_BFIAqVInDYvvNPFOmp5HlId3qVAwziVGA8310ZlvjWWAgRzoNxqbyd3NcPzdmofy7qs8jtBupB/s320/C.L.%20Hart.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It may be hot in the Jungle of Kled, but the characters in C. L. Hart's Lovecraftian fantasy adventure, The Quest for Captain Sammy's Treasure, aren't getting up to anything amorous. They just want to grab the treasure and get out of there as quick as possible, but a hideous colossus stands in their way. Find out what Sammy and his friends do, and check out the other swashbuckling tales in Pirate Gold too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://books2read.com/PirateGold">http://books2read.com/PirateGold</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP4n6HknGclpV6tJdjpNpIKAKhSl3LMmHoum3mr_jNGfd6WN9tCT4RrC4rRr-_0drQ_Wz9QtaKAzoDqobE5J7Fg0SEWo0Up3vua1cWEy_eG7pVwm1VogZ7DfDXC0ID8qgvI8OWvESoOC-FqXAgl74-cyTRKlhy5g0WMvsdViQ79kPxGVnVDzBOloZ/s1280/cl%20hart%20calling%20card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1280" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP4n6HknGclpV6tJdjpNpIKAKhSl3LMmHoum3mr_jNGfd6WN9tCT4RrC4rRr-_0drQ_Wz9QtaKAzoDqobE5J7Fg0SEWo0Up3vua1cWEy_eG7pVwm1VogZ7DfDXC0ID8qgvI8OWvESoOC-FqXAgl74-cyTRKlhy5g0WMvsdViQ79kPxGVnVDzBOloZ/s320/cl%20hart%20calling%20card.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6y1MYufPO2qqg7S0AQVVsl1cysgcJkiFbPt_VLeNwrauEkXV_pnLsudooEJ_EvjJPFhRsTeqyEv6se2VW02sBCoPpC2lbAe05jH-R5SoyPl56SauCwv32J67_3e-oWEkAlhsE8ByT-vrvgpv7tvNzXkGvvkoRxc3GWFHpnoaV0JjIMF9xsCAvdS8/s640/harry-potter-4077473_640.png%20by%20dmitry%20abramov%20on%20pixabay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="640" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6y1MYufPO2qqg7S0AQVVsl1cysgcJkiFbPt_VLeNwrauEkXV_pnLsudooEJ_EvjJPFhRsTeqyEv6se2VW02sBCoPpC2lbAe05jH-R5SoyPl56SauCwv32J67_3e-oWEkAlhsE8ByT-vrvgpv7tvNzXkGvvkoRxc3GWFHpnoaV0JjIMF9xsCAvdS8/s320/harry-potter-4077473_640.png%20by%20dmitry%20abramov%20on%20pixabay.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image from Pixabay</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"I saw you hiding that Hot and Sticky anthology in your spell book, Harry."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"I'm a year older than your son, Ornery*. I can read smut books if I want to. Just don't tell Dumbledore, or he'll steal it."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*My son is 33.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p align="left"><br />
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</p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-61705837365329267952023-07-05T00:00:00.007-06:002023-07-06T17:55:51.125-06:00Insecure Writers Support Group 5 July 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzsD85XZBvvGPdyKHsSTyPdxY_VJPRFScZIJPWVYjt-PFrhHvuplG5-3ZbX1jB8a4kNAZ-8ndSzDllY9z5q8qiJ2Cdvdf5wqQPOQn2e6NWKP1bqVhLkCyKf8b2ZJugcF0nEK0AQrSGPLq3VryWdpsaxFl7ibVrTe8RMfPaeVXjNtEPTXMwqUJv2Vk/s1920/stroller-486583_1920.jpg%20by%20anja%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1920" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzsD85XZBvvGPdyKHsSTyPdxY_VJPRFScZIJPWVYjt-PFrhHvuplG5-3ZbX1jB8a4kNAZ-8ndSzDllY9z5q8qiJ2Cdvdf5wqQPOQn2e6NWKP1bqVhLkCyKf8b2ZJugcF0nEK0AQrSGPLq3VryWdpsaxFl7ibVrTe8RMfPaeVXjNtEPTXMwqUJv2Vk/s320/stroller-486583_1920.jpg%20by%20anja%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/cocoparisienne-127419/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=486583">Anja</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=486583">Pixabay</a></div><p><b>July 5 question - 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Doubts. Fears. Movies. Songs. Stories. Television programs (The Twilight Zone was a big inspiration for me.) Trauma. Nightmares.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wrote a poem about this very subject, which was published in an anthology called Soul Ink on June 23 of this year. You can read it here if you're so inclined.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2023/06/soul-ink-is-here-8sunday-snipsun.html">https://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2023/06/soul-ink-is-here-8sunday-snipsun.html</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here's a humdinger of a dream that I had last night. Being lost and needing to get somewhere is one of my recurring dreams. Also, I was highly anxious about a dental appointment to replace a filling that had come loose. I got through it, but when I say nervous, I don't mean a little jittery. I mean Defcon 5-level threat of a panic attack. I took a 5 MG Valium tablet before the appointment. It did nothing more than slightly reduce my blood pressure. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For those of you who are sensitive about salty language, you might want to give this part of the post a miss. There is also a brief discussion of third-degree sexual assault without any graphic descriptions.</p><p align="left">I dreamed I was lost and trying to find my car so I
could take it to the mechanic. For reasons unknown, I had parked it and
then wandered to a woman’s office. She may have been a lawyer, but
I’m not entirely sure. A cop came in behind me.
</p><p align="left">As I was walking down the steps, a group of children
hurried over and started playing on them. The steps were old, and the
concrete had gone cattywampus. I said “Excuse me” as I made my
way past. There was a little dark-haired girl watching me
disdainfully, and I suspected she might say something rude. I wasn’t
disappointed.</p><p align="left">“Why do you have to be obese?” she demanded.</p><p align="left">“Oh shut up, you stupid child,” I shot back, far
more aggravated at having to deal with her snotty attitude and the
precarious trip down the crumbling stairs than ashamed of my body. My
reaction is actually a breakthrough, but I was too anxious and
irritated to appreciate it.</p><p align="left">I was having a hell of a time finding my car. A
heavyset Latino fellow, probably in his late 20s or early to mid-thirties offered to help, but he ended up perving on me, putting
his arms around me and grinding his groin against my backside. I told
him I didn’t need his help and ordered him away from me. He called
me a bitch and left.</p><p align="left">I was going to say I didn’t know anyone who fits
this description, but then I realized I did. When I was working at
the local McChoke and Puke at 16 years old, there was an assistant
manager who liked to make time with the high school girls. I gave him
a ride home one night, and he proceeded to grope me. This was doubly
creepy as he was dating one of my friends.</p><p align="left">In the dream I thought to myself, this must be what
it felt like to have dementia. I was lost and couldn’t remember the
streets I’d been down. (Hell, in real life I get lost in parking
lots if I don’t manage to park close to the store!) I needed to get
to my car if I was going to get it to the mechanic before the shop
closed.</p><p align="left">I woke up feeling a nervous wreck.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p align="left">I have been having a lot of repressed memories break
through this month. On the upside, if I remember it I can deal with
