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    Disappointment ( Day 26 )

    The Challenge for Day 26 The challenge for today is to write about “Disappointment”, that sadness you feel when your expectations are dashed by reality. Disappointment We’ve all been there, haven’t we? It could be something outside your control, like a sudden snowfall leaving you housebound instead of at the concert you spent all year looking forward to. Or maybe a friend lets you down by not answering your calls when she knows you need a shoulder to cry on. Perhaps you disappoint yourself by messing up a work project because you left it till the last minute. Again. And then it hits you, that sinking feeling in your stomach.…

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    Kyllini ( Day 25 )

    The Challenge for Day 25 Today’s challenge is to write about the topic of travel. “Think of a time you went somewhere, anywhere and share it with us.” I love travelling and it was hard to settle on one destination. In the end, I decided to write about the last stop of an Interail holiday I took in my twenties…Kyllini.   Kyllini My friend Sinead and I are having one of those heart-to-heart chats, you know the type you have after a few wines. The shared bottle of Ouzo is adding to the experience and the words are tripping over themselves. Complex stories of relationships meander through the fog, twenty odd…

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    Dentophobia ( Day 24 )

    The challenge for Day 24 Today’s challenge is to ” Cut out the Fluff. Write 500 words without using the word “that” or “very.” Try to use absolutely no adverbs (hint: “absolutely” is an adverb).” So here it is, my piece on Dentophobia…Fear of the Dentist. I won’t promise fluff-free,  but I’ll do my best to deliver on the adverbs. The word “that” might be more difficult but I’ll give it my best shot. Here goes…   Dentophobia Here I am on Day 24 of the challenge, can you believe it? Still writing, still posting, still battling on. Little princess warrior is turning into Queen Maeve, taking on Fear and whacking…

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    Bookends ( Day 23 )

    The Challenge for Day 23 Today’s Challenge is to write the end of a piece of work, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction or memoir. This is not going to be easy, but that’s why it’s called a challenge, I guess. Since I wrote the preface to my memoir yesterday, I thought I may as well go with the ending today. I’m calling it “Bookends” because that’s what I’m going to end up with…A start, an ending and a whole lot of work to do to fill in the missing pages. But, do you know what, I’m grateful for these prompts because they’re teaching me how to focus on outcomes and not just…

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    Memoir Preface ( Day 22 )

    The Challenge for Day 22 Today’s challenge is to write about “Fear”. Will you give in or fight it? What will you do with it? The funny thing is that I’ve just started a course on Memoir Writing with Pauline Clooney. My assignment for this weekend was to write the preface for my memoir, even though I haven’t even started the book yet! Anyway, out of laziness or practicality, I decided I’d combine the two prompts into this post for Day 22. It’s just an outline, a work in progress, but at least it’s a start.   Memoir Preface   The blank page can be a scary thing. I’ve just…

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    Poem: A Dark Vision ( Day 21 )

    The Challenge for Day 21 Today’s challenge is to “Write a Confession”. It could be about a time you messed up, maybe even felt like a failure. And here’s the important part…What have you learned from it? Could it help anyone else? So I decided to share a poem with you, one I wrote when I was going through a period of depression. At the time, I felt so alone, so lost, so helpless. I remember looking at my reflection in the mirror and not recognizing the person staring back at me. It was as if I had left my body and no longer understood that I had any connection with…

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    Compassion ( Day 20 )

    The Challenge for Day 20 Today’s challenge is to write on the theme of Justice and what changes you would like to see in the world. I’m going to focus on Compassion because I think it is the best way forward for saving the planet. Read on and let me explain why…   Compassion What does it mean to have compassion? Is it the same thing as empathy? Empathy means feeling the emotions of others, but sometimes it can be over-powering, even leading us to despair. Just think how often you have to turn off the TV because you can’t take any more of those awful scenes. The children going…

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    Drama: Knockmeaden( Day 19 )

    The Challenge for Day 19 Today’s challenge is to “Write in someone else’s Voice.” I’ve just recently been reading some of the works of Martin McDonough, author of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, so I thought this might make for an interesting challenge. My first attempt at Drama. Apologies in advance for the language, but these characters are a bit naughty 🙂   Drama: Knockmeaden Here are a few, brief details of the play. I’ll probably add more when I get time! Background: This Drama is set in Knockmeaden, a rural village located about three kilometers from Westport.  It revolves around the relationship between two brothers, Micky and Tommy and their…

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    Waiting ( Day 18)

    The Challenge for Day 18 Today’s challenge seems straightforward enough, Jeff asks us to ” Write about Waiting.” One particular incident comes to mind, not one of my proudest moments, but here goes anyway: “Waiting”   Waiting I’m sitting beside my son and daughter, on an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin airport to Faro, waiting for take-off.  The hand luggage smiles down at me from the rack, reminding me that this is an adventure. Enjoy the journey, it’s part of the holiday, says my logical self. The rest of me is relying on a few pre-flight wines to stay calm. And loads of Hello magazines for distraction. Reading anything more serious is out of…

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    Journalling ( Day 17 )

      The Challenge for Day 17: Pick a Fight The challenge for Day 17 is to write about something you are passionate about, promoting it as beneficial to society. If this involves annoying some people, all the better. Hmm. Not usually one to pick a fight, but some things are worth taking a risk for. So here goes, my thoughts on the importance of journalling in this modern day galloping world.   Journals and Diaries In the past, everyone seemed to keep a journal, most often in the form of a daily diary. Many of these have been lost, but those that remain provide us with great insight into the…