inkstains

Yes, I missed last weekend, but I have a really good excuse - two Halloween parties and my birthday. If that doesn't get me off the hook, I don't know what will!

This weekend is officially the first weekend of NaNoWriMo. Anyone out there doing it? I got a late start, and am doing a bad job of it so far today (curse you and your addictiveness, Pinterest! Plus, I've read a book and am now watching a movie, I can really procrastinate!). But, as my fortune cookie said, "where there's a will, there's a way". I can make up for lost time if I really put my mind to it.

Optional writing prompt: An unnervingly accurate fortune cookie.

(Let's pretend I didn't fall off the wagon last weekend, otherwise my excuses would fill a War and Peace-sized novel...)

Autumn (for us Northern Hemisphere-ers) started three weeks ago, but this weekend it started to look like it for the first time. Sure, last weekend was chillier, but the leaves have turned and started dropping, so even though it's warmer it feels like fall. Which happens to be my favorite season, edging out spring because there are fewer violent storms and I live in tornado alley. Except that freak storm we had Friday night, where the thunder actually rattled pictures on the wall. But I digress (hey, I just got up, a little muddled, yes...).

Seasons! Change! Turn, turn turn... What is your favorite season? And why?

Optional writing exercise: a season holds special meaning for your character, which one and why?

Well, I'm not technically late, it's still the weekend, but I was rather busy yesterday making little mini pumpkin pies. I will never do that again. I love making regular pumpkin pie, but the amount of time it took to put pie crust in 24 individual mini muffin cups was enough to make me tear my hair out. The made-from-scratch whipped cream was awesome, though.

And the secret to an even better pumpkin pie made with real pumpkin? Most recipes call for a can of evaporated milk, but I use sweetened condensed milk.

Anyone else cooking anything amazing, or tricky, or even horrible? Kitchen failures can be pretty amusing, once you're over the frustration. I've certainly had my fair share, in my quest to always try out new recipes!

Bonus writing prompt: something goes terribly, terribly wrong in the kitchen.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend! And don't forget this week's contest!

Talk about anything you want! I'm not really late, so no excuses this weekend. The weather has finally turned cooler and it's football season, so yay! Happy days!

I was once challenged that I couldn't write a poem using the word "encroachment" as a football term, and I did! I won't say it was good, but I did it. So your extra prompt/challenge for the week is to write a story/poem/etc that involves sports in some way. Could be an mainstream established sport (football, soccer, baseball, hockey, etc), a slightly more off-the-wall sport (cup stacking, jacks, marbles, etc), or something you completely make up (competitive worm wrangling, etc).

Since I am completely unable to remember anything that's not "right now" or "every...", I get to be in charge of the weekend off-topic post, a new feature where inkstains members can gab about anything!

How it works: I ramble slightly about why I'm late posting something, then toss in a general topic (with, for the more motivated among you, a very optional writing prompt, just in case you want a little spark to write something). You can continue on the same topic in the comments, or just tell us something that happened with you this week! Share your successes ("I finally managed to clean out the fridge", or "I got the marinara stain out of my favorite blouse!"), your (hopefully not, but...) horrid things ("frogged all twenty-seven rows of that laceweight shawl", etc), talk about your favorite TV show... you get the idea.

My excuse this week (I really was aiming for Saturday): The Ethnic Festival was this weekend! It was great fun, there was amazing food, great entertainment, and awesome vendors... but there was also (thanks to the drought) a ton of dust. So then I got a horrid headache and my sinuses are still revolting.

Completely optional writing prompt: a character tries a new food. (Fun fact: my friend had never had a fresh coconut before, it was an eye-opener for her!)

Now, go! Talk among yourselves. Don't leave me hanging. I can and will have long conversations with myself in the comments...