it. On the downside, this is shit I really didn’t want to remember.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDcibq3-EDxYesRS6y8Z2XfnFOH1lelAPVn1hqUjpVwHCL7EWA_DtyqPBbpjENuUfpn3QJQidgbQPOPN9eANx-aYaG6wzl0Q5mdwdcCwDjVZIFSOW9W2SPr-VUvl77HEiS3eM0ZrFUOtvIJrW0YdGYI-Uifr8f-M6k_qotWqsUvSELsGogimcO-z4/s1280/cemetery-2787610_1280.jpg%20by%20angela%20yuriko%20smith%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDcibq3-EDxYesRS6y8Z2XfnFOH1lelAPVn1hqUjpVwHCL7EWA_DtyqPBbpjENuUfpn3QJQidgbQPOPN9eANx-aYaG6wzl0Q5mdwdcCwDjVZIFSOW9W2SPr-VUvl77HEiS3eM0ZrFUOtvIJrW0YdGYI-Uifr8f-M6k_qotWqsUvSELsGogimcO-z4/s320/cemetery-2787610_1280.jpg%20by%20angela%20yuriko%20smith%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/angela_yuriko_smith-6341455/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2787610">Angela Yuriko Smith</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2787610">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Repressed memories are like the Whizzo Quality Assortment. You never know what kind of nasty surprise you're going to get next.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</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/AVvXsEgzr-BuwudxLMpyFxfSYTY4OQCnRWWlEM3x6Za_eNiENc0BvovH1q5Telfh5lbxkZaUsso-R71bIIY_XX7pEUjD8p_sTz8IQzyMQUTLfMmizk4y3JaN58EWDnihsj4PKy8wpMN9xerCcygj6lBk1BPstc5rgz8-raDfoO7fo4PQxaBUehbF_EwLmDXb/s1280/horror-6766106_1280.jpg%20by%20ulrich%20b%20on%20pixabay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzr-BuwudxLMpyFxfSYTY4OQCnRWWlEM3x6Za_eNiENc0BvovH1q5Telfh5lbxkZaUsso-R71bIIY_XX7pEUjD8p_sTz8IQzyMQUTLfMmizk4y3JaN58EWDnihsj4PKy8wpMN9xerCcygj6lBk1BPstc5rgz8-raDfoO7fo4PQxaBUehbF_EwLmDXb/s320/horror-6766106_1280.jpg%20by%20ulrich%20b%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 19.32px;">Image by </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/users/lassaffa-5279046/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6766106" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; color: #cc3300; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 19.32px; text-decoration-line: none;">Ulrich B.</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 19.32px;"> from </span><a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6766106" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; color: #cc3300; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 19.32px; text-decoration-line: none;">Pixabay</a></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD90VhTngbkCP5KoymuNjUnXkRSxeD6-2THFYyhvx9vYg39xsemgLZx6AuJiUkn_mYmJ0U9O6Mg4_smpi54NO57NVHrJY6QNHmA-CcZsLwFRCbuFFrZlT23nFEL_ElYMeOaJ8k8Fl_CS1gddq0YwJqVtNeWMdqUgzIwRGHgWP0l9LSWFmeodeD3l05/s200/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="200" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD90VhTngbkCP5KoymuNjUnXkRSxeD6-2THFYyhvx9vYg39xsemgLZx6AuJiUkn_mYmJ0U9O6Mg4_smpi54NO57NVHrJY6QNHmA-CcZsLwFRCbuFFrZlT23nFEL_ElYMeOaJ8k8Fl_CS1gddq0YwJqVtNeWMdqUgzIwRGHgWP0l9LSWFmeodeD3l05/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p align="left"><br /></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-85626388680576632222023-06-07T00:00:00.065-06:002023-06-07T00:00:00.134-06:00Insecure Writers Support Group 7 June 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4Sbs9ueSo12c2Rk3yuI6aYx-MzWkoz7i9F5wCca7ToHxiotQE6DLaORQ8mClCAkZaXB5r4RivuvcdEDkmR7JqhSEXoIrbjQWtN_Q8lzxZIVkPcOQAK6xNTUzvJYF89BSvlesayf2xuMIdMKJRNzLK1uryZe0zOPj8lrAC1GmmaTcJitkxkJPhg/s640/skull-5671571_640.jpg%20by%20kabe32%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4Sbs9ueSo12c2Rk3yuI6aYx-MzWkoz7i9F5wCca7ToHxiotQE6DLaORQ8mClCAkZaXB5r4RivuvcdEDkmR7JqhSEXoIrbjQWtN_Q8lzxZIVkPcOQAK6xNTUzvJYF89BSvlesayf2xuMIdMKJRNzLK1uryZe0zOPj8lrAC1GmmaTcJitkxkJPhg/s320/skull-5671571_640.jpg%20by%20kabe32%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/kabe32-4437300/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5671571">kabe32</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5671571">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>June 7 question - If you ever did stop writing, what would you replace it with?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Death,
probably.</span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have bad news for everyone who wishes I’d stop inflicting my
thoughts on the world.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I likely will never stop writing unless I’m dead. And, as the late,
great Lemmy Kilmister said about music, we’ll have to see what
happens after that. “That” being death of course.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfXzqtXDIVacidE2Bp-9nbog3iyZJT0J5PIdyWlAqEacck1lFXleB4bl0e7LqHdOZktwy1Lprtb4hyRanslserZGSDfVeGfSJo3CAZ4vleOxPGEEqlMaZHKbHpwJ-XwYp9PMla3rVqSL2FXvC_1cLpD7snSq8mRMQt7bQALH-b1QEft3qsKdUZA/s1280/in%20memory%20of%20lemmy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfXzqtXDIVacidE2Bp-9nbog3iyZJT0J5PIdyWlAqEacck1lFXleB4bl0e7LqHdOZktwy1Lprtb4hyRanslserZGSDfVeGfSJo3CAZ4vleOxPGEEqlMaZHKbHpwJ-XwYp9PMla3rVqSL2FXvC_1cLpD7snSq8mRMQt7bQALH-b1QEft3qsKdUZA/s320/in%20memory%20of%20lemmy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Me, showing some skin. Or, more accurately, ink. This is my actual calf with the tattoo I got to honor Lemmy. Schmexy, no?</b></div>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’ve been writing stories since I was five years old. Almost
fifty-five years beyond that, I’m still writing. As long as I’m
alive and physically able to do so, I will probably always get my
literary groove on in some capacity. Whether that writing takes the
form of dystopian doom diaries, eye-popping erotica, lurid
Lovecraftian fantasy, madcap microfiction, maudlin memoirs,
pissed-off poetry, or some sanity-scarring combination of all the
above, I’ll be doing the dirty deed till the day I pass away.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
By dirty deed, I mean writing, of course. Get your mind out of the
gutter!</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My writing is done dirt cheap, by the way. In fact, you can always
grab my e-books free on Amazon.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Why not pop on over to the official Naughty Netherworld Press website
to check out some samples?</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com">http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com</a></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Don’t say I never gave you nothin’!</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZcZMOVMDiLT_yUPrNO-D5xlQuhyo9zU5JTXa9g_1JVxop0_PnhoNI85_goxUG1f0CzrYpvWJnYoFFmw0Aqpdu1DCfVHkgtmQZlOlM2-5M_N1VAo-OdMjKqzLVGZdR6ifYeoAsyQ3Z7k6iAUCnfYtfB4LFmH75eSg9KUIyiGSlciGJApOT7nPcQ/s640/phone-wallpaper-7704031_640.jpg%20by%20victoria%20regen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="459" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZcZMOVMDiLT_yUPrNO-D5xlQuhyo9zU5JTXa9g_1JVxop0_PnhoNI85_goxUG1f0CzrYpvWJnYoFFmw0Aqpdu1DCfVHkgtmQZlOlM2-5M_N1VAo-OdMjKqzLVGZdR6ifYeoAsyQ3Z7k6iAUCnfYtfB4LFmH75eSg9KUIyiGSlciGJApOT7nPcQ/s320/phone-wallpaper-7704031_640.jpg%20by%20victoria%20regen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/victoria_regen-6314823/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7704031">Victoria_Regen</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7704031">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ya won't be able to get rid of me that easily! Even when my physical body is chilling in an urn, future generations can invoke my spirit by reading my words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Maybe they can even sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKT1hd1mN9yi8wS1kwH5CQEhpNDsQ6Cc50n3S7Zhx2C2Fns1ywTZ55GsiQ8sEfSVs7KuLKyesyb-3FygzkfFM3oOz2jPBz4ZU3h-4XcaPbwNhxI2nbDRW-738bsSXC_2u3XEHo9eqQEzrhv9s0_PHSLjxTFrtb_VFps-IftzGstv0c6mYIB-t5Q/s800/1662151505317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="800" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKT1hd1mN9yi8wS1kwH5CQEhpNDsQ6Cc50n3S7Zhx2C2Fns1ywTZ55GsiQ8sEfSVs7KuLKyesyb-3FygzkfFM3oOz2jPBz4ZU3h-4XcaPbwNhxI2nbDRW-738bsSXC_2u3XEHo9eqQEzrhv9s0_PHSLjxTFrtb_VFps-IftzGstv0c6mYIB-t5Q/s320/1662151505317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://coffeebrandcoffee.com/?ref=OrneryOwlDrinksCoffee">https://coffeebrandcoffee.com/?ref=OrneryOwlDrinksCoffee</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You want a great soundtrack playing while drinking your coffee and reading my stories. I've gotcha covered there too!</div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@GamingAmbience:6/mass-effect-2-le-korlus-blue-suns-2:6?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@GamingAmbience:6/mass-effect-2-le-korlus-blue-suns-2:6?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@GamingAmbience:6/mass-effect-2-le-korlus-blue-suns-2:6?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Alternatively, cueing up some Motörhead is always an Ornery Owl approved choice.</div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-45691623354926884482023-05-03T00:00:00.001-06:002023-05-03T00:00:00.136-06:00Insecure Writers Support Group 3 May 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo4udPS4WA5SQOjwIu9htghtABApH3a2dptL-xcAjhqgT00N5xoFNlGqHIiVw1UBgbYRGL0CwmeqbT_iqjTF2rkhamq8nNt0W2pS59hfRFfFWEXHnopT1FxqzqXjKRAcwQW6FCyM3oJU1vQcEyVpGx7HcgKuNy3H11wzTlP-S8kyNMEc6CLVWNw/s640/laptop-1205256_640.jpg%20by%20kevin%20phillips%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="640" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo4udPS4WA5SQOjwIu9htghtABApH3a2dptL-xcAjhqgT00N5xoFNlGqHIiVw1UBgbYRGL0CwmeqbT_iqjTF2rkhamq8nNt0W2pS59hfRFfFWEXHnopT1FxqzqXjKRAcwQW6FCyM3oJU1vQcEyVpGx7HcgKuNy3H11wzTlP-S8kyNMEc6CLVWNw/s320/laptop-1205256_640.jpg%20by%20kevin%20phillips%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/27707-27707/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1205256">Kevin Phillips</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1205256">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Anyone who knows anything about me is saying "Clearly that is not your desk, you lying liar!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You're right, it isn't.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here's the question.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>May 3 question - When you are working on a story, what inspires you?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It can be any number of things. It's often something obscure. But I would probably never get any writing done if it wasn't for prompts. Those help me herd my wayward ideas into something cohesive. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMkefg4LilpMrJwOrVZthvIwTTmPZeAoisvW5xbv2Qd2JnvVd4BWRG-L9xM3iWPuxnNlt4OY15XZc32_nWQqDTsZkp-v4pHzYgP2uD5kOr-ioD6zpQ0Jnayh88oUcJmwpfD35gcFIdcxHIHg4hpA23tZEofrDFKLWpuM2r0pxfHt4mZEkqFsdOg/s640/adhd-6374663_640.jpg%20by%20chen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMkefg4LilpMrJwOrVZthvIwTTmPZeAoisvW5xbv2Qd2JnvVd4BWRG-L9xM3iWPuxnNlt4OY15XZc32_nWQqDTsZkp-v4pHzYgP2uD5kOr-ioD6zpQ0Jnayh88oUcJmwpfD35gcFIdcxHIHg4hpA23tZEofrDFKLWpuM2r0pxfHt4mZEkqFsdOg/s320/adhd-6374663_640.jpg%20by%20chen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/chenspec-7784448/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6374663">Chen</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6374663">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Without prompts, my squirrely ADHD brain would probably never write anything publishable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIb1ODkVAU6bSxlr8z1OCr9DbMKYpEpW8l4oGLyefIf_YWTUToN4VJmu_73iirws_qoxK7VHeS0ohysB7vJazqncqtD2TMg0aXM16crbb3A6eOpN58RueeuJkgP0EL0dAnyYJosvJ6Ysb1x_kBabAqR6w3wjUggu_1EOPc56dEszZcXFfjPK4_Q/s640/figure-2923801_640.png%20by%20gerhard%20janson%20on%20pixabay.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIb1ODkVAU6bSxlr8z1OCr9DbMKYpEpW8l4oGLyefIf_YWTUToN4VJmu_73iirws_qoxK7VHeS0ohysB7vJazqncqtD2TMg0aXM16crbb3A6eOpN58RueeuJkgP0EL0dAnyYJosvJ6Ysb1x_kBabAqR6w3wjUggu_1EOPc56dEszZcXFfjPK4_Q/s320/figure-2923801_640.png%20by%20gerhard%20janson%20on%20pixabay.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/janson_g-5907103/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2923801">Gerhard Janson</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2923801">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"I'll be back, Owl."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Now you know what you need to do to stop me from publishing anything else. Send a cyborg back in time to kill all the prompt writers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</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/AVvXsEj0cj-iiT2bPuknPOyhXBW00Q80EPz8oMAhgV8QJLE36MV1aCLAyrOyMtA6gzv--17KeKnzoTuhd4k6DuOdOrdM_UC2HNt1cO6phklfToYeRGC8-X8PHI77c1M4ZyXMLQKb019QKqZv4nyJTDvLY3utbvxBg-b_nKZ1TRahi40QFnt7DHZ3r2rMDQ/s640/owl-7688773_640.jpg%20by%20micha%20from%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cj-iiT2bPuknPOyhXBW00Q80EPz8oMAhgV8QJLE36MV1aCLAyrOyMtA6gzv--17KeKnzoTuhd4k6DuOdOrdM_UC2HNt1cO6phklfToYeRGC8-X8PHI77c1M4ZyXMLQKb019QKqZv4nyJTDvLY3utbvxBg-b_nKZ1TRahi40QFnt7DHZ3r2rMDQ/s320/owl-7688773_640.jpg%20by%20micha%20from%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/pixxlteufel-117549/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7688773">Micha</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7688773">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ornery Owl ain't afraid of no steenkin' Terminator.</div><p></p><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@thymeandplace:9/chillwave3:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@thymeandplace:9/chillwave3:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@thymeandplace:9/chillwave3:a?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Chill with me, People. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zwIXELjVnfWYhEoYVhoFttNgnxjhSa2o7B1pQIZI6-RfHA-OtkOtQhNHExZCT1k1k4ptRt8-QcZwny0KoLsiAgYrWYhirvFSjnq2yC0mojUIFW6aLbHnDEaMlc3VGPFOZzzw6ZS4u4iopjoRMk-SLN_BS-fWt2luJPQbsD-nR3Xhw-4xYdsxHQ/s800/1662151505317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="800" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zwIXELjVnfWYhEoYVhoFttNgnxjhSa2o7B1pQIZI6-RfHA-OtkOtQhNHExZCT1k1k4ptRt8-QcZwny0KoLsiAgYrWYhirvFSjnq2yC0mojUIFW6aLbHnDEaMlc3VGPFOZzzw6ZS4u4iopjoRMk-SLN_BS-fWt2luJPQbsD-nR3Xhw-4xYdsxHQ/s320/1662151505317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grab a cup of Coffee Brand Coffee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You need better coffee. Why not join Ornery Owl in a coffee revolution? Support an independently owned business at an affordable price. No hype, just great coffee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://coffeebrandcoffee.com/?ref=OrneryOwlDrinksCoffee">https://coffeebrandcoffee.com/?ref=OrneryOwlDrinksCoffee</a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-15234250360156033062023-04-22T00:00:00.021-06:002023-04-22T00:00:00.221-06:00S is for Scam<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38re0HJid3I9ESq4vQEuskLy93RKbEKvJsxlQA-36zHCiWiWHQb63KXyYuMxzm4NdYF-0I4eRyQWeCu-V_ABN8RR0YxrTdsqqkHFkU72dBo3rvwyM_seVHNjqktvt1hayVJKnjwUqr7FGglzYPRgc6bvIuE2Gh4x_kGFSnqvDP0ec6iWAMA1IUg/s640/snake-7371335_640.png%20by%20bliiwii%20on%20pixabay.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="640" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38re0HJid3I9ESq4vQEuskLy93RKbEKvJsxlQA-36zHCiWiWHQb63KXyYuMxzm4NdYF-0I4eRyQWeCu-V_ABN8RR0YxrTdsqqkHFkU72dBo3rvwyM_seVHNjqktvt1hayVJKnjwUqr7FGglzYPRgc6bvIuE2Gh4x_kGFSnqvDP0ec6iWAMA1IUg/s320/snake-7371335_640.png%20by%20bliiwii%20on%20pixabay.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/bliwii-26571546/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7371335">Bliwii</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7371335">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">This owl followed a
link to a product that claims it will stop bleeding gums and even
repair your teeth so you need never go to the dentist. Some ProDentim
affiliates claim the product causes weight loss. I wonder if
ProDentim could repair the hail damage and dented bumper on my car.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It took more than an
hour for the ProDentim video to FINALLY reveal the secret to turning
my teeth to titanium. Unsurprisingly, their claims were a load of
manure.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ornery Owl suggests
following the link to Trust Pilot, where you can read the unpolished
truth about ProDentim.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.trustpilot.com/review/prodentim.com?page=2">https://www.trustpilot.com/review/prodentim.com?page=2</a>
</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b>Ornery Owl Has Spoken</b></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf4giIq0tY7JZkdFWIyle9P56zCa4bG8YbExnDn6TwEdeYpDFkS9H0zHTvrAc1SaJ7OKdcIqljudqYRHUsT8hBEL8IlvIeoPUQ7guT7sbqKgqhcEI7J6NxMrFD7dHy6eWSRBoT4UiJbQD2WByg8-feRQlFTuqWICnyBWNnj2bGzTqx5nwr5P-9A/s1280/owl-159402_1280.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="913" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf4giIq0tY7JZkdFWIyle9P56zCa4bG8YbExnDn6TwEdeYpDFkS9H0zHTvrAc1SaJ7OKdcIqljudqYRHUsT8hBEL8IlvIeoPUQ7guT7sbqKgqhcEI7J6NxMrFD7dHy6eWSRBoT4UiJbQD2WByg8-feRQlFTuqWICnyBWNnj2bGzTqx5nwr5P-9A/s320/owl-159402_1280.png%20by%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" width="228" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/openclipart-vectors-30363/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=159402">OpenClipart-Vectors</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=159402">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ornery Owl would much rather spend her money on a nifty new kitchen gadget than overpriced snake oil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p></div><br /><p></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-58956349943663720302023-04-05T00:00:00.023-06:002023-04-05T00:00:00.250-06:00Insecure Writers Support Group April 5 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoibc0jfggxm7D-Lh6CB5fgBAxlCxTq3QVtbyIxQUb4hEInYx1hEGx1BRCWLwbt_V29vHxLihThiLDSzlzsmpiSOt5Zbj62y7Ht6TIwVdHVaA0Ha-FzcRpseuAaPMs96zrA3Z1mrwJAFTfRHQCINKVhjBhKVVssIBUQHNkhA1CpIEK6kAl5EqIQ/s640/bullying-959433_640.jpg%20by%20alexas%20fotos%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="640" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoibc0jfggxm7D-Lh6CB5fgBAxlCxTq3QVtbyIxQUb4hEInYx1hEGx1BRCWLwbt_V29vHxLihThiLDSzlzsmpiSOt5Zbj62y7Ht6TIwVdHVaA0Ha-FzcRpseuAaPMs96zrA3Z1mrwJAFTfRHQCINKVhjBhKVVssIBUQHNkhA1CpIEK6kAl5EqIQ/s320/bullying-959433_640.jpg%20by%20alexas%20fotos%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/alexas_fotos-686414/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=959433">Alexa</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=959433">Pixabay</a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;">Fair warning, I cuss. A lot. If you prefer your reading experience less peppered with profanity, I suggest another post, blog, and author.</span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;">Also, fair warning that I keep things real. I will not sugarcoat shit and tell you it's candy. If something was bad, I'm not going to say "this was kind of not okay." I'm gonna tell you it's bad in no uncertain terms.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo4cqUfSLyavPzI9ZvHt-JDgF8JMhBA4gSmu4PXR7UfPDTdPVlxlK33TdLI0YfNglfKvL50jJ-3qlCHsb1JlJJTJgcaLHbPpxNIvmPefyDxWydDM7j_esbZ7ckxdENXQirFwksY8oPr_JVcSMsVdT6gI14RV1tms_jbLsTEcJcIPxNgfprz7-Pg/s720/kermit%20keepin%20it%20real.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo4cqUfSLyavPzI9ZvHt-JDgF8JMhBA4gSmu4PXR7UfPDTdPVlxlK33TdLI0YfNglfKvL50jJ-3qlCHsb1JlJJTJgcaLHbPpxNIvmPefyDxWydDM7j_esbZ7ckxdENXQirFwksY8oPr_JVcSMsVdT6gI14RV1tms_jbLsTEcJcIPxNgfprz7-Pg/s320/kermit%20keepin%20it%20real.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">And now, on to the post!</span><p></p><p><b>Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Holy guacamole and the entire bag of chips, you people are evil! This is something I really don't like to talk about, but since I'm hoping to eventually publish a book chock-a-block with encouraging thoughts for writers including thoughts like "sometimes you have a really shitty experience, but don't give up," I'll address it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When I wrote my first book, I very much wanted to right a wrong. I'm going to be vague about certain details because even though very few copies of this book exist, I don't want anyone to find it. It is not available in e-book form and never will be. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The lightly fictionalized version of the story goes a little bit something like this.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There was an author. We'll call her Diana Desrosiers because that sounds like a name that an author who writes paranormal romance would have. Diana was an extremely sensitive lady who had never received much understanding from the people in her life. She was struggling with undiagnosed ADHD and improperly treated PTSD. Diana didn't like herself very much. She felt like she couldn't do anything right. She made the mistake of thinking she had to have a man in her life to be complete, and she almost always chose awful men who abused her.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When she was younger, Diana really wanted to be a musician. She was not innately gifted in this area. Her parents fought against the idea of her becoming a musician. They even went so far as selling all her instruments including the piano she had loved like a member of the family. Diana's parents didn't like her husband (let's call him Ivan) very much either. In fairness to Diana's husband, he did try to be a good guy, but there was too much hurt inside both of them for things to work out right. However, they made a commitment to being good parents to their son, whom we'll call Tristin. They consider each other to be family and will always be there for each other.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana really wanted to mend the rift between herself, Ivan, and her parents for Tristin's sake as much as her own. So the family went to counseling together. It didn't help. The only thing Diana remembered about the sessions was her father saying that she was the least musically talented person in the family. At that point, Diana, who had been struggling to maintain her belief in herself, gave up on music altogether. She has never touched a musical instrument since that day. She was twenty-five years old then. She is now approaching sixty.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana didn't know what to do with herself without music. One evening, she and Ivan went to dinner at a cafe they liked. There was a palm reader there, and Diana decided she wanted a reading, hoping it might give her a sense of direction. Diana said she'd always wanted to be a musician but didn't feel very hopeful about it right now.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The palm reader said music didn't seem to be the right path for Diana, but there was a very strong indication that she could be successful with writing. This made Diana happy. She had always excelled in writing when she was in school. Except for one teacher who was a total asshole, her teachers always praised her abilities. She wrote stories to help her feel better when she was being bullied at school, which was most of the time. Diana thanked the palm reader. Her path was clear now.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana wrote a little of this and a little of that, but she didn't have a clear goal in mind. Most of her writing was rather depressive because she was extremely depressed. She submitted her writing to a few publications, but it wasn't what they were looking for. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">One night Diana had a very vivid dream, and she decided she'd write a book about a lonely author in a bad marriage who falls in love with a seductive, reluctant vampire. Diana and Ivan's marriage wasn't going very well by this point, and she wanted to take her mind off how lousy her life felt. We'll call Diana's author character Amanda. Amanda's husband is Leland and the seductive vampire is Samir. We'll call her book The Beauty Within. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana's story wasn't a bad story, but she didn't quite know what to do next. She didn't have all the amazing tools available to indie authors today. She didn't know how to query an agent or where to submit her work. She was distracted from her book for a time as her marriage to Ivan fell apart and she had to go back to work to support herself and Tristin. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For a long time, Diana only wrote fan fiction. She had pretty well given up on the idea of becoming a published author. By the way, fan fiction is real writing. Ornery Owl is not one of those snobs who derides fan fiction as a lesser form of writing. Sure there is some garbage fan fiction out there, but there are also some garbage books published by large publishing houses. There is also some very well-written fan fiction that kicks the crap out of certain popular books that Ornery Owl is too polite to name. There is some great fan fiction that kicks the hell out of a certain movie that Ornery Owl is not too polite to name, that being the trash fire known as Alien 3.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sorry, I digress. Let us return to the story of Diana the Hopeful Author.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana had always been very interested in the spirit world and practices such as channeling. One of her maternal great-grandfathers often saw ghosts, including people who were close to death but had not released their material bonds yet. Diana had only seen one ghost, but she sometimes had precognitive dreams and sometimes sensed things she shouldn't have been able to know but turned out to be true. Diana was empathic and had a sensitive soul. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">One day Diana learned about a young man in the underground music scene who had committed suicide by putting a shotgun to his head. We'll call him Niklas. The more she read about Niklas, the more she felt the way his death was treated as "something cool" was wrong. She reached out to Niklas and, it would seem, contacted him. She wanted to help him tell his story. She felt that she could revive The Beauty Within and incorporate it with Niklas' story, hoping that when people read the story they would see Niklas as a real person and not as the "icon of darkness" they'd made him into.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Although Diana's heart was in the right place, the way she went about enacting her goal was erroneous. She should not have used Niklas' real name or the real circumstances of his death when she wrote the story. She should not have revealed that she believed she had been in contact with his spirit. Diana received death threats from certain fans of the extreme metal genre. She had female fans of Niklas contacting her to ask her to put them in touch with him. The things some of these ladies said could make even the spirit of the late John C. Holmes blush. Ornery Owl will not repeat them here.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana also made the mistake of becoming involved on a personal level with some of the book's fans. These were troubled people and Diana's self-esteem was already fragile. To add diarrhea icing to the manure cake, Diana had spent thousands of dollars on a POD publisher only to pull the book from production because she could no longer deal with the death threats, lechery, and frenemies made from releasing this badly-advised book. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana did not think she would ever write again and for a long time, she didn't. Then she slid back into writing fan fiction. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diana once thought she would become a FAMOUS AUTHOR and would salvage the reputation of a troubled young man who didn't deserve to remain infamous following his unfortunate suicide. At this point, she is not trying to become a FAMOUS AUTHOR. She is happy enough to be just an author. She has self-published a few of her stories on Amazon.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ornery Owl Says:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoyRmH2f3iUwB24w5Mtb8FIHv0liEPN5PB-Je3zeGFa_jnlcmjrZvrrAxFxQEOrxoxz9IKdaH311fNpINeyms5BuUyYLzR7aJY3-OfTaDe-sUMqXr2ppnYsHrTnkl0thMghIkIGBdBFeoki32fL5VxrhnzL46UJBvu52eUk3q1fQea0z6QuWzkQ/s640/ornery%20wisdom%20be%20careful%20who%20you%20open%20up%20to.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoyRmH2f3iUwB24w5Mtb8FIHv0liEPN5PB-Je3zeGFa_jnlcmjrZvrrAxFxQEOrxoxz9IKdaH311fNpINeyms5BuUyYLzR7aJY3-OfTaDe-sUMqXr2ppnYsHrTnkl0thMghIkIGBdBFeoki32fL5VxrhnzL46UJBvu52eUk3q1fQea0z6QuWzkQ/s320/ornery%20wisdom%20be%20careful%20who%20you%20open%20up%20to.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Opening your greatest points of vulnerability to a large audience can be costly. It nearly cost me not only my craft but my life. It took me years to get over the pain inflicted by this experience. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</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/AVvXsEjWDTPUL_rfX_rb8EnGhlNelN4cW5p0ngXO3FHIoZGwdGL5AcaO72iE7nBAMxCD1GPNEiLpDcPqpiy9NdAtBVD1O8LeDowyNYZHUq5DIGjtmCmHRZP_J-RcqvzL1AEjpyHNuhsto_Nq9S1K6VIP3RUEVmgQd4X46vAai9Kw_rqKhSEkPZtmOeuFXg/s200/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="200" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDTPUL_rfX_rb8EnGhlNelN4cW5p0ngXO3FHIoZGwdGL5AcaO72iE7nBAMxCD1GPNEiLpDcPqpiy9NdAtBVD1O8LeDowyNYZHUq5DIGjtmCmHRZP_J-RcqvzL1AEjpyHNuhsto_Nq9S1K6VIP3RUEVmgQd4X46vAai9Kw_rqKhSEkPZtmOeuFXg/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here's what I was listening to while I crafted this post. No, Odysee, I will never be That Asshole who enables autoplay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@classical:4/Bach_Organ.Favorites_Biggs:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Here's the link in case you can't see the player.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@classical:4/Bach_Organ.Favorites_Biggs:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@classical:4/Bach_Organ.Favorites_Biggs:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-6189177597181736442023-04-05T00:00:00.017-06:002023-04-05T00:00:00.250-06:00D is for Dementia<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCVlZpqj5YZtObKtFmIWO7KQCg3cEXzquPHpPe3_IUN9i9MpEkZm689smzjaXBiHjMwr_7-S9hOZzWNAXlFQ8gNfLS1tvoTQu_XbuPmvFxfgYKI4U8taOrcAMKoEHhn5Mbj8h7Rjd4spxtXlG-VuOZkKPe9hiweihJxH_EuDlbex641OqnjPOyA/s640/alzheimers-63610_640.jpg%20by%20gerd%20altmann%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCVlZpqj5YZtObKtFmIWO7KQCg3cEXzquPHpPe3_IUN9i9MpEkZm689smzjaXBiHjMwr_7-S9hOZzWNAXlFQ8gNfLS1tvoTQu_XbuPmvFxfgYKI4U8taOrcAMKoEHhn5Mbj8h7Rjd4spxtXlG-VuOZkKPe9hiweihJxH_EuDlbex641OqnjPOyA/s320/alzheimers-63610_640.jpg%20by%20gerd%20altmann%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=63610">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=63610">Pixabay</a></div><br /><p></p><div><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I can no longer
ignore the fact that my mother is showing signs of cognitive decline.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I finally emailed my
brother to report my observations to him.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">My mother still
drives, which is a terrible idea. She has reported getting lost,
turning onto a busy road that I feel like I’m taking my life in my
hands driving on.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I live 125 miles
from my mother. Visiting her is a 6-hour round trip. My own health
isn’t great.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I hope to convince
my mother to move closer to me so my son and I can check on her more
easily.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX74be5Ip2R0Wb4m_ivNVjoi5rQZAIvcl_9ZpaNxIBWz3_OYhYCWAvCOZ8Rjy3OewSCUd9nUdXKjRPZp9ZERPupnNMyj5RRnVOT7usXtpk-lGzLzxkFZ_wCepBWdDgKHdcTc82tX3tbpNdZdxmyd1IxEziA63qOqIAiDW3zT7BCVpAjjoyIyqZg/s1920/fantasy-5696828_1920.jpg%20by%20willgard%20krause%20on%20pixabay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="1920" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX74be5Ip2R0Wb4m_ivNVjoi5rQZAIvcl_9ZpaNxIBWz3_OYhYCWAvCOZ8Rjy3OewSCUd9nUdXKjRPZp9ZERPupnNMyj5RRnVOT7usXtpk-lGzLzxkFZ_wCepBWdDgKHdcTc82tX3tbpNdZdxmyd1IxEziA63qOqIAiDW3zT7BCVpAjjoyIyqZg/s320/fantasy-5696828_1920.jpg%20by%20willgard%20krause%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image by Willgard Krause on Pixabay</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/fantasy-woman-sadness-loneliness-5696828/">https://pixabay.com/photos/fantasy-woman-sadness-loneliness-5696828/</a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-22335243624216891392023-04-04T12:01:00.001-06:002023-04-04T12:01:23.269-06:00C is for Cashing In My Chips<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qexr-X_4T7FlTORfTDWmg2ATBOgNAKyAHrW3BVuwbo5HExzCuXwl6636efZtCTyjaBuNaZPXCYJffAFRJl5jnoMLSgrjvFaoZ_K8DPrC3RYjUeNE0xCihiryXbl2XUNocVUy-5W3zG8s5gjI2zsbOuEOigV4gsURl2lnQgI51CPjqBOaHSFm5g/s640/cpu-424812_640.jpg%20by%20tobias%20dahlberg%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qexr-X_4T7FlTORfTDWmg2ATBOgNAKyAHrW3BVuwbo5HExzCuXwl6636efZtCTyjaBuNaZPXCYJffAFRJl5jnoMLSgrjvFaoZ_K8DPrC3RYjUeNE0xCihiryXbl2XUNocVUy-5W3zG8s5gjI2zsbOuEOigV4gsURl2lnQgI51CPjqBOaHSFm5g/s320/cpu-424812_640.jpg%20by%20tobias%20dahlberg%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/tobiasd-206193/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=424812">Tobias Dahlberg</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=424812">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's a computer chip, geddit?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I considered cashing
in my chips with this post, but then I thought, I’ve already written a
couple thousand words today. Surely a hundred more won’t be that
big of a deal.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I’m not entirely
sure I’m going to see this project through. Quitting won’t be
some sort of admission of defeat. It will simply be an acknowledgment that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I’m
already writing a 30,000–50,000 word novella for potential
publication by Totally Bound. I’m writing a poem a day. Not that writing these dumb drabbles is difficult, but full participation in
the challenge may not be something I can manage right now.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I swear, if I write
WRITE NOW one more time, Imma smack my own hand with a ruler!</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Here's Beethoven's Emperor Concerto for your enjoyment.</p></div><p></p><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@classical:4/Beethoven_Emperor.Concerto_Curzon.VPO:4?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@classical:4/Beethoven_Emperor.Concerto_Curzon.VPO:4?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@classical:4/Beethoven_Emperor.Concerto_Curzon.VPO:4?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="#AtoZChallenge 2023 letter C" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvf_HaJx1KMfxHx3ESO0F4ixm_LLyFMA95rOkIup1rkjvg0z9j-DcrMgWrvv40Yro2DPyURPpx4Wsf_ec8YNRLiC_rbjcpfHVqh3h89dK1rabZjNFk_kDdd8fUFGMqDxm9QockqjJQdhNBib01bdUY8LTpLnFsYemMEumiSL5tppX15SDOobVbAAQN/s1600/C.jpg" width="250" /></a>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-8784209219825355432023-04-03T00:00:00.023-06:002023-04-03T00:00:00.230-06:00B is for Bully<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjdUAGCl8woYVEO_sxYm7xR_VMvDvZU7dhnyMEmsCDSGZLeYz0Gu75MXQw4o5AqqxvX7SwKtpHzWaDDvKcozJxcp3cKawbImQ2yyFta5Ft1V7fSMwEYEe8-Y5sg0MUGusgWTTtLuwnfqCwbniGwQivJ3_74tMkCoiP-0Okny3QGw3L5xT8opk3Q/s640/stop%20bullying%20version%208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="640" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjdUAGCl8woYVEO_sxYm7xR_VMvDvZU7dhnyMEmsCDSGZLeYz0Gu75MXQw4o5AqqxvX7SwKtpHzWaDDvKcozJxcp3cKawbImQ2yyFta5Ft1V7fSMwEYEe8-Y5sg0MUGusgWTTtLuwnfqCwbniGwQivJ3_74tMkCoiP-0Okny3QGw3L5xT8opk3Q/s320/stop%20bullying%20version%208.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo manipulation and text art by Ornery Owl</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Created with a free-use image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3362025">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3362025">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You are welcome to use my image, but please credit me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p>The more Ornery Owl thinks about it, the more she believes the
term bullying downplays the truth.</p>
<p>Some people think bullying is a rite of passage.
</p>
<p>“If a kid gets bullied, it will toughen him up,” they
proclaim.
</p>
<p>“Kids need to learn to stand up for themselves.”</p>
<p>“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never
hurt you.”</p>
<p>This old truism is patently false.</p>
<p>Words can leave permanent scars on a person’s psyche.</p>
<p>Words can kill.</p>
<p>Let’s stop soft-pedaling. Bullying is abuse.
</p>
<p>Dealing with abusers may make a person tough.</p>
<p>They will still have scars on the inside.</p>
<p>Ornery Owl has spoken.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQTXSUGFqPQRWEZrfLwZyZkiss3sDD8NIZv3l46qXJYFnk_wqIqKAub0-1oyGPvFVzCU-cgd1Xh2nswjJxubI2wchbAJLB5_gHj1WzZHG7XvqxpO8J3o4iJc_AAfZQNlj0ks8LIOBge-xHA2ja-tYeKMc19jzfLY2AiJmGieBgqoC_kSeB8M6JA/s1920/bird-7411277_1920.jpg%20by%20erik%20karits%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQTXSUGFqPQRWEZrfLwZyZkiss3sDD8NIZv3l46qXJYFnk_wqIqKAub0-1oyGPvFVzCU-cgd1Xh2nswjJxubI2wchbAJLB5_gHj1WzZHG7XvqxpO8J3o4iJc_AAfZQNlj0ks8LIOBge-xHA2ja-tYeKMc19jzfLY2AiJmGieBgqoC_kSeB8M6JA/s320/bird-7411277_1920.jpg%20by%20erik%20karits%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/erik_karits-15012370/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7411277">Erik Karits</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7411277">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p><b>O</b>bstinate</p>
<p><b>R</b>ough-cut</p>
<p><b>N</b>ervy</p>
<p><b>E</b>mpathetic</p>
<p><b>R</b>eal</p>
<p><b>Y</b>earning</p>
<p><br />
</p>
<p><b>O</b>ddball</p>
<p><b>W</b>eird</p>
<p align="justify"><b>L</b>oner</p></div><br /><p><br /></p></div><br /><p></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-2714164635607342462023-04-01T09:51:00.001-06:002023-04-01T09:51:00.263-06:00A is for Answering Service<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-MiYOHurc83WKiuAVW979rxcoZeVL4qj93N2dR1D8i5p9a6zwrm_W1-X9eLIO8SsRtKkc3OcIXq957xqhMXIry45eLIU7wlIlwI6IngtJhAFLP6rJ1fBReF0LF6ewhfJBa6hk5xWilTY1IkeU0qImn90EnSehIRLAgZA9lx4CVf_R1ymj-O68A/s640/service-4482162_640.jpg%20by%20mohamed%20hassan%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="640" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-MiYOHurc83WKiuAVW979rxcoZeVL4qj93N2dR1D8i5p9a6zwrm_W1-X9eLIO8SsRtKkc3OcIXq957xqhMXIry45eLIU7wlIlwI6IngtJhAFLP6rJ1fBReF0LF6ewhfJBa6hk5xWilTY1IkeU0qImn90EnSehIRLAgZA9lx4CVf_R1ymj-O68A/s320/service-4482162_640.jpg%20by%20mohamed%20hassan%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/mohamed_hassan-5229782/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4482162">Mohamed Hassan</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4482162">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p>Why do answering services still exist?</p>
<p>It’s one thing if the answering service operator is there to
contact a doctor on call in case of emergency.</p>
<p>It’s another thing if all the answering service operator does is
tell people calling that they need to call back in a couple of hours
so they can speak to someone who can actually help them.
</p>
<p>I once applied for a job as an answering service operator.</p>
<p>That was back in 1984.
</p>
<p>It would have involved sitting in a call center overnight.</p>
<p>I probably would have been bored out of my mind.</p>
<p>Ornery Owl has spoken.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgYBgu2Hc6D0gQU4CWPnTpIz4zejWoOGoUON5evkO8iQKZKmIo6CkoHdIkGFFABJaSoGWIZ46nUNBY0a88L35QQbTmSyWQF1yWfUdxxD5GeWteYCQwLVUOne47bRtNIk9SUHdpa7xMmYOnwVZKBTIfLAYlRmD4RLqNVy939bbHO6BPtgaPHBulQ/s1920/barn-owl-3052382_1920.jpg%20by%20jean%20van%20der%20meulen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgYBgu2Hc6D0gQU4CWPnTpIz4zejWoOGoUON5evkO8iQKZKmIo6CkoHdIkGFFABJaSoGWIZ46nUNBY0a88L35QQbTmSyWQF1yWfUdxxD5GeWteYCQwLVUOne47bRtNIk9SUHdpa7xMmYOnwVZKBTIfLAYlRmD4RLqNVy939bbHO6BPtgaPHBulQ/s320/barn-owl-3052382_1920.jpg%20by%20jean%20van%20der%20meulen%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/jeanvdmeulen-919322/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3052382">Jean van der Meulen</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3052382">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/">http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/</a></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div><br /><p></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-87414121196639639262023-03-31T00:00:00.072-06:002023-03-31T00:00:00.216-06:00A to Z Blogging Challenge 2023 Intro and Theme Reveal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsJCSz9Fca6pjKCreDzbJBzzMl007306TAqGuwKIuKOA1bvjI_47_8OBBPrU4ZTL8bZSDZFa0iaGksIMSJrCzC8sk2D4zUSWFq54Ns67Y2BrhmyYsKnE2s8XgrqXXETJ9tWtKrdkVUy78us5tKN2UAgKPS7llpUaZ-FDDL_lnfD59RTvVfgg-4Q/s1280/eastern-screech-owl-3526934_1280.jpg%20by%20irene%20ks%20from%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1280" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsJCSz9Fca6pjKCreDzbJBzzMl007306TAqGuwKIuKOA1bvjI_47_8OBBPrU4ZTL8bZSDZFa0iaGksIMSJrCzC8sk2D4zUSWFq54Ns67Y2BrhmyYsKnE2s8XgrqXXETJ9tWtKrdkVUy78us5tKN2UAgKPS7llpUaZ-FDDL_lnfD59RTvVfgg-4Q/s320/eastern-screech-owl-3526934_1280.jpg%20by%20irene%20ks%20from%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/minime-70-3280294/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3526934">Irene K-s</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3526934">Pixabay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">How do you do? My
name is Ornery Owl, and that is what you may call me. For some
reason, I decided to participate in the A to Z challenge this year
even though I am also trying to complete a poetry manuscript and a
novella for Dragon Soul Press, plus another novella for Totally Bound Press while submitting a novelette I wrote in February to Passionate Ink and tying everything I write together into one horrible, sanity-scarring document for Camp NaNoWriMo. This document has been given the title Spring has Splatted.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEl3xoGn-fVAz9ALTZ7R1eqWyL7Te1_JERReqej1e0a7raQYO7Tvn2_sK0FJ91FLBLNT7-aNlL5SXM5FQ_VrX2l9zaX02cCsKCIuLx2tc-kpXrySis-Q8vCrEfE-6mMZs_EA9Htdkz1fslnV3W5zq9dSMzsu4YsDX7SJ4XQxKRe5Gsq93iyfjLw/s1920/text-1315156_1920.jpg%20by%20prawny%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEl3xoGn-fVAz9ALTZ7R1eqWyL7Te1_JERReqej1e0a7raQYO7Tvn2_sK0FJ91FLBLNT7-aNlL5SXM5FQ_VrX2l9zaX02cCsKCIuLx2tc-kpXrySis-Q8vCrEfE-6mMZs_EA9Htdkz1fslnV3W5zq9dSMzsu4YsDX7SJ4XQxKRe5Gsq93iyfjLw/s320/text-1315156_1920.jpg%20by%20prawny%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/prawny-162579/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1315156">Prawny</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1315156">Pixabay</a></div>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Why would I do
something so crazy?</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Well, some would
call me the space cowgirl, and some would call me the gangster of
love.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Okay, nobody has
ever called me either of those things. Space cadet and the gangster
of geek, maybe.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Perhaps I’m doing
it just because.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Here are the
disclosures and rules of engagement.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I am writing a
series of drabbles about things that bemuse me.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I wrote a few of these posts
in advance. That might be a good idea, except then I can't use them in my Camp NaNoWriMo word count. So, I won't do that next year if I do this thing again.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I have a potty
mouth, and that spills onto the keyboard. If you are sensitive about
swearing, the profane outbursts of Ornery Owl are not for you.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you have a problem with people or owls writing naughty stories, this is not the blog for you.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you have a problem with people or owls discussing sensitive topics, the thoughts of Ornery Owl are not for you.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you don't appreciate a sense of humor that is at once absurd, cheeky, dry, and often pun-intensive, the words of Ornery Owl will not appeal to you.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">You don’t have to
agree with me about everything, or even about anything. Just remember
that it is possible to disagree in a civil fashion or to simply move
on to another blog if you don’t like what this one has to say.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you would like to
participate in the A to Z Challenge, you can learn more about it
here.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/">http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you would like to
learn more about forthcoming anthology opportunities from Dragon Soul
Press, follow this link.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/">https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you write steamy
and/or erotic romance like Ornery Owl does in her guise as Lil
DeVille, you may be interested in learning more about Passionate Ink
and Totally Bound Press.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://passionateink.org/">https://passionateink.org/</a></p>
<p align="left"><a href="https://totallyentwinedgroup.com/submissions/submission-calls-totally-bound-publishing/">https://totallyentwinedgroup.com/submissions/submission-calls-totally-bound-publishing/</a></p>
<p align="left">No need to thank me. I enjoy sharing the love with
fellow authors. Even if something turns out to not be the right
opportunity for me, it may be the right opportunity for you. Or it
may be the right opportunity for both of us!</p>
<p align="left">This will be my longest post in this year’s A to Z
challenge.</p>
<p align="left">Thank fuck for that!</p>
<p align="left">Ornery Owl has spoken.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="#AtoZChallenge 2023 Rectangular Banner" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="820" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZI_7W9BrIlUhNbdXa79d1vTPVz3KQpwaVPwP8VQWIXr7S06kI04AsrCbvpi7JaaUB-R91BhC9NR-EvV-ELo5HahYicjX7efXRJapbNJjlrBXdDZFWrUdT7yjXNNARkI5S-4Prdv-l66uN5eAYCzyu332cMG7EwQraYlBccZyR-JGmuuoYs6AWwKZ/s1600/FacebookHead2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There is a possibility that I will not be considered an official participant in this challenge. I will continue to moderate comments, and I refuse to allow anonymous comments. When I have done so in the past, it has opened my blog up to spam and trolls. Ain't nobody got time for that. Especially me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Whether I'm an official or unofficial participant, you can expect some Ornery wisdom every day in April.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here's some mellow and relaxing music, because this Odysee channel deserves some views and because Ornery Owl needs to calm the fuck down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@ambiencealchemy:2/spring-garden-ambience-with-nature:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Here's the link in case you can't see the player.</div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@ambiencealchemy:2/spring-garden-ambience-with-nature:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@ambiencealchemy:2/spring-garden-ambience-with-nature:8?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I can't believe that Odysee added an autoplay option for videos. Is there anyone who likes navigating to a page and having videos start playing automatically? I hate that crap. I don't even like it on band pages! Let me choose when the video starts playing.</div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-73257963980510751702023-03-25T00:00:00.005-06:002023-03-25T00:00:00.237-06:00Charity Sunday: Team Beans Infant Brain Tumor Fund<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCAHk1zd408rELjxTFpnOommg6shzf1N23v-660MtqOVzbkWJYexZ8vd8dFTJ7Y0r68IXh5XzNeN08-h0-x5LQEjCn6Xmczc18FTmODsI6yf1b860qCWkGkA5h-Mp-fqBJUC9M9576x-wrIqq0wYSEfptN_YfZ2r_skr020cUb1qzSmumKwN6XA/s1200/andrew%20and%20beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCAHk1zd408rELjxTFpnOommg6shzf1N23v-660MtqOVzbkWJYexZ8vd8dFTJ7Y0r68IXh5XzNeN08-h0-x5LQEjCn6Xmczc18FTmODsI6yf1b860qCWkGkA5h-Mp-fqBJUC9M9576x-wrIqq0wYSEfptN_YfZ2r_skr020cUb1qzSmumKwN6XA/s320/andrew%20and%20beans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">First, I am going to share the letter from Francesca's parents.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Help us fight childhood brain cancer for Beans</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Today should be Francesca’s third birthday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">March 11, 2020 was the happiest day of our lives, getting to start a new exciting adventure with our first baby girl. Sadly, Beans got just nine short months on this Earth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We would love your support in honoring Francesca’s third birthday with a donation of $11 or more to the Team Beans Infant Brain Tumor Fund’s team in the Pan Mass Challenge. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We try to honor her and remember her everyday. She should be running around and talking and getting ready to start school. Sadly, infant brain cancer stole that life from her that she should have gotten to live. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We’ve set a goal of $150,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - and would love your support to hit it and help us pass $3 million raised for infant brain tumor research!</div></div><p>Donate here:</p><p><a href="https://profile.pmc.org/AK0302">https://profile.pmc.org/AK0302</a></p><p>Regardless of the number of comments, I intend to donate $11 to the Team Beans fund.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpbGttzXhNUhOp9HF4UEY9CbZkXe15Bju27KhItCjQE9gMj4I0lOvKj0mfcD0Il51OcUBW9zRijfxNmJMGvjdnEo3lTqpVjKGqLLiVv_e_ww9H-ZqRrhH25SmB39F2Sr9wlVFqTAkjw2kKjlfHauoyWr7TeNiMS3tYt4U9NNjsQOadisrPnQRXA/s1920/remnants%202022%20banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1920" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpbGttzXhNUhOp9HF4UEY9CbZkXe15Bju27KhItCjQE9gMj4I0lOvKj0mfcD0Il51OcUBW9zRijfxNmJMGvjdnEo3lTqpVjKGqLLiVv_e_ww9H-ZqRrhH25SmB39F2Sr9wlVFqTAkjw2kKjlfHauoyWr7TeNiMS3tYt4U9NNjsQOadisrPnQRXA/s320/remnants%202022%20banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I am sharing a snippet from the memoir/workbook that I have been trying to create for years. Writing fiction is challenging. Revealing my own vulnerabilities is difficult in a different way. I discover time and again that most people don't understand what it is to live with a brain that works differently, and most of them don't want to. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, why in the world would I continue putting my truth out there?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Because I believe there are still young people whose neurological and cognitive differences and reactions to trauma are being misinterpreted and/or ignored. I want them to know it isn't their fault. So, here we go with a little snippet from my maybe memoir/workbook.</p><p align="justify" class="western">I used to hate the child I was.
“What a little fuckup!” I thought. “If she could have just paid
attention and done things ‘right,’ I’d be much further along in
life!”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p align="justify" class="western">I now wish I could go back in time
and reveal what I know now to my younger self. I wish I could hug her
and let her howl out all her rage and pain. I’ve lived close to six
decades and typing these words bring tears to my eyes. The world let
that child down, my adult self included. It’s later than it should
be, but now I’m trying to give her the understanding she missed out on.</p><p class="western" style="text-align: center;">~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kdGy02g8lDctVZiv2Lic62q90V2kwvyUc65KVf6fw1Zcq3K1LBGT5UB7_5P7O26lupqGirGwpcNSybLbsdDdkpmOuSidBk3GF6NU1UN_WcnPCxEDz5-SEybujgOrpJyCyCChP1IDgM6QRLfkctclYeUFGde8Qf7CcbCBbK4PZVyhmoM1jwoHSQ/s1280/owl-158408_1280.png%20copyright%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1199" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kdGy02g8lDctVZiv2Lic62q90V2kwvyUc65KVf6fw1Zcq3K1LBGT5UB7_5P7O26lupqGirGwpcNSybLbsdDdkpmOuSidBk3GF6NU1UN_WcnPCxEDz5-SEybujgOrpJyCyCChP1IDgM6QRLfkctclYeUFGde8Qf7CcbCBbK4PZVyhmoM1jwoHSQ/s320/owl-158408_1280.png%20copyright%20open%20clipart%20vectors.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors</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/AVvXsEgVEnivRPFpYde4xObTB7c0EGi7ELwkQuEltdHkIgnIIFn88GuWsiJavS3rwpZt5zHloi4Rpw_NpRgDFRjOf6QvYK7vBHvnsq9XN_dpT-Q1_ZSS0dwiOqN1E0XVM2aKhw5wKkFMwgfibN85DFUFbOe6SNobf0-hVVQ7UsvYovHFTAv2QsUu1AW4PA/s1280/charity%20sunday%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEnivRPFpYde4xObTB7c0EGi7ELwkQuEltdHkIgnIIFn88GuWsiJavS3rwpZt5zHloi4Rpw_NpRgDFRjOf6QvYK7vBHvnsq9XN_dpT-Q1_ZSS0dwiOqN1E0XVM2aKhw5wKkFMwgfibN85DFUFbOe6SNobf0-hVVQ7UsvYovHFTAv2QsUu1AW4PA/s320/charity%20sunday%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com">http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfyAwDaCg0qxfkkp41sf7sFyFX3_sPOAhGlu20mer3tP9g2aPoY-kybpw77U0mgAZ4h_P2BzS6EelXT8D0aIVZ_oQNabC_ijfA4gubup0g1Rt0XgcQoJovI3cJXzgQ5E3-XU-xZBlkg7ES5l-CNq36C4ckpT1I8E6TtDbHaVas1YWr1jF2r5aRA/s720/kermit%20keepin%20it%20real.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfyAwDaCg0qxfkkp41sf7sFyFX3_sPOAhGlu20mer3tP9g2aPoY-kybpw77U0mgAZ4h_P2BzS6EelXT8D0aIVZ_oQNabC_ijfA4gubup0g1Rt0XgcQoJovI3cJXzgQ5E3-XU-xZBlkg7ES5l-CNq36C4ckpT1I8E6TtDbHaVas1YWr1jF2r5aRA/s320/kermit%20keepin%20it%20real.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="western" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427109816373145171.post-63285064680940279002023-03-02T10:59:00.001-07:002023-03-02T11:01:56.052-07:00Insecure Writers Support Group March 1, 2023<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsuGCXY4JtzcjGuH448VtNnpwtlamZJt-R0caARHx2L-U_f0sqfvHIJ6Jo5KpdkuMDeN9kb3J0vm_48ASAUUaK8Z-zptWIZZWFfod292nYRwfRNiHz3deodJFH70EQ9aOrC3XW7f8b9K1eQfMCnb1vPCzvVB36YOTovif19lu_vHcb_BOFjvdjg/s640/book-1822474_640.jpg%20by%20sasin%20tipchai%20on%20pixabay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="640" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsuGCXY4JtzcjGuH448VtNnpwtlamZJt-R0caARHx2L-U_f0sqfvHIJ6Jo5KpdkuMDeN9kb3J0vm_48ASAUUaK8Z-zptWIZZWFfod292nYRwfRNiHz3deodJFH70EQ9aOrC3XW7f8b9K1eQfMCnb1vPCzvVB36YOTovif19lu_vHcb_BOFjvdjg/s320/book-1822474_640.jpg%20by%20sasin%20tipchai%20on%20pixabay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/sasint-3639875/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1822474">Sasin Tipchai</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1822474">Pixabay</a></div><p></p><p><b>Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">That blasted Stephen King does this to me all the time. I'll be driving a million miles to some kind of medical appointment, listening to one of his Dark Tower novels, and wondering why I couldn't have been blessed with a fraction of his abilities in creating that amazing Universe.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sorry, I know this isn't much of a post and it's late besides. I am extremely busy. I wish I didn't have to bother with annoying things like eating, sleeping, bathing, and going to the bathroom.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"So, what the hell are you up to, Ornery?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Glad you asked. Wait, no I'm not. Now I have to answer. Oh, wait, I am! It gives me a chance at a little shameless self-promotion. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I finished formatting and uploading the e-book, paperback, and hardcover versions of The Quest for the Wizard's Key, which is due to be released on April 1. The e-book is now available for pre-order. It's priced reasonably at $5.99, but if you want to wait a bit, I will do a free book promo soon after it releases. It's up to you!</p><p align="justify"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZtZ09w">https://amzn.to/3ZtZ09w</a></p><p align="justify">Now I need to finish a 30,000-word (or thereabouts) paranormal erotic romance novella by the end of the month for submission to Totally Bound Publishing. Here's the link to Totally Bound in case this sounds like it really might be your bag, Baby.</p><p align="left"><a href="https://totallyentwinedgroup.com/submissions/submission-calls-totally-bound-publishing/">https://totallyentwinedgroup.com/submissions/submission-calls-totally-bound-publishing/</a></p><p align="left">Wants stories between 30,000 and 50,000 words.</p><p align="justify">
</p><p align="left">All Hallows Harem (submission due April 1) is looking
for supernatural characters, menage or harem. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQr_TPH6lMhMMz_K_0gqgbx5OyxlRhWpDg8d2NZxJqqYMAI9MTQ12QSaCDN9vnt5X11zutux29AMd3YVgIVZkScEJF5vE8dypNFdaaGKLzIfAc7u-ygHF0dLcz_3JRDOd3YCQnxcqim9TM2csH3k6sKbtps-krTaHgtovM7GTJTbd6ny_ZgicTOA/s200/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="200" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQr_TPH6lMhMMz_K_0gqgbx5OyxlRhWpDg8d2NZxJqqYMAI9MTQ12QSaCDN9vnt5X11zutux29AMd3YVgIVZkScEJF5vE8dypNFdaaGKLzIfAc7u-ygHF0dLcz_3JRDOd3YCQnxcqim9TM2csH3k6sKbtps-krTaHgtovM7GTJTbd6ny_ZgicTOA/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html</a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Here's some music for you to listen to. A link follows in case you can't see the player.</p><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="315" id="odysee-iframe" src="https://odysee.com/$/embed/@LofiNow:8/back-to-2010's-i-bet-you-know-all-2:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://odysee.com/@LofiNow:8/back-to-2010%27s-i-bet-you-know-all-2:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16">https://odysee.com/@LofiNow:8/back-to-2010%27s-i-bet-you-know-all-2:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16</a></div>Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost http://www.blogger.com/profile/07596105116325246476noreply@blogger.com